twoshodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/218/8/08_chapter2.pdf · symbolizing universal...
TRANSCRIPT
CHA'PTER TWO
PSYCHIC REALIZATION OF MYTH
The influence of psycho-analytical theories, especially those of Jung,
has made many scholars make positive evaluations and affirmative assertions
of myth. Myths communicate directly or obliquely and one finds their presence,
explicit or hidden, in diverse forr7s of literature such as fables, stories and
parables. The general trend of viev~ing the myths-a view shared by Northrop
Frye, Maud Bodkin and Philip Wheel Wright-is to look at them "as
symbolizing universal archetypes" that is "primordial images emerging from
the collective unconscious" (Vicltery 12-13). As Jung rightly observes, the
archetypes, the relics from the pre-historic times, are the "psychic residue of
innumerable experiences" of our ancestors and "in each of these images
there is [. . .] human psychology 3nd human fate, a remnant of the joys and
sorrows" that have been man's Ict down the ages (The Spirit 81). According
to Wole Soyinka, myths arise from man's attempt to "externalise and
communicate his inner intuitions" (Myth, Literature and the African World3).
The task of analyzing the human psyche is an awesome and complex
one. Psychologists have proved that the individual psyche is not just a product
of personal experiences but pc'ssesses "a pre-personal or trans-personal
dimension which is manifested in universal patterns and images such as are
found in all the world's religions arid mythologies" (qtd. in Edward E Edinger 3).
Besides, Jung discovered that "the archetypal psyche has a structuring or ordering
principle which unifies the various archetypal contents. This is the central
archetype or archetype of wholeness which Jung has termed the self" (3).
Human psyche consists of the conscious and the unconscious parts.
The conscious part makes one currently aware of one's physical comfort,
discomfort, circumstances of life cnd such other realities. It makes one aware
of one's existence as a man or woman, father or mother, husband or wife and
so on. The individual becomes attuned to the outward realities. Studies in
psychology have proved that a large part of the psyche is unconscious, an
area where the individual is not currently aware of information and energy. It
may include forgotten information or knowledge which was once repressed or
suppressed as it was painful or irritating. The unconscious is made up of "the
personal unconscious and the co lective unconscious" (Edinger 29).
As the very term shows, 'personal unconscious' is that part of one's
unconscious which is unique due to one's individual life experiences. It consists
mainly of one's personal memories, based on such personal events as birth,
education and growth and it is never identical. The 'collective unconscious' is
that part of one's unconscious which one shares with all of humanity. From
the very moment of conception a person partakes of certain preconceived
ideas and impressions of the past #and the present generations. Edinger observes
that it is a part of our unconscious which "comes with the package.[. . .].
Certain concepts of father and mother, men and women, children and passages
from one age to another are fou id in all areas of the world and can be traced
back through history in myths, and in religious customs, and scripture" (30).
Through his assiduous re:;earch Jung deduced his concept of the
Collective Unconscious or object.ve psyche. According to him, to a certain
extent the personal unconscious i!; influenced by the Collective Unconscious,
which gives rise to archetypes. Edinger speaks of this in his famous work Ego
and Archetype: "He [Jung] concllided that as part of the human condition we
bring along certain primitive baggage in our unconscious upon which our
personal experience of life builds. 4 e called these building blocks "archetypes"
and found that their energy has a tremendous effect on our behaviour and the
structure of our unconscious" (3:.).
The psychological function of myth, Wallace W. Douglas observes, is
"to fuse the perception of power with the perception of physical qualities"
(Vickery 124). At the psychological level myths throw light on the nature of
man's personality with special emphasis on his psyche, thereby establishing
and asserting man's lineage. Ac ~ e b e ' s characters are curious psychological
specimens as they represent the totality of psychic nature with its conflicts in
a universal level. The success of ~ L h e b e in creating a mythic consciousness in
the psychological level lies in the presentation of characters not as lgbo people
but as man and woman in their varied roles inhabiting a timeless and wide
universe. Novels like James Joyce's Ulysses and Thomas Mann's The Magic
Mountain lay bare to the reader a universal psyche residing deep down in
their characters and, though it cannot be claimed that either Joyce or Mann
had any direct impact on Achebe, he certainly shares this concern with them.
The characters of Achebe, the protagonists in particular, serve as fitting
instruments for his exploration of the mystic kingdom of the unconscious.
These characters are unfolded against primitive Nigerian culture and they
gather their strength as much from the primitive myths as from their own
individual existence. Achebe's hcnest endeavour to represent pre-colonial.
colonial and post-colonial Nigerian life in the mythic background with great
verve needs appraisal. Even the fiords uttered by the characters, adorned
with natural Igbo felicity, portray their psychic pattern.
In Things Fall Apart Achebe gives a mythic touch to his characters at
the physical and psychological lel~el. He dramatizes the conflict of primeval
psychic passions in all the charactczrs, especially in the protagonist, Okonkwo.
These psychic secrets of the characters, especially those of the hero, working
at varied levels are brought to light, at times in their pristine primitive form or
sometimes in a sophisticated style.
In Things Fall Apartthe psychic rhythm of Okonkwo is well portrayed
through beautiful anecdotes whici- are of immense value to the understanding
of his personality. There seems to be a pattern in the way Okonkwo acts and
reacts; this pattern is unique and yet Okonkwo is not unlike other characters.
The pattern is predictable: now he surges forward, now he recedes, now he
stands totally still.
The opening chapter throws light on the earlier days of Okonkwo, a
man in his youth. Here attention is focused on 'Okonkwo, the Wrestler,' who
defeated the famous wrestler, Amalinze the Cat, establishing his identity and
making his mark in the nine villages. From there Achebe leads his readers
forward, giving insights and clues, depicting the psychic reflections, physical
peculiarities of each character and finally leaving them to derive individual
inferences.
The urge for position, possessions and power is a basic human passion
and often these archetypes embodg themselves in varied forms. In Okonkwo's
unconscious self the power mania prompts him to the rigid repudiation of his
father's unmanly qualities. This al,;o results in the hero's concealing of tender
feelings since its manifestation was a sign of weakness to him. The indifferent
attitude to his father, wives and children presents the protagonist as a
psychological misfit far removed from normal human behaviour. This
suppression of human virtues likcb affection, sympathy and gentleness leads
him to the verge of violating the sacred codes of the society. Like lcarus he
soars to the highest horizons only to be doomed and ruined. Harry Slochower,
in Mythopoesis: Mythic Patterns in the Literary Classicsstates that "the perennial
appeal and vitality of mythic thinking stems from the fact that it makes us feel
that in all civilizations men face analogous situations, undergo similar
experiences" (14).
Okonkwo, the protagonist in Things Fall Apart, with his bizarre
mannerisms closely resembles to the ancient mythic heroes like Oedipus,
Orestes or King Lear. S.K. Sharn~a writes:
It [Things Fall Apart] (.an also be studied as a tragedy, a clash
between free will and predestination, with emphasis on the role of
hubrisin the development of Okonkwo the protagonist. He emerges
as the representative of lgbo culture, possessing the very best of the
qualities glorified by that culture, valour, fearlessness and physical
powers. The calamity and the tragic events at the end raise the
protagonist to the levels of classical Oedipus or Orestes, or King
Lear. (Rao 66)
Okonkwo was haunted bjl buzzing memories from his childhood,
especially the thought of his father's failure in life, like the protagonist, Will
Barrett, in Walker Percy's The Second Coming. His personality bristles with
contradictions even in his blooming peak hours. He thinks that nothing can
prick the bubble of his position. But his actions tarnish his honour and he is
hounded out of his village when h2 commits the crime, ochu.
Okonkwo typifies the Igbo society, to a large extent. In the beginning
Achebe presents the protagonist ~t the peak of his performance and in the
garb of an epic hero. A fine product of the clan, Okonkwo brings honour to
the clan by displaying valour. He starts supporting himself and his family
from a tender age. The lgbo society considers achievement more important
than age. As a young man of eighteen, he brings honour to himself and his
village by defeating Arnalinze, a fiimous wrestler.
