[From Contemporary Authors & other on line sources]
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY: Albert Chinualumogu Achebe was born the son of a Christian churchman, November 16, 1930 in Ogidi, Nigeria. He married and had four children. He attended Government College in Umuahia from 1944 to 1947 and University College in Ibadan from 1948 to 1953. He then received a B.A. from London University in 1953 and studied broadcasting at the British Broadcasting Corp. in London in 1956.
Since the 1950's, Nigeria has witnessed "the flourishing of a new literature which has drawn sustenance from both traditional oral literature and from the present and rapidly changing society," writes Margaret Laurence in her book Long Drums and Cannons: Nigerian Dramatists and Novelists. Thirty years ago Chinua Achebe was one of the founders of this new literature, and over the years many critics have come to consider him the finest of the Nigerian novelists. He is considered by many to be one of the best novelists now writing in the English language.
Achebe has been able to avoid imitating the trends in English literature. Rejecting the European notion "that art should be accountable to no one, and [needs] to justify itself to nobody," as he puts it in his book of essays, Morning Yet on Creation Day, Achebe has embraced instead the idea at the heart of the African oral tradition: that "art is, and always was, at the service of man. Our ancestors created their myths and told their stories for a human purpose." For this reason, Achebe believes that "any good story, any good novel, should have a message, should have a purpose." As Bruce King comments in Introduction to Nigerian Literature: "Achebe was the first Nigerian writer to successfully transmute the conventions of the novel, a European art form, into African literature." In an Achebe novel, King notes, "European character study is subordinated to the portrayal of communal life; European economy of form is replaced by an aesthetic appropriate to the rhythms of traditional tribal life." Anthony Daniels writes in Spectator, "In spare prose of great elegance, without any technical distraction, he has been able to illuminate two emotionally irreconcilable facets of modern African life: the humiliations visited on Africans by colonialism, and the utter moral worthlessness of what replaced colonial rule." Set in this historical context, Achebe's novels develop the theme of "traditional verses change," and offer, as Palmer observes, "a powerful presentation of the beauty, strength, and validity of traditional life and values and the disruptiveness of change." Even so, the author does not appeal for a return to the ways of the past. Palmer notes that "while deploring the imperialists' brutality and condescension, [Achebe] seems to suggest that change is inevitable and wise men...reconcile themselves to accommodating change. It is the diehards who resist and are destroyed in the process."
Things Fall Apart focuses on Nigeria's early experience with colonialism. "Chinua Achebe creates a coherent picture of coherence being lost, of the tragic consequences of the African-European collision," offers Robert McDowell in a special issue of “Studies in Black Literature”. Things Fall Apart, Achebe's first novel, was published in 1958 in the midst of the Nigerian renaissance. It tells the story of an Igbo village of the late 1800's and one of its great men, Okonkwo, who has achieved much in his life. He is a champion wrestler, a wealthy farmer, a husband to three wives, a title-holder among his people, and a member of the select egwugwu whose members impersonate ancestral spirits at tribal rituals. However, "The most impressive achievement of Things Fall Apart..." maintains David Carroll in his book Chinua Achebe, "is the vivid picture it provides of Igbo society at the end of the nineteenth century." The order is disrupted, however, with the appearance of the white man in Africa and with the introduction of his religion. "The conflict of the novel, vested in Okokwo, derives from the series of crushing blows which are leveled at traditional values by an alien and more powerful culture causing, in the end, the traditional society to fall apart," observes G.D. Killam. Okonkwo is unable to adapt to the changes that accompany colonialism. In the end, in frustration, he kills an African employed by the British, and then commits suicide, a sin against the tradition to which he had long clung. Achebe achieves a balance in recreating the tragic consequences of the clash of two cultures. Killam notes that "in showing Igbo society before and after the coming of the white man he avoids the temptation to present the past as idealized and the present as ugly and unsatisfactory."

