843:
583:
571:
595:
266:
Many of the villagers have already lost their faith in Ezeulu. One of Ezeulu's sons, Obika, dies during a traditional ceremony, and the villagers interpret this as a sign that Ulu has taken sides with them against his priest. For this apparent judgement against Ezeulu and the promised immunity by
258:
to give thanks to Ulu. When Ezeulu returns from prison, he refuses to call the feast despite being implored by other important men in the village to compromise. Ezeulu reasons to the people and to himself that it is not his will but Ulu's; Ezeulu believes himself to be half spirit and half man. The
304:
similarly describes the downfall of a traditional leader at the hands of the colonial authorities. The central conflicts of the novel revolve around the struggle between continuity and change, such as Ezeulu refusing to serve
Winterbottom, or between the traditional villagers and Ezeulu's son who
282:
Ulu, the villages of Umuaro and Okperi, and the colonial officials are all fictional. However, the depiction of colonial
Nigeria is accurate in depicting the conflict between the traditional beliefs and religions of the Nigerians and the foreign values introduced by the Europeans, including
29:
224:, worshipped by the six villages of Umuaro. The book begins with Ezeulu and Umuaro fighting against a nearby village, Okperi. The conflict is abruptly resolved when T. K. Winterbottom, the British colonial overseer, intervenes.
259:
yams begin to rot in the field, and a famine ensues for which the village blames Ezeulu. Seeing this as an opportunity, John
Goodcountry proposes that the village offer thanks to the
420:
267:
the
Christian God, at the Christian harvest, taking place a few days after Obika's death, many men embrace Christianity by sending their son there with yams.
607:
322:
287:
was favoured by the colonial authorities in West Africa as a way to reduce the cost of colonial administration. The novel is considered a work of
African
354:
Smith, Daniel Jordan (22 September 2001). "'The Arrow of God' pentecostalism, inequality, and the supernatural in South-Eastern
Nigeria".
246:
Ezeulu is called away from his village by
Winterbottom and is invited to become a part of the colonial administration, a policy known as
172:
The phrase "Arrow of God" is drawn from an Igbo proverb in which a person, or sometimes an event, is said to represent the will of God.
880:
637:
885:
177:
165:, who confronts colonial powers and Christian missionaries in the 1920s. The novel was published as part of the influential
890:
214:
407:
865:
198:
166:
332:
895:
846:
815:
451:
250:. Ezeulu refuses to be a "white man's chief" and is thrown in prison. In Umuaro, the people cannot harvest the
875:
300:, tells the tale of Okonkwo, a leader in his community who comes into dispute with the colonial authorities.
255:
630:
231:, John Goodcountry, arrives in Umuaro. Goodcountry begins to tell the villages tales of Nigerians in the
561:
60:
693:
449:
Mathuray, Mark (2003). "Realizing the Sacred: Power and
Meaning in Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God".
240:
194:
157:, sharing similar settings and themes. The novel centres on Ezeulu, the chief priest of several
810:
623:
778:
421:"The Big Jubilee Read: A literary celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's record-breaking reign"
870:
8:
792:
751:
685:
260:
122:
825:
784:
712:
381:
733:
669:
661:
403:
373:
296:
149:
143:
109:
460:
365:
356:
288:
190:
162:
770:
327:
251:
575:
481:
Alimi, S. A. "A Study of the Use of
Proverbs as a Literary Device in Achebe's
305:
studies
Christianity. Change is realized as inevitable among the Igbo people.
859:
830:
646:
599:
377:
284:
247:
182:
138:
42:
726:
587:
491:
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
464:
263:
instead and they may harvest what remains of their crops with "immunity".
820:
719:
232:
210:
158:
385:
274:
refers to Ezeulu's image of himself as an arrow in the bow of his god.
228:
369:
594:
236:
615:
64:
547:
Nwoga, D.I., 1981. The Igbo World of Achebe's" Arrow of God".
218:
28:
518:
Kalu, Anthonia C. "The priest/artist tradition in Achebe's
511:
Innes, C. L. "A Source for" Arrow of God": A Response."
559:
353:
227:
After the conflict, an indigenous African Christian
496:Fagrutheen, Syed. "Downfall of Traditionalism in
217:during the 1920s. Ezeulu is the chief priest of
857:
540:Nnolim, Charles. "A Source for" Arrow of God"."
