Title: Arrow of God
Book Author: Chinua Achebe
Publisher: Penguin Books
Genre: Literary Fiction, African Literature
ISBN-10: 0385014805
ISBN-13: 978-0385014809
Year of Publication: Initially published in 1964; Reprint: 1989
Date of Publication: January 1, 1989
Pages: 230
Summary of Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe
Arrow of God is one of the novel written by the late Chinua Achebe. The novel, which was written in 1989 is set in earlier timeline in Nigeria (during the early 20th century) and centers on a chief priest named Ezeulu.
Ezeulu served the god Ulu and resides in the fictional Igbo village of Umuaro. He’s not only a spiritual leader but is a very righteous man. Ezeulu however finds himself in a bit of a conundrum: he ends up caught between his responsibilities as the chief priest, which he considers as sacred, and the encroaching British colonial administration.
As the British administrators try to force their religion and laws onto the indigenous people, Ezeulu is caught in the middle of the universal change and tradition. His actions based on his unyielding dedication to his people and god force him to make difficult choices, such as not cooperating with the colonial government.
This type of resistance places him in a position of tension with both the British administrators and a possible section of his own society.
The novel includes themes such as power, identity, and the struggle between colonizers and indigenous cultures. Ezeulu’s conflict mirrors that of the general tensions within African cultures during colonial times as people tried to maintain their culture while adjusting to new circumstances.
Arrow of God depicts the tragedy of Ezeulu’s existence, setting the price paid in the name of tradition and belief, and setting the significant effects of colonialism on the individual and society. Through Ezeulu’s story, Achebe exposes the challenges of leadership, religion, and pains of a transitional society.
