COMMUNITARIANISM IN ACHEBE'S ARROW OF GOD

Abstract

This paper explores the communitarian themes in Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God, revealing the complex social fabric of the Igbo village of Umuaro. Through a critical analytic method, this study examines how Achebe's narrative embodies core communitarian principles: prioritisation of collective well-being, interdependence of individual and communal identity, and the contextualisation of moral agency within cultural traditions. It also examines the position of the individual as an integral part of the commune. This research argues that Achebe's work presents a culturally nuanced communitarianism, highlighting the importance of collective life, and concludes that a delicate balance must be struck between individual responsibility to the community and communal responsibility to the individual