치누아 아체베의 『신의 화살』에 나타난 식민주의와 에제울루 몰락의 의미

Abstract

Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God is one of his trilogy, Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease and Arrow of God. Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God examine the similar theme, the effects of British colonialism and the disintegration of the traditional Ibo society. The two novels, however, differently portray Ibo people's historical perspective and responses to British colonialism. Arrow of God represents the historical process and British colonialism more complicatedly than Things Fall Apart does. In this thesis I investigate the aspects of British colonialism and the meaning of Ezeulu's degradation. The Indirect Rule with Warrant Chief is the most critical British colonial discourse in Arrow of God. The British colonizer practices the indirect rule by appointing Ezeulu as the Paramount Chief. The British colonizer, however, disintegrates the Ibo society's tradition and value through the position of Ezeulu, Chief Priest of Ulu. Ezeulu who recognizes the truth of the British colonizer, rejects the proposal of Captain Winterbottom, the colonial administrator. Ezeulu intends to resist the British colonizer through the reunion of Umuaro, but the elder members do not recognize the colonial condition and the British colonizer in Umuaro. Ezeulu is degraded an old mad chief at last. Ezeulu's downfall means the disintegration of Ibo society, but his ruin symbolizes the sacrifice for Umuaro and the vision of the new Ibo society.