D A M I A N U. OPATA

THE STRUCTURE OF ORDER AND DISORDER

IN THINGS FALL APART

Undoubtedly, Things-Fall Apart is one of Chinua Aehebe's most widely discussed novels. In spite of this, it seems that no critic has taken notice of an intriguing aspect of the novel: the logic and structure of the existential substrate of order and dis- order in the world of the novel. The attempt of this paper is to critically examine the structure of the emergent order ~ dis- order model in the novel, but also to penetrate the consequences triggered off by the existence or non-existence of these two mutually exclusive phenomena. For the purpose of this essay, but also to reflect the conceptualisation of the novel's content, it is here agreed that the society of Things Fall Apart has out- grown or advanced beyond Hobbes' presocial state which is primarily, but hypothetical]y, said to be on a continual war- path. Given this, therefore, we can infer that such a society has, by virtue of having advanced beyond the presocial state, be- come a social and organised civil society of which we can say that a state of equilibrium constitutes its normal condition of being.

To discuss this issue of an order ~ disorder model in Things Fall Apart, we shall draw from Newton's laws of motion which state as follows:

1. Every body continues in its state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line except in so far as it is compelled by ex- ternal forces to change that state.

2. Rate of change of momentum is proportional to the ap- plied force, and takes place in the direction in the force acts.

Neohelicon XVIII/1 Akad~miai Kiad6, Budapest John Benjamins B. V.) Amsterdam

74 D A M I A N U. OPATA

3. To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. 1 What are the implications of these laws to our organised

civil society of Things Fall Apart? First, it can be argued, as has already been indicated, that such a society tends to stay in equilibrium until certain dysfunctional forces are set in motion against it. Second, once a state of disequilibrium sets in, one or two things are possible. The first is that the state of disequilib- rium can remain proportionally constant in relation to its causative agent or it can gather momentum and escalate into more serious dimensions, depending of course on the consequent interplay of reactions and further actions. Third, for a reversal of this disequilibrium, the reaction must be equal and opposite to the initial dysfunctional action. However, certain states of disequilibria which emanate from 'supernatural' causative agen- cies tend to remain indeterminate; or somehow limitedly re- versible within time, for as T. S. Eliot has it, "Time the destroyer is time the preserver. ''2 All this shall be later explicated and elaborated in our discussion.

On a final preliminary note, the world of Things Fall Apart is to be understood as referring to the totality of all existent beings, forces, and things in the novel which can act as sentient subjects of which predicative statements can be made. In this context, the "Evil Forest" as well as "Chi" is as much a part of the world of the novel as Okonkwo or his friend Obierika. The phrase "society of Things Fall Apart" would also be used interchangeably with the world of Things Fall Apart. Finally, the world of the novel is seen as a well-ordered universe which like all other well-ordered universes has the potentials of being easily disrupted.

The concept of order and disorder in Things Fall Apart shall be looked at from three main perspectives. These are:

1 "Newton's Laws of Motion," in the Penguin Dictionary of Science, ed. E. B. Uvarov, D. R. Chapman, and Alan Isaacs, 5th ed. (England: Penguin Book Ltd., 1979), p. 284.

2 T. S. Eliot, Four Quarters (1949; rpt. London: Faber and Faber, 1959), p. 40.

T H I N G S F A L L A P A R T 75

(1) Order vs. Disorder in Intracommunal Relations (2) Order vs. Disorder in Intercommunal Relations (3) Order vs. Disorder in the Interplay of the Physical and

Metaphysical Worlds. There are several instances, at least eighteen of them, in which a state of disequilibrium is set in motion through the activation of dysfunctional forces. These instances shall now be instan- tiated and grouped under the above three order ~ disorder cate- gory models we have identified.

1. ORDER VS DISORDER IN INTRACOMMUNAL RELATIONS

Within this category, we have all instances of order and dis- order which involve only specific communities within the world of Things Fall Apart. Such communities could be Umuofia, Mbaino, Obodoani, or Mbanta. The instances of disorder which disrupt the state of order within this category include the following:

(a) Okonkwo's insult on Osugo whom he called a woman. (Chapter Four, p. 19 of Things Fall Apart, London: Heinemann, 1958, 1965. All subsequent page references to the novel shall refer to this edition).

(b) Breaking of the "Week of Peace" by Okonkwo (Chapter Four, p. 21).