Okonkwo rises to the posi:ion of "the protector of the village" when
Ogbuefi Udo's wife is murdered by the neighbouring villagers. War becomes
imminent and Okonkwo is selected as the "imperious emissary of war: He
was treated with great honour and respect, and two days later he was returned
home with a lad of fifteen and a young virgin" (TAT 24). His resilience of
mind is put to test during the time of drought. While some farmers hang
themselves out of despair, Okonkv~o exhibits great forbearance. He seeks the
help of a rich man, Nwakibie, who lends him yams without hesitation. The
Igbos say that Okonkwo broke h s palm kernels himself and his chi agree.
Okonkwo tries his best to exemplify himself as an embodiment of valour and
inflexible will. Ali Ahmed observes that "Achebe casts his main character in a
proud heroic mould and he stands like a rock against the invasion" (Gowda
LHY 13). Okonkwo's eminence is further asserted when the villagers
unanimously agree to keep the lad Ikemefuna under his guard, "and so for
three years lkemefuna lived in Okw-~kwo's household" (TAT25).
Aristotle's conception of tragedy is applicable to Okonkwo, and he had
his tragic flaws. His fear of being compared to his no good idle father and
being called an agabala motivatecl him for the relentless search for riches and
honour. Consequently, he threw himself into the task of building a prosperous
future, "like one possessed" (TAT:!9). This fear of failure made him denounce
great human virtues like gentleness, kindness, compassion and forgiveness.
This is because, throughout his life, he valued everything manly and discarded
whatever seemed feminine. The ihought of being called an agabala, like his
father, is the fear which underpir~s all his actions and ironically leads to his
undistinguished end. As Innes and Lindfors comment: "Okonkwo is trapped,
imprisoned by his classification of everything within such terms [manly or
unmanly]" (115).
The picaresque journey 2f Okonkwo and Ekwefi into the dense
wilderness in search of Ezinma is z nother occasion where the hero is face to
face with hazardous tasks. Okonkwo assumes the role of a tragic hero when
the whole clan turns a deaf ear to his pleading to rise against the white
colonial rule. He decides to meet I he enemies 'all alone' to defend the long
nourished lgbo traditions and cu:;toms. Gerald Moore in his work, Twelve
African Writers, comments that "t2 highlight Okonkwo's fall from hard-won
fame and eminence to exile and 3 death deemed abominable by the clan,
Achebe first introduces him at the height of his prosperity" (125).
At the psychological level rr yths portray the change of mood from one
stage to another. Okonkwo shows signs of heroic deeds from an early age; his
psychic growth involves a series of changes. As Edinger observes:
The connection between ego and self is vitally important to psychic
health. It gives foundatian, structure, and security to the ego and
also provides energy, interest, meaning, and purpose. When the
connection is broken the sesult is emptiness, despair, meaninglessness,
and in extreme case psychosis or suicide. (43)
"The characters of myth, their action, and motives are inseparable; as
one, they are the symbolic means by which unconscious drives are at once
expressed, acknowledged, and thus controlled in relation to environmental
limitations and social demands" (Literary Criticism and Myth : Year Book of
Comparative Criticism ix, 52). Ir Things Fall Apart Achebe throws light on
the protagonist's psychological life cycle and the different stages of his growth
from birth to death. As Unoka, his father, was an utter failure throughout his
life, Okonkwo was brought up in a poor family set up and was destined to
bear the family burden on his shoiilders. The laziness of Unoka resulted in his
low status in the society, an agabala in others' opinion, which wounded
Okonkwo's psyche incessantly. Okmkwo strived hard for the development of
his ego, his outer personality. This resulted in the fact that he could not cope
with the emerging set of values which curtailed and crippled his personal
ambitions.
Okonkwds 'bbsession with proving and preserving his manliness" (Innes
and Lindfors 100) engulfed his entire conscience and endangered his life,
private as well as public. As a farher and husband he was a failure as he
"ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest
lived in perpetual fear of his fiery :emper, and so did his little children" (TAT
25). He had his peculiar physical weakness: "He breathed heavily, and it was
said that, when he slept, his wives and children in their outhouses could hear
him breathe" (17). Breathing is a normal human activity, but deep, loud
snoring is associated with psychic disorder; so also is stammering. Okonkwo
had a slight stammer and especiitlly when he was in hot temper; he could
then utter nothing and so on such occasions he used his fists. Besides, he
lacked patience and he could not tolerate unsuccessful men, and he had had
no patience with his father.
Okonkwo is portrayed with all the minutest details: "He was tall and
huge, and his bushy eyebrows and wide nose gave him a very severe look"
(TAT 17). This commentis later juxtaposed with the workings of his mind.
Allthrough his life Okonkw:, was dominated by the strong desire to
become prosperous and be a possessor of titles. This ambition, embedded in
his mind, took full possession of hi; psyche. He could blame his father for this
since he had failed to give him a good start in life.
Okonkwo is a man of fierce ~ i d e , over-ambition, power and one noted
for masculine assertiveness:
With a father like Unok.3, Okonkwo did not have the start in life
which many young men had. He neither inherited a barn nor a title,
nor even a young wife. 13ut in spite of these disadvantages, he had
begun even in his father's lifetime to lay the foundations of a
prosperous future. It was slow and painful. But he threw himself
into it like one possessec . And indeed he was possessed by the fear
of his father's contemptible life and shameful death. (TAT28-29)
Okonkwo cannot afford in his eyes to show feelings, which others
interpret, as unmanly and weak. ?'hat is why even in the family, he played the
role of a man, hiding the true spirit which resulted in an isolation even from
his kith and kin:
Okonkwo ruled his housc hold with a heavy hand. His wives, especially
the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did
his little children. Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a
cruel man. But his whc~le life was dominated by fear, the fear of
failure and of weakness. It was deeper and more intimate than the
fear of evil and capr ic io .~~ gods and of magic, the fear of the forest,
and the forces of nature, malevolent, red in tooth and claw.
Okonkwo's fear was greater than these. It was not external but lay
deep within himself. It was the fear of himself, lest he should be
found to resemble his fa:her. (TAT25)
Achebe, with great subtlety, hints that Okonkwo exhibited his
unmanliness though he tried to conceal it. In this context what Gareth Griffiths
writes in Double Exile is very perfinent: "Okonkwo's aggressive masculinity
is a falsification of true power since strength has both a male and a female
face, faces which meet in all fully integrated human beings" (15). T h o u g h
Okonkwo was respected for hi:. industry and valour, his brusqueness in
dealing with less successful men spoiled his reputation. The Icarian attitude
can be seen in him when 0konL;wo is pictured as one who "knew how to
kill a man's spirit" (TAT 34).
The lgbo people judge a man by the work of his hands. Okonkwo had
been chosen by the nine villagers to carry a message of war to their enemies
and such was the deep fear tha. their enemies had for Umuofia that they
treated Okonkwo like a king.
Okonkwo thought that showing affection to somebody was a sign of
weakness. Hence though he was very fond of lkemefuna, he never showed it
openly. The only emotion he s h o ~ e d was that of anger.
Okonkwo's ambivalent nature is very remarkable. In the opening part
he is in the peak of glory. But Lery soon his eminence is questioned. The
reader comes face to face with the contradictory traits of his personality.
When Okonkwo breaks the laws of the Week of Peace, people comment that
"he had no respect for the gods cf the clan. His enemies said that his good
fortune had gone to his head. They called him the little bird nza who so far
forgot himself after a heavy meal .hat he challenged his chi" (TAT37).
Though Okonkwo repressed all feelings of gentleness, affection and
tolerance as he considered them feminine qualities, his parental affection
gives vivid manifestation at times. His affection for Ezinma echoes in the
novel: "He never stopped regretting that Ezinma was a girl. Of all his children
she alone understood his every mo,2d. A bond of sympathy had grown between
them as the years had passed" (142).
Sigmund Freud's interpretztion of psyche can be applied to Okonkwo.
According to Freud, the first sexual impulses of a child are directed towards
its mother. Okonkwo loved his mother while he had an aversion to his father.
He takes refuge with his mother's kinsfolk during his exile, and symbolically
this indicates how a man needs the healing power of a woman when he is in
trouble. His soft comer for Ezinma and his constant chiding of Nwoye reminds
one of the Oedipus-Electra comp.ex. lnnes and Lindfors observe that there is
"an Oedipus touch to the relationship of Nwoye with his father, further
emphasized by the way Achebt: portrays Okonkwo's predilection for his
daughter, Ezinma" (12).
