Locusts In Things Fall Apart

In the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe uses the locusts to symbolize the Christian missionaries’ arrival in Umuofia, as well as their eventual influence. The way the locusts appear mirrored the presence of Christianity in Okonkwo’s community. The locusts emerge abruptly, and with little warning; suddenly they are accepted into Ibo culture. Okonkwo notes, “They settled on every tree and on every blade of grass, they settled on the roofs and covered the bare ground”(). In the same way, the missionaries settle into the life of Umuofia. They seize control to the point where their presence cannot be ignored. Achebe uses the locusts covering all of Umuofia to symbolize the way Okonkwo feels about the intrusion of Christians in his homeland.