Things Fall Apart

12. First of all, Achebe decided to write Things Fall Apart in English because of the sole fact that he wanted the American people to realize that they truly destroyed the Igbo culture and its people. The first part of the book is dedicated to the understanding of the Igbo culture and is slowly demolished by the colonization of the white people. Therefore, I agree with King’s comments. Like Bakhtin said, language is a very diverse thing. Each culture has their distinct language which is unique and true to them. The white people couldn’t understand the Igbo’s language which shows their diversity. They used translators to talk to each other, really demonstrating the differences between their cultures. Susan Gallagher’s account also expresses why Achebe decided to write his book in English. He chose to learn English at a young age so he could get to better know the people who destroyed his culture. He uses the English language as a major weapon to show the white people the destruction that they caused. However, he also used it to break tradition and stray away from his Igbo ways. Ironically, the translations of Things Fall Apart have bonded both the Igbos as well as the whites, perhaps just as Achebe wanted.

15. Achebe highly values the use of storytelling and oral tradition. He believes this is one of the most ideal and greatest ways to pass down the true culture of the Igbo people. In Things Fall Apart, storytelling is seen frequently. First of all, the people of Umofia would sit outside whenever there was a full moon and tell stories while the drums pounded. The children of the Igbo culture grow up listening to the stories of their parents and elders. Achebe highly valued this way of culture and therefore, went and wrote his own story to pass on to other generations. However, this story is the story of his life and the consequences in which his people faced; he wants readers to listen to his story as if they were listening to a story told by their own parents. He hopes for readers to absorb all the information presented and to use it to better understand why cultures have to change. Overall, Achebe hopes for readers to take away a valuable lesson from his book and to forever pass it down so that the Igbo culture is never lost or forgotten; he wants to prove the white men wrong.