Okonkwo takes part in the murder of Ikemefuna, despite the warning
given by Ezeudu, the village eldcr, just to display his masculine traits. When
Ikemefuna turns to him for help, Okonkwo, for fear of his softer emotions
overpowering him, quickly cuts h in down. As David Carroll observes, "the
death of lkemefuna is a turning point in the novel" (44). As Jayalakshmi
observes, "at this moment of clash between his male and female values, his
fear of being thought weak, wins. Ile fails to find balance between individual
and tribal values" (Agarwal 159-160). It is pathetic to see that it is Okonkwo
who actually gives the deathblow that ends the poor lad's life. Achebe pictures
this scene:
As the man who had cleared his throat drew up and raised his
matchet, Okonkwo looked away. He heard the blow. The pot fell
and broke in the sand. He heard lkemefuna cry, 'My father, they
have killed me!' as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo
drew his matchet and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought
weak. (TAT 58)
Ikemefuna's death can be ecplained in terms of 'the myth of innocence.'
The boy with his unspoiled nature has developed and retained his purity. He
is not tainted like Okonkwo, and his unassumed manners show human nature
in its pristine, unspoiled form. Besides, he reminds one of the Biblical character,
Isaac, son of Abraham, being t.3ken to Mount Morea to be sacrificed, in
accordance with the divine will. ! t was Abraham himself who was supposed
to offer the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22:l-14), and in Things Fall Apart, it is
Okonkwo, whom the lad lkemeiuna dearly called 'father'. 'my father' who
'sacrificed' him in accordance w th the decree of the Oracles.
Achebe describes the consequences of Ikemefuna's murder through
Okonkwo's conscious mind. The s:reams of thought that flow from Okonkwo
betray his disturbed mind and reveal the nature of ikemefuna, Nwoye and
Ezinma. Okonkwo, haunted by guilt consciousness about Ikemefuna's murder,
looks at Ezinma and cries out, "She should have been a boy" (TAT60). This
emotional outburst speaks of another fact; Okonkwo is a frustrated man, and
he is not better than his father, Urioka. He has always equated feminity with
his father. But now he himself questions his identity: "When did you become
a shivering old woman?' 0konku.o asked himself. "You are known in all the
nine villages for your valour in war. How can a man who has killed five men
in battle fall to pieces because he bas added a boy to their number? Okonkwo,
you have become a woman indec!d" (TAT61). /
In Double Exile, Gareth Ciriffiths speaks of Okonkwo's tragedy. The
central and pervasive irony of 0L.onkwo's tragedy is that he is destroyed not
because of his flaws but because he performs more than is expected of him.
He is a victim in the sense that hc sacrifices his personal life for the benefit of
the community. In a society like ilmuofia, law is literally in the mouths of the
elders and to ignore the warning of elders, like Ezeudu, is to act in defiance of
the values of his society. "Things have already begun to fall apart when that
which is necessary and just ceases to be tempered by moderation and flexibility"
(16). In a sense Okonkwo was a mute, obedient person in the hands of the
Oracle which represented destinj,.
The irrational nature of C,konkwo is clear in the comment he makes
when Obierika said that Ndulue could not do anything without telling his wife,
Ozoemena. " 'I did not know that,' said Okonkwo. 'I thought he was a strong
man in his youth.' 'He was indeed,' said Ofoedu. Okonkwo shook his head
doubtfully" (TAT64).
Okonkwo lacked warmth and enthusiasm during the social gatherings.
During the New Yam Festival Ob erika was very cordial and friendly and he
greets at least half a dozen men while Okonkwo has nothing else to do but
stay reserved and numb. This shows his psychological distance from others.
This also can be attributed to his over ambition to become a man of success.
Achebe, writing from his deep knowledge and experience about human
mind, reveals the working of tht! minds of Okonkwo and other characters.
In all the novels he portrays the mgst of the wounded psyche, individual or
collective, when there occurs a conflict, whether it be an alien encounter or
native. lhab Hassan writes:
Human motives are forever mixed; irony and contradiction prevail.
This is reflected in the situation of the protagonist who cuts across
the lines of good and evil. There are no pure villains in fiction, no
blameless heroes. The objects of our sympathy and the objects of
our revulsion are often the same. (117)
There is another side to Clkonkwo where the gentle qualities come to
the foreground in spite of his great attempt to hide them. For instance, to
Ekwefi, he was a loving husband; he accepted her when she approached him
deserting her husband. When Ezinma falls ill, he prepares the medicinal soup
for her. To lkemefuna he was an embodiment of love and even after murdering
him Okonkwo is torn with remorsc: for a few days. Before the long expected
return to Umuofia he repays his uncle and kinsmen for their timely help. In
the exile, instead of idling away his time, he works hard and becomes a
successful farmer.
During an assembly of the clansmen, a court messenger of the white
men interrupts it. As his pride suflers, Okonkwo vows to take vengeance on
the white men. Lying on his bamboo bed he ponders over the ill treatment he
received from the white men and he swears vengeance: "If Umuofia decided
on war, all would be well. But if they chose to be cowards, he would go out
and avenge himself" (TAT 161).
Okonkwo, who lives for thv sole purpose of his clan's revival, manifests
the values of Igbo culture. He wmts to overthrow the white regime for the
well-being of the clan, together with his personal motives. In the classical
myths, as Harry Slochower observes, the protagonist is compelled to act as
there is an urgent cause necessita:ing prompt action. Okonkwo does the same
to overthrow the white regime. Slochower says that this act "has a public, all-
human reference-to bring peace to Thebes and Athens. . . to build a Faustian,
free city" (229). In these instances, a personal need is interwoven with a
public task and the protagonist filnctions for public good.
In Things Fall Apart, Okcbnkwo wants to bring Umuofia to its earlier
white-man- free condition. In this venture, all his efforts show emotions of
pain, horror and his longing for .,ewer and position as any human being. He
wages a war, which gives the impression that he is on the right side.
During the assembly of the clansmen, in spite of his lurking fear, Okonkwo
kills the messenger who interrupted the clan's proceedings. It is ironic that
fear, which is Okonkwo's flaw, has plagued the entire clan. The conflict between
Okonkwo and the clan ends in Okc~nkwo's tragedy. But it is clear that Okonkwo
remains true to the ideals of the society while it is the clan that changes its
loyalties.
Having been deserted by h s clansmen, Okonkwo thinks that it is better
to commit suicide than surrender himself to the alien authority. He considers
it a sign of heroism as in the heroes in great stories and the Arthurian legends.
Though he is far less impressive, i7 certain things he is like Samson of the Old
Testament.
Ezeulu, the protagonist of .4rrow of God, has the making of a mythical
hero. Everything about him-his physical bearing, his moral superiority . . .
admits of psychoanalytical interpretation. It seems eminence is embedded in
his psyche when one thinks of his high position. Besides himself, his father too
was a priest and it seems that soon priesthood will be handed over to his
sons. Achebe sees him as an arc hetypal figure who brings out the tensions
and conflicts of humanity.
In the beginning, Ezeulu is ~ e s e n t e d in the garb of a hero like Okonkwo
in Things Fall Apart. As the priest of Umuaro he wields supreme power over
his people and is widely acknowledged for his intellectual brilliance. He is
foresighted and he easily understands the clues to even very minute things.
His deeper perception into the nature of things and his great adaptability to
changing situations are commend~~ble. G.D. Killam in The Writings of Chinua
Achebe rightly observes that Ezculu 1s "a powerful and forceful character
with nobility" (60). He is moved ancl motivated by superhuman powers. Achebe
writes: "He is an intellectual. He thinks about why things happen-he is a
priest and his office requires this--so he goes to the root of things and he's
ready to accept change, intellectuitlly" (60). Always he has very clear notions
of what and how things should be. But between his high objectives and
ambitions there are certain obstacles which he fails to confront as expected
by his family and society.
He is revered and respected as the priest and preserver of the collective
solidarity of Umuaro. Being the ri:ual and religious leader of Umuaro, Ezeulu
enjoys unquestioned authority from the clan when he interprets the divine will
of Ulu to them. This intermediary position of Ezeulu as half divine is pictured
through the painting on his body.
