INTRODUCTION:

In all his novels, Achebe always insisted upon the importance of the omnipresent storyteller in sharing the story of the people and the times with future generations. In an interview with Bill Moyer’s he had remarked that “Well, if you look at the world in terms of storytelling, you have the warrior, you have the war drummer; the man who drums up the people first of all, the man who agitates the people, I call him the drummer, And then you have the warrior, who goes forward, you know, and fights.

But you also have the storyteller, who takes over to recount the event. And this is one who survives, who outlives all the others. It is the storyteller, in fact, that makes us what we are, that creates history. That’s right. The memory which the survivors must have, otherwise their surviving would have no meaning.” (https://billmoyers.com/content/chinua-achebe/)

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

The unique confluence of Achebe's linguistic features allows the reader to see the progression of a simultaneous framework. He utilizes a system of literary and linguistic components in order to rebuild an intrinsically fractured African identity. Nevertheless, the state of brokenness of the African society needs to be acknowledged before Achebe's reaction can be completely appreciated. Several European authors played an important role in the development of the Western mind-set towards Africa in the 20th century. Joseph Conrad is one of those writers who has enthused his followers and has ignited debates regarding his depiction of the African continent. Many historians see Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness as a scathing satire of Africa and its people, and some see it as an authentic portrayal of African life. Conrad's portrayal of Africa clashes with Achebe's, as it gives the reader an illusion that all Africans are wild or naive, that they should remain in their condition and not taint the Western imagination. Achebe prefers to write his novels as an antithesis to the world view advocated by Joseph Conrad which cost the African people an opportunity to prove themselves in pre-and post-colonial society and literature.

DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS:

1. Reading Arrow of God from the narrator’s perspective:

Achebe has changed his narrative approach in the Arrow of God, because the novel addresses new socio-political circumstances caused by the rigid implementation of colonial administration in Iboland. Here, the storyteller doesn't narrate the story. Instead, he moves from one perspective to another, revealing the uncertainties and obscureness typical of uncertain times depicted in the novel. By portraying himself as a narrator who is confronted by the dilemma of imparting substance and accuracy to the narrative, Achebe places himself at an impartial distance to prevent misrepresentation. Gikandi in his book Reading Chinua Achebe: Language and Ideology in Fiction aptly states that the “narrative process” in Arrow of God can be contrasted with that of Things Fall Apart and is not a result of “past tradition with stable systems of meaning; rather, a continuous crisis of meaning and authority becomes the precondition for narration”. While “Things Fall Apart opened with the celebration of a tradition that authorizes cultural meanings”, we find “Arrow of God begins in medias res, in a social hiatus when there is genuine confusion about community values and meanings”. Gikandi hints that “a consistent pattern emerges in the narrative: every major scene is triggered by a dispute over meaning and authority”. (p.60)

The writer, on one hand, dismisses the illusion of totality and balance by shifting between different perspectives, yet, on the other, he does not not deny the readers from realizing that the historical context is such that it may not give consistent interpretations of events. Depicting a time when individuals fail to come to terms with the rapidly changing circumstances, Achebe reveals how the situation keeps them from having stable viewpoints on various issues. The absence of a “dominant perspective” is clearly voiced by Gikandi when he remarks:

Indeed, one obvious conclusion we can draw from my discussion so far is that there is no dominant perspective in Arrow of God; the narrative shifts its locus of meaning between different contesting communities (Umuaro, Okperi, the colonial government office) and individuals (Ezeulu, Nwaka, Winterbottom etc.). Moreover, we need to underscore the ways in which a crisis of authority or meaning shapes narratives in general and Achebe’s novels in particular. Indeed, the key to understanding Arrow of God, from a narrative perspective at least, is the reader’s realization that meanings which characters assumed were fixed are quite unstable and there is no longer a narrative sequence that confirms what we thought was true. (pp.63-64)

The upheaval of the times is thus manifested through the uncertainty of the narrative voice. In this connection, Achebe highlights that western imperialism has damaged the society's conventional perception of meaning needed to maintain order and balance. The narrator of Arrow of God continually attenuates readers' perception of reality by changing the sources of interpretation to various conflicting narratives. For instance, in the property dispute involving Umuaro and Okperi, the origins of reality and knowledge shift position. While readers may join Ezeulu in claiming that the piece of land is Okperi's according to his father's words as forefathers were considered as a major source of truth amongst the Igbos. The narrative unexpectedly takes sides with Nwaka who goes further than the wisdom of the forefathers and claims that the property belongs to Umuaro and thus battle is imminent.

