Things Fall Apart Essay

“Language as culture is the collective memory bank of a people’s experience in history”. This is a statement made by Ngugi wa Thieng’o. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe makes it obvious that language is an important part of the Igbo culture and that it serves very diverse purposes. Achebe keeps words in Igbo language throughout the whole story, which makes it more than just a story about some clan in Africa, it becomes a way to teach the readers essential part of a culture that is not theirs. To translate the Igbo values, cultural practices and social customs, Achebe uses many Igbos proverbs that he translated into English. These proverbs, such as “if a child washed his hands he could eat with the kings” or “Mother is Supreme”, give a glimpse to the readers of what are the relationships between the people of Umuofia. Since they are explained and presented in different contexts, the readers can easily understand them, which as a result help the readers understand the social codes of the Igbo culture. The many proverbs
For example, the “chi” and the “Egwugwu” are talked about a lot in the novel. Indeed, the main character Okonkwo wonders often about his chi. It implies to the reader that this “chi” takes an important place in the life of an Igbo, and that this is not an easily translatable concept in English words. Translators often try to translate concepts in a way that the readers will relate to in their own culture, so the fact that Achebe keeps those concepts in Igbo also shows the complexity of this culture. This method of translation is particularly effective because it creates a bridge between the English culture and the Igbo culture. By combining English and Igbo words in his novel, Achebe brings the two cultures closer together and he puts them on an equal footing by showing that the Igbo culture is legitimate and has its own traditions, history,