Symbolism In Things Fall Apart
Symbolism reveals things about the characters and themes we didn't even realize were true even though they were right in front of us. That often happens throughout books where there are hidden meanings that explain a deeper one to the event object or person. There were many different kinds of symbols throughout both books that really explain the characters in the themes and what the author was really trying to get across. With the different symbols it really shows how each of the characters respond to them and helps show who they really are as a person that the book couldn’t fully show. The Poisonwood Bible had multiple themes such as politics, nature, marriage, language/communication and morality. Where in Things Fall Apart had themes like
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fear, fate and destiny. These themes explained what the characters were going through and how they felt about these certain topics. The symbols help reveal the true theme of the book.
In both of the books there was multiple family issues were they didn't have the same views. In Things Fall Apart, one of the symbols was fire. Fire symbolized of Okonkwo’s driving force and his anger about not wanting to be weak like his father. It grows throughout the novel and becomes very significant to him. At the end unfortunately it finally becomes too big to contain and consumes him leading him to commit suicide (Page 153). That pretty clear symbol of fire representing anger as we may would have guessed that representation, it was actually bigger than readers may have thought and affected him in such a way that lead to unfortunate events.
Another symbol in Things Fall Apart for the Yams.
The Yams symbolize masculinity, hard work, and the center of society. Yams take lots of work as well as becoming socially acceptable does. That eventually determines someone's wealth and prestige in the African society. Men are also the controlling factor in the lives of their women and children so to be nothing but accepted is a struggle in that society. Seeing the men have such a strong role in the society, ironically there is a symbol for women. The symbol is folktales. To okonkwo, the folktales that are told symbolizes being a woman. The stories seem to have no value and they provide useless morals. Mothers and daughters in the book are the ones who share the love for these tales, but Okonkwo’s son nwoye does as well. Unfortunately the society looks at men and women like that but it is through the symbols in the themes that we understand it better.
A symbol in The Poisonwood Bible is the example of Methuselah. He is a parrot that brother fowles gave the price family. He lives in their home with them in Kilanga. Methuselah was usually kept in a cage, but one day Nathan told his daughters to let him out of the cage so he could be free in the wild. After a while of being in the wild, Methuselah’s feathers were found, implying that he had been killed. The significance of his death, is that he was restricted for most of his life, and when he finally became free, he didn’t last for long. He compares to the fate of the
congo.
Another symbol in The Poisonwood Bible is the Palindromes. Since Ada can’t speak, she writes in a journal to communicate her thoughts. Ada uses palindromes quite often in her writing, and connects her “new sentences” to the things that are going on around her. Palindromes signify the way that Ada thinks. It shows that she sees more than one side to things, and will always look for another perspective on something before she makes her final opinion. Ada is very open to the idea of living in the congo, and she wouldn’t give up like the rest of her family until the very end. “I prefer ada, as it goes either way, like me. I am the perfect palindrome” (The Poisonwood Bible).
Lastly a symbol from that book was the snake, the mamba snake that killed Ruth May. It was not a coincidence that the snake was waiting near the Price’s house. Tata kuvundu placed the snake there to get revenge on the Price family, but it led to the death of an innocent child. Her death was actually foreshadowed earlier on in the book. Nathan doesn’t seem to care that his daughter had died, he only focuses on the fact that she wasn’t yet baptized. The snake that killed Ruth May can be compared to the snake in the garden of eden in the bible. Even the title compares to the bible. Very clever on the author’s part to make her book allude to a widely known book such as the bible. These all play a part in The Poisonwood Bible as well as Things Fall Apart that add significance and depth to the story. The symbols really reveal what the themes and who the characters are. It helps explain why they are this way and what has affected them. Symbolism can do so much for the events, characters, and plot, by sharing enough information with overpowering.
fear, fate and destiny. These themes explained what the characters were going through and how they felt about these certain topics. The symbols help reveal the true theme of the book.
In both of the books there was multiple family issues were they didn't have the same views. In Things Fall Apart, one of the symbols was fire. Fire symbolized of Okonkwo’s driving force and his anger about not wanting to be weak like his father. It grows throughout the novel and becomes very significant to him. At the end unfortunately it finally becomes too big to contain and consumes him leading him to commit suicide (Page 153). That pretty clear symbol of fire representing anger as we may would have guessed that representation, it was actually bigger than readers may have thought and affected him in such a way that lead to unfortunate events.
Another symbol in Things Fall Apart for the Yams.
The Yams symbolize masculinity, hard work, and the center of society. Yams take lots of work as well as becoming socially acceptable does. That eventually determines someone's wealth and prestige in the African society. Men are also the controlling factor in the lives of their women and children so to be nothing but accepted is a struggle in that society. Seeing the men have such a strong role in the society, ironically there is a symbol for women. The symbol is folktales. To okonkwo, the folktales that are told symbolizes being a woman. The stories seem to have no value and they provide useless morals. Mothers and daughters in the book are the ones who share the love for these tales, but Okonkwo’s son nwoye does as well. Unfortunately the society looks at men and women like that but it is through the symbols in the themes that we understand it better.
A symbol in The Poisonwood Bible is the example of Methuselah. He is a parrot that brother fowles gave the price family. He lives in their home with them in Kilanga. Methuselah was usually kept in a cage, but one day Nathan told his daughters to let him out of the cage so he could be free in the wild. After a while of being in the wild, Methuselah’s feathers were found, implying that he had been killed. The significance of his death, is that he was restricted for most of his life, and when he finally became free, he didn’t last for long. He compares to the fate of the
congo.
Another symbol in The Poisonwood Bible is the Palindromes. Since Ada can’t speak, she writes in a journal to communicate her thoughts. Ada uses palindromes quite often in her writing, and connects her “new sentences” to the things that are going on around her. Palindromes signify the way that Ada thinks. It shows that she sees more than one side to things, and will always look for another perspective on something before she makes her final opinion. Ada is very open to the idea of living in the congo, and she wouldn’t give up like the rest of her family until the very end. “I prefer ada, as it goes either way, like me. I am the perfect palindrome” (The Poisonwood Bible).
Lastly a symbol from that book was the snake, the mamba snake that killed Ruth May. It was not a coincidence that the snake was waiting near the Price’s house. Tata kuvundu placed the snake there to get revenge on the Price family, but it led to the death of an innocent child. Her death was actually foreshadowed earlier on in the book. Nathan doesn’t seem to care that his daughter had died, he only focuses on the fact that she wasn’t yet baptized. The snake that killed Ruth May can be compared to the snake in the garden of eden in the bible. Even the title compares to the bible. Very clever on the author’s part to make her book allude to a widely known book such as the bible. These all play a part in The Poisonwood Bible as well as Things Fall Apart that add significance and depth to the story. The symbols really reveal what the themes and who the characters are. It helps explain why they are this way and what has affected them. Symbolism can do so much for the events, characters, and plot, by sharing enough information with overpowering.