Appropriating Writing in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God

This paper examines the appropriation of writing as an integral part of the colonial encounter in Achebe’s Arrow of God (1964). Achebe’s hero (Ezeulu) realizes the pitfalls of orality in the confrontation with Europeans who are equipped with writing and its accompaniments. The coming of the West is...

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Main Author: Njeng Eric Sipyinyu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2018-07-01
Series:Prague Journal of English Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/pjes-2018-0006
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spelling doaj-5439e03b6ec040a4b920a1694fb93c542021-09-05T13:59:46ZengSciendoPrague Journal of English Studies2336-26852018-07-01719711010.1515/pjes-2018-0006pjes-2018-0006Appropriating Writing in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of GodNjeng Eric Sipyinyu0University of Burundi, Bujumbura, BurundiThis paper examines the appropriation of writing as an integral part of the colonial encounter in Achebe’s Arrow of God (1964). Achebe’s hero (Ezeulu) realizes the pitfalls of orality in the confrontation with Europeans who are equipped with writing and its accompaniments. The coming of the West is therefore welcomed as Ezeulu quickly sides with them to empower himself against the contending forces of a disintegrating society. I argue that, as the Chief Priest of Ulu, Ezeulu is aware of the flaws in the oral nature of his religious pantheon and by sending his son Oduche to learn the art of writing he appropriates the technology of writing in order to prevail against his enemies and ineluctably allows his god’s surrender to the Christian God. This absorption into a greater pantheon is facilitated through the appropriation of writing and the sacred book.https://doi.org/10.1515/pjes-2018-0006oralitywritingappropriationpostcolonialityachebearrow of god
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Njeng Eric Sipyinyu
spellingShingle Njeng Eric Sipyinyu
Appropriating Writing in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God
Prague Journal of English Studies
orality
writing
appropriation
postcoloniality
achebe
arrow of god
author_facet Njeng Eric Sipyinyu
author_sort Njeng Eric Sipyinyu
title Appropriating Writing in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God
title_short Appropriating Writing in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God
title_full Appropriating Writing in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God
title_fullStr Appropriating Writing in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God
title_full_unstemmed Appropriating Writing in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God
title_sort appropriating writing in chinua achebe’s arrow of god
publisher Sciendo
series Prague Journal of English Studies
issn 2336-2685
publishDate 2018-07-01
description This paper examines the appropriation of writing as an integral part of the colonial encounter in Achebe’s Arrow of God (1964). Achebe’s hero (Ezeulu) realizes the pitfalls of orality in the confrontation with Europeans who are equipped with writing and its accompaniments. The coming of the West is therefore welcomed as Ezeulu quickly sides with them to empower himself against the contending forces of a disintegrating society. I argue that, as the Chief Priest of Ulu, Ezeulu is aware of the flaws in the oral nature of his religious pantheon and by sending his son Oduche to learn the art of writing he appropriates the technology of writing in order to prevail against his enemies and ineluctably allows his god’s surrender to the Christian God. This absorption into a greater pantheon is facilitated through the appropriation of writing and the sacred book.
topic orality
writing
appropriation
postcoloniality
achebe
arrow of god
url https://doi.org/10.1515/pjes-2018-0006
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