In fact, a war did break out later between Umuaro and Okperi, though for another reason. Accompanied by two of his aides, Akukalia goes to Okperi as Umuaro's ambassadors to find out whether Okperi intends to go for war or peace concerning the piece of land. At Okperi, while they were at Ebo's house, Akukalia insisted that people of Okperi need to come to listen to the message that he had for them, however he feels highly offended by one of Ebo's comment. Akukalia out of wrath destroys the host's ikenga, who murders Akukalia with his gun as he feels that to be the desecration of his god. The inhabitants of Umuaro recognize the severity of Akukalia's crime and agree that such an act is inexcusable, but they decide to drop the matter there and not to pursue it further. However, Nwaka manages to persuade the people of Umaro to avenge the killing of Akukalia. A battle rages between Umaro and Okperi and a large number of people are killed from both the villages, before Captain Winterbottom - the district officer, interferes and seizes all the weapons and takes them into his custody. Although the reason behind the war is obvious, Captain Winterbottom explains it from a very different viewpoint to Mr. Clarke:

This war between Umuaro and Okperi began in a rather interesting way. I went into it in considerable detail…Boniface! As I was saying this war started because a man from Umuaro went to visit a friend in Okperi one fine morning and after he’d had one or two gallons of palm wine – it’s quite incredible how much of that dreadful stuff they can tuck away – anyhow, this man from Umuaro having drunk his friend’s palm
wine reached for his ikenga and split it in two . . .This was, of course, the greatest sacrilege. The outraged host reached for his gun and blew the other fellow’s head off. And so a regular war developed between the two villages, until I stepped in… One thing you must remember in dealing with natives is that like children they are great liars. (p.37)

Not only does this hypothesis run contrary to the truth, but it also serves another essential function. The Colonial masters seem to have a semblance of understanding of the natives and their way of life which is far from the truth. In this context, Achebe in his essay, Colonial Criticism says that: “To the colonialist mind it was always of the utmost importance to be able to say: "I know my natives," a claim which implied two things at once: (a) that the native was really quite simple and (b) that understanding him and controlling him went hand in hand-understanding being a pre-condition for control and control constituting adequate proof of understanding”.(p.71) Achebe's strategy to make an outsider comprehend the same event from a totally different perspective is to show that, while the Igbos are divided by internal disputes, a foreigner gets the opportunity to judge them. The facts are thus twisted and presented from a different point of view.

The last section of Things Fall Apart becomes pertinent to our discussion here with this misinterpretation of truth:

As he walked back to the court he thought about that book. Every day brought him some new material. The story of this man who had killed a messenger and hanged himself would make interesting reading. One could almost write a whole chapter on him. Perhaps not a whole chapter but a reasonable paragraph, at any rate. There was so much else to include, and one must be firm in cutting out details. He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger. (p.187)

Things Fall Apart concludes with a resolution by the District Commissioner for dedicating “a reasonable paragraph” on the “undignified” demise of Okonkwo. He is shown pondering on how and where he could best fit in the story of Okonkwo in his book. The very title of the book The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger shows the District Commissioner’s attitude towards the aboriginal tribes of Nigeria and also guarantees that the story of Okonkwo will be distorted in the narrative. In doing so, Achebe emphasized the fact that Okonkwo’s story will not be understood by the educated white man but by the people of Nigeria. It is thus inevitable that the narrative about the black man, which is represented by an outsider in a book, will definitely be distorted. The imposed verdict of the white man, who happens to be the outsider, on Okonkwo's demise opens the door for similar misrepresentation of the truth in the future. In Arrow of God, this misrepresentation of reality is further amplified as the colonial rule is strongly established in Igboland. Colonial officials such as Captain Winterbottom and Tony Clarke now read books like The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger to improve their understanding of the black natives as well as to get information about their culture and way of life. Their perception of people's lives and cultural practices is constructed on a contorted reality that is represented in such books. Achebe points out that the district official's insensitive and superficial evaluation of the Umuaro-Okperi war is just another instance of how recorded documents play a part in granting colonizers a narcissistic and “omniscient” stance.

In Arrow of God the narrative thus faces constant uncertainty in the establishment of truth. It however remains unclear whether Umaro's claim on the piece of land is valid or not. The narrative voice once again shows his indecisiveness by incorporating numerous analysis of a single event. In reference to the origin of Ezeulu's madness, the narrator gives two explanations:

Perhaps it was the constant, futile throbbing of these thoughts that finally left a crack in Ezeulu’s mind. Or perhaps his implacable assailant having
stood over him for a little while stepped on him as on an insect and crushed him in the dust. But this final act of malevolence proved merciful. It allowed
Ezeulu, in his last days, to live in the haughty splendour of a demented high priest and spared him knowledge of the final outcome. (p.229)