As a priest he is bound to his duty and he announces the two great
festivals, the Feast of the Pumpl..in Leaves and the New Yam Festival. The
Feast of the Pumpkin Leaves is conducted annually to cleanse the six villages
of their sins before the planting season. It is an occasion when Ezeulu acts his
dual roles as the 'priest and mat?'. Wole Soyinka in " Ideology and Social
Vision" comments that the chief priest 1s to the people "the ethical standard
bearer and repository of the soc~al will" (94) and "Ezeulu not Ulu is cast as
the summation of the life-force o.Umuaro; without him the god is reduced to
an empty shell" (96). David Car -011 says that, "the power of the scene comes
from the effortless interaction of ndividual and community, which, at the
climax, merge in the ritual gestures" (90). This is an occasion of the
manifestation of the lgbo communal feelings.
A person endowed with good leadership qualities makes use of his
talents for the welfare of the society. Failure in understanding one's duty may
render a person passive, dormant iind stagnant in interpersonal relationships.
Being the chief priest, Ezeulu had the potential to control his people. But he
fails to take firm steps as he is not conscientious in his responsibilities. In the
end he falls from the high pedestal to the lowest pit as a mad desolate priest.
The priest who offered sacrifices assumes the status of a victim. Bernth Lindfors
and Bala Kothandaraman observe:
Ezeulu is elevated to the stature of victim-a martyr-against the
background of the priest's commitment to their god, Ulu, and the
people's desertion and defection in favour of a new god. His fall
becomesa sacrifice with '~imself as the offering. His agony, according
to the novelist, lends dignity and sanctity to the defection as it is an
integral part of the sacrificial process during the period of social
transition, or "passage' from one stage of existence to another.
(SAR 37)
Another remarkable trait in Ezeulu is his attitude to change. He is
exceptionally wise on such occa:.ions; it betrays his complex nature. When
the white men establish their systern of government and other social institutions
such as schools, Ezeulu is deeply aware of their far reaching results. He
understands that it may become 2 serious threat to Umuaro and he decides
to send one of his sons, Oduche, t3 be his eye there. He maintains:
The world is changing. [ . . . ] I do not like it. But I am like the bird
Eneke-nti-oba. When hi:; friends asked him why he was always on
the wing he replied: 'Mzn of today have learnt to shoot without
missing and so 1 have learnt to fly without perching.' I want one of
my sons to join these pec~ple and be my eye there. If there is nothing
in it you will come back [ . . .] My spirit tells me that those who do
not befriend the white nan today will be saying had we known
tomorrow. (TAT 365)
He acknowledges the greatness of the white men and wants his son to
go and master their wisdom and rituals. His rivals like Nwaka regard it as a
violation of the tribal custom and he calls it an action springing from the quest
for power. Ezeulu sees the white inan's power as an established fact and it is
better to cope with it. Otherwise i t will be a threat to his own existence.
Ezeulu's craze for power is the weakness which finally paves the way
for his utter fall. He has been widding special power and in the process of
extending it he misuses it and it creates far reaching effects on himself, his
family and his community. He can be cited as a symbol of resistance and
defeat. He is stubborn and hard hearted as he refuses to listen to the heart-
rending pleas of his clan and insists on his own decision. It is his flaw that
leads to his utter ruin and the falli ~g apart of things in Umuaro. Like Oedipus
his fall leads to the fall of hi: people too. Bernth Lindfors and Bala
Kothandaraman rightly observe, "1s the spiritual representative of his clan he
is more than an ordinary individual and becomes the agent and victim
simultaneously. When he falls, he brings his people and his god down along
with him'' (SAR39).Ezeulu's theories are utter failures as he is unable to find
harmony in himself, in his private and public lives. Sometimes we have to
allow things to happen, to go with ihe flow instead of constantly trying to fight
the current. "Unless a grain of wh'zat falls into the earth and dies, it remains
alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24). Achebe's protagonists
proudly exhibit and assert their position which culminates in their tragic end.
Ezeulu, half man and half spirit, is the chief priest of Ulu symbolizing
spiritual authority over the people of his jurisdiction. Insight and prescience
are the basic characteristics of his vocation. At the same time he is tortured
by doubts and fears. He doubts oder the range and nature of his power. It is
part of his psyche:
Whenever Ezeulu considccred the immensity of his power over the year
and the crops and, therefcvre, over the people he wondered if it was real.
[. . .] His power was no more than the power of a child over a goat that
was said to be his. As long as the goat was alive it could be his; he
would find it food and take care of it. But the day it was slaughtered he
would know soon enough who the real owner was. (TAT321)
His inner doubts and fears pose great danger to the unity of the clan.
Ezeulu, ' the Conscience of his Community' loses his own consciousness
when he is face to face with problems.
Ezeulu rejects Tony Clarke's orders to report to the District Headquarters
for instruction on becoming a Warrant Chief: "Do you know what you are
saying, my friend?," asked Ezeulu. "Go home and give my message to your
master" (TAT463). The image of the implacable Ezeulu is highlighted when
he refuses to announce the Feast of the New Yam. He wants to exhibit that he
is not just an 'arrow of god' but something else as he says, "I only call a new
festival when there is only one y3m left. Today I have three yams and so I
know that the time has not come" ( TAT532). On behalf of his god he announces
that they have to wait two extra nloons to eat the remaining sacred yams. To
justify his action he further discloses that " Ulu did say that two new moons
came and went and there was nc one to break Kolanut to him and Umuaro
kept silent" (TAT534). This when compared with the opening lines shows the
stubbornness of the priest. He ruses on his power and says, "If he should
refuse to name the day there would be no festival, no planting and no reaping.
But could he refuse? No Chief Priest had ever refused. So it could not be
done" (TAT321).
Another occasion arises when Ezeulu is compelled to announce the
yam feast. One of the assistant!; says: "It is now four days since the new
moon appeared in the sky; it is already grown big. And yet you have not
called us together to tell us the day of the New Yam Feast" (TAT528). Ezeulu
loses his temper and utters when :hey insisted on announcing the feast saying
that Ezeulu might have lost count because of his absence: "Lost count! Did
your father tell you that the Chief Priest of Ulu can lose count of the moons?
No, my son, . . . no Ezeulu can lc~se count. Rather it is you who count with
your fingers who are likely to milke a mistake, to forget which finger you
counted at the last moon" (TAT529). According to John Nwodika, "Ezeulu
was like a puffadder which never struck until it had first unlocked its seven
deadly fangs one after the other" TAT 502).
Ezeulu's brief reply to the white man reflects his defiance of the rulers
as well as his pride in his god whose authority alone he would represent: "Tell
the white man that Ezeulu will not 3e anybody's chief, except Ulu" (TAT498).
Ezeulu faces opposition from the remaining five villages, from his friends,
his family, and the white man and even from his god, Ulu. From the very
beginning Ezeulu wavers and doubts his power. He expresses his misgivings: "It
was true he named the day for the f'zast of the Pumpkin Leaves and for the New
Yam feast; but he did not choose it. He was merely a watchman" (TAT 321).
But often his pride overpowered him and on such occasions he was
too conscious of his power: " No! The chief priest of Ulu was more than that,
must be more than that. If he should refuse to name the day, there would be
no festival [ . . .] no planting and no reaping" (TAT 321). The constant
probing of Ezeulu, who assumes t ! ~ e proportions of a super man, provides a
glimpse into his subtle and comple:: nature. Ezeulu says, "I have my own way
and I shall follow it. I can see things where other men are blind. That is why I
am Known and at the same time I am Unknowable .[. . . I You cannot know
the Thing which beats the drum to which Ezeulu dances" (TAT455).
Ezeulu ignores his brother, ilkeke Onenyi, who is a famous medicine
man and seeks the help of a worthless medicine man for the "Covering-up
Sacrifice for Obika's wife" (TAT 471). According to Ezeulu's enemies, it is
due to Ezeulu's pride and jealous>. His brother says that "the knowledge of
herbs and anwansi is something i.iscribed in the lines of a man's palm" and
Ezeulu's resentment is at "the splitting of the power between" (TAT470).
Edogo, the eldest son, reminisces about what his mother often said.
