Arrow of God Quiz

Name: Arrow of God
Author: Chinua Achebe

Question 1

Why does Captain Winterbottom have Ezeulu detained in Okperi?

Accepted Answer

Ezeulu refuses to accept the position of warrant chief under colonial authority.

Answer

Ezeulu testifies in court that Okperi's land claim against Umuaro is valid.

Answer

Ezeulu attacks a British soldier during a dispute over taxes.

Answer

Ezeulu refuses to allow the British to enter the temple of Ulu.

Question 2

What happens to the yam harvest while Ezeulu is detained?

Accepted Answer

Ezeulu falls behind on the lunar calendar and cannot declare the harvest on time when he returns.

Answer

The British confiscate the yams as a tax payment.

Answer

Local farmers harvest the yams without waiting for Ezeulu's permission.

Answer

The yams are destroyed by a disease that spreads through the fields.

Question 3

How does Ezeulu respond when his community asks him to call the harvest early to make up for lost time?

Accepted Answer

He refuses, insisting that Ulu's calendar cannot be adjusted for political reasons.

Answer

He agrees immediately and declares the harvest can begin.

Answer

He says he will wait one more month but no longer.

Answer

He asks the British to help him decide when the harvest should begin.

Question 4

What role does John Goodcountry play in the conversion of Umuaro to Christianity?

Accepted Answer

He offers to bless the harvest immediately without conditions, solving the food crisis when Ezeulu will not.

Answer

He uses force to make villagers abandon the old religion.

Answer

He convinces the British to arrest Ezeulu and ban traditional worship.

Answer

He pays families money to convert and attend church services.

Question 5

What event finally breaks Ezeulu's grip on reality?

Accepted Answer

His son Obika dies while participating in a night-masquerade ceremony during the harvest crisis.

Answer

He is arrested by the British and imprisoned for a second time.

Answer

He is publicly humiliated by Nwaka and Ezidemili at a village gathering.

Answer

He learns that the temple of Ulu has been destroyed by Christian converts.

Question 6

What does Achebe suggest about Ezeulu's true motives for refusing to adjust the harvest calendar?

Accepted Answer

He cannot separate his loyalty to Ulu from his personal pride and desire to punish his enemies.

Answer

He is following the god's will with complete certainty and no personal interest involved.

Answer

He is trying to protect the community from eating poisoned yams.

Answer

He is secretly working with the British to weaken Umuaro's power.

Question 7

How does Ezeulu's authority over the harvest calendar depend on the community?

Accepted Answer

His power is real but conditional on the community's continued consent and trust.

Answer

The British grant him the authority and can take it away at any time.

Answer

He holds absolute power that cannot be challenged or questioned.

Answer

The authority belongs to Ulu alone, and Ezeulu is merely a messenger with no real power.

Question 8

What does the novel's title, Arrow of God, suggest about Ezeulu's role?

Accepted Answer

Ulu uses Ezeulu as an arrow shot into the colonial crisis, and the arrow does not survive the shot.

Answer

Ezeulu is a warrior who fights the British with weapons and violence.

Answer

Ezeulu is the hand holding the arrow and controls his own fate completely.

Answer

Ezeulu is protected by the god and will emerge victorious from all conflicts.

Question 9

Why does Ezeulu's testimony in the land dispute between Umuaro and Okperi damage his standing in his own community?

Accepted Answer

He testifies that Okperi's historical claim is valid, which his own people see as a betrayal of Umuaro.

Answer

He lies under oath and is caught in the deception.

Answer

He refuses to testify at all and is punished by the British court.

Answer

He supports the British position so strongly that villagers think he is a colonial spy.

Question 10

What does the novel suggest about how colonialism works in Umuaro?

Accepted Answer

The British advance through disruption and by exploiting existing divisions and needs within the community.

Answer

The British conquer the village through military force and direct rule.

Answer

The British have no real impact on Umuaro because the villagers resist all foreign influence.

Answer

The British work only through the missionaries and do not use political or administrative power.