Chinua Achebe published his first novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ in 1958. Achebe wrote his novel in response to European novels that depicted Africans as savages who needed to be enlightened by the Europeans. Achebe presents to the reader his people’s history with both strengths and imperfections by describing, for example, Igbo festivals, the worship of their gods and the practices in their ritual ceremonies, their rich culture and other social practices, the colonial era that was both stopping Igbo culture...
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The excerpt from Nectar in a Sieve and “Marriage Is a Private Affair” demonstrate the negative and the positive influences of modern ideas and modern ways on traditional cultures. To begin with, one of the pronounced positive influences of modern ways on traditional cultures in the excerpt from Nectar in a Sieve is the medical expertise that is more advanced and effective than the traditional method of seeking aid by prayers which was demonstrated unsuccessful by Rukmani herself. Kenny, an...
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Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian novelist born on November 16th, 1930 has been described by many as Africa’s most influential writer of his generation. Achebe continues to receive tremendous praise for his “unsentimental depictions of the social and psychological disorientation” that came with the western customs and values that had been imposed on Africans through colonialism. Achebe covered a number of key topics in his literary work, common themes in his work included tales of the first contact an African village...
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The author is largely successful in developing a blend between the English language and the culture of the Ibo people. Using this European language to define various unfamiliar words, explain customs, fabricate ways of thinking and translate metaphors creates the illusion of an African language while still being accessible to individuals in this English dominated world. For the whole of the novel Achebe inserts Ibo words that can either be defined by the reader through evidence from the text or...
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Cesar Chavez once said, “Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.” Respecting other cultures is very important if you want to have peace within your own culture. In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Western missionaries introduce new thoughts and beliefs into the Ibo society. The changes that were brought into the Ibo society caused major conflict between the two cultures and eventually led to the downfall of the Ibo culture....
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Proverbs are a vital form of communication within the Ibo culture. They are sayings that have their roots in folklore and are typically passed down from generations to generations. Proverbs aid the Ibo in defending their thoughts and opinions, however in the hands of Chinua Achebe – author of Things Fall Apart – through various hints that are placed within proverbs in the novel linking to the main protagonist of the novel – Okonkwo – proverbs are the exact things...
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Chinua Achebe, emeritus professor of the University of Nigeria, one of the greatpioneers of modern African literature in English, who published several outstanding novels,among which Things Fall Apart (1958), has already become something like an Africanclassic, and who is not only known for his stories, essays, and children's books but also forhis award-winning poetry, has given us another very fine novel, Anthills of the Savannah.This is an extremely well-written and balanced novel about the ugly contrast betweenidealistic aspirations and violent...
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Defined as conflict between two or more opposing groups within a society in efforts to attain irreconcilable goals and prevent the advancement of an opponent, social conflict is a theme that is at the forefront of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun, and their respective historical settings, with Things Fall Apart set in pre-colonial Nigeria and Half of a Yellow Sun in post-colonial Nigeria. Both authors consider this theme in broader senses,...
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INTRODUCTION Things Fall Apart is an African novel written by famous Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. The novel chronicles the life of Okonkwo, the leader (chief) of an Igbo community. It follows the events leading up to his banishment from the community for accidentally killing a clansman, through the seven years of his exile, to his return. It also addresses problems of emergent Africa—following the intrusion in the 1890s of white missionaries and colonial government into tribal Igbo society. The novel,...
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In this essay I am going to analyse the tragic role of the central character from the novel “Things Fall Apart” written by the Nigerian author Chinua Achebe in 1958, Okonkwo, who goes from having a good life and power within his clan to being a man driven to death by his misery and his misfortune. I will use the guidelines provided by Aristotle in order to demonstrate that Okonkwo falls within the tragic hero profile established by the Greek...
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In the novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, gender stereotypes profoundly influence the entire village, the Ibo society has a strict system of behavioral customs that are assigned by gender. They have restricted the freedom of Ibo women to present that Ibo men are superior to women and gender plays a large role in the novel as it is structured around gender roles, masculinity and femininity. The roles of male and female have been controversial since the beginning of...
