Volume : 2, Issue : 2, February - 2013

Chinua Achebe�s Arrow of God: Tragedy of the Priest

Dr. Pradip Kumar Behera

Abstract :

The novel Arrow of God of Chinua Achebe speaks of the Igbo community under white rule. Ezeulu is the protagonist of the novel. He is the priest of custodian deity of his village, Umuaro. He is the guardian and custodian of Igbo community. He enjoys vast power. Festivals are observed and harvest is done as per his command. His power makes him proud and ambitious. He loses his integrity. His mind differs from his action. He misuses his power. He underestimates villagers. He gives importance to himself and to Ulu, the deity of the village more than his community. Being humiliated by white men, he thinks of taking revenge on his community. Respecting the command of Ulu, he does not allow people for harvesting crops. People suffer and become his enemy. Nobody respect him as before. People burn his huts. Degradation, decay and tragedy come to him. He repents and changes himself. To save his community he worships not to Ulu but to Christ. The novel thus conveys a message that no man however great can prosper going against the clan. The tragedy of Ezeulu is because he dares doing such mistake.