According to her, the only fault of Ezeulu was that "he expected everyone-his
wives, his kinsmen, his children, hi!; friends and even his enemies- to think and
act like himself. Anyone who dared to say 'no' to him was an enemy"
(TAT 414). But uncertainty veils his mind and he asks, "Could he refuse? No
chief priest had ever refused. So !t could not be done. He would not dare"
(TAT 321). There are certain issues:hat torture him and so the author comments:
"His mind never content with shal ow satisfactions crept again to the brinks of
knowing. What kind of power was it if it would never be used?" (TAT 322).
Ezeulu becomes an alienatazd personality. This leads to insanity and as
Charles Larson observes, he is "ar~ extremely lonely man, [ . . .] who ultimately
must stand alone in his decisions . [ . . .] Achebe's concluding picture of the
insane Ezeulu is indeed poignant yet not unexpected" (152). What occurs is
a steady and visible alienation from his surroundings, and a total denial of
normal social relations.
Ezeulu has the weakness of showing partiality. Edogo, Ezeulu's son,
assesses his father's relationship with his children. According to him, "The
trouble with Ezeulu is that he can ?ever see something and take his eyes away
from it" (TAT412). Besides, he was treating them like little boys even when
they were grown up. Edogo also remembers how his father had liked him
when he was a boy and how later he had transferred his affection to Obika
and then to Oduche and Nwafo. Elut he loved Obika more than others, as he
resembled him most in appearance. He is in favour of Obika, his son, and it
creates problems among the members of the family. Ezeulu is aware of it as
Achebe reveals it: "Ezeulu . . . k n e ~ that Matefi and her daughter resented his
partiality for his other wife's son" (TAT327). It is said, " His father preferred
him [Obika] to Edogo" (329). Similarly, Matefi, one of the wives of Ezeulu
speaks of Ezeulu's soft corner for another wife. She says, "Ezeulu will never
see anything wrong in what she ooes. If it is me, then he knows what to say"
( TAT 328).
The death of his favourite son, Obika, upsets his mental equilibrium
and he utters a heart-rending cry 'Ulu, were you there when this happened to
me?" (TAT553) and ' a s for Ezeilu it was as though he had died" (TAT554).
Ezeulu's friend, Akuebue tells hirn, "no man however great was greater than
his people; that no one ever won judgement against his clan" (TAT 555).
Ezeulu determines to take revenge on his people for the distrust of him
and their failure to heed to his counsel. Besides, great rivalry exists between
Ezeulu and Nwaka, a wealthy chief and the principal supporter of Ezidemili,
the chief priest of the god, Idemili. This rivalry promotes internal disharmony
and division in the tribe. This ri\falry is intensified by Ezeulu's stand against
Nwaka and Ezidemili over a larid dispute with a rival village. "A priest like
Ezeulu leads a god to ruin himself. It has happened before" (TAT 538).
Ezeulu's relationship with captain Winterbottom also ends in failure as
he refuses 'Warrant Chieftaincy.' Ti-is infuriates Winterbottom and he imprisons
Ezeulu for thirty two days. Durirtg his imprisonment, Ezeulu feels that his
people have not paid him due res~ect. Thoughts of vengeance crush his mind
and he repays them on his return. dis bitterness is clear when he behaves in a
unique manner: "after a long period of silent preparation Ezeulu finally revealed
that he intended to hit Umuaro at its most vulnerable point-the Feast of the
New Yam" (TAT 527). Ezeulu semzrns to act according to Sartre's assertion
that a man invents himself through exercising his freedom of choice. He is
"cleverer and shrewder than Okonkwo, more intelligent and invested with
more powers ofthinking and he is the center of Ulu -a myth reenacted annually"
(Arnur, Colonial Consciousness 238).
Like a tragic hero Ezeulu a:,ks crucial questions: "Why had Ulu chosen
to deal with him, to strike him down and then cover him with mud? What was
his offence? Had he got divine god's will and obeyed it?" (Amur 239). He
shares many of the qualities of Okcnkwo: he is impulsive, proud, quick to anger
and loyal to the society and the gods he serves. "His indomitable nature brings
him into conflict with hi community and makes him reject the offer of appointment
to be the warrant chief of his town. He will not be anybody's chief except that of
Ulu's" (Amur 239). As was said in Tasks and asks both Okonkwo and Ezeulu
are similar at least in one respect: "[Tlhey embody more fully than any of the
other characters the rigid value system of this society at different points of
growth and decline. Achebe makes much of the fact that their tragedy arises, in
part, out of their personal psycholo3y . . ." (35).
G.S. Amur in his book Cclonial Consciousness in Commonwealth
Literature observes:
Okonkwo and Ezeulu are the v~ctims of the colonial encounter, they
belong to a society dominated by god and other forces which help
spread Christianity in Igt o land. The two heroes, like Oedipus, are
over-confident, assert thzir unjustified position and belief and fall
because of their imperfe':tions. [ . . .] Their tragedy lies in the fact
that the society which they have championed for long is forced to
change, while they do not But Ezeulu is more aware of the inevitability
of change. The social and historical reality eludes them; they stem
from the society in transition and they cannot live with the rapid
changes in the Igbo world; their vision of the world is different from
others. They know that tney cannot stand up against the tide of the
colonial encounter and they succeed much the same way Christ has
been said to succeed. (2 40)
Modern psychology show!) the 'self' as the psychological totality of
man. Every individual, through his biological, psychological and spiritual
progress aims at self-realization. Various studies conducted by scholars
emphasise the idea that myth and psychology are complementary. That is
why psychologists like Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud are often quoted by
mythologists like Geoffrey Parrindcr. In his celebrated work Ahican Mythology,
Parrinder writes that in myths, thew are "clues to the deepest hopes and fears
of mankind, not to be despised as stories, but studied carefully for their revelation
of the depths of human nature" (1 6).
There are many writers whc consider myth as a structural element. Ayi
Kwei Armah is one among them and he uses myth to express archetypal
characters, situations or the coller:tive consciousness of a community. Like
Achebe and Soyinka, Atmah too ic known for his portrayal of accepted truths,
conventions or rituals through myth.
Atmah's characters are "eitber artists or intellectuals who have detached
themselves from the mainstream of a way of life which they see as corrupt
and contaminating" (Gikandi 73). r h a h through his novels sometimes speaks
of the therapeutic effects producec by the characters. Eldred Jones, in African
Literature Today Myth andHistoq~wites that "[m]ythology can be mediatory,
even therapeutic, by enabling man to suffer the intolerable, gaze on the terrible,
and sing of the ineffable" (editorlal 2). Often folk tales, legends and myths
represent the cultural attitudes of 3 society and the hopes and aspirations of
the community. Armah successfully introduces the cultural milieu together
with the conscious and unconscious proceedings of the individuals. Armah
needs appraisal for the therapeutic effects produced in his novels.
In Two Thousand Seasonssome of the characters function as archetypal
figures who exhibit the tensions and conflicts in the community. Anoa, appears
as the embodiment of 'the way' they aim at and she is pictured as the
symbol of goodness throughout the* novel. She functions as a seer and visionary.
Even when a child, Anoa was knolvn for her insights. An "intensity of hearing,
a clarity of vision and a sharpness of feeling marked her character" ( V S 14).
Simon Gikandi in Reading the African Novel writes:
Her [Anoa's ] spirit clarnours for the highest peaks of communal
endeavour, the colour of her skin typifies the beauty of her race, and
her movements are like those of a goddess. In terms of rhetorical
form, her prophecy is ?redicted action; it suggests the possible
movement of the story and the probable course of its characters. (24)
Anoa's moral and intellectual brilliance motivated many and in this
sense she acts as a 'super woman'. Besides Anoa, there were Yaniba, Sekela,
Azania, Ningome and Noliwe whcl serve as "guide[s] of the way" (7-7339) by
enacting the roles of "the guardian of the way" (TTS 14). Ato Sekyi -Otu, in
"Toward Anoa.. . Not Back to Anoa": The Grammar of Revolutionary Home
Coming in Two Thousand Seasor.sn writes:
Every attribute of her in-:ellectual and moral formation, the genesis
and structure of her 'vat c utterance', the circumstances, principles,
and practices that occasioned and accompanied the foundation of
the polity that would bear her name; everyone of these personal and
public realities bespeaks the habit and necessity of unprecedented
action. And so no journe y which has Anoa for its inspiration or even
its destination can ever zmbrace the politics of restoration and still
claim allegiance to her r ame. (RAL 18.2 201)
Anoa, in ordinary language, inaugurated the tradition of seeking one's
'way' lost during the imperial establ shments of the 'predators' and 'destroyers'
Like her, Abena is a committed lady who is brave enough to turn her voice
against the king who is a synonym for corruption and inconsistency.
