Sury's Lang and Lit Class

Prompt:  The personal history of an author can have a significant influence on the way meaning is constructed in his/her writing. Comment on specific instances in response  to the prompt.  Chinua Achebe is a descendant of the Igbo people howbeit he is a Christian and has been brought up with both Western and Igbo values due to colonial rule. His novel " Things Fall Apart" was written in 1958, two years prior to Nigerian Independence from British colonial rule. However this novel is set during the time of the first involvements of British rule in Nigeria and the initial stages of colonialism. Achebe uses his personal history to allow him to discuss historical context and  to tie him to his cultural roots, to create a book which presents early life before colonial rule. This is done to provide a new insight into colonialism and to show that the British had assimilated the Igbo people's culture, however due to Achebe's duality in being both an Igbo descendant and a C

What is the significance of Okonkwo’s character? What does he represent or is symbolic of? Okonkwo represents the tragic hero in Things Fall Apart as he held a position of power and prestige because he was a clan leader of Umuofia however it was stripped away from him when he was exiled. Okonkwo is significant because his character/ personality is quite orthodox and different compared to other Umuofians and he is dissimilar to the cultures and customs of Umuofia.  In Umuofia, people tend to see the middle ground between two plausible causes however Okonkwo is fixated on one aspect and believes in it to the extreme and thus can not see other views about it which displays his resistance to change. In addition Okonkwo embodies strength both physically and mentally and it is portrayed through his personality however Okonkwo suffers from internal conflict due to his fear of weakness and failure thus it is important as it shows how someone so dominant can also be suffering.  He is also

Why would Achebe choose to set his novel prior to and during the arrival of the colonial administration as opposed to during the context of composition? Things fall apart, a novel written by Chinua Achebe was published in 1958 ( two years before Nigeria gained independence) and discusses the chronicles prior to pre-colonial life in Nigeria and the arrival of the Europeans during the late nineteenth century. Achebe being born and raised during the time of British colonial rule however decided to illustrate his vision by showing readers the Igbo society of Nigeria during the time of its colonisation by the British as opposed to reiterating what life was like during colonial rule. The context which Achebe chose to write in was an important factor in Things Fall Apart because it allowed readers to view African culture and colonisation from a different perspective. Due to Achebe’s exposure to english and European customs have enabled him to capture the European and African perspe