(c) Dying during the "Week of Peace" at Obodoani (Chapter Four, p. 23).

(d) The killing of a "banana tree" by Okonkwo's second wife (Chapter Five, p. 27).

(e) The killing of Ikemefuna (Chapter Seven, p. 43). (f) The reported incident of Uzowulu's persistent beating of

his wife, Mgbafo (Chapter Ten, p. 65). (g) The breaking loose of a cow (Chapter Twelve, p. 80). (h) The accidental killing of Ezeudu (Chapter Thirteen,

p. 86),

76 DAMIAN U. OPATA

2. O R D E R VS D I S O R D E R IN I N T E R C O M M U N A L

R E L A T I O N S

Under this classification we have instances of order and dis- order which involve more than one community within the world of the novel. In this context, the Christian communities and the colonial administrations in Umuofia, Abame, and Mbanta are treated as separate communal entities. This is because they are compositionally different and they pursue goals which are diametrically opposed to one another. Instances of conflict arising between different communities on the novel include the following.

(a) The killing of the wife of Ogbuefi Udo of Umuofia by "those sons of wild animals" from Mbaino (Chapter Two, p. 8).

(b) The murder of the white man "riding an iron horse" by the people of Abame (Chapter Fifteen, p. 97).

(c) Report of the arrival of missionaries at Umuofia (Chapter Sixteen, p. 101).

(d) Report of the arrival of the missionaries at Mbanta (Chapter Sixteen, p. 101).

3. O R D E R VS D I S O R D E R IN T H E I N T E R P L A Y OF THE

PHYSICAL A N D M E T A P H Y S I C A L WORLDS OF THE N O V E L

Here, we are concerned with instances of disorder and con- flict that have implications which extend beyond the immediate- ly sensory, objective physical world. The instances of this which we have in the novel include the following:

(a) The killing of the sacred python by Okoli, one of the zealot Osu converts at Mbanta (Chapter Eighteen, p. 112).

(b) The Ogbanje phenomenon in Ezinma (Chapter Nine, pp. 56-60).

(c) The in-set story about the greed of the Tortoise (Chapter Eleven, pp. 68-70).

THINGS FALL A P A R T 77

(d) The concoction of the "great medicine" for the market of Umuike (Chapter Twelve, p. 79).

(e) The killing of the sacred python at Umuofia by Enoch (Chapter Twenty-one, p. 126).

(f) The unmasking of the egwugwu by the same Enoch (Chapter Twenty-two, p. 131).

It would be highly unwieldy to attempt to discuss all these instances of the disruption of order in the novel. Consequently, what we shall do is to select some representative instances of the various contexts of order and disorder in the novel and discuss them elaborately. Before doing this, however, some remarks have to be made about the beginning of action in the novel. Chapter one of the novel may be seen as a historical cutback which slices the chronological action in the novel by " twenty years or more" (p. 3). It is then to be assumed that real present action starts in Chapter Two of the novel. Furthermore, it has to be accepted as a given that before this time, the world of Things Fall Apart had been enjoying a relative period of order, peace, and stability.

Understood thus, Chapter Two then opens with a graphic representation of the introduction of disorder into an otherwise peaceful and stable society. The opening paragraph of the Chapter tells the story more effectively.

Okonkwo had just blown out the palm-oil lamp and stretched himself on his bamboo bed when he heard the Ogene of the town-crier piercing the still night air. Gome, gome, gome, boomed the hollow metal. Then the crier gave his message, and at the end of it beat his instrument again. And this was the message. Everyman of Umuofia was asked to gather at the market-place tomorrow morning. Okonkwo wondered what was amiss, for he knew certainly that something was amiss. He had discerned a clear overtone of tragedy in the crier's voice, and even now he could still hear it as it grew dimmer and dimmer in the distance. (p. 7).

The "'Ogene of the twon-crier piercing the still night a i r"! What could be more dramatic and indicative of the onset of a disruptive order than this clause in the opening sentence of this

78 D A M I A N U. O P A T A

opening paragraph? The use of the verb "'piercing" is not just expressive; it is also performative, for by its use, "the still night air" is seen to be pierced. As if this were not enough, a grapho- nemic representation of the Ogene sound immediately follows. The effect of this is that the reader achieves an auditory realiza- tion of the sound produced by "the hollow metal" as it booms in "the still night air." The ensuring message: that "every man of Umuofia was asked to gather at the market-place" the fol- lowing morning implies, of course, that something important and urgent had happened. If not so, what else would make the people abandon their usual morning work activities to attend a meeting at the market-place ? Finally, if we are still left in doubt of the gravity of whatever that might have happened, we learn from the hero of the novel that "cer ta in ly . . . something was amiss." This completes the picture of the presentation of disequilibrium in a world which hitherto was in a state of equilibrium.