448:
631:
209:The novel is set amongst the villages of the
137:, published in 1964, is the third novel by
638:
624:
529:Machila, Blaise N. "Ambiguity in Achebe's
444:
442:
27:
439:
858:
779:Hopes and Impediments: Selected Essays
475:
364:(4). Edinburgh University Press: 587.
619:
315:
197:authors, selected to celebrate the
13:
331:. 10 November 1967. Archived from
235:who abandoned (and battled) their
14:
907:
645:
555:
189:In 2022, it was included on the "
881:Nigerian English-language novels
842:
841:
593:
581:
569:
199:Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II
167:Heinemann African Writers Series
816:Chinua Achebe Literary Festival
549:Research in African Literatures
542:Research in African Literatures
513:Research in African Literatures
452:Research in African Literatures
323:"Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe"
204:
782:(1988, including among others
506:The English Literature Journal
413:
392:
347:
1:
886:Novels set in colonial Africa
308:
254:until Ezeulu has called the
7:
891:Heinemann (publisher) books
493:2, no. 3 (2012): 2222-6990.
283:Christianity. In addition,
186:Prize for African writing.
153:, it is considered part of
16:1964 novel by Chinua Achebe
10:
912:
400:Chinua Achebe: A Biography
839:
803:
762:
743:
704:
653:
537:3, no. 1 (1981): 119-133.
277:
237:traditional "bad customs"
117:
104:
96:
88:
80:
70:
56:
48:
38:
26:
694:Anthills of the Savannah
526:41, no. 2 (1994): 51-62.
866:Novels by Chinua Achebe
515:9, no. 1 (1978): 16-18.
508:1, no. 1 (2014): 21-37.
896:African Writers Series
811:African Writers Series
544:8, no. 1 (1977): 1-26.
398:Ezenwa-Ohaeto (1997),
294:Achebe's first novel,
193:" list of 70 books by
876:Novels set in Nigeria
465:10.1353/ral.2003.0071
402:, James Currey Ltd,
793:There Was a Country
752:Chike and the River
686:A Man of the People
476:Relevant literature
176:won the first ever
155:The African Trilogy
123:A Man of the People
23:
826:Chidi Chike Achebe
785:An Image of Africa
744:Children's stories
551:, 12(1), pp.14-42.
335:on 20 October 2012
21:
853:
852:
734:Vengeful Creditor
670:No Longer at Ease
662:Things Fall Apart
498:Things Fall Apart
483:Things Fall Apart
297:Things Fall Apart
150:No Longer at Ease
144:Things Fall Apart
130:
129:
110:No Longer at Ease
81:Publication place
903:
845:
844:
640:
633:
626:
617:
616:
598:
597:
586:
585:
584:
574:
573:
572:
565:
469:
468:
446:
437:
436:
434:
432:
417:
411:
396:
390:
389:
351:
345:
344:
342:
340:
319:
289:literary realism
215:colonial Nigeria
191:Big Jubilee Read
163:colonial Nigeria
118:Followed by
105:Preceded by
92:Print (hardback)
72:Publication date
31:
24:
20:
911:
910:
906:
905:
904:
902:
901:
900:
856:
855:
854:
849:
835:
799:
758:
739:
713:Dead Men's Path
700:
649:
644:
604:
592:
582:
580:
570:
568:
560:
558:
478:
473:
472:
447:
440:
430:
428:
427:. 17 April 2022
419:
418:
414:
397:
393:
370:10.2307/1161581
352:
348:
338:
336:
321:
320:
316:
311:
280:
207:
89:Media type
73:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
909:
899:
898:
893:
888:
883:
878:
873:
868:
851:
850:
840:
837:
836:
834:
833:
828:
823:
818:
813:
807:
805:
801:
800:
798:
797:
789:
775:
766:
764:
760:
759:
757:
756:
747:
745:
741:
740:
738:
737:
730:
723:
716:
708:
706:
702:
701:
699:
698:
690:
682:
674:
666:
657:
655:
651:
650:
643:
642:
635:
628:
620:
614:
613:
603:
602:
590:
578:
557:
556:External links
554:
553:
552:
545:
538:
527:
516:
509:
494:
477:
474:
471:
470:
