Portfolio Essay: Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe is a renowned Nigeria novelist lauded for his work in literature. Chinua Achebe has been credited with numerous works of literature ranging from novels to journals. His work cuts across borders, making huge success and accepted globally in the world of literature. Even critics had to accept Chinua Achebe is the greatest our time, such was Charles H Rowell a literary critic issued in Callaloo a reputable magazine. There was no surprise when Chinua Achebe won the 1972 Commonwealth prize, he obviously deserved it, following his contribution to the world of literature. He has also been awarded an indefinite number of doctorates in various educational …show more content…
He was born thirty years before Nigeria got her independence from the British government on November 16th, 1930. A day marked historically in African calendar. He was raised in the Christian faith, even though Christianity as a religion was somewhat new in the community. Achebe, as a kid was interested in the local religions of the community as those, seem appealing to him through his friends. He participated in some of the traditional religion activities such as festivals and parades. Achebe in high school was exposed to the writings of several authors, most English writers probably due to the colonization of Nigeria as at that time. He carefully examined the works of Charles Dickens, Johnathan Swift, and William Shakespeare. He was fascinated with their books and novels, Achebe also read an African book written by Joseph Conrad.At graduation from high school realized he was less interested his African culture and thereby conforming to associate himself to his local traditions. …show more content…
Achebe after war life reincarnated his love and passion for writing, securing a double position at two separate top publishing company based in Enugu and Ibadan, although he initially worked for the latter company in a different field eight years before. Achebe maximizes his opportunities as the director of both Nwamife and Heinemann publishing firms, to battle racism in literature. He assisted in creating the awareness for African writers, bringing the international spotlight to Nigeria. He started lecturing in the seventies at various institutions across the world starting at Nsukka the University of Nigeria and then at the University of Massachusetts and Connecticut. He established in an organization called Okike: A Nigerian journal of New Writing in
Okpewho, Isidore. Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: A Casebook. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Print.
Nnoromele, Patrick C.. “The Plight of a Hero in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.” Chinua Achebe's
Nnolim, C. E. (1983). The form and function of the folk tradition in Achebe’s novels. Retrieved from http://ariel.synergiesprairies.ca/ariel/index.php/ariel/article/viewFile/1670/1629
Chinua Achebe was an influential Nigerian author during the 1900’s who was credited with his three essays which have been fused together into the book “Home and Exile”. In his stories he discusses things such as his own Igbo people, the problems with colonialization, the strength that stories can have and many more topics. A big part of his essays are on his thoughts of colonialism, the impact it has had on his home of Nigeria, and how stories written by others either helped justify colonialism or rejected it. Chinua argues that stories have their own power to fight, and while stories themselves do not have the ability to directly fight colonialism; they do, however with their power of words, stories can motivate and encourage people to stand up against colonialism. In proving this thesis to be a true statement, I will be providing evidence of the how, why and the extent to which stories can fight colonialism.
Chinua Achebe was thirty years old when Nigeria gained its independence from Britain in l960. He had been born on November 16, l930 and named Albert Chinualumogu Achebe. However, two years prior to independence his first novel, Things Fall Apart, was published in l958 and it propelled him along with his nation into the consciousness of the world. Things Fall Apart remains the most widely circulated book in modern African literature. By the time of Achebe’s death on March 21, 2013 he had achieved a mythical stature as the greatest storyteller of his generation.
Chinua Achebe?s Things Fall Apart is a narrative story that follows the life of an African man called Okonkwo. The setting of the book is in eastern Nigeria, on the eve of British colonialism in Africa. The novel illustrates Okonkwo?s struggles, triumphs, and his eventual downfall, all of which basically coincide with the Igbo?s society?s struggle with the Christian religion and British government. In this essay I will give a biographical account of Okonwo, which will serve to help understand that social, political, and economic institutions of the Igbos.
Chinua Achebe served in the Nigerian Civil War. This short story gives us insight into conditions in the country at that time. After reading this short story, I have learned a little about the war and much about the protagonist. “Civil Peace” is a short story that focuses on humanity and how Jonathan Iwegbu was able to rebuild his life after the war. In the short story, “Civil Peace,” you learn that not everyone was lucky during the post war, Jonathan was a motivated man, and even after the war, civil peace still did not occur.
Nnoromele, Patrick C. “The Plight of A Hero in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart [1].” College Literature 27.2 (2000): 146. Literature Resource Center. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.
Although Achebe conveys many different themes in his writing Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe expresses the importance of tribal beliefs in African Culture.
All throughout history, we see this dichotomy between tradition and modernity. On one hand, we have tradition, the force living perpetually in the past and refusing to change. On the other hand, modernity leaves tradition behind in favor of progress. These two concepts, much like oil and water, dare to divide but coexist as a debatable founding solution. Not only are the themes Western ideas, but they have been present and are found in literature all around the world, from China to Africa.
Before the arrival of the Europeans, Achebe did a excellent job portraying how the life of Igbo was before they were forced to oppose their own culture. To support this theme, Achebe included detailed descriptions of social rituals within each family, the justice system, religious practices and consequences, preparation and indulgence of food, the marriage process and the distributing of power within the men. Achebe shows how every man has an opportunity to prove himself worthy to achieve a title on the highest level, based merely on his own efforts. One may argue that the novel was written with the main focus on the study of Okonkwo’s character and how he deteriorates, but without the theme that define the Igbo culture itself, we would never know the universe qualities of the society that shaped Okonkwo’s life. The lives of the Igbo people was no different to the actual lives of the Ibos people back in the early days of Africa. Just like in Things Fall Apart, in actual African tribes there was never a ruler. “Very interesting thing about these villages is that there is no single ruler or king that controls the population. Decisions are made by including almost everyone in the village” (AfricaGuide). Using the theme, Achebe educated readers on by mirroring real African life in her
middle of paper ... ... The "An African Voice. " Interview with Chinua Achebe. N.p., 2 Aug. 2000.
Throughout history, there have been many instances of people struggling to identify and cope with change and tradition, and this is no different in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.
Gikandi, Simon. "Chinua Achebe and the Invention of African Literature." Classics in Context: Things Fall Apart. Chinua Achebe. Portsmouth: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1996
Achebe is one of few to explore a dozen of ideas, by the use of simplistic words. He pictures words, and gives us tons of ways to interpret them. His first book, Things Fall Apart, is an strange and wonderful novel that curves/changes words into fascinating and strong messages. The book examines the Ibo society, and shows the progression of the characters. The Ibo society is an unusual intriguing civilization, though it lacks a structured system, we see that it develops through amongst other things by learning from mistakes.