Later in the Chapter, when the people of Umuofia are al- ready gathered at the market-place, we learn that the people of Mbaino who are described as "those sons of wild animals" have murdered a daughter of Umuofia. (p. 8.) From this al- ready, we know that we are here concerned with intercommunal relations. It is an affair that concerns the peoples of Umuofia and Mbaino. A daughter of Umuofia has been murdered. Some- thing quick must be done, for the society of Umuofia can no longer continue to go about their normal process of making a living until peace, confidence, and security of life is restored to the place. If something is not done, what guarantee do they have that the people of Mbaino will not kill another daughter or son of Umuofia? They decide "to follow the normal course of action"; consequently, "an ultimatum was immediately dis- charged to Mbaino asking them to choose between war on the one hand, and on the other the offer of a young man and a virgin as compensation." (p. 8)

As we are told, "Umuofia was feared by all its neighbours." It is, therefore, not surprising that Okonkwo who is sent to

THINGS FALL A P A R T 79

Mbaino as "the proud and imperious emissary of war," "re- turns with a lad of fifteen and a young virgin." (p. 9) Notice that when Okonkwo returns from Mbaino, he reports to "the elders, or indiehie." Contrast this with the scene at the mar- ketplace where the people of Umuofia met to decide on how to handle the issue of the killing of their daughter. We are told that at the market-place, "there must have been about ten thousand men . . . . all talking in low voices." (p. 8) Now, we observe that there was no need for all the people to be present to hear Okonkwo's reports. The normal process followed in the restoration of order is still being followed. If Okonkwo had not succeeded in his mission, or probably if something had happened to him in the process of his carrying out this mission, the whole people would have been summoned to another meeting because the initial cause of disorder would have gathered further momentum. As it is, no such thing happened; and so, "the elders, or indichie" can now take a decision on behalf of the people.

The eiders decide, understably so, that "the girl should go to Ogbuefi Udo to replace his murdered wife" whereas the boy whose name is Ikemefuna "belonged to the clan as a whole," and Okonkwo is asked to "look after him in the interim." (p. 9) It is after this process has been completed that we can say that peace has once more returned to Umuofia. Ogbuefi Udo whose wife was murdered now has another wife on whom he did not spend his personal wealth to acquire. Besides, the people of Umuofia have a "'sacrificial lamb" on account of the murder of their daughter; for it has to be observed that the murdered woman is primarily "a daughter of Umuofia," and secondarily "the wife of Ogbuefi Udo." Things now return to a state of equilibrium, and the people of Umuofia can now go about their normal business without fear of external molesta- tion and avant prise de conscience. Consequently, we should not be surprised that immediately this incident has been disposed of, there is a dramatic return to the normal pattern of life of the hero of the novel and, eventually to the normal course of

8 0 D A M I A N U. OPATA

activities throughout Umuofia. Applying Newton's first law of motion to the entire incident, it can then be predicted that the society of Umuofia will continue to enjoy this state of equilib- rium until a further disturbance occurs in the social order.

The second disruption in the normal functioning of the so- ciety of Umuofia is the unprecedented bad weather condition during that "year that Okonkwo took eight hundred seed-yams from Nwakibie." The author of the novel describes that year as "the worst year in living memory." (p. 16) Here, we are con- fronted with a situation beyond human control, and we ob- serve different responses. The people of Umuofia do not sum- mon a meeting to decide on what to do; and no emissary is sent to any place. They resignedly resort to individual attempts at salvaging their crops, but all their efforts are monstrously frustrated. As Achebe in his characteristic evocative style puts it: "It seemed as if the world had gone mad" - beyond human control. As a result, "the harvest was sad, like a funeral, and many farmers wept as they dug up the miserable and rotting yams. One man tied his cloth to a tree branch and hanged him- self." (p. 17)

The forces which later on act to bring things to temporal normality are forces that are neither known to them nor con- trollable by them. Even after the harsh weather condition has had its human toll, the re-occurrence of such weather hazards is still a high probability. As an Igbo proverb has it: "'What one does not know is more powerful than the person." As the people do not know the cause of their problem, there is nothing they can do to avert future re-occurrences. All the same, we do know that atmospheric conditions which gave rise to the calamity are also the forces which acted to bring the hazard under control - a n d Newton's laws of motion are once more confirmed.

