What is the significance of locusts in Umuofia? How are they used in Symbolism in ‘Things Fall Apart’?

In “Things Fall Apart”, Achebe uses a swarm of locusts in both literal and allegorical levels. On the literal level, an actual swarm of locusts descends on Umuofia. The insect gave no warning, they just arrive suddenly, from where exactly, no one knows. This phenomenon is met with delight. Most of the villagers have never seen a locust swarm. They’ve only heard stories from the elders. Locust swarms tend to arrive suddenly and then disappear for years upon end. Even though locust’s eating abilities are well known by the villagers, there isn’t alarm. The harvest is over, and there is enough for the people to eat. The locust eat up the wild grasses, and the villagers actually eat the locusts. Because of their rarity, the locusts are quite the delicacy. Despite the seemingly harmless nature of this event, it foreshadows, or warns, of a future event that doesn’t turn out to be so harmless. This foreshadowing helps move the plot forward and create anticipation in the reader’s mind.

An allegory is a literary device that conveys meaning through symbolic figures, objects, imagery or events. The arrival of locusts in swarms is a clear omen of doom. Achebe calls the first swarm “harbingers” sent to survey the land. A harbinger is a kind of messenger that announces the arrival of another person or being (in this case, both the full swarm of locusts and the tragic death of Ikemefuna). Though the villagers of Umuofia collect the locusts and eat them as a snack, their presence symbolizes danger ahead and foreshadows Ikemefuna’s death as well as the inevitable downfall of Okonkwo. The locusts are an allegorical representation of the white missionaries that are about to descend on the village. Similarly, the white missionaries appear out of nowhere like locusts, they too show up in a small numbers. A solitary white man is the first “locust” to arrive and survey the land. No one in the tribe had ever seen a white man like this, and they consult their Oracle. It tells them, “that the strange man would break their clan and spread destruction among them”. This doom and gloom prophecy sounds a lot like the destruction that’s often associated with swarming locusts themselves.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *