Agustus 11, 2014
Download Ebook Arrow of God, by Chinua Achebe
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Arrow of God, by Chinua Achebe
Download Ebook Arrow of God, by Chinua Achebe
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Review
Praise for Arrow of God"My favorite novel." —Chimamanda Ngozi AdichiePraise for Chinua Achebe “A magical writer—one of the greatest of the twentieth century.” —Margaret Atwood “African literature is incomplete and unthinkable without the works of Chinua Achebe.” —Toni Morrison “Chinua Achebe is gloriously gifted with the magic of an ebullient, generous, great talent.” —Nadine Gordimer “Achebe’s influence should go on and on . . . teaching and reminding that all humankind is one.” —The Nation “The father of African literature in the English language and undoubtedly one of the most important writers of the second half of the twentieth century.” —Caryl Phillips, The Observer “We are indebted to Achebe for reminding us that art has social and moral dimension—a truth often obscured.” —Chicago Tribune “He is one of the few writers of our time who has touched us with a code of values that will never be ironic.” —Michael Ondaatje “For so many readers around the world, it is Chinua Achebe who opened up the magic casements of African fiction.” —Kwame Anthony Appiah “[Achebe] is one of world literature’s great humane voices.” —Times Literary Supplement “Achebe is one of the most distinguished artists to emerge from the West African cultural renaissance of the post-war world.” —The Sunday Times (London) “[Achebe is] a powerful voice for cultural decolonization.” —The Village Voice “Chinua Achebe has shown that a mind that observes clearly but feels deeply enough to afford laughter may be more wise than all the politicians and journalists.” —Time “The power and majesty of Chinua Achebe’s work has, literally, opened the world to generations of readers. He is an ambassador of art, and a profound recorder of the human condition.” —Michael Dorris
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From the Publisher
Set in the Ibo heartland of eastern Nigeria, one of Africa's best-known writers describes the conflict between old and new in its most poignant aspect: the personal struggle between father and son.
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Product details
Paperback: 230 pages
Publisher: Penguin Books; Reissue edition (August 16, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385014805
ISBN-13: 978-0385014809
Product Dimensions:
5.1 x 0.6 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
4.2 out of 5 stars
45 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#69,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
This is a complex book with several levels of meaning. On the surface, it seems to be a story of a traditional Nigerian priest dealing with the introduction of Christianity to his community and the tragic consequences. This is a story most of us are familiar with. On another level, the priest is Everyman, struggling to know what God wants of him. This book should be on the reading list of every college philosophy and religion class. It raises many questions about who decides what entity to worship, what our relationship is with God, how we view other religions. Then on another level, one suspects that the Nigerian author Chinua Achebe is having a good time messing with our minds! It helps to read the Book of Ezekiel while reading Arrow of God. Only someone like Achebe, who was brought up a Christian amidst traditional Nigerian gods, standing with one foot in Africa and one in the West, could paint the big picture for us. Arrow of God is like American Jazz--it weaves many themes together. Of course American Jazz is based on traditional African music.
