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.