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
The crowning glory of Achebe's novels is undoubtedly his use of the language and aphorisms of oral culture. What sets him apart from other African writers is the fact that he is, by far, more successful than others in flawlessly translating the working of African psyche from one medium to another, from an indigenous oral tradition to an alien form of European origin without obliterating the freshness and vigor of the former, and despite the vast difference separating the two cultures. His characteristic mode of writing, in other words, fulfills Achebe's own idea that the "English of the African will have to be a new English, still in communion with its ancestral home but altered to suit its new African surroundings." In his own fiction, he succeeds in creating an English that is not only, as critics have pointed out, "detached," "stately," and "impassive" but also singular in its ability to bring a whole range of human experience before our mind's eye by his consummate use of imagery drawn from both native and alien sources. He makes use of devices like proverbs, folktales, and religious tenets conveyed through prayer, speeches and song sequences. His language a major component of his artistic strategy, which not only enriches the English language but gives the reader the experience of a whole culture. As Lloyd W. Brown aptly says Achebe's fiction demonstrates his preoccupation with language, not simply as a communicative device, but as a total cultural experience. At this level, language is not merely technique. It is the embodiment of its civilization and therefore represents or dramatizes modes of perception within its cultural grouping.
The artistic interplay of form and content in his novels also contributes to our understanding of Igbo cultural ethic and aesthetics. Achebe thus fulfills the writer's responsibility, which according to Samuel Johnson , is to instruct by pleasing. Achebe's novels provide an accurate picture of the African past and present -- of life with all its pains, pleasures, and puzzles. As he affirmed, Achebe wanted to convey through his novels [AUTHOR’S PURPOSE] that, African people did not hear of culture for the first time from Europeans; that their societies were not mindless but had a philosophy of great depth and value and beauty, that they had poetry and above all they had dignity. This is a response to a Euro-centric stereotype expressed in other works of literature. (Conrad for example) and the reason for which he writes. Achebe's novels also provide the world a way of perceiving Black Aesthetics, the wisdom and philosophy, the poetry and beauty, of traditional Africa. For example, according to Igbo culture, a good speaker is he who uses traditional proverbs, with skill and wisdom. In deed, for the Igbos the core of conversation is the appropriate use of proverbs, and they believe: "Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten." In all his novels Achebe makes prolific use of proverbs and popular adages. They reflect the good and the lean times through which their societies pass.




