Chinua Achebe Criticism
Chinua Achebe, widely regarded as "the father of the African novel in English," stands as a seminal figure in African literature. His extensive body of work, including the acclaimed Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God, delves into the profound impacts of European colonialism on African societies, illuminating the cultural and psychological disruptions it wrought. These narratives are celebrated for their authentic portrayal of African history and society, skillfully integrating Igbo folklore and proverbs to challenge Western literary norms, as discussed in An Interview with Chinua Achebe.
Born in Nigeria in 1930, Achebe's education and early career at the Nigerian Broadcasting Company equipped him with the tools to critique both African and Western societies, a theme prevalent in his literary works. His debut novel, Things Fall Apart, published in 1958, remains foundational, exploring the initial impacts of colonization and the cultural conflicts that ensued, as noted by Charles Miller. Solomon O. Iyasere and Adeleke Adeeko have further analyzed how Achebe's works address the intersection of traditional and modern values in post-colonial Africa, providing a nuanced critique of societal changes.
Achebe's narrative prowess continues through novels like Anthills of the Savannah, where he blends political critique with rich storytelling, as discussed by Chelva Kanaganayakam. His exploration of African identity resonates universally, emphasizing cultural respect and understanding. As Simon Gikandi notes, Achebe transcends regional boundaries, engaging with universal human experiences while remaining deeply rooted in African traditions.
Achebe's exploration of traditional tribal values and the challenges of modernity are further examined in novels like No Longer at Ease and A Man of the People, which critique the materialistic and corrupt influences of Western culture in Nigeria, as elaborated by Jonathan Peters. His poetry, such as in Beware, Soul-Brother, and short stories like those in Girls at War and Other Stories, poignantly capture the tumult of the Nigerian civil war and reflect a growing disillusionment with nationalism, themes explored in A review of "Girls at War and Other Stories".
Critics such as John Povey celebrate Achebe not only for the educational value of his works but also their literary merit, which blends African oral traditions with Western narrative forms. His use of "Ibo in English" is particularly noted by R. Angogo for conveying Ibo culture with authenticity. Achebe's legacy, as analyzed by Arthur Ravenscroft and Sola Soile, continues to illuminate the complexities of African identity and history, providing a universal exploration of the human experience.
Contents
- Principal Works
- Achebe, Chinua (Vol. 3)
- Achebe, Chinua (Vol. 1)
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Achebe, Chinua (Vol. 127)
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An Interview with Chinua Achebe
(summary)
In the following interview, Achebe, with Rowell, explores the role of the African writer as a modern-day griot, emphasizing the significance of literature in upholding communal values, moral responsibility, and education, while contrasting Western notions of art with African traditions of storytelling and social engagement.
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Okonkwo's Participation in the Killing of His 'Son' in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: A Study of Ignoble Decisiveness
(summary)
In the following essay, Iyasere explains the thematic and structural significance of the murder of Ikemefuna in Things Fall Apart, focusing on the character development of Okonkwo.
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Contests of Text and Context in Chinua Achebe's 'Arrow of God'
(summary)
In the following essay, Adeeko examines various manipulations of a thematic Nigerian proverb in Arrow of God, arguing that its intentional misuse contributes to the novel's tragedy.
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Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God: Ezeulu's Response to Change
(summary)
In the following essay, Awuyah analyzes Ezeulu's attitudes toward colonial authorities in Arrow of God, focusing on the significance of his decision to send Oduche to a Christian missionary school.
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Art and Orthodoxy in Chinua Achebe's 'Anthills of the Savannah'
(summary)
In the following essay, Kanaganayakam compares and contrasts Achebe's narrative technique in Anthills of the Savannah to that of his earlier works.
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Chinua Achebe and the Poetics of Location: The Uses of Space in Things Fall Apart and No Longer at Ease
(summary)
In the following essay, Gikandi analyzes the development of meaning in Things Fall Apart and No Longer at Ease in terms of narrative representations of space and location.
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Eleanor Wachtel with Chinua Achebe
(summary)
In the following interview, Chinua Achebe reflects on his personal and literary journey, revealing his dual cultural heritage, his commitment to portraying African perspectives in literature, and his involvement in Nigerian politics, while discussing the significance of storytelling and his critical approach to Western representations of Africa.
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The Use of English in Achebe's Anthills of the Savannah
(summary)
In the following essay, Robson examines various types of English that appear in Anthills of the Savannah, demonstrating how each reflects differences in education, social status, and cultural context.
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The Priest/Artist Tradition in Achebe's Arrow of God
(summary)
In the following essay, Kalu demonstrates how Achebe's use of traditional Igbo religious, political, philosophical, and artistic motifs in Arrow of God combine to illumine the abstract notion of duality.
