Comparing Conflict in Things Fall Apart and The Sacrificial Egg Essay

Comparative essay between "Things Fall Apart" and "The Sacrificial Egg" in the aspect of Conflict

The novel Things Fall Apart and The Sacrificial egg have several similarities and difference when compared. There are many aspects in terms of conflict and this will be elucidated.

To start with, one of the roles of conflict in Things Fall Apart and The Sacrificial Egg is to create a sense of anticipation for the reader and to move the plot forward. Driving the plot forward, creating an ingredient of trepidation, we can see that conflict is crucial in both stories. Conflict also brings out a sense of foreshadowing throughout both stories.

In The Sacrificial Egg Chinua Achebe presents the conflict between an African civilization called Igbo and Westernization, specifically Europeans. The story focuses on Katipo, a god of smallpox, ravaging the people of Umuru as seen from the emptiness of the market named Nkwo and the story main character Julius Obi as he indirectly experiences the effects of the evil god. Being of African descent Achebe believes that no African writer can betray his heritage. As the story progresses the effects of the Europeans coming into contact with the Igbo people unfolds as it is seen from the prosperous Nkwo market, the fear imposed by Kitikpa, and the emptiness Julius experiences. Conflict is evident in the form of culture here and in Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall Apart, we see a conflict early in the story between Okonkwo and his father, Unoka. "Okonkwo was ruled by one passion - to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness" (Achebe pg.13). Unoka was considered to be a failure. Okonkwo did not receive anything from his father and he had to start out with nothing. His goal "chi" in life was to obtain great wealth and to have many wives and children. The Ibo people considered these things signs of success. Yet, his greatest goal was his desire to become one of the powerful elders of the clan. It is Okonkwo's inner anger and bitterness over his father's failure that seemed to be the driving force behind everything he did in life. This was evident in the fact that he always felt as though he had to do what was manly and he hated weakness, a form of inner conflict.

Just as we can see a clash in personal beliefs within the clan, we can also see the difference in customs or methods or motives between the two missionaries. Mr. Brown was a very passive and understanding man, whereas, Mr. Smith was more forceful and condemning of the people. He did not try to understand the customs of the clan, he simply told them that they were wrong and Christianity was right. Things really got heated up when a convert unmasked and killed an egwugwu. In revenge, the church was burnt down. Okonkwo and other members of the clan were brought before the commissioner and were harassed and beaten. It was after this that a town meeting was called. Okonkwo was infuriated and determined to fight the white men. When a messenger came to break up the meeting, Okonkwo was so enraged that he killed the man, a form of conflict between cultural differences.

The arrival of the British in and before the 1800's led to what seemed like a million conflicts between the Igbo and the British political systems. There were conflicts regarding religion, social life, education and many others. It affected the Igbo both positively and negatively. On the positive side it benefitted them economically. Yet there were negative sides to it as well such as that it destroyed their traditional government ("ebu") and forced them to change their lifestyles. Polygamy was deemed to be senseless. It seemed that this was all for the good and only improvements; a better lifestyle would come of these reforms. The people of Umuofia attempted to stop the British and the changing society but they did not succeed, which lead to one conflict after another.

In the end, Okonkwo committed suicide by hanging himself. He knew that the people would not fight and he was ashamed of what the Ibo society had become. "He knew that Umuofia would not go to war. Everything he lived for and believed in was going to be taken away by the white men. They had control over everything. He did not want to see that happen so he took his own life. Yet, this is ironic because, in doing so, he was committing an act, which was considered one of the worst actions a member could do in the Ibo society. Throughout the story we see how strong Okonkwo's personal beliefs were and how much they meant to him. Beliefs, both personal and those of the society someone is born into, play a major role in their life. This story is an example of what happens when those beliefs are taken away and others are forced upon a person, it leads to conflict.

In contrast, the setting of The Sacrificial Egg provides the reader with a historical background regarding the conflicts seen throughout the story. The story takes place along the Niger River in Africa during the large up growth of European colonization as seen throughout Africa. The great market situated on the Niger River was still busiest on its original Nkwo day despite its overflowing effects onto neighbouring civilizations. Through the colonization of Umuru, many others close by inhabitants of Africa much like Julius Obi with Standard Six certificates discover work opportunities as clerks of the European Palm Oil trading company. Sometimes when the Chief Clerk was away he [Julius Obi] walked to the window and looked down on the vast anthill activity. The people of Umuru believe the markets prosperity to be connected with the deity who cast spells since its ancient times, taking the shape of an old woman, conflicting with the arrival of Europeans.

Who would have believed that the great boisterous market could ever be quenched like this? Quote of Juliuss thought as he looked upon the empty market, distinguishing the past from the present. However, this was the power of Kitikpa, the incarnate power of smallpox. The intimidating power of Kitikpa was felt from villages both near and far; as his presence halted crossings between villages he struck. Those he killed were not killed but decorated with the pustules characterizing smallpox. Julius experiences the effects of Kitikpa as Ma (Janets mother) tells him he should not see them for quite a while. In the last moments together, Julius and Janet shake hands, which was very odd, as though parting for the night were something new and grave, foreshadowing the future fate of Janet. With the presence of smallpox, or Kitikpa if you will, emerges conflicting ideas of the cultural beliefs of a divine being presiding over the village. In contrast, the mundane reality is that of the disease being brought forth from the coming of European settlers shared also with the Christian converts. Julius, however, clung to the former, in that he believed there to be a presence of members of the spirit world in the world of the living.

