Lecture on Chapter 15 of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Key Points

Visit of Oba Rica

• Oba Rica visits Okonkwo during his second year in exile.
• Conversation with Uchendu: Uchendu comments on generational differences in friendships and fears.
  • Older generation had friends in distant clans.
  • Current generation is afraid of neighbors.

Incident in Abame Clan

• White Man Arrival:

  • Appears in a nearby village riding an Iron Horse (likely a bicycle).
  • Oracle predicted the man would bring destruction.
  • Warned more white men (referred to as locusts) would follow.

• Action Taken:

  • Clan members killed the white man and tied his Iron Horse to a tree.
  • White man's companions return with reinforcements, surround the market, and kill everyone.

Discussion Among Characters

• Uchendu: Criticizes the clan for killing the silent white man, calls them fools.
• Okonkwo: Believes they should have armed themselves.
• Oba Rica: Expresses fear over stories of white men taking villagers as slaves.

Emotional and Social Impact

• Okonkwo shows subtle emotion, highlighting the genuine friendship between him and Oba Rica.
• Oba Rica manages Okonkwo's affairs and insists on no need for thanks.

Symbolism and Themes

Arrival of White Men

• Foreshadowing: White men symbolically referred to as locusts.
  • Earlier in Chapter 7, locusts' arrival brought joy but also foreshadowed future destruction.
  • Connects to the paradox of colonialism: benefits like education and medicine vs. oppression and cultural eradication.
  • Biblical reference to locusts as one of the plagues in Exodus.

Cultural and Social Changes

• Marks a significant transition in Igbo culture due to colonial impact.
• Highlights strong bonds within the community, especially between Okonkwo and Oba Rica.