Things Fall Apart Themes and Motifs Essay

Aidan Ascio
Mrs. Blocher
Honors English II
20 February 2014
Brace Yourselves…White Men Are Coming
9. Symbol: Locusts Locusts can symbolize many items in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, two of which are the arrival of white men and the breaking of tradition. “At first, a fairly small swarm came. They were the harbingers sent to survey the land” (Achebe 48). This is how the locusts first arrived and the white men arrived in a similar fashion. Even in chapter 15 does the oracle say the white men are locusts. At first it was only one white man on a bicycle. After him came a more abundant amount of white men. Much like the locusts with their nutrition, the white men bring culture and tradition. When cultures intertwine some tradition is forgotten while new culture can be accepted. Locusts were heavy enough as a swarm to break even the mightiest of tree branches. This symbolizes how the white men broke the tradition of the native African people. “And a last the locusts did descend. They settled on every tree and on every blade of grass; they settled on the roofs and covered the bare ground. Mighty tree branches broke away under them” (Achebe 49). Many traditions and culture was fractured by the white men. Religion being a very large part of culture was even broken. People with lower social class found Christianity more appealing than their current religion. The more people who join the white men break their own culture more and more. Locusts truly symbolize the coming of white men who bring nothing but destruction.

1. Own Theme: Fate and Freewill
Chinua Achebe shows a strong display of the theme fate and freewill in the novel Things Fall Apart. A man's destiny in determined by his chi, or personal god, whether he is meant for fortune or destruction in the book. Okonkwo challenges this many times, and he tries to make his own destiny. As a young man Okonkwo works extremely hard for the success he currently has. "Okonkwo was clearly cut out for great things. He was still young but he had won fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages" (Achebe 5). Despite his hard beginnings, Okonkwo is still determined too pull out on top. No matter how hard Okonkwo works, his rash decisions can change his whole entire life.
Okonkwo has made quite a few life changing decisions in his life, most of them are for the worst though. His first decision was killing Ikemefuna even after warnings from close ones saying not to. This took a great mental toll on Okonkwo. He started to show that cared and he had feelings. This fueled his anger even more causing him to be more rash and violent. His second decision of killing Ekeudu's son had a more tangible punishment. While it was still an accident, his fate brought misfortune to himself and his family. His final and fatal decision was his own suicide. "Then they came to the tree form which Okonkwo's body was dangling, and they stopped dead" (Achebe 178). This brings his fate into full circle. He tried changing his fate and becoming successful and strong, but in the end his misfortune returns taking away his status, pride, and life. The theme fate and freewill is very dominant in Things Fall Apart showing fate always wins over freewill.