EXISTENTIALISM, ESSENTIALISM, CONTRADICTIONS AND ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN ARROW OF GOD

Résumé

This paper critically examines the interplay between existentialist and essentialist themes in Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God. Through critical analysis and hermeneutics, this study analyses the tensions between existence and essence, the implication of the ontological and existential contradictions displayed in the text, as embodied by the complex character of Ezeulu, the half-man and half spirit/god character who embodies existential-essentialist contradiction and whose character is a potpourri of contradictions such as the combination of being fearless and fearful, prophetic and short sighted, dynamic and conservative, powerful and powerless as this will establish their contributions to his victimhood and tragedy. By exploring the overlapping contradictions that shape the narrative, this article raises important questions about victimhood and the human condition. As a timeless text, Arrow of God has been well studied, analysed and criticised by many scholars and the tragedy and victimhood of Ezeulu has been contested and construed either as well-deserved, unjust or sympathy inducing. The value of this contribution is in the analysis of these contradictions as underlying causal condition for Ezeulu’s victimhood and as a critique of existentialism itself. Ultimately, this paper demonstrates how Achebe's exploration and critique of existentialism offers a nuanced ethical framework for understanding social relations and the complexities of human existence