The third incidence which we shall consider is Okonkwo's breaking of the "Week of Peace." Here, we have an instance of how the disruption of order in a domestic household can lead to wider social and cosmic consequences. Within the house- hold unit, a man expects his wife to cook and serve him his

THINGS FALL A P A R T 81

meals regularly. Ojiugo, Okonkwo's second wife, carelessly fails to serve her husband his "afternoon meal" at the appropriate time, and Okonkwo beats "her very heavily." Ordinarily, things would have ended like that, but this incident happens to have taken place during the "Week of P e a c e " - a Week re- garded as a sacred one. Because Okonkwo beat his wife during this period, we are told that he has "commited a great evil." Ezeani, "the priest of the earth goddess," admonishes Okonkwo in the following manner:

The evil you have done can ruin the whole clan. The earth god- dess whom you have insulted may refuse to give us her increase, and we shall perish. (p. 22)

To ensure that relations are normalized with the earth goddess Okonkwo is asked to "bring to the shrine of Ani tomorrow one she-goat, a hen, a length of cloth and a hundred cowries," (p. 22)

This incident portrays the closely knit relationship which exists among the different domains of the world of Things Fall Apart. Okonkwo's wife Ojiugo, annoys him; in consequence, he beats her during the "Week of Peace" and thereby provokes not only his household, but the entire society of Umuofia as well as the earth goddess. One event then triggers off con- sequences which ultimately attain cosmic dimensions.

Once the situation has assumed this dimension, the cosmic implications of Okonkwo's actions are brought to the fore. This is evident in the direction which Okonkwo's appeasement acts have to take in order to re-establish a normalization in the link of relationships. Once Okonkwo completes appeasing the earth goddess, it is then assumed that all other injured parties have been pacified. The earth goddess would no longer with- hold her blessings from the people and their farming activities. It is then not a surprise that with this renewed sense of psycho- logical well-feeling, we are told that "every man and his family began to clear the bush to make new farms" - and this happened immediately "after the Week of Peace." (p. 23) Our argument

82 I)AMIAN U. OPATA

and exposition here is well supported by F. U. Okafor 's sub- mission that:

A violation of the divine laws not only upsets the ontological order but also strains the relationship between the human com- munity and the "spiritual republic." The ritual ceremony per- formed usually after each breach of the divine law is intended to wipe away the stain of the odious crime, appease the spiritual forces, and restore the ontological order believed to have been disrupted by the breach, a

The last incident which we shall consider in some detail is the unmasking of the e#wuywu by Enoch. Enoch is definitely a significant catalyst in the actions which bring the novel to a precipitous end. Prior to this sacrilegous act, Enoch was rumoured to have "killed and eaten the sacred python" for which it was gathered " that his father had cursed him?' (p. 126) The prompt action which Enoeh's father takes serves to forstaU communal reaction especially given the sociologie that a father's curse on a child has a tremendous irreversible malignant effect. What else can society do w h e n a father has already cursed his own child, reducing him to a vagabond status 9. One could speculate that Enoeh's subsequent unmasking of the egwugwu is a consequence (even if illogical) of his father's curse on him. Certainly his behaviour is partly attributable to his over-zealousness, and could also be partly explained away as a type of compensatory and projective attitude; for as we are told, he "was short and slight of build." (p. 131)

The people of Umuofia are highly incensed by Enoch's irre- verent act. The monstrousity of the action is beyond what the people had ever known. But it is not just the people of Umuofia who have been offended; the gods have also been insulted. On a c c o u n t o f this, we are informed that on:

F. U. Okafor, "Legal Positivism and the African Legal Tradition," International Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. XXIV, No 2 (June 1984), pp. 157-164.

THINGS FALL A P A R T 83

That night the Mother of the spirits walked the length and breadth of the clan, weeping for her murdered son. It was a ter- rible night. Not even the oldest man in Umuofia had ever heard such a strange and fearful sound, and it was never to be heard again. It seemed as if the very soul of the tribe wept for the great evil that was coming--its own death.