Determined and strong in her decisions, she helps the group seek 'the way'
and live according to it. She acts a:; a guide and gives inspiration in the noble
task of liberating them from the white imperialists. Similarly the courage and
patriotism of Tawia deserves great ~pprobation as she prefers death to leaving
her native shores, as an epic hero.
lsanusi is another archetypal figure who too is an embodiment of
goodness like Anoa. He somewhat serves the same role as the teacher in
Armah's The Beautyful OnesAre Aot Yet Born. Eustace Palmer, in The Growth
of the African Novel, shows him as a "pillar of wisdom, a repository of history,
a man of undoubted integrity and inevitably the rallying point for the opposition
to Koranche's tyranny" (235). Urder his strong leadership the group fights
against the tyranny of the whites z.s well as the king. A group of twenty were
trained, and this determined grocp resists the tyranny of the king. To them
lsanusi acts as a moral guide 'the ~.eal power behind the throne'.
Koranche, the moronic king, is pictured as Saif in Bound to Violence.
In both novels these characters are noted for their capacity for intrigue and
deception. Koranche, like Saif, plajs the central role in the events of the story.
He collaborates with the whites and brings about the ruin and downfall of his
country. With great contempt Armah shows the merciless deeds of the king.
According to Palmer, it is "the quality of mindless imbecility that Armah stresses
in the adolescent Koranche, his onl.9 other noticeable quality being his capacity
for quiet malevolence" (The Gro~vfh of the African Novel 235) .
Throughout the novel Armah gives the degraded picture of Koranche
who dances according to the whirls and fancies of the imperialists. His tainted
mind is presented in vivid contrast to Isanusis. This delineation shows that he is
no better than the whites and turns his venomous comment to reproach him.
His self~hness and inability to livl? according to the way is clear: "they give
more than they receive. I, the king, I only know how to take. They are full
vessels overflowing. I am empty. Irl place of a bottom 1 have a hole" (TTS 73).
"h his worst nightmares tbe king imagined himself caught in a whole
society of unimpressed eyes, sceptical ears, staring, listening, undeceivable. If
ever the society became that way, it would be impossible for him to remain
king" (TTS 72). According to Palmer, king Koranche is "the most memorable
character [. . .] [who] seems to be sadly deficient in characterization" (The
Growth of the African Novel 234). When he is executed, a power vacuum is
created and the group of initiates withdraw in the background.
Amah calls the natives who were at the beck and call of the predators
'the parasites'. Further, he categorises them and calls the 'askaris' the 'worst'
who have been "conditioned to cio their master's bidding" (Palmer 230). He
shows them as absurd characte1.s. Amah's portrayal of the askari is as "a
mindless robot, who has been totirlly brain washed, his soul completely voided
out of his body, and he himself conditioned to doing automatically whatever
his master wishes, even if it means killing his own grandmother" (Palmer
230). He also pictures them as deserving sympathy. The selfish imperialists
robbed them of their original or pristine beauty. He is "robbed [. . .] of her
human personality, just as Sank010 is deprived of his in similar circumstances
in Bound to Violence" (Palmer 230).
Again Armah speaks of the 'parasitic elders' and 'ostentatious cripples'
who had been responsible for their own downfall. They collaborated with the
predators in their destruction. Another class, 'the schizophrenics' were those
who, alienated from their tradition and culture, were arrogantly and stupidly
proud of the changes brought atlout by the predators. They longed for the
return of the imperialists and their vainglorious rulers under whom they were
ready for any dirty work. Palmer writes:
Now bloated, fat and contented, voided of their souls and reluctant
to lose their position and influence, 'they do their Zombi work, holding
up the edifice of death falling in vengeance on the killers' heads'.
Armah includes under ihe umbrella term of 'Zombi' all those who,
either by force or thtough their own volition, have become
collaborators with the imperialists, have lost their own indigenous
personalities and now help to consolidate imperialist power and
culture in preference to indigenous traditions and institutions. (231)
The 'group' consisting c~f twenty trained people falls prey to the
superficial dealings of the king which exhibit their psychological plausibility.
They, known for their high ideas and determined mind, deviate from their
real 'way' which ends in their erslavement and exile to alien places. Armah
throws light on different categories of people. In Two Thousand Seasons,
Armah gives the picture of power-mongers suppressing human virtues. In the
novel 'the group' find themselves 2etween 'the devil and the sea' as their own
men were ready to sell them as slaves if they returned from their slavery
under alien forces.
In the midst of persecution ,:he enslaved people rethink and embark on
'the way'. Palmer, in The Growth of the African Novelwrites: "As they forge a
new harmony among themselves, a new unity of purpose, a common mind
and a common soul, they move gradually towards connectedness, one of the
cardinal principles of 'the way' (2.37).
The epic journey embarked by some of the natives shows how heroic
they are like the great epic warriors. To them surrendering themselves to the
predators seemed an ignoble and less heroic act. Besides they are portrayed
as blooming buds in their life situations. The generosity of the natives proves
their undoing which exposes the White's cruel attitude, their hypocrisy and
ingratitude. The white men who claimed to be intellectually well established
make many apparently unreasonable requests. A m a h describes that it was
their cruel habit "to cut off fingers from the hand itself uprooted from its
parent body" ( X S 1).
Armah shows the alienated figure, 'Bradford George' with a mythic
colouration. He is classed among the Zombis and his western system of
education has made him a servant of the White destroyers. During his stay
and study in Europe, his African soul has been voided out of him and his
name 'Benturn' changed to 'Bradford George'.
Like Chinua Achebe, Armah also reveals the alienation problems. The
group in 'invalid security' did no1: idle away their time and their enmity was
against the 'triumphant whiteness'. Their combined action brings forth the
utter destruction of their destroye:.~. They re-committed themselves to the re-
establishment of their 'way'. They were sure that destiny was in favour of
them. They acclaimed : "our vocation goes against all unconnectedness. It is
a call to create the way again, and where even the foundation have been
assaulted and destroyed, where restoration has been made impossible, simply
to create the way" (77S 8).
It has also a mythic touc-~ in the sense that they regarded it as a
continuing process stretching straight to endless posterity. They were the path
finders who marked 'the way' for the coming generations: "this life work, its
fruit should be the birth of new seers, other bearers, more numerous utterers.
And the fruit of all our life work together: that should be destruction's
destruction" (158).
Kamuzu, like Okonkwo in Achebe's Things Fall Apart, is a character
motivated by materialism and the drive for personal power. He appears in the
garb of a saviour, an initiate. Armah writes: "Kamuzu does not hate the
enslavement of our people. What he hates is his own exclusion from the
profits of the trade" (TTS 160). During their triumphant move to the castle of
the white men at Poano, Kamuz~, exhibits himself as one who 'entered into
the foot of the Whiteman'. He is a representative of the "contemporary African
leaders who having 'led' their countries to independence, now behave like the
White destroyers, dragging them ~nto a new form of slavery" (The Growth of
the African Novel 238).
Kamuzu is shown as an inllated, proud man and he erects a statue of
himself. He flies his own flag in the place of the flag of the destroyers. Palmer
observes that he becomes "obsessed with wealth, self-glorification and women.
He begins to call the castle 'his castle'. He seems incorrigible and the net
result was his execution which is similar to Okonkwo's contemptible death.
Armah describes with great relish how the natives took revenge on the
white imperialists. Amah attributes universal significance to revenge which is
a very common phenomenon. Armah gives it an African colour: "thirty victim
eyes searched for each destroyel and found him. Seven hands caught each
ashen limb. One white destroyer was thrown into the water with not one of
his limbs: these followed after" ('TTS 142). M e r the execution of Koranche,
Bradford George is allowed to assume the throne. He simply acts as a tool of
the white imperialists and that makes the situation worse.
The narrator in Two Thousand Seasons acts as the custodian of his
people's communal values and their mythical ethos. At the same time a guide
provides them with a fund of information about the African people of their
glorious past, together with the bygone times when they were the victims of
the predators and destroyers. He is a master who fully assesses the proceedings
of the time. Armah writes:
We wander now along steep roads declining into the whitest deaths.