I was first struck by how funny this novel was. I guffawed several times while reading it. It takes a remarkable writer to do this with humor, especially across cultures. I thought this work illustrated well the role of religion in society. For the Igbo there was no separation of religion from society--they were one and the same. It's perhaps fitting that while the administration doesn't quite get this (Clarke doesn't even understand that a Chief Priest is not the same as a medicine man) , the missionaries do, ultimately manipulating the villages to connect Christianity to their harvest. Achebe does a superb job humanizing Ezeulu in the story, so that the reader forgets that he is truly half-spirit. This makes Ulu's command to stay the course of revenge near the conclusion all the more shocking. There is no option for Ezeulu to do anything else. At the other end of the spectrum, the reader witnesses the death of the Umuaro society in their necessary drive to survive by finding a way to harvest. Similarly, it would have meant the death of Ezeulu (at least culturally) had he accepted the Chief position since his society isn't structured to be ruled (with the exception of the quasi-king that first had to pay everyone debts). Instead Ezeulu chooses the path of self-destruction. From the British colonial perspective, Achebe shows the tension of indirect rule and their priorities. Clarke and Captain Winterbottom discuss all the money spent on native courts (that they natives won't use) and the void of funding for infrastructure like roads. This is important because one could argue that it is these roads that enable the homogenization of the Igbo people and subjugate a shared identity onto them.FOLLOWING ARE MY NOTES FOR THE GRAD SCHOOL COURSE IN WHICH WE READ THIS NOVEL. More notes are available on my blog For Unofficial Use Only.Arrow of God Notes:-Humor that the English think they understand the people, but they still don't despite prolonged presence...parallels to our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan- Advantages of living near the infrastructure- In direct rule seeks lighter hand by default...goal is more to maintain a status quo of peace- Comments on missionary role by Capt W?- Influence of infrastructure on Igbo...shifting from a language group to an identity- with regards to religion, subtleties in the region...a priest chief is not necessarily a medicine man. Religion is the same as the society...there's no delineation as in Western culture.Ezeulu- Chief Priest of UluMatefi- Ezeulu's senior wifeUgoye- Ezeulu's younger wifeOkuata- Ezeulu's wife that is deadEdogo- Eldest son of Ezeulu, and OkuataObika- son of Ezeulu (drunk and troublesome and handsome) and UgoyeNwafo- youngest son of Ezeulu (his favorite) and UgoyeObiageli- daughter of Ezeulu (sister of Nwafo) and UgoyeOjiugo- daughter of Ezeulu and MatefiAkueke- daughter of Ezeulu and OkuataOduche- Ezeulu's sonCHAPTER 1Ezeulu (Chief Priest of Ulu) introduction as he looks to the sky for the new moon (which he must announce). Ezeulu's announcements control the harvest seasons, most importantly the New Yam Feast. Edogo carves ancestral masks. Ezeulu is bitter about division among the six villages because he spoke the truth to the white man and testified against his people about land dispute with Okperi. Obika beats up and humiliates Akueke husband who had been beating her. Oduche is training with the whites per Ezeulu's instructions.CHAPTER 26 Villages come together and call for war against the Okperi (led by Nwaka). Akukalia is killed when Umuaro messengers lose their temper. War ensues with retaliatory killings. Then the whiteman intervenes and judges the land to belong to Okperi. He also breaks all their guns.CHAPTER 3Captain Winterbottom is introduced and Tony Clark as his assistant. He recounts their version of the Umuaro-Okperi wars which are different from reality. Captain Winterbottom believe in the value of native institutions but is forced to enforce indirect rule. Ibos never developed a system of central authority.CHAPTER 4Enmity of Nwaka and Ezeulu is revealed. Oduche was given to learn the ways of the whiteman's church. Oduche put a python in a box, which Ezeulu finds and frees; scandal ensues. Ezidemelli (Nwaka's friend and python priest) asks what he will do to purify his home.CHAPTER 5Winterbottom doesn't believe indirect rule is effective but most obey his superiors. "Great tragedy of British colonial administration was that the man on the spot (who knew his African) and knew what he was talking about found himself being constantly overruled by starry-eyed fellows at headquarters. Ibos detest kings, but Ikedi makes himself one as a puppet of the administration--he's very corrupt.CHAPTER 6Akueke's inlaws come for her and promise not to let husband beat her--Ezeulu agrees to this.CHAPTER 7Purification day for the six villages. Ugoye has the most ivory of Ezeulu's wives. Nwaka's wives has most ivory. Ezeulu does the purification dance. Women gossip.CHAPTER 8Mr. Wright needs unpaid labor to finish his road and gets it from the Umuaro. Obika is late (because he was drunk) to the road work party and gets whipped. In the ensuing controversy Moses acts as an intermediary. Ezeulu tries to get to the