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What are three examples of metaphors in the book "The Healers" by Ayi Kwei Armah and what do they mean?

There are many important metaphors in the novel "The Healers" by Ayi Kwei Armah, most of which surround the themes of the ignorance of invading colonial forces and the healing power of African unity. In the book, Armah compares the power-hungry system of hierarchy, which is evident in both the invading forces and in their own royalty, to a disease: "Among our people, royalty is part of the disease. Whoever serves royalty serves the disease...

There are many important metaphors in the novel "The Healers" by Ayi Kwei Armah, most of which surround the themes of the ignorance of invading colonial forces and the healing power of African unity. In the book, Armah compares the power-hungry system of hierarchy, which is evident in both the invading forces and in their own royalty, to a disease: "Among our people, royalty is part of the disease. Whoever serves royalty serves the disease not the cure" (307). In this case, the "disease" is the colonial invading force and the "cure" would refer to the literal healers who work as a community to counteract the evils of those forces, as well as the healing power of African unity. 


Another example of a metaphor is when the author writes, "'I am saying this is seed time, far from harvest time,' Damfo said" (270). Here, the author is trying to suggest that it is the healers who are responsible for planting the seeds that will grow into a better future for everyone. The "seeds," of course, are really the ideas that will pave the way for positive change to occur. 


Some metaphors are more obvious, such as the one here, where Africans are being compared to something which is undesirable and easily tossed out without a second thought: "And if we are such fools as to stand against the whites, they will grind us until we become less than impotent, less than grains of bad snuff tossing in a storm" (40). In this statement, white people are compared to tools that will grind snuff, or powdered tobacco that is sniffed. In contrast, black people are compared to snuff that one would throw away because it is not worthy of being used. In fact, they are compared to something that one would toss away with even less care than if it were bad snuff. This is particularly important as a metaphor for them, because it is in reference to something cultural which holds meaning for them, as it does for white people. Everyone during this time would be able to understand the implications of such a comparison. 

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