Thingsfallapart

Thepoemexplores

Thepoemexplores
Kayssspiritualandphysicaljourneytoreunitewithherbirthfather
andherNigerianroots.

Inherquesttoassertheridentity,sheopposestheimageofherfathertothatofgreat
NigerianwriterssuchasWoleSoyinkaorChinuaAchebe,yetherexpectationswillturn
intodisillusionment.

Atfirst,thesemanticfieldofreligionbirth,whitemaskofGodillustratesherfathers
intimatebondwithreligion,arelationthatthewhitemissionariesimposedontheNigerian.

Infact,itappearsthatAfricancustomsandtraditionsaresweptawayasherfatherdenies
thelegitimacyofhisAfricanheritageAfricanchiefsnonsense.

Throughaparallelisminless,lessfleshthandarkearthlessbloodthanreddustshe
identifiesherselfmorewithNigerianwritersthanwithherownfather.

Thisparadoxappearstobeduetoherfathershidingbehindthehardalabaster,an
impenetrablemaskthatemphasizeshisadherencetoanewreligion,Christianityandthe
lossofhisculturalidentity.

Infact,theviolentimageChristianityhadscrubbedhisblackfacewithahardbrushshows
notonlythereligiousdimensionoftheChristianmissionaries,butalsotheveryopressive
processoferadicatingonesculture.

Alsothealliterationin(s)inline12reinforcesthetitleThingsfallapartandtheimpossibility
tocometotermswithonesidentity.

ForinstancetheverylastlineIthinkhehadmyhands,myfathershowsconfusionand
uncertaintythroughtheuseoftheverbthinkbutalsotheimpossibilityofbridgingthegap
betweenherselfandherfather:oppositionofIandmyfather.

Intheend,alltheseelementscontributetothedesenchantmentofthepoetasshe
experiencesacertainalienationinherhotelinAbuja.