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Beyond Authenticity and Creolization: Reading Achebe Writing Culture
(summary)
In the following essay, he compares similarities in the narrative strategies of the colonized and the colonizer to define their respective cultural identities in Arrow of God.
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Okonkwo As Yeatsian Hero: The Influence of W. B. Yeats on Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
(summary)
In the following essay, Criswell traces thematic parallels between Things Fall Apart and Yeats's play On Baile's Strand, focusing on conceptual similarities that characterize the tragic hero in each work.
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The Metamorphosis of Piety in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
(summary)
In the following essay, Mackenzie details the transformation of indigenous religious beliefs and practices in Things Fall Apart, comparing it to the relatively static portrayal of religion in Arrow of God.
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Achebe's Sense of an Ending: History and Tragedy in Things Fall Apart
(summary)
In the following essay, Begam describes three distinct conclusions to Things Fall Apart in relation to three different conceptions of history produced by reading the narrative in a post-colonial context, arguing that the novel offers various responses to tragedy as an art form as well.
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An Interview with Chinua Achebe
(summary)
- Achebe, Chinua (Vol. 5)
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Achebe, Chinua (Vol. 11)
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Chinua Achebe
(summary)
In the following essay, Arthur Ravenscroft examines Chinua Achebe's novels, highlighting "Things Fall Apart" for its tragic portrayal of cultural clash and personal downfall, while contrasting it with "No Longer at Ease" and "A Man of the People" for their satirical tones and "Arrow of God" for its richer depiction of Ibo culture.
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Chinua Achebe: Nostalgia and Realism
(summary)
In the following essay, Gerald Moore examines Chinua Achebe's novels, emphasizing Achebe's ability to recreate Ibo society with realism and objectivity in "Things Fall Apart," and assessing the broader yet more diffuse portrayal of modern Nigeria in "No Longer at Ease," highlighting the thematic shift from tragedy to decline.
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Achebe and the English Language
(summary)
In the following essay, R. Angogo examines Chinua Achebe's innovative use of "Ibo in English" to effectively convey Ibo culture and society, highlighting Achebe's skillful integration of language, dialogue, and proverbs to create a vivid portrayal of communal life and its challenges, as well as his thematic shifts through different narrative styles.
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Chinua Achebe's Poems of Regeneration
(summary)
In the following essay, Philip Rogers delves into Chinua Achebe's poetic exploration of societal accountability, contrasting themes of human and inhuman elements, and the regeneration of spirit in Beware, Soul-Brother, highlighting Achebe's struggle with the African past and his commitment to addressing contemporary issues and human values through a poignant and critical lens.
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Tragic Paradox in Achebe's 'Arrow of God'
(summary)
In the following essay, Sola Soile explores the tragic paradox in Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God, analyzing the complexity of the protagonist Ezeulu's role as a scapegoat intertwined with the ambiguous relationship between divine justice and personal revenge, and highlighting the internal and external conflicts that lead to the society's disintegration.
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Chinua Achebe
(summary)
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Achebe, Chinua (Vol. 26)
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The Centre Cannot Hold
(summary)
The critic examines Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, highlighting its authentic depiction of late nineteenth-century tribal life in Nigeria through a compelling narrative and vivid imagery, while discussing its nuanced portrayal of the cultural shift brought by European missionaries and Achebe's ambivalent stance due to his missionary education.
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The Onslaught of Civilization
(summary)
In the following essay, Phoebe-Lou Adams discusses how Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" uniquely addresses the disruption of African tribal society by focusing on life before European interference, highlighting the complex character of Okonkwo and the societal structures that are upended by colonial forces.
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Beloved Bush
(summary)
In the following essay, John Coleman discusses Chinua Achebe's "No Longer at Ease" as a reflection on Nigerian society, highlighting the tensions between traditional values and modern influences, and criticizes Western perceptions of African art for their condescension and primitivism, while praising Achebe's authentic and lucid portrayal of his culture.
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Between Two Worlds
(summary)
In the following essay, Robert C. Healey contends that Chinua Achebe's "No Longer at Ease" portrays the cultural and personal challenges faced by Obi Okonkwo, a Western-educated Nigerian caught between traditional and colonial influences, highlighting the novel's primitive storytelling style as both a limitation and a charm.
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Time
(summary)
The essay discusses Chinua Achebe's novel "A Man of the People," highlighting its satirical portrayal of political corruption in post-colonial Africa and its prescient depiction of military coups, ultimately lauding Achebe's comic insight and deep observation as surpassing the contributions of journalists and politicians.
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Phoebe-Lou Adams
(summary)
In the following essay, Phoebe-Lou Adams argues that Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God is a challenging yet rewarding novel that provides deep insights into cultural misunderstandings and the complex humanity of its characters.
