"Vulture"

 Hello viewers 👋 

I am Maya Batiya, A student of M.A. sem 4 in Department of English MKBU.

This blog is part of the Thinking Activity task for Write a detailed analysis of Vulture.

_Assigned by Megha ma'am. 

 1.What is the connection between The Nazis and Vultures? Illustrate your answer with the help of Chinua Achebe’s Vulture. 

∆∆ Introduction : 

The connection between the Nazis and vultures lies in the themes of death, destruction, and moral paradox. Vultures, often seen as symbols of death and decay, are scavengers that survive by feeding on corpses. While they evoke disgust, they also serve a necessary role in the natural cycle of life. Similarly, the Nazis, particularly during World War II and the Holocaust, were responsible for immense atrocities, yet many of them led seemingly ordinary lives outside their acts of brutality.

Chinua Achebe’s poem Vultures explores this unsettling coexistence of cruelty and tenderness. By drawing a parallel between vultures and a Nazi commander at Belsen concentration camp, Achebe forces readers to confront the disturbing reality that love and evil can exist within the same being. This paradox challenges conventional ideas about morality and highlights the complexity of human nature.

∆∆ Chinua Achebe:

Chinua Achebe (1930–2013) was a Nigerian writer, poet, professor, and critic, widely regarded as the father of modern African literature. He is best known for his novel Things Fall Apart (1958), which is one of the most influential works in African and postcolonial literature. Achebe’s writing explores themes of colonialism, cultural identity, tradition versus modernity, and the effects of European imperialism on African societies.

∆∆Early Life and Education

Born on November 16, 1930, in Ogidi, Nigeria, Achebe grew up in a time when British colonial rule heavily influenced Nigerian society. Raised in a Christian family, he was exposed to both Western education and Igbo traditions, which shaped his worldview and literary perspective. He studied English, History, and Theology at the University College of Ibadan, where he developed a deep interest in literature.

∆∆Literary Contributions

Achebe’s literary career began with Things Fall Apart, which tells the story of Okonkwo, an Igbo leader whose life is disrupted by colonial influence. The novel critiques the destructive impact of British colonialism while also examining internal conflicts within Igbo society. His subsequent novels—No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), and Anthills of the Savannah (1987)—further explore postcolonial themes, corruption, and the struggles of African nations.

Apart from fiction, Achebe was also a powerful essayist. His famous essay An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s "Heart of Darkness" (1975) challenged the portrayal of Africa in Western literature and sparked debates about racial representation in literature.

∆∆The Connection Between the Nazis and Vultures in Chinua Achebe’s Vultures

Chinua Achebe’s poem Vultures presents a striking meditation on the duality of human nature, particularly the coexistence of love and cruelty. The poem employs the metaphor of vultures—scavenger birds that survive by feeding on death and decay—to reflect on the paradoxical nature of evil. Achebe extends this metaphor to a Nazi commander at Belsen concentration camp, drawing a direct connection between the brutality of the Holocaust and the unsettling reality that even those who commit heinous crimes can still display love and tenderness.

∆∆Vultures as a Symbol of Moral Ambiguity

Vultures are traditionally associated with death, decay, and scavenging. They do not hunt their prey but feast on the remains of the dead, thriving on destruction while playing a vital ecological role. This contradiction makes them an apt symbol for Achebe’s exploration of human nature. He describes vultures in a way that evokes both revulsion and admiration:

 “Bald head, perched / on a gross polluting carcass, / instinctively, affectionately / picking at the eyes of a swollen corpse.”

This imagery portrays the vultures as creatures of horror, yet Achebe also introduces a moment of tenderness:

 “Strange indeed how love in other ways so particular / will pick a corner in that charnel-house.”

This paradox serves as a foundation for the deeper metaphor in the second part of the poem, where Achebe shifts focus from vultures to the Nazi commander at Belsen concentration camp.

∆∆The Nazi Commander: Love and Evil Coexisting

The reference to the Nazi commander is one of the most chilling aspects of the poem. Achebe writes:

 “…and the tender offspring / build nest in his hair, / always present / when he is about.”

This suggests that even a figure responsible for mass murder and unimaginable cruelty is capable of love and familial care. The commander, after orchestrating death and suffering at Belsen, returns home to his family, demonstrating affection to his children as though his actions during the day bear no moral weight.

This parallel between the vulture and the Nazi officer underscores a disturbing truth about humanity: evil is not an external force residing in monsters but something that can exist within ordinary individuals. The Holocaust, one of the darkest chapters in human history, was carried out not by mythical demons but by bureaucrats, officers, and citizens—many of whom led seemingly normal lives beyond their roles in genocide.

∆∆The Deeper Philosophical Implication

Achebe’s poem forces readers to grapple with a fundamental question: If even the most monstrous figures can love, does that suggest hope for humanity, or does it make evil even more terrifying? This aligns with historical accounts of Nazi officers who were devoted fathers, loving husbands, and cultured individuals while simultaneously committing atrocities.

Hannah Arendt’s concept of the banality of evil, which she developed in her analysis of Adolf Eichmann’s trial, resonates with this theme. Arendt argued that many of the Nazis were not inherently sadistic but were ordinary individuals who followed orders without questioning the morality of their actions. Similarly, the Nazi commander in Achebe’s poem is not depicted as a sadistic monster but as a man who, like the vulture, performs actions necessary for his survival—whether in nature or within the Nazi regime.

∆∆Conclusion: The Haunting Reality of Human Nature

Achebe’s Vultures presents a grim yet profound reflection on the nature of evil. By drawing a parallel between vultures and Nazis, he suggests that cruelty and tenderness are not mutually exclusive. Instead, they coexist within the same beings, making the horrors of history even more unsettling.

The poem leaves the reader with an unresolved question: Should one find solace in the presence of love even in the most depraved individuals, or should this duality serve as a warning that human morality is fragile and easily corrupted? This ambiguity is what makes Vultures a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the darkness within humanity.

Reference : 

Achebe, Chinua. Vultures. 1971. Collected Poems, Anchor Books, 2004, pp. 61-62.

Achebe, Chinua. Vultures. 1971.

Thank you.. 🍁🍂🍁