The Sacrificial Egg

Chinua Achebe
 Postcolonialism
 Achebe is Nigerian
 Nigeria was a British c
olony
 “Literature in English”
– NOT English literatur
e.
• Rich cultural content
• Cannot be fully underst
ood if the Nigerian cultu
re is omitted.
 Nkwo Day, akara, mai-
mai, Kitikpa, ekwe, ma
mmy-wota
 Setting
 Nigeria
 Bank of the Niger
 Umuru Market
 After 1920
• Julius went to Umur
a after his education
.
• Smallpox was still in
Nigeria in 1970’s
 Julius Obi
 Julius Obi  Passed Standard
• Julius – English Six
name of Polish or • Education system
German origin under British rule,
the examination
• Obi – African, Igbo after completing
for "heart." A form primary education
of religious belief of  Considered himself
African origin “educated.”
involving sorcery.
 Binaries
 Umura Market Niger Company

Nigerian British
(clean) (busy, dirty, crowded)

 Educated (Julius) Uneducated (Ma)

 Less superstitious Surperstitious

(resistance)

 Exchange of goods trade by money

 Symbols - Signs
Native vocabularies (Nkwo, akara …)

Non-European

Green Uniform Nigerian

Dark crescent, dark bodies Death
Magic, deities, night spirits Superstitious
The sacrificial egg Bad omen, warning sign
Typewriter educated/knows how to write
Night Spirit Superstitious

British/Foreigners (fearsome figures)

“Its voice rose high and clear in the still,
black air.” – helicopters
“the rattling staff of the spirit and a
thundering stream of esoteric speech.” –
English/foreign language
 White man’s influence
 Disease: smallpox Death
 Religion: Folklore/Cult Christianity
 Education: uneducated educated

 Market:
• Once every four days daily market
(river port).
• Clean, exchange of goods dirty,
crowded, usage of money empty