Ritual, Religion, and Cultural Essentialism in Chinua Achebe’s The Sacrificial Egg: Reaffirming African Spiritual Identity in a Postcolonial World

Abstract

This paper offers an essentialist and religious reading of Chinua Achebe’s short story The Sacrificial Egg, arguing that the narrative affirms continuity in indigenous African spirituality despite colonial presence. The study examines how the protagonists, Julius Obi and Ma, embody spiritual values inherited from traditional Igbo religion through their adherence to ritual norms, fear of ancestral deities, and resistance to religious erosion. Using textual analysis, the paper uncovers religious symbols (such as the sacrificial egg and Kitikpa) that reflect moral frameworks and divine justice within Igbo cosmology. The result reveals that their actions are not culturally fragmented but religiously grounded. This perspective challenges common postcolonial interpretations that center on hybridity and loss. The religious dimensions of the story illustrate why spiritual identity remains vital in preserving cultural integrity in pluralistic societies. Ultimately, the study underscores the role of indigenous religion in maintaining cultural resilience and shaping moral consciousness across generations.