Essay: Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart (letter suggesting inclusion in syllabus)

Dear RI English Head of Department,
I am writing this letter to justify my view of why Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart should be included in the English literature curriculum for students in the school. Things Fall Apart is a Greek tragedy, where the main character’s moral flaws bring him to ruin in a plot of sorrow. This book is set during the peak of the scramble for Africa where European powers divide and colonise African territories. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is one of the first novels to explore the perspective of the native tribes of Africa which shows the importance of their tradition through their daily life and their struggles that they faced when they were colonised . Chinua Achebe chooses the English Language to narrate the flamboyant lives of the Igbo people. He also preserved the African proverbs and imageries, breathing an air of exoticism into the book. Also, Achebe does not aim to translate everything in English; some words like ‘obi’ are left in their primal state. Thus, when reading Things Fall Apart, We discover a new colourful and enticing language that boldly spells Africa. The book has many characters with a well-developed character arc and prominent personalities and beliefs which contributes to each of their character arcs. Despite the number of imageries in the book and the seriousness of the plot, the language is strikingly simple which makes it suitable for secondary one students to spark their interest in Literature. This book is also an eye opener for the students, showing the effects of post-colonisation. It shows the struggles that the villagers face, instead of showing the glorified side of colonisation, which is very insightful for the students. Things Fall Apart also has many poignant themes such as change and tradition. The aim of Things Fall Apart is to explore the imperfections of Igbo culture as well as its strengths. Achebe presents the uniqueness of the Igbo culture by following the character arc of Okonkwo, the main character of Things Fall Apart. It shows how the tribe values strength and masculinity which led to Okonkwo owning many titles in his tribe and how the Village is united as one through the wrestling matches and their strong belief to their tradition before the arrival of the white man. Achebe also showed the flaws of the Igbo culture such as the killing of twins, overemphasis of masculinity and the idea of male dominance.
Things Fall Apart also explores the theme of colonisation and post colonisation. In the climax of the novel, it shows how colonisation tore the clan apart and shattered their tradition. “He has put a knife on the things that held us together, and we have fallen apart” this shows the effect of colonisation which destroys things that they hold dear, such as unity in the clan and their tradition. It also shows the importance of each of the member in the tribe. Even though only the minority of the clan joined the Christians, the tribe is not united and lack the power and strength that they once possessed which can be seen from “[h]e knew that Umuofia would not go to war”. This also brings us to the next theme individual vs society which shows Okonkwo being the only one who is rebelling against the white man. There are similar moments earlier in the novel such as the exile of Okonkwo where he has committed a female crime, with no intentions of killing a clansman. He had no say over his exile and did not object his exile. “his wives wept bitterly, and their children wept with them without knowing why” this portrays a very pitiful image of Okonkwo and his wives and allows the readers to sympathise with Okonkwo and reflecting on the theme of Individual vs Society.
The novel Things Fall Apart holds much relevance up to now as it rebukes a common belief which is that Africans lack culture and civilisation. The novel depicts how the Igbos possessed culture, civilisation and a certain form of sophistication in their lives in contrary to the barbaric depiction of them in popular western media. Things Fall apart is a game changer. One of the first few novels with a black protagonist, forever changing the way blacks are depicted in novels and how people view African tribes. The novel truly allows its readers to appreciate and empathise with their tradition through the novel’s passionate yet brutal illustration of the tribe.
I hope you consider my view.
Regards,
Harold