Wednesday, April 7th, 2014
Achebe and the other side of History
Don't you think the novel "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe fits in perfectly with the theme we are discussing now, history and the perspective from which it is told?
One of the reasons I loved Achebe's novel was because of the skillful incorporation of European and African literary techniques. Achebe wrote the novel in the storytelling style that is much respected in the Igbo culture, in a winding and circumlocutory style through which the narrator approaches around the point he is trying to reach before finally settling in to the purpose of the story. At the same time, Achebe uses the European storyline, telling the story of Okonkwo as a tragic hero whose hubris ultimately leads to his end. Furthermore, Achebe reflects the education and sophistication of the Igbo culture by including fables, proverbs, expressions, words, throughout his novel. The incorporation of the Igbo language exhibit the complexity of the culture that cannot be translated perfectly and literally with English words. Whereas people often have a common misconception on the simplicity of the African culture, Achebe undermines this belief by hinting at its complexities and claiming the existence of many small traditions within Africa (a name often used as a synonym for a country instead of an entire continent).
No comments:
Post a Comment