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Among the Ibo
(summary)
In the following essay, Ronald Christ critiques Chinua Achebe's "Arrow of God" for its reliance on local color and proverbial language, arguing that while the novel captures the power struggles within Nigerian culture, it ultimately lacks the narrative depth required to convey its themes effectively to an American readership.
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Mixed Allegiances
(summary)
In the following essay, Charles Miller praises Chinua Achebe's "Arrow of God" for its mature literary artistry and its portrayal of the Ibo society, emphasizing Achebe's deft characterizations and authentic depiction of cultural conflicts and ethical dilemmas.
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Of What Is Past, or Passing, or to Come
(summary)
In the following essay, Robert McDowell explores Chinua Achebe's examination of the disintegration of traditional African society due to European colonization, highlighting the tragic dimensions of cultural collision in novels like Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God, while criticizing the inability of contemporary Nigerian characters in Achebe's later works to adapt meaningfully to modern urban life.
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'This No Be Them Country'—Chinua Achebe's Novels
(summary)
In the following essay, Kate Turkington examines Chinua Achebe's novels, highlighting their exploration of the themes of adaptability and personal integrity amidst social and cultural change, and argues that while these themes are set in a Nigerian context, they resonate universally, addressing the human condition through a lens of subtle humor and profound sadness.
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West African Prose
(summary)
In the following essay, Adrian A. Roscoe explores Chinua Achebe's dual aim of teaching and satirizing through his novels, highlighting Achebe's effective use of African proverbs as a pedagogic tool and critiquing the shift towards satire in his later work, particularly in "A Man of the People," where the execution falters due to lack of control and detachment.
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Bruce King
(summary)
In the following essay, Bruce King argues that Chinua Achebe's work, particularly "Things Fall Apart," marks the inception of Nigerian literature in English by adeptly integrating European novelistic conventions with African cultural narratives, while his novels critique Nigerian society and reflect a tragic, deterministic worldview akin to that of nineteenth-century English novelists.
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The Novels of Chinua Achebe
(summary)
In the following essay, John Povey argues that Chinua Achebe's novels are a significant achievement in African literature, highlighting Achebe's ability to address the challenges of writing in a second language while maintaining an authentic African voice and achieving structural coherence that allows for effective cross-cultural literary comparisons.
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A review of "Girls at War and Other Stories"
(summary)
The critic evaluates "Girls at War and Other Stories" as a collection that insightfully depicts the impacts of British colonialism, tribal disintegration, education, and the Biafran war on Nigerian life, highlighting Achebe's serene writing style and humor, though noting occasional difficulties due to untranslated Ibo words.
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Christmas in Biafra and Other Poems
(summary)
In the following essay, Ifeanyi A. Menkiti analyzes Achebe's Christmas in Biafra and Other Poems, highlighting its varied moods and themes that span pre-war and wartime Nigeria, while emphasizing the poet's deep connection to Ibo culture.
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The New York Times Book Review
(summary)
In the following essay, the critic explores how Chinua Achebe's "Girls at War and Other Stories" addresses the tensions between traditional African values and modern influences, highlighting the cultural conflicts through narratives marked by irony, wit, and a consistent stylistic approach.
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Achebe As Poet
(summary)
In the following essay, Joseph Bruchac argues that Chinua Achebe's poetry collection, Christmas in Biafra, serves as a landmark in African literature, poignantly capturing the trials of the Nigerian Civil War through irony and social criticism, while highlighting Achebe's return to power as a socially committed writer.
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Tragedy in the Novels of Chinua Achebe
(summary)
In the following essay, Sibley argues that Chinua Achebe's novels use the theme of tragedy, grounded in Ibo concepts like the chi, to present a universal moral vision, illustrating how characters’ struggles with personal and collective identity amidst colonialism reflect broader human experiences.
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G. D. Killam
(summary)
In the following essay, G. D. Killam explores Chinua Achebe's short stories and poems, emphasizing the duality of traditional and modern values, critiques of social and political issues, and the Igbo perspective on spirituality and war, demonstrating Achebe's skillful blending of African and Western literary traditions.
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'Man of the People': Anarchy As Archetype
(summary)
In the following essay, Jonathan Peters argues that Chinua Achebe's novel A Man of the People uses satire and a first-person narrative to explore personal ambition, political corruption, and the recurring theme of anarchy in African society, ultimately presenting a critique of individual and group responsibility amidst societal upheaval.
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Nigeria I: The Beginnings and Achebe
(summary)
In the following essay, King examines Achebe's skillful blend of traditional African storytelling techniques with Western literary forms in "Things Fall Apart," highlighting how Achebe reshapes English into a Nigerian prose style and addresses the complex interplay of cultural traditions and colonial influence in the evolution of Nigerian society.
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The Centre Cannot Hold
(summary)
- Achebe, Chinua (Vol. 7)
- Further Reading