Theme Of The Kola Nut In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

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The Kola Nut and It’s Significance in the Igbo Culture
In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe the kola nut is a very important part of the Igbo culture. The kola nut is used to welcome guests to one’s village or home (“Kola Nut”). When breaking the kola nut everyone must see it first, then the oldest man blesses it in Igbo language. If no man is present than the oldest woman would bless it (Ejiogu). The kola nut is extremely important in the Igbo culture, they believe that the kola nut is life and “the one who brings kola brings life”. Furthermore, the more parts the kola nut is broken into the more prosperity everyone will have (Halim). The kola nut shows good gestures, love, and happiness in their culture . The most significant part of the kola nut is unity. The kola nut is broken when people visit to bring people closer together (Ejiogu). …show more content…

It is often shown when people are having a gathering or when two people are having a conversation. When Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was meeting with his neighbor Okoye they split a kola nut and Okoye says, “He who brings kola brings life. But I think you ought to break it” (Achebe 6). It is shown here the kola nut is important to them and it is an honor to break the kola nut. In addition to this, the importance of the kola nut is also shown when Okonkwo leaves his mother land. Okonkwo says, “I beg you to accept this little kola. It is not to pay you back for all you did for me in these seven years” (166). Here we see the kola nut is not used as a sort of offering, but instead is something shared between people who care about each other. In the book Achebe shows how important the kola nut is to people in this culture, and how it is used to connect people who may have different

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