438:
412:
391:
346:
313:
312:
310:
307:
279:
276:
206:
203:
128:
127:
119:
115:
114:
106:
102:
101:
98:
94:
93:
90:
86:
85:
82:
78:
77:
74:
71:
68:
67:
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
35:
32:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
908:
897:
894:
892:
889:
887:
884:
882:
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
867:
864:
863:
861:
848:
838:
832:
831:Nwando Achebe
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
808:
806:
802:
795:
794:
790:
787:
786:
781:
780:
776:
773:
772:
768:
767:
765:
761:
754:
753:
749:
748:
746:
742:
735:
731:
728:
724:
721:
717:
714:
710:
709:
707:
705:Short stories
703:
696:
695:
691:
688:
687:
683:
680:
679:
675:
672:
671:
667:
664:
663:
659:
658:
656:
652:
648:
647:Chinua Achebe
641:
636:
634:
629:
627:
622:
621:
618:
612:
610:
606:
605:
601:
596:
591:
589:
579:
577:
567:
566:
563:
550:
546:
543:
539:
536:
532:
528:
525:
521:
517:
514:
510:
507:
503:
499:
495:
492:
488:
484:
480:
479:
466:
462:
458:
454:
453:
445:
443:
426:
422:
416:
409:
408:0-85255-545-8
405:
401:
395:
387:
383:
379:
375:
371:
367:
363:
359:
358:
350:
334:
330:
329:
324:
318:
314:
306:
303:
299:
298:
292:
290:
286:
285:indirect rule
275:
273:
268:
264:
262:
261:Christian God
257:
256:New Yam Feast
253:
249:
248:indirect rule
244:
242:
239:in favour of
238:
234:
230:
225:
223:
220:
216:
212:
202:
200:
196:
192:
187:
185:
184:
183:New Statesman
179:
178:Jock Campbell
175:
170:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
151:
146:
145:
141:. Along with
140:
139:Chinua Achebe
136:
135:
126:
124:
120:
116:
113:
111:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
75:
69:
66:
62:
59:
55:
51:
47:
44:
43:Chinua Achebe
41:
37:
33:First edition
30:
25:
22:Arrow of God
19:
791:
783:
777:
774:(1971, poem)
769:
750:
727:Girls at War
692:
684:
678:Arrow of God
677:
676:
668:
660:
608:
548:
541:
534:
531:Arrow of God
530:
524:Africa Today
523:
520:Arrow of God
519:
512:
505:
502:Arrow of God
501:
497:
490:
487:Arrow of God
486:
482:
456:
450:
429:. Retrieved
424:
415:
399:
394:
361:
355:
349:
339:19 September
337:. Retrieved
333:the original
326:
317:
302:Arrow of God
301:
295:
293:
281:
272:Arrow of God
271:
269:
265:
245:
241:Christianity
226:
221:
208:
205:Plot summary
195:Commonwealth
188:
181:
174:Arrow of God
173:
171:
161:villages in
154:
148:
142:
134:Arrow of God
133:
132:
131:
121:
108:
18:
871:1964 novels
821:Igbo people
763:Non-fiction
720:Civil Peace
611:book review
233:Niger Delta
211:Igbo people
860:Categories
309:References
270:The title
229:missionary
459:(3): 46.
410:, p. 105.
378:0001-9720
61:Heinemann
57:Publisher
847:Category
771:Vultures
736:" (1972)
729:" (1972)
722:" (1971)
715:" (1953)
535:Kunapipi
49:Language
804:Related
788:, 1975)
576:Nigeria
562:Portals
431:14 July
386:1161581
219:the god
52:English
796:(2012)
755:(1966)
697:(1987)
689:(1966)
681:(1964)
673:(1960)
665:(1958)
654:Novels
600:Novels
406:
384:
376:
357:Africa
278:Themes
125:
112:
100:287 pp
65:London
39:Author
588:1960s
382:JSTOR
97:Pages
609:Time
500:and
489:."
485:and
433:2022
404:ISBN
374:ISSN
341:2007
328:Time
252:yams
159:Igbo
147:and
76:1964
533:."
522:."
504:."
461:doi
425:BBC
366:doi
222:Ulu
213:in
862::
457:34
455:.
441:^
423:.
380:.
372:.
362:71
360:.
325:.
291:.
243:.
201:.
169:.
84:UK
63:,
732:"
725:"
718:"
711:"
639:e
632:t
625:v
564::
467:.
463::
435:.
388:.
368::
343:.
180:/
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
