Yams In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Yams
In Things Fall Apart, yams are a symbol for masculinity. Early in the novel it is made clear that nearly everything in the Igbo society is separated by gender, including crops. When Okonkwo says “His mother and sisters worked hard enough, but they grew women’s crops, like coco-yams, beans and cassava. Yam, the king of crops, was a man’s crop” (Achebe 23), it shows that yams are associated with masculinity. In fact, the amount of yams that a man can produce is used to determine worth by other tribesmen. When Okonkwo was a young man his family was poor and had no yams, so therefore he had to “ask a man to trust another with his yams” (Achebe 21). This shows yams as a masculine symbol because the yams are being used exclusively by men to farm and to build wealth. Since it was a man's job to provide for his family, Okonkwo asking for yams begins his journey as a successful young man. Throughout the novel, yams were not only a sign of masculinity and self worth, but also reflect wealth and ability.
Locusts
In Things Fall Apart, locusts

Throughout the novel, Okonkwo is often referred to as the “‘Roaring Flame’” (Achebe 153). This association with fire and burning alludes to his fervent and dangerous anger, which is the only emotion that he allows himself to show. Additionally, fire symbolizes Okonkwo’s driving force and his refusal to be seen as weak and feminine like his father. When Okonkwo compares himself to “a flaming fire” he says “Living fire begets cold, impotent ash” (Achebe 153). Okonkwo is questioning himself about Nwoye and realizes that since he is a fire, fires create ash. The impotent, worthless ash Okonkwo refers to is his son Nwoye. Fire destroys everything in its path, just as Okonkwo destroyed relationships, people, and ultimately, himself. Okonkwo’s fire-like self becomes so overwhelmed with his rage that he destroys himself, leaving him gray and lifeless much like the ashes of a