Following the last moments between the girl he was going to marry, Julius walked up and down the bank of the river rather than heading straight home, because he wanted desperately to cling, even alone, to this strange parting . As Julius hurriedly sets out for home, the night-masks swirl past him in the dark; he steps on an egg that has been sacrificed. Such was the state of the town when Kitikpa came to demand the sacrifice the inhabitants owed the gods of the soil. Surrounding the crushed egg were decorative palm-fronds, however, Julius perceived the entire visual before him as another house to which the terrible artist began work. The egg represents Janet and Ma, as insinuated by Juliuss own perception of the accident, perhaps even an egg sacrificed by either of the two to a greater extent. The emptiness Julius looks upon in the market throughout the extent of the story while reminiscing of former days represents the feelings he feels inside. He feels desolate, empty, lost. It was barely a week ago on this side stood Julius, and on the other Ma and Janet whom the dread artist decorated.

Despite the goods and riches that came with the Europeans, it still brought problems much like the case of Englands Black Plague. As the reader, one can perceive the egg as being the protector of a life, or lives; or the entire incident can be viewed as being a coincidence clashing with the problem of smallpox. With his and the villages conflicting beliefs, Julius may never completely understand what has happened and why. The influence of Achebes strong cultural feelings is evident in The Sacrificial Egg, stating, unless our culture begins to take itself seriously it will never get off the ground. The conflict between beliefs held by generations is presented and gives light to situations occurring to this day.

Without variance in these two stories, the plot will not engage the reader as conflict is the factor which continues the plot. In Things Fall Apart the novel would be lifeless for the character Okonkwo. The fragmentary inner conflict within Okonkwo helps the reader interpret his inner feelings and evokes a sense of connection with the reader to understand his emotions of fear of being deemed as feminine in comparison to his father. Likewise, in The Sacrificial Egg the inner conflict within John Obi helps to develop the plot.

In addition, the conflict superstitions are comparable in Things Fall Apart and The Sacrificial Egg. In Things fall Apart, the Igbo culture follows many customs which focuses on the subsistence of a supernatural being. One example is that the villagers do not keep twins, and the twins are thrown into the Evil Forest, showing believes in supernatural power. Okonkwo develops conflict with the supernatural force as he does not want to be seen as feminine and beats his wife during the peace week. The conflict carries the plot forward and allows the reader to understand the characters feelings. In The Sacrificial Egg, there is also revelation of a supernatural power, which also is the central plot of the story.

Conversely, there are different roles of conflict in the two stories. In Things Fall Apart, conflict is seen through Okonkwo in the form of characterisation. The inner conflict allows the reader to be evoked of a sense of intimateness as he or she understands when Okonkwo has to put up an act of masculinity. However in The Sacrificial egg, the reader is averted from knowing the true feelings of John Obi, as the storys heart is on the plot rather than character. The results of conflict through the two stories are dissimilar.

There are also greater variations of conflict in Things Fall Apart then The Sacrificial Egg. In Things fall Apart, there is the partial conflict between man and man seen in the arrival of the white man in their Iron horses causes a commotion among people who believed the system the white people brought in was more of a bane rather than a boon, such as Okonkwo. The conflict foreshadows the climax and is once again brought about with Reverend Smiths zeal and Okonkwos determination. There is no conflict between man to man in The sacrificial egg as it is a short story, and it only focuses on the inner conflict of the main character, John Obi.

The religious and cultural conflicts of the two stories also differ to a certain extent. In The Sacrificial Egg, John Obi had to decide accepting superstition of the sacrificial egg (that it brought bad luck), meaning his acceptance to the Ibo culture, or closing the eyes to it, meaning his acceptance to western culture. The cultural conflict is slowly developed to create a sense of understanding in the main character, spotlighting on a form of inner cultural conflict. Whereas the conflict in Things Fall Apart is different in a sense whereby, the cultural conflict is introduced in the later part of the story, layering the inner conflict. Because of religious and cultural divergences between the whites and Igbo people, violent conflict occurs. Words such as impotent, genitals disclose the hatred of one anothers religion in the story. The conflict foreshadows the takeover of the white, and takes on a more pivotal role which leads to the ending of the story.

Conflict also brings about similar outcomes in both stories, which is death of a certain somebody. In the Sacrificial Egg, the ending to the conflict between the western and Ibo culture ends up in the downfall of Julius Obis fiance and his future mother in law. He complains nonsense after he steps on the sacrificial egg (which allegedly brings about his change in luck). In Things Fall Apart, the death of main character Okonkwo was due to his inner conflict, and inability to accept the cultural changes that were taking place in the story. Both stories end tragically with the notion of death.

Last but not least, in both stories, literary devices are used to convey the conflicts. In Things Fall Apart, paradox is used to identify the conflict and instil a deeper sense of understanding. The irony comes from the fact that Okonkwo was exiled for seven years for committing a female ochu even though he tries his best to portray a masculine image, and the ending of the story shows Okonkwo hanging himself which was considered a feminine act. In the same way The Sacrificial Egg, the diction used helps to uncover the feelings of John Obi and his inner conflicts. Words like mammy-wota and deity sharpen the effect of the conflict.

In conclusion, I can say that through the relationship of conflict of these two stories, Things fall Apart and The Sacrificial Egg, we can see that there are certain similarities and differences in how conflict is presented through the different outlines, and how conflict affects both stories in terms of foreshadowing the climax.