On the next day all the masked egwuywu of Umuofia assem- bled in the market-place. They came from all the quarters of the clan and even from the neighbouring villages. The dreaded Otakagu came from Imo, and Ekwensu, dangling a white cock, arrived from Uli. It was a terrible gathering. The eerie voices of countless spirits, the bells that clattered behind some of them, and the clash of matchets as they ran forwards and backwards and saluted one another, sent tremors of fear into every heart. For the first time in living memory the sacred bull-roarer was heard in broad day-light. (p. 132)

This passage has been quoted extensively not only because of its poetic beauty and exceilence, but a l s o - a n d more sig- n i f icant ly- because it is one of the most important passages in the novel. For the first time and indeed, the only time in the novel, an affair o f a clan attracts the sympathy of spirits f rom outside the clan. Two such spirits are "the dreaded Otakagu" from Imo, and "Ekwensu" from Uli. The introduction of these spirits helps to highlight the heinous nature of Enoch's crime which is now seen to transcend locales. It also further serves to indicate the higher unity which exists among the spirits of the clans who are, at least, one in their "spiriteness."

Secondly, the passage foreshadows the death of Okonkwo and, ultimately, the death of the traditional way of life of the people of Umuofia. As the author puts it: " I t seemed as if the very soul o f the tribe wept for a great evil that was c o m i n g - its own death." (p. 132) Symbolically, Okonkwo is definitely " the soul of the tribe." There is no significant action in the novel that he does not play a major role. We have earlier observed that during the seven years of his exile, nothing very significant took place at Umuofia. Even the advent of missionaries to the area is not presented as dramatic, or as giving rise to any con- flict, and no conflict actually takes place between the people of

6*

8 4 D A M I A N U. OPATA

Umuofia and the colonial administration until Okonkwo comes back home. There is no doubt too that if there Were any "soul that wept for a great evil that was coming," that soul was Okonkwo. No person in the entire novel exhibits such a degree of intense abhorrence to the new order as does Okonkwo. No character in the novel so passionately wishes for and works towards the demise of this order as does Okonkwo. No other individual in the novel so mourns and laments his people's in- ability to act and act quickly against this new order as does Okonkwo. It can then be said that the sentence: "It seemed as if the very soul of the tribe wept for a great evil that was com- ing- i t s own death" is a symbolic foreboding of the death of Okonkwo "as well as the collapse of the old order which he represents. ''4

Thirdly, the tremors of fear "sent" into every heart by the "eerie voices of countless spirits," "the clatter of bells," "and the clash of matchetS" seem to foreshadow the :terrible course of events that was to ensue: the destruction of Enoch's house and compound, the burning down of the church, the imprison- ment of the leaders of Umuofia, the payment of fines by the entire people of Umuofia, the murder of" the head messenger," the suicide of Okonkwo, and the eventual accommodation of the new order.

The first in the series of reactions which Enoch's unmasking of the egwugwu triggers off is that the irate eywugwu of Umuofia reduce "Enoch's compound . . . to a desolate heap." (p. 133) Furthermore, they marched to the Church and by the time they "went away the red-earth church which Mr. Brown had built was a pile of earth and ashes." (p. 135)Consequently, we are told that "for the moment the spirit of the clan was pacified." (p. 135) If the incident were the sole concern of Umuofia alone, this would have been the logical end of the reactions triggered

Abiola Irele, "The Tragic Conflict in the Novels of Chinua Achebe," in Critical Perspectives on Chinua Achebe, ed. C. L. Innes and Bernth Lindfors (London: Heinemann, 1978), pp. 10--21.

T H I N G S F A L L A P A R T 85

off by Enoch's unmasking of the egwugwu. We are, however, dealing with a situation in which the interests of the colonial administration have been touched. If the activities of the irate eowugwu merely stopped with the destruction of Enoch's com- pound, perhaps, the matter may have been laid to rest; but it also involved the destruction of the church put up by the Christians who have become an arm of the colonial administra- tion. Consequently, we expect a reaction from the colonial ad- ministration, and react it did.