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Thesis Things Fall Apart focuses and analyses Igbo society as shown in the novel, before and after arrival of missionaries to Umuofia, which led to clash of cultures. It also incorporates critical theory to analyze the novel. It is based on post-colonial criticism, as it is relevant to Achebe’s writings in Things Fall Apart. For example, post-colonial criticism chiefly deals with literature critiques from countries subjected to colonial rule. As Achebe hailed from Nigeria, a colony of Britain, some elements...
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In 1958, the news of Chinua Achebe’s newly published book, Things Fall Apart spread like wildfire throughout the crowded streets of Africa, at last giving the Africans what they have always longed for: a novel about European colonialism in an African perspective. Before the publication of Things Fall Apart, most novels about Africa were written by the Europeans who characterized Africans as savages in need of Barack Obama, in an endorsement on the back cover of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall...
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Chinua Achebe was born in Ogidi (Nigeria) in 1930, where he grew up and was educated. He graduated in English Literature in London and moved to the US where he wrote and published Things Fall Apart in 1958. The novel helped create the Nigerian literary renaissance of the 1960s and provided a real vision of what Europe had openly ignored. “The African people have varying behaviours, mannerisms, beliefs, thought patterns and way of interaction and all of these differences formed...
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Throughout the beginning of Things Fall Apart, one of the most notable symbols is Okonkwo’s pride. Okonkwo is portrayed as a very prideful man, who is driven entirely by his ache for status and ability to be “manly.” He is afraid of becoming like his father and becoming a coward lacking pride, and unable to support his family. This pride symbol between the concepts of masculinity and femininity is notable because Okonkwo uses his pride to motivate him into taking...
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Things Fall Apart is a 1958 novel written by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. The first book in a trilogy, Things Fall Apart is Chinua Achebe’s magnus opus and is regarded as one of the greatest works of modern African literature. It is a staple of school curriculums throughout Africa and is studied extensively in many English-speaking countries. Set initially in pre-colonial Nigeria, Things Fall Apart tells the story of an Igbo man named Okonkwo, a member of the fictional clan...
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The ‘Human Condition’ is used to reference the qualities that comprise the imperatives of human existence. Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart,” is one of literary merit, attracting readers worldwide for its use of universal themes. “Things Fall Apart” takes readers into Umuofian society, where Okonkwo is initially regarded as a warrior of the clan. As the story develops forward and into the changes that meet the traditionalistic clanspeople, Okonkwo is proved to be comprised of many fatal flaws, creating a...
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Whether a reader notices it or not, every form of literature has some form of organization. The elements that are organized that make a story great are, but not limited to, plot, setting, and characters. But of course, authors don’t have to have these elements in sequential order all of the time, nor do they have to use all of them. Because of this organization, the reader can be left either feeling satisfied or unsatisfied with the piece of work....
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In our society, people often become “invisible” due to their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, or social class. A person’s identity is shaped by others’ perceptions, without others’ perceptions of who he or she is, they will feel invisible. In other words, one must discover oneself and not seek for approval because of social expectations and gender roles. ‘Girls at War’ by Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor and critic tells the story about the main character Reginald Nwankwo...
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Imagine one day you are enjoying peace amongst your family and a white man forces his way into your place of living, driving you to surrender your social convictions. While he discloses to you that he and his men are better finished than you, yet they are the foreigners. Simply not recognizing what’s in store, in result you end up feeling apprehensive. Presently you feel like the outsider in your own homeland that you’ve known your whole life to be...
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Personality is built throughout someone’s childhood and a tragic event can cause it to change form. Whatever environment that a child is exposed to can influence how they begin to act, whether it be a good or bad change, they usually pick up their behavior from their guardians. In Erich Fromm’s, Sigmund Freud’s Mission (1959), there is an idea about how people tend to change their behavior or personality based on what their society is like. Fear is one of...
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