Chinua Achebe - context
His Life
> born 16th november 1930
> born in colonial Nigeria - influenced by Igbo culture and Christianity
> educated and intelligent - University of Ibadan, starting his critiques of how Western literature depicted Africa
> worked for the Nigerian Broadcasting Service in Lagos
>gained international attention for his novel TFA
> less than 10 years, he published 4 novels, and began a publishing service called Heinemann African Writers Series - crediting writers such as Flora Nwapa
> brought up on storytelling - oral traditions
Literary Contexts
> centre on post-colonialism, challenging Eurocentric narratives that depict an uncivilised Igbo culture.
> culture clash - how Western and African cultures conflict and become harmful if one is manipulated and dismantled by its ‘superior’
> named the ‘father of African literature’, establishing genuine African culture within Western audiences
> language is an important factor in his writing- giving the Igbo culture voice through proverbs, etc., establishing authenticity and power over western attempts to silence
> tragedy as a core theme showcases Okonkwo’s attempts at balancing his personal strife ( fear of weakness) and external pressures (colonial advancements) - the title suggests this eventual, inescapability of a dismantling of structure
Attitudes and Beliefs
> reclaiming African identity by subverting rhetoric wrongfully depicting African culture from writers like Joseph Conrad and Joyce Cary, who undermined Igbo tradition, dehumanised and gave a one-sided Eurocentric view
> cultural nuance and integration rather than separation, advocated for an awareness of both weaknesses and strengths within African societies as well as the colonial system,- rejected the ‘us vs them’ rhetoric
> integration of Igbo language into English - said that “history has forced down our throats” and “fashioning out an English “ - did so to reach a global audience
> has a role as a writer to educate socially and politically, beyond surface level aesthetics - challenging oppressive narratives through literature can target an entire audience
> believed in the disintegration of gender roles and critiqued masculinity in TFA through Okonkwo’s demise, which was due to his extreme masculinity
> involved in Nigerian politics - unflinchingly commented on the violence and instability that post-independence brought - another reason for colonialism's destruction
Different critical responses to his work
> Margaret Atwood - Achebe is one of the great builders of the 20th-century novel. He did not just write stories; he reclaimed a language and a history that had been stolen."
> Bruce King - "Achebe’s novels are more than stories; they are a sophisticated attempt to re-establish the validity of African culture in the face of a Western tradition that had denied its existence."
> Biodun Jeyifo - "Achebe’s genius lies in his ability to use the English language to express a sensibility that is profoundly and authentically Igbo, without ever falling into the trap of exoticism."
> Simon Gikandi - "Achebe is the person who effectively invented African literature by making it possible to imagine a world in which the African subject is the centre of the narrative, not just a bystander or a victim."