Cover 2 - the black and red face/writing with white background
I can't count how many times I've been told "don't judge a book by its cover". However each of the different covers for Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart' add individual meaning, or confirm a suspicion in one way or another.
In class, we've talked a lot about whether Okonkwo is 'good' or 'bad'. What his intentions are. His goals. His sentiments for his family. And while we seemed to have come closer to a conclusion on these issues now that we're nearing the end of the book, many of these issues are still at least somewhat unclear.
The second cover, I believe, gives a unique, author/educated illustrator's view on the subject. The mix of both black and red - two colors that seem intimidating and evil by themselves, give one immediate perspective that Okonkwo is 'all bad'. However, the fact that these colors alternate - that they are mixed equally amongst the things on the cover (the different parts of the face and the text) I believe represents how Okonkwo is a mix of both 'good and evil' and neither one part is entirely dominant. Stretching it, the placement of the text and images on a white background, and that the face is split up into multiple, clear cut sections may imply that something/ numerous things MADE Okonkwo that way (i.e. how he was raised/growing up around his father) and that while he may seem bad on the outside, the white background symbolizes the good that is underneath the rough exterior.
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