The narrator seems puzzled about Ezeulu's role in the plight of the villagers. Ezeulu seems vengeful and after being released from prison, he decides to take revenge on the villagers: “This rain was part of the suffering to which he had been exposed and for which he must exact the fullest redress. The more he suffered now the greater would be the joy of revenge. His mind sought out new grievances to pile upon all the others.” (p.182) Although Ezeulu seems to be the antagonist, the author clarifies that Ezeulu was put in a situation by the people, as they didn't ask him specifically to refuse Captain Winterbottom's summon. The villagers were insulted by the testimony of Ezeulu involving the battle of Umuaro-Okperi five years earlier. They permitted him to go, but did not take into consideration the implications of his absence. A villager rightly remarks:

I have not said that Ezeulu is telling a lie with the name of Ulu or that he is not. What we told him was to go and eat the yams and we would take the consequences. But he would not do it. Why? Because the six villages allowed the white man to take him away. That is the reason. He has been trying to see how he could punish Umuaro and now he has the chance. The house he has been planning to pull down has caught fire and saved him the labour. (pp.212-213)

In another context, we find Ezulu is ripped apart between rage and compassion for his community:

Because no one came near enough to him to see his anguish-and if they had seen it they would not have understood-they imagined that he sat in his hut gloating over the distress of Umuaro. But although he would not for any reason now see the present trend reversed, he carried more punishment and more suffering than all his fellows. What troubled him most– and he alone seemed to be aware of it at present- was that the punishment was not for now alone but for all time…Beneath all anger in his mind lay a deeper compassion for Umuaro (pp.219-220)

It turns out that the writer cannot provide a conclusive investigation of events. The shifting perspectives are a good representation of the uncertainties of the period. Achebe steered the narrative effectively to fit the story's socio-cultural contexts.

2. A transition from the traditional narrative style in No Longer at Ease:

No Longer at Ease, however, deals with predicaments and challenges of a different nature. It is a conflict between contemporaneity and tradition, ethics and materialism between the past and the present. The book's unique historical context intensifies these perplexities as the country was about to be freed from colonial rule.

The novel begins when the story draws to an end, a trial in which Obi has been accused of taking bribes. The story is narrated in flashbacks using the third person narrative style. This novel marks Achebe's transition from traditional narrative technique that he had used in Things Fall Apart & Arrow of God. Indeed, different narrative methods are necessary keeping in mind the entirely different setting of the novel. Simon Gikandi rightfully remarks that the setting of the novel No Longer at Ease which reflects the period of Nigerian independence is synchronous with the act of writing the novel.

By the time the novel was published in 1960, the year of Nigerian independence, the discourse of national identity was still seeking forms through which to express itself; writing about the cultural and social pressures which young Nigerians encountered at the dawn of independence required multiple forms of experimentation with narrative techniques. (p.79)

The story begins with the narrator talking about the corruption that’s deeply embedded in the very social fabric of the time. He goes on to remark that people adapted any possible means to have their work done:

Every available space in the courtroom was taken up. There were almost as many people standing as sitting. The case had been the talk of Lagos for a number of weeks and on this last day anyone who could possibly leave his job was there to hear the judgment. Some civil servants paid as much as ten shillings and sixpence to obtain a doctor’s certificate of illness for the day. (p.4)

After providing adequate information on the complexities of the period, the narrator now moves on to illustrate the Obi Okonkwo's tale; his vision of rebuilding his country by taking it out from the grasp of corruption, his failure at remaining true to his ideals, and the circumstances under which he had to take bribe. The author, while narrating the events in the story, retains an impartial detachment and conveys the point effectively that, while Obi is technically guilty, his situation can indeed be perceived by the reader from a contemporary socio-political perspective. Thus, the narrator does not warrant the final decision of the court. The final section is significant from the narrative perspective:

Everybody wondered why. The learned judge, as we have seen, could not comprehend how an educated young man and so on and so forth. The British Council man, even the men of Umuofia, did not know. And we must presume that, in spite of his certitude, Mr Green did not know either. (p.194)

Achebe's narrative technique comprises of the final sequence of events where Obi Okonkwo breaks down and also in the fact that the audience finds little justification behind him taking a bribe. The narrator seems to have been narrating the story only to his readers, who he expects to pass the final verdict. They need to conclude whether Obi struggles because he is an African who gets carried away by the flamboyance of European culture, lifestyle and worldview; or if he is overwhelmed by the socio-political, cultural and financial realities of his nation at that point in history.