Along these highways whatever we may do will fight against ourself-
how could there be other possibilities? For seasons and seasons and
seasons all our movement has been a going against our self, a journey
into our killer's desire. ('TTS 2)
The voice of the narrator i:; stern and he is a mythic hero who is well
aware of his country's glory and acknowledges it. He acclaims:
This land is ours, not through murder, not through theft, not by way
of violence or any other trickery. This has always been our land.
Here we began. Here we will continue even after the thousand
seasons' scattering and -:he thousand seasons' groping, though the
white death sometime5 openly, often covertly, seductively now,
brutally at other times, #changes means but always seeks one end:
our extermination. (775 3-4)
Ayi Kwei Armah's The Healers attains mythic dimensions through the
presentation of archetypal characters. The heroic image set by Achilles and
Ulysses is visible in Densu, the protagonist. Charles Nama, in "Ayi Kwei
Armah's Utopian World writes that "the major characters in the novel, Damfo,
the master-healer, Densu, the healer-in-training, and the ambitious general
Asamoa Nkwanta, are all depicted in epic proportions" ( WLWE 28.1 (1988)
25-35). Like great epic heroes, Ilensu makes his appearance at the most
propitious moment and his fate seems closely linked with that of the Asante
community. Armah portrays him attributing invincibility seen in epic heroes.
In The Epic in Africa, Isidore Okpewho outlines the extra ordinary
powers attributed to African epic heroes. He observes: "[. . .] the essential mark
of the heroic personality in many an African folk epic is its reliance on supernatural
resources. The folk hero is generally objectified in folk myth by other worldly
apparatus that ensures his successes" (qtd. in Charles Nama 28).
S e n s u , the protagonist in The Healers, is an epic hero in the true
sense. He is shown as an extraordinary character with a perfect blend of
qualities. He could easily grab power as the prize of the victory in the ritual
games offered unlimited power. He is fully opposed to the competitive spirit of
the games, as it d i i rbed the oneness and harmony of the society. Appia and
Densu are the two attractions of' the ritual games. Both are distinguishable
from others through their matchless physical prowess, intellectual brilliance
and high moral command. Densu is kind and sympathetic. His integrity is
commendable and he is considerate to others.
Densu from the very beginning shows hi uniqueness from others. When - Ababio, the manipulator, approaches him with his enticing words, Densu very
prudently a i d s them. Ababio tells Densu that "the world [. . .] has changed
in ways some people do not yet understand" (TH29). Besides he warns him
that "[tlhose foolish enough to go against them [the white people] will, of
course, be wiped out" ( TH 31). Densu makes the appropriate choice which
leads to the ultimate triumph. #is in great epics, the path of the hero seems
hazardous and he clears the hurdles with a heroic bend of mind.
Densu's redemptive mission and his performance as a great hero begin h
with the saving of Anan from the grips of the giant, Buntui. Ababio recognizes
the 'superman traits' hidden in Densu and exerts his great influences on him.
He inspires Densu: "Nature has favoured you more than it has favoured all
others of your age. You have stren~flh of body. You have strength of mind. You
belong by nature with those who thrive. You were born to win" (TH 32).
Charles Nama observes that "throl~ghout the novel Densu is portrayed in epic
terms as the essence of Akan existence" (33). We are told that "in the twentieth
year of his life, a young man found himself at the centre of strange extra-
ordinary events" (TH 1). He dentonstrates qualities which are attributed to
the epic heroes Sundiata, Mwindo, and Ozidi, such as the love of truth,
imminent justice and excellence. Densu seems preoccupied with the problems
of the mind. He embarks on his j~urney to the eastern forest looking for his
friend, the healer, Damfo. Though 7e has been entrusted to Ababio, he suspects
him. He is sure that he is destined to become a healer. He is conscious of the
magnitude of the healer's task. He could wield much power in society. His
attitude and make-up show that he is set apart for something else. He is
ready to undergo rigorous formative years in the forest. To him it is easy to
abstain from worldly pleasures. Damfo taught him that the healers task is to
help the "indivisible unity of the sacred and the secular".
The ritual games are an occasion that discloses the hero's temperaments
and psychic dispositions. As a member of the Esuano society he feels proud
of himself. But there is something that makes him uneasy:
He did not hate the ganes and the rituals. But he wished he had
found rituals that could have given life a better meaning. The
ceremonies, rituals and games that could satisfy the yearning inside
him would have to be cert,monies, rituals, and games of co-operation,
not of competition. The present games made him uneasy. Nothing
they offered gave an answer to his soul. (TH39)
The hero, as a result, feels dissatisfied and longs for an escape from
the society, with its "sick hurry ancl divided aims". He is motivated further by
the impulse that "there should be something better" (TH40). This yearning
reveals his inner psyche with its Eey motives. Simon Gikandi observes that
"Densu is not so important for what he does, but for what he thinks: his
thoughts and actions seem significant to the extent that they trigger, shape or
control the reader's perception of events in the novel" ( 33).
The hero is in conflict with the social circumstances. At times Densu is
conquered by intense feelings of oneliness and despair. Like the Budha, he
feels dissatisfied with his easy life in Esuano and longs for the hard life of the
healers in their group. He turns deaf ear to Ababio's whims and fancies
centred on worldly affairs. After the celebrations in Esuano, he is overwhelmed
by bizarre thoughts:
A feeling of loneliness, intense and hurtful, came over him and
threatened to overwhel~n him. He tried again to find escape from it
in sleep, but he failed. He tumed his mind upon the feeling, determined
to understand it. He knew inner pain was often a sign he had not
understood something happening within himself. He knew also such
pain would persist until he achieved understanding. Then it would
vanish as pain, becoming just a calm awareness, the feeling of reality
finally understood. (THLi8-49)
The protagonist reveals flaws as any epic hero, during the development
of the novel. Densu seems confused and dissipirited when the manipulator
makes many attempts to win him just to satisfy his personal motives. Densu
asks, "what is it I must do?" (TH 38).
Densu respects the ideals and norms of the community. But one can
see that beyond his immediate repulsion of worldly positions, he has a great
desire "a potent urge to seek people whose ways were an antidote to all the
petty poisons which were food to the men of power he had known" ( T H 4 9 ) .
Densu's love affair with Ajoa reinforces his attachment to the ideals of - the healers and his relationship t3 Damfo is strengthened by it. Densu feels
this attraction "with a strength wf~ose source he felt within himself" ( T H 6 3 ) .
Densu-Ajoa relationship begins ir an accidental way, but it helps him deepen
his self-realization and his quest for understanding: "Deeper than the surface
he could see connections; he could see natural links between his love for Ajoa
and his long search for understanding and knowledge, the search that brought
him, all alive with conscious purpose, to Damfo" (TH 6 6 ) .
Densu is a pacifist too. t . e masters Damfo's healing formulas: "the C
learner wishing to be a healer does not use violence against human beings.
He does not fight" ( T H 9 2 ) . Here Densu is very close to Mahatma Gandhi an
'archetype for goodness' who used the sole weapons of truth, love and non-
violence. Damfo further instructed him that a "manipulation steals a person's
body from his spirit direction. The Ilealers method is inspiration. The healer is
a life long enemy of all manipulati,3nn (TH99).
Damfo is presented in glow ng terms, and in psychological terms he is
an expert psychiatrist. His dealincs with Araba Jesiwa is an occasion which
shows him as an interpreter of m i ~ d s , dreams and fantasies. His treatment of
Asmoa Nkwanta discloses his depth of knowledge. He probes deeply into the
minds of his patients. He is disciplined, duty bound and exhorts others to
selfless action: "You'll go back to the army; . . . you will be violating your soul
if you don't" (TH 186).