The first reaction which takes place is that "the District Commissioner sent his sweet-tongued messenger to the leaders of Umuofia asking them to meet him in his headquarters." (p. 136) He specifically requests that Okonkwo should be in- cluded among these leaders. When the leaders of Umuofia arrive at the headquarters, they are "handcuffed and led into the guardroom" (p. 137) where the District Commissioner orders their detention until Umuofia pays "a fine of two hundred bags of cowries." (p. 137) After this has been paid, the leaders of Umuofia are relased. For the entire people of Umuofia, this is an unusual event. Never in history had their leaders been treated like that. They, therefore, summon a meeting to decide on what to do. It is in the midst of this meeting that the five messengers enter the market place where the people of Umuofia are meeting. Their mission is to stop the meeting. In reply to Okonkwo's question about the mission of the messengers, "the head messenger" says: "The white man whose power you know too well has ordered this meeting to stop." (p. 144) Okonkwo's reaction is swift and final.

In a flash Okonkwo drew his matchet. The messenger crouched to avoid the blow. It was useless. Okonkwo's matchet descended and the man's head lay beside his uniformed body. (p. 144)

He expects his people to follow suit and kill the other mes- sengers, but they do not. Instead, they turn round to ask why he did it. Okonkwo's reacts to his people's inability to kill the other messengers, and consequently "go to war" by hanging

86 DAMIAN U. OPATA

himself. By the time "the District Officer arrived at Okonkwo's compound at the head of an armed band of soldiers and court messengers," (p. 146) it was only for them to be taken "to the tree from which Okonkwo's body was dangling." (p. 146)

With the death of Okonkwo, the last action in the novel has taken p lace- and peace finally returns to Urnuofia. The stum- bling block to Western Christian civilisation in Umuofia has been removed. Consequently, the District Officer can aptly title his projected book: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.

The tragedy of Okonkwo is then that he refused to learn and adhere to the traditional logics of order. At a very early age of his career to fame, was he not a living witness to the exposition of his people's logical basis of order as exemplified in the pro- verbial lore which Nwakibie cited when Okonkwo went to ask him for four hundred seed yams. On that occasion, Nwakibie had prayed thus:

We shall all live. We pray for life, children, a good harvest and happiness. You will have what is good for you and I will have what is good for me. Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too. If one says no to the other, let his wing break. (p. 14)

Okonkwo wants what is good for himself and supposedly for his people, but he does not want both the good of the colonial administration and tha t of the Christian converts. He is the kite that would perch and refuse the eagle a perching place. His suicide is symbolic of this idea of his having broken his wings. That he cannot be buried by his people corroborates the fact that as a result of his broken wings, he has been rendered un- able to perch in Umuof ia -even as a spirit ancestor. Thus it is that peace returns to Umuofia with Okonkwo failing to live to experience this epistemic Catharsis of his undoing.

From the foregoing discussion, we can say that there is a clearly emergent pattern of order in the novel. As long as no dysfunctional force sets in, the society of Things Fall Apart tends to remain in a state of equilibrium. Once it exists in this

THINGS FALL APART 87

state, there is peace and harmony. In such an atmosphere, its citizens can go about their normal activities of making a living. However, once a disruption of this order occurs, the society enters into a state of disequilibrium, and there is a cessation in the normal social and economic activities of the p e o p l e - unless of course the disorder and its consequences a re limited to in- dividual households only. For the society to return to its status quo "to every action" which affects its social ordering, there must be "an equal and opposite reaction" - at least in conformity to Newton's third law of motion. Of course, what is meant here by a reaction being equal to the action is not that if a man is killed, then the equal reaction would be a retaliatory killing of the murderer. That is only applicable to the Western tradition of legal constructivism. What is meant is that once disorder sets in, the forces or reaction that would lead to the restoration of order must be opposite and sufficiently powerful to annul the disorder.

Finally, the total picture which emerges from a reading of the novel is that of a dialectical interplay of order and d i so rde r - an interplay that always leads to the emergence of a new order. But the new order which results is never the same again with the preceding order which the intervening forces of reaction seek to restore. Indeed, it appears that what Robert Brumbaugh observes about the general character of actions and processes is equally applicable to the world of Things Fall Apart. A quota- tion from him may well provide a fitting conclusion to this essay. Says he:

Some initial action, encounter, adventure disturbe a given pat- tern and contributes a forward momentum. This creates in- stability and there follows a stage of attempted re-adaptation perhaps in another configuration, after a part-to-part adjustment. Finally, there is a new closure realized, and this particular event is over: it has passed into "objective immortality," as a past fact that future occasions may grasp and be influenced by. n

5 Robert S. Brumbaugh, Unreality and Time (New York: State University of New York Press, 1984), pp. 21-22.