bottom of what happens and his sons show no remorse. The death that will kill a man begins as an appetite.CHAPTER 9Akuebe visits Ezeulu to talk about Obika and the lack of respect of the youth in general.Pride of Umuaro that they never see one party as right and the other as wrong.CHAPTER 10Background on Capt W (including his soldiering in Cameroon) and how his wife ran off with someone else. Capt W expresses disgruntlement at the bureaucracy and their flawed administrative appointments. Capt W and Clarke dine. Clarke and Wright are friends and no one ever investigates whipping. Capt W intends to make Ezeulu paramount chief. Idea of institutions vs. Infrastructures is addressed with administration spending all the money on native courts but not enough on roads. Most Africans aren't using the courts either (or at least willingly).CHAPTER 11Ezeulu visits Akuebe where a man is sick. Ezeulu asks him what the man did to deserve the sickness. Obika and Okuata wed. The medicine man keeps the chicken from the ceremony (which he isn't supposed to do). Ezeulu hopes Obika is a changed man.CHAPTER 12Edogo talks to Akuebe and feigns disinterest in being chosen to succeed his father. Oduche gets in fight with Obija about the python. Ezeulu says that Oduche is a sacrifice from the people to Akuebe. Capt W sends messengers to tell Ezeulu to come see him. Ezeulu says no, I will send my son Edogo. No one however great can win judgment against a clan.CHAPTER 13Ezeulu calls all the village leaders to talk about being summoned. Nwaka jabs at him over his `friendship' with the whiteman. Ezeulu is unaffected (at least outwardly) by it. Capt W sends for Ezeulu to be arrested and falls ill. Guards come to arrest Ezeulu but they miss him because he already left to come in. The eat, take a bribe and leave. Ezeulu arrives at headquarters and everyone things he cast a spell to make Capt W sick. He likes this.CHAPTER 14Obika returns home and Ezeulu has a vision in prison. He starts to plot his revenge. Ezeulu's family comes to visit him. He's offered the position of Chief and refuses it. The advantages of getting in with the whiteman early are discussed. Clarkes calls him a `witch doctor" highlighting the levels of misunderstanding culturally.CHAPTER 15Ezeulu is in prison 32 days and his reputation soars as he still refuses the offer. He's then released. Capt W and Clarke get a message from the administration stating that they reserved the adverse report on indirect rule but any change in policy will have to come from the governor. They are directed to maintain the status quo but not appoint any new chiefs.CHAPTER 16Ezeulu returns home, enjoying the suffering and plotting his revenge. He reconsiders his revenge due to all the nice people coming to visit him. Ezeulu is told by Ulu that he can't reconsider, he's an arrow of god against Idemelli and the python god. Ezeulu remarks that he is half man and half spirit. He wonders if his boy is also an arrow.CHAPTER 17Life returns to normal in the village. A new ancestral mask is introduced. Obika slaughters the ram in the ceremony and Edogo carvest he mask.CHAPTER 18Feast of New Yam approaches and Ezeulu plots his revenge. He's questioned by lots of people for delaying the announcement. He rebukes them. The elders come and ask him to ask Ulu how they can appease him so that they can have their yam harvest. Ulu says no. Ezeulu is despised by his people Goodcountry says if they give church a yam they can harvest their fields and he will protect them from Ulu. The best way to deal with whiteman is to know him (so they send their kids to his school).CHAPTER 19People are starving. Ezeulu is shunned and lonely. Obika has a fever but goes to dance in a burial ceremony and dies. Ezeulu is ruined. People go to Goodcountry so they can harvest.
Excellently written to walk us through a situation where the people of Umuaro (and of Africa) transitioned from their rich customs and traditional ways towards colonialism mindsets. And the tragedy Ezeulu brought upon himself and his people in the process. Very vivid, I lived in Umuaro while reading this book, and watched how their mindset transitioned, both for better and mostly for worse.
I was assigned this book in one of my college courses and it was a great read. Chinua Achebe uses the villages dialogue to make the audience feel as though we are part of the village. Good book overall.
Fast delivery. The cover is not what I wanted. The cover shown is not the one I got but I'm sure it still reads the same. I just wanted it to match my Things Fall Apart.
I like this author. He writes about places and times which interest me. This book gives one insight into attempts by colonial overseers to educate, convert and motivate the natives. The book was enjoyable. The author who just passed away was not contemporary to the events but could have gotten insight from grandparents when he was young. If you don't like literature about Africa, don't bother. I am glad I read it.
A moving tragedy, beautifully written. The story of the traditional life colliding with the new colonial order unfolds with precise steps to achieve a fully tragic outcome
Great writing and some valuable insight into history
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