The reference to Mr. Green in the final paragraph is of utmost importance. He is representative of the stereotype colonial masters who voiced their biased judgments regarding the natives and one who wanted to continue their rule over Africans. Consequently, Mr Green cannot realize the fact that Nigeria will soon become independent. For Mr. Green:

The African is corrupt through and through. They are all corrupt,' repeated Mr Green. I’m all for equality and all that. I for one would hate to live in South Africa. But equality won't alter facts… The fact that over countless centuries the African has been the victim of the worst climate in the world and of every imaginable disease. Hardly his fault. But he has been sapped mentally and physically. We have brought him Western education. But what use is it to him? (p.3)

The writer after giving a vivid account of Obi’s story, feels that people like Mr. Green will never be empathetic about Obi’s situation and that he won’t ever be able to comprehend what it is like to be a colonised individual. According to the narrator, Mr. Green would never be able to connect to the existential dilemma and the identity crisis that Obi and all colonised individuals have to endure and there seems to be no escape from this. While the narrative finally ends, the tragedy seems to be far from over. Obi's misfortunes reflect the tragic destiny and the tribulations of all Africans in general.

Yes. Real tragedy is never resolved. It goes on hopelessly forever. Conventional tragedy is too easy. The hero dies and we feel the purging of the emotions. A real tragedy takes place in a corner, in an untidy spot, to quote W.H. Auden. The rest of the world is unaware of it. Like the man in A Handful of Dust who reads Dickens to Mr. Todd. There is no release for him. When the story ends, he is still reading. There is no purging of the emotions for us because we are not there. (pp.45-46)

CONCLUSION:

The omnipresent narrator of No Longer at Ease can be compared to that of Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God as they attempt to portray the story of the African whose life is torn apart due to influx of Eurocentric values and lifestyle. They vividly portray the trials and tribulations that the protagonists had to go through as well as the reasons behind their downfall leading to their tragic end. The story of No Longer at Ease and Things Fall Apart are also connected at a symbolic level because Obi is the grandson of Ogbuefi Okonkwo, the hero of Things Fall Apart and son of Nwoye or Isaac Okonkwo. We may not be wrong at saying that Obi’s story in No Longer at Ease is in fact an extension of the tragedy that unfolds with the death of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart. Achebe’s greatness lies in the fact that there is a subtle sense of similarity in the treatment of the story in his African Trilogy. He manages to lucidly portray the different historical periods in which the stories have been set as well as the tragic end of the heroes.

REFERENCES:

1. Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Allied Publishers Limited, New Delhi. 2000. Print.

2. Arrow of God. (1964) England: Penguin Classics, 2010.

3. No Longer at Ease. (1960). New York: Anchor Books, 1994.

4. A Man of the People. (1966) New York: Anchor Books, 1989.

5. Anthills of the Savannah. USA: Anchor Books, 1988.

6. Babalola, C.A. “A Reconsideration of Achebe’s No Longer at Ease.” Phylon. 47. 2(1986): 139-147.

7. Begam, Richard. “Achebe’s Sense of an Ending: History and Tragedy in Things Fall Apart.” Studies in the Novel. 29. 3 (1997): 396-411.

8. Cesaire, Aime. Discourse on Colonialism. MR, New York, 1972. Print.

9. Fanon, Frantz. The Wretched of the Earth. Groove Press, New York. 1963. Print.

10. Gikandi, Simon. Reading Chinua Achebe: Language and Ideology in Fiction. Oxford: James Currey Ltd, 1991.

11. Griffiths, Gareth. “Language and Action in the Novels of Chinua Achebe.” Critical Perspectives on Chinua Achebe. Eds. C.L. Innes and Berth Lindfors. London: Heinemann, 1979. 67-83.

12. Innes, C.L. “Language, Poetry and Doctrine in Things Fall Apart”. Critical Perspectives on Chinua Achebe. Eds. C.L. Innes and Berth Lindfors. London: Heinemann, 1979. 111-125.

13. McCarthy, Eugene. “Rhythm and Narrative Method in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.” NOVEL: A Forum on Fiction. 18. 3(1985): 243-256.

14. Okechukwu, Chinwe Christian. Achebe the Orator: The Art of Persuasion in Chinua Achebe’s Novels. London: Greenwood Press, 2001.

15. Stratton, Florence. Contemporary African Literature and the Politics of Gender. New York: Routledge, 1994.

16. Said, Edward W. Orientalism. Pantheon Books, New York. 1978. Print.

17. Urschel, Donna. Achebe’s Impact - Author Gave Africa its ‘First Authentic Voice'. Available from URL: https://www.loc.gov/ loc/lcib/0812/ achebe.html.

18. https://billmoyers.com/content/chinua-achebe/

Received on 08.08.2020 Modified on 19.09.2020

Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2021; 12(1):16-20.

DOI: 10.5958/2321-5828.2021.00003.6