The inter-relationship of characters is another factor which illumines
the psychic proceedings and peculi.3rities. Often a deep and total understanding
is possible through this. Densu's relationship with prince Appia and his mother
Araba Jesiwa brings out the noble aspects of his character. As Simon Gikandi
observes, Araba "typifies the kird of transformation that makes a person
whole" (34). The best service done by the healers is witnessed by Jesiwa
whose maimed body and soul are fully recovered. The role of the healer is to
help "a character discover his, or her, hearing and knowing on both an individual
and social level'' (34). Healing is a noble commitment and it is a special call
where one partakes in the universal mission of healing wounded psyche or
body. Armah speaks about 'unity and division':
Those who learn to read the signs around them and to hear the
language of the universcz reach a kind of knowledge healers call the
shadow. The shadow, because that kind of knowledge follows you
everywhere. When you find it, it is not difficult at all. It says there
are two forces, unity a r d division. The first creates. The second
destroys; it's a disease, disintegration. (TH82)
The association with the healers enables Densu to perform the noble
task of "bringing together again o: the black people" (TH83). Densu's life in
the Eastern forest brings about great changes in him. The hero passes through
various stages of growth. His lorrg discussions with Damfo help him have
great understanding of his potentialities. He attains self-realization. Now he
could analyse "with a kind of heightened consciousness of his own actions,
and an increased sensitivity to the \low and why of everything he found himself
doingW(86). Then onwards he f12els that he can question the motives and
actions and "the wider world it belonged to" (87).
After the death of Anan, Clensu is on the verge of despair. The world
around seems meaningless, and he feels like a recluse removed fully from
daily affairs of life. He feels alienation everywhere, and to him the universe
seems 'chilly' and a place where 'no refugees he could recognize" (TH 131).
It seems that he lost his equilibrium and thoughts of death haunted him as life
seemed futile and meaningless. 1 his death wish that looms in his mind drives
him into reckless actions such as rescuing the victims from the Asante ruling
class' ritual murder. Everything seemed futile and it reflected the helpless
hero who is "aware of [. . .] the unbearableness of what was happening"
(167).
The guidance and training given by Damfo lead to the full realization of
his short comings and Densu succeeds in overcoming his weaknesses.
According to Damfo, the healing profession is not always welcomed and
sometimes they are not duly ackrtowledged and their high ideals are not
realized. Damfo's words have curative influence not only on Jesiwa but on
almost all characters, including Densu. It urges him to selfless action driving
him to the role of a promising youth. Damfo's exhortation was: "find out
what canbe done, how to do it, ho~v long you'll have to work in the direction
you see, and how paltry the results will look to your impatient eyes" (171).
The water-gazing ritual makes it clear to Densu that he has to work
among the people of clear orientat~on to have full satisfaction of his life. With
a determined mind he gets ready for the service of the Asante army, distorted
and devastated by the colonial invaders. Densu finds his life's goal and fights
selflessly to achieve that goal. He inds his true self when he is initiated into
the community of the healers and shares his noble ideals with them. Simon
Gikandi writes about Armah's characters: "These characters are saintly, aloof,
solitary, misunderstood. They do not seem to live the lives of common men
. . . Characters like Densu and Damfo are thus cast more in the fabular
mode than the historical one; they are righteous men" (37).
The murder of Appia, the brutal way it was done, made Densu uneasy
and he could not find any meaning in anything and "remained barely
conscious" and "walked like some headless animal" (TH 60). He lost his
appetite for food and he was com~~letely ill at ease. He spent sleepless nights.
He had strange nightmares and dr'- 2ams:
One after another, bizarte thoughts took turns turning themselves
into weird images to ha~ .n t him. He saw a fierce, nameless beast,
half serpent and half forest cat. The beast had coiled itself around
the body of the prince P.ppia, still alive, and Densu saw it bare its
fangs to destroy Appia. Irl the half-awake nightmare state he was in,
Densu had only seen the body of the prince. But at the moment
when the beast was on :he point of sinking its fangs into his neck
Densu saw Appia's face. It was his own. ( T H 6 0 )
Armah, like Achebe, gives i-he details of the physical absurdities of his
characters. The judge in the wrestling competition was " a mascular man in
a blue and white hunter's smock over trousers of the same material" ( T H 7).
Absurd appearance is given to the youth who was standing very close to the
judge. He "was rather tall. He had thin legs and long, thin arms. His hands
ended in fingers which showed fi~r more delicacy than strength. Everything
about his body looked as if it had been sharpened" ( T H 8).
Armah presents a hare-lipped man, with an awkward appearance,
whose "torso was twisted . . . legs were bandy. The right thigh bent sharply
inwards at the knee, and the lowcz leg bent as sharply outwards" ( T H 8 ) .
The participants in the wrestling match including the judge are given
humorous physical abnormalities. Another wrestler is described:
There was a young man, not tall, not short, standing unshakeably
on short, thick legs. He had a thick waist under a powerful looking
paunch surmounted by a heavy, fleshy chest. His head rested most
comfortably on an ample neck divided into three smooth cushions
of fat. The fellow had a genial face. His cheeks were so enormous
they looked arrested in il smile. His lips protruded as if in a pout,
which was odd, because there was no suggestion of surliness on his
face. The lips were permanently wet, shining softly as if he had
taken care to keep them ubricated. ( T H 8 )
Not only in the physical absurdities, but also even in their mannerisms
they had peculiar features. For example Armah writes: "The giant howled like
a dying bull" (17). The hare-lippetl man "made him as if he were smiling with
a weird, good-humoured menace at his opponent all the time" (11) . Even
the judge is not spared by Amah. Ile writes: "The judge, his forehead creased
with puzzlement, stared at the young man" (11).
Ajoa is presented as an extraordinary character from the beginning of
the novel. The disappearance of the child and the stories spread about her
add a mythic touch to her charzcter. Her absence was announced by "a
hunch backed crier who beats thc: gong all day" (TH 64) . There were other
strange saying about the child that "she was no human but a spirit child gone
back home to the land of spirits. Some swore she had been carried off by
some monstrous beast of prey. Strz nge stories were remembered about sinister
priests who went about catching ~.irgin children and sacrificing them to cruel
gods in exchange for horrific, occl~lt powers" (64) .
Ababio is shown as one who "used force when he was in a position to,
otherwise he used trickery" (TH25) . This is a clear manifestation of Ababio's
personality. He acts as an archety 3e , 'an lago' a deceiver of others. At the
same time Armah is all praise for Damfo, the master healer. These characters
embody different aspects of humitn life. Darnfo exhibits love in its pristine
form, while Ababio is tainted by malice. Through comparison and contrast,
Armah throws light on the psychic probings of his characters. Like Wordsworth
in his 'Immortality Ode', Armah too speaks of the innocent aspects of life. A
child is closer to heaven than an adult, says Wordsworth. Darnfo is not the
man who would use "force or fraud to get anyone to do what he wanted him
to do" ( T H 2 7 ) . Damfo believes that inspiration is "healing medicine" while
manipulation is "the most potent poison. It destroys people, plants, everything"
( T H 2 7 ) .
Even minute details acquire mythic colour at the hands of the artist.
Ababio's laughter was "short, nervous laugh, rather like a whimper" (TH
107). In the trial scene, Esuman, the court priest walked with the 'drink of
truth', and "he walked like a decotee obeying some infinitely remote god"
( T H 123). When the 'drink of truth' was offered to Densu, "He looked into it
like an initiate in a trance. He looked into the cup like a diviner searching holy
water for secrets long forbidden human eyes" (TH 123).
The trial scene is colourfull!~ and imaginatively rendered. The drummer
is pictured with great exaggeration. The master drummer is portrayed with
great supernatural attributes. Arrlah writes: " the master drummer standing
firm as a forest tree, the veins or1 his forearms prominent as lianas and the
sweat running down his sides, beat out his message to the dead" (TH 118).
Besides, he was "a hunch back . . . dressed in the tunic of a warrior, and his
small, dense body was covered with white, brown and red talismans and
amulets" (TH 118). He repeated t is message and his "veins stood out on his
neck. One single vessel in his foretead seemed about to burst free of the skin.
His eyes stared upward into the universe. He looked like a frog with some
heavy pressing on its neck. His mouth was hot and dry" (TH 119).
Myth is psychology; psychc)logy is myth. The passions and emotions,
virtues and vices of Achebe's anc Armah's characters emphasise this view.
The "Herculean task of salvaging a society on the brink of disaster requires
not ordinary mortals but epic heroes" (Charles Nama 27). Achebe's chief
characters, Okonkwo and Ezeulu lose their eminence as 'epic heroes' while
Armah's protagonists reveal their uniqueness and exemplify them as models.