How does Achebe use language in Things Fall Apart?
By incorporating Igbo words, rhythms, language, and concepts into an English text about his culture, Achebe goes a long way to bridge a cultural divide. The Igbo vocabulary is merged into the text almost seamlessly so the reader understands the meaning of most Igbo words by their context.
What is Chinua Achebe position on English as an African language?
As such, he argues that there is nothing wrong in writing in English. In his words, Achebe agrees that although Africans can write and speak English very well, they cannot do it effectively compared to the native speakers of English.
What is Achebe’s stance on using English as a language of writing?
Achebe says that if he was to write for the people of Nigeria, he had to write in the one language they all understood, English. In Things Fall Apart, the first method Achebe used to create “a new English” is the introduction of Igbo words and phrases directly into the text without translation.
Why is it significant that Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart in English?
Achebe wanted this novel to respond to earlier colonial accounts of Africa; his choice of language was thus political. Unlike some later African authors who chose to revitalize native languages as a form of resistance to colonial culture, Achebe wanted to achieve cultural revitalization within and through English.
What techniques does Achebe use most successful?
Throughout Things Fall Apart Achebe uses straightforward diction and simple sentence structures. His style creates a sense of formality befitting a historical narrative told from a third-person omniscient point of view.
What is the Igbo culture in Things Fall Apart?
In Things Fall Apart, which is set in Nigeria in the early 1900s, Chinua Achebe describes Igbo culture, which encompasses polytheistic religion, father-son inheritance, farming traditions, and belief in evil spirits.
Is Chinua Achebe an Igbo?
Chinua Achebe was raised in Ogidi, Nigeria. He was born into the Igbo tribe, one of the country’s three major tribal groups.
Did Chinua Achebe write in English?
Achebe’s decision to write in English has been a source of debate since the beginning of his career, with writers such as the Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o criticising his use of the colonial language. In 1965 Achebe wrote: “I feel that the English language will be able to carry the weight of my African experience.
What is Chinua Achebe’s native language?
Igbo language
The novel has sold more than 10 million copies and established Achebe’s reputation as one of Africa’s most widely read authors. His decision to write in English – as opposed to his native Igbo language – has drawn some criticism over the years, he says.
What influenced Chinua Achebe to write the novel Things Fall Apart?
Influenced by the small number of Nigerian authors publishing in English, including Amos Tutuola and Wole Soykina who taught at his university, Achebe turned to writing as a means to change how stories about West Africans were being told.
What inspired Chinua Achebe to write books?
Achebe was raised in Ogidi, Nigeria by Christian convert parents; therefore, he had an abundance of knowledge about both European and African traditions and culture. The truthful knowledge Chinua possessed about Nigeria influenced him to write a book portraying Africans as realistically as possible.