PROVERBS OR APHORISMS
The society of Umuofia holds achievement and success in high regard. This attitude is well expressed in many passages in Things Fall Apart, such as those that tell the reader: "You can tell a ripe corn by its look" and "If a child washed his hands, he could eat with kings". A number of proverbs embody Igbo beliefs about spirituality. For example, "When a man says yes, his 'chi' says yes also". The chi in Igbo cosmology is the guardian spirit granted to every individual at the time of birth and is part of the individual's supreme creative essence. According to Igbo belief, the chi is entirely responsible for the fortunes and misfortunes of individuals. Thus, when Okonkwo strived for prosperity, his chi agreed. But when he started becoming aggressive, his chi disagreed and precipitated his downfall. Other proverbs, such as "mother is supreme" communicate Igbo views of society. In traditional society mothers are accorded respect. When a man falls into misfortune, as in the case of Okonkwo, he seeks solace at his mother's place. Thus during his exile, Okonkwo takes refuge in Mbanta, his mother's village. A great many of Achebe's proverbs concern matters of power and politics, particularly where related to the effects of colonization. Thus, "If one finger brought oil, it soiled the others" shows the effortless spreading of anarchy among the natives after the advent of the white man. For his apparent arrogance Okonkwo is compared to, "the little bird Nza who so far forgot himself after a heavy meal that he challenged his chi".
FOLKLORE
Achebe, who believes that cultures use folklore to pass on great cultural richness, thinks such folklore can provide solutions to a people's questions and problems. Hence folklore, which is an important feature of the Igbo culture, finds ample and appropriate place in the novels of Achebe. Achebe's characters make use of folklore to make their arguments forcefully and effectively illustrate moral values.
The story of the little bird Nza occurs in Things Fall Apart. It brings home the fact that a man should never provoke his fate. He should know where to draw a line of limit in his pursuit of power. The same wisdom is evident in the story of the bird Eneke-nti-Oba. Among the Igbos an excellent wrestler is one who wins not only in the human world but also in the world of spirits. Thus Okonkwo's ability at wrestling is aptly compared to that of "the founder of the town" who according to folktale "engaged a spirit of the wild for seven days and seven nights."
The Didactic Animal Tale
The didactic animal tale appears in almost all Achebe's novels. In Things Fall Apart. The tales of the wily tortoise expose the wicked nature of beings, and the story of the mother kite shows the folly of the people of Abame. Men's and women's stories illustrate male and female values. While Okonkwo's stories exemplify warfare and violence in order to inculcate courage in children, Ekwefi's stories of the mosquito, are meant for entertainment.
Legend
Legend is one of the many elements that lend fascination to Things Fall Apart. The legends of Egwugwu is an example. The popularity of the legends shows that the traditions of the clan are kept alive.
Ceremonies
The elaborate description of various ceremonies gives us a chance to have a closer look at the well-developed symbolic view of religion in ancient societies. They also lend charm to the narrative. Some interesting ceremonies include the appearance and proceedings of the Egwugwu.
Customs
An example of Achebe's use of customs appears in the description of the treatment given to a guest. Upon entering a friend's Obi, a guest is seated either on a goatskin mat or on an earthen stool. Then he is given a piece of chalk with which he draws his emblem on the floor and paints his toe or face. The bond of goodwill is complete with the passing of the kola around, and sharing its contents.
The description of Okonkwo's obi and shrine, tells us of their architecture. Simultaneously there are human sacrifices, mutilation of a diseased Ogbanje child, the Osu practice, the belief in juju medicine, the spirit possession, the belief in the divinity of a python.
Salutation Names
Closely aligned to oratory are the salutation names. The naming system is important to the Igbo. Its importance is especially evident in Ekwefi's attempts to save the children by the name she gives. Nine die before one daughter Ezinma survives. She names the children in such a way as to break the cycle of Ogbanje children. A few were Onwumbiko, Death, I implore you," Ozoemena, May it not happen again," and finally Onwumna, Death may please himself". Name calling such as ant-hill nose," long throat," descriptive phrases such as the tongue with which to tell the story” contribute to give the reader a new experience of reading the same language.
The use of idioms lends Achebe's language and style a native flavor and force. Besides giving us a close and convincing picture of a society in transition, this technique helps his characters sound natural while speaking an alien tongue. A few such idioms deserve our attention.
References to Nature
Frequent references to flora and fauna imply the proximity of the Igbos to nature. Here are examples from Things Fall Apart: Okonkwo's fame had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan", and he "drank palm wine from morning till night and his eyes were red and fierce like the eyes of a rat when it was caught by the tail and dashed against the floor". "He felt like a drunken giant walking with the limbs of a mosquito". "Okonkwo felt as if he had been cast out of his clan like a fish onto a dry sandy beach, panting". "Obierika's house is as busy as an ant hill." "The earth burned like hot coals."
Yam is also used as a metaphor for manliness, as in "Yam the king of crops was a man's crop", and "yam stood for manliness, and he could feed his family on yams from one harvest to another was a very great man indeed". "Ikemefuna grew rapidly like a yam tendril in the rainy season". Similarly, kola symbolizes prosperity: "He who brings kola brings life". Imagery of fire is used for a greater effect. Okonkwo is called Roaring Flame" and a flaming fire", while his son is cold, impotent ash".
Achebe's characters make use of folklore to make their arguments forceful and effective. It also helps in criticism and mockery. It illustrates the moral values of the culture.

Culture (Things Fall Apart Background)

Culture

Culture - The total way of life held in common by a group of people, including technology, traditions, language, and social roles. It is learned and handed-down from one generation to the next by non biological means. It includes the patterns of human behavior (i.e. ideas, beliefs, values, artifacts, and ways of making a living) which any society transmits to succeeding generations to meet its fundamental needs.
Cultural traits - Distinguishing features of a culture such as language, dress, religion, values, and an emphasis on family; these traits are shared throughout that culture.
(The University of the State of New York The State Education DepartmentAlbany, New York 12234 www.nysed.gov 2006)
These are learned behavior patterns that are shared by all of humanity collectively. No matter where people live in the world, they share these universal traits. Examples of such "human cultural" traits include:
1.
communicating with a verbal language consisting of a limited set of sounds and grammatical rules for constructing sentences
2.
using age and gender to classify people (e.g., teenager, senior citizen, woman, man)
3.
classifying people based on marriage and descent relationships and having kinship terms to refer tothem (e.g., wife, mother, uncle, cousin)
4.
raising children in some sort of family setting
5.
having a sexual division of labor (e.g., men's work versus women's work)
6.
having a concept of privacy
7.
having rules to regulate sexual behavior
8.
distinguishing between good and bad behavior
9.
having some sort of body ornamentation
10.
making jokes and playing games
11.
having art
12.
having some sort of leadership roles for the implementation of community decisions
While all cultures have these and possibly many other universal traits, different cultures have developed their own specific ways of carrying out or expressing them. For instance, people in deaf subcultures frequently use their hands to communicate with sign language instead of verbal language. However, sign languages have grammatical rules just as verbal ones do.
Culture is created and transmitted to others in a society. Cultures are not the product of