Achebe's Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe literary devices reveals the Igbo tradition and the challenges of continuing the tradition using symbolism, proverbs, details, and dialogue. Achebe in the text provides goes into detail on how the Igbo people get together in an “ummna” or clan to celebrate their tradition. The text also indicates that the younger generation will not understand the tradition; hence, when one of the oldest members shared how he “fear for you young people because you do not understand how strong is the bond of kinship.” Achebe uses these four devices to describe the Igbo tradition and its importance.
Achebe uses symbolism in the text such as their ummna , their kinship, and the feast to describe their tradition. The umunna is the clan that they are grouped in. This suggests that people in African back then lived mostly in tribes alike the Native Americans that lived in different tribes across the continent when they first owned America. This also suggests how the Igbo people were probably one of the first people in Africa before the White people tried to conquer and destroy their tradition. Their kinship symbolizes family. The families allow the tradition to
Each people of their ethnic group have their own proverbs or saying that they follow due to their religion or belief. One-example states, “we do not ask for wealth because he that has health and children will also have wealth.” This indicates that people show respect for people regardless of their wealth. Uchendu also stated how “we are better than animals because we have kinsmen.” This indicates how their tradition is strong. They rely on their families to show the respect of their tradition. Their dialogue shows how the Igbo people mostly speak alluding to proverbs. “My mother’s people have been good to me and I must show my gratitude,” shows how Okonkwo is highly respected to keep the tradition