Literature as a chronicle of social history: The historical antecedents of the Ikemefuna story in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

Abstract

Few critical works have been produced aimed at discovering the sources for Achebe’s novels and how he has adapted the factual materials to create his fiction. Understandably, it is difficult to do a source study of works of an iconic writer such as Achebe. The present study sets out to re-examine the story of Okonkwo and Ikemefuna in view of a similar incident that happened about the same period and in the same area in which Things Fall Apart is set. The objective is to underscore the relevance of literature in chronicling and disseminating the socio-cultural values and ideals of the societies that were confronted with the challenges of colonialism in the wake of the twentieth century. Consequently, an actual incident that took place between two neighbouring communities to Achebe’s home community is here analyzed as the possible source for the Okonkwo and Ikemefuna narrative in Things Fall Apart. The two incidents are analyzed along the lines of the location and period of the action; the key characters involved; the murder and the reparation process. Explanations are based on some aspects of Igbo customs and traditions. The historical incident provides some details that are missing from the novel. The task in Ngozi Udengwu & Mohammed Umar-Buratai: Literature as a Chronicle of Social History...... 110 this essay is to identify the parallels between the historical incident and the recreation in the story but with a particular focus on history, location/setting and characterization. However, the names of the historical actors are masked because their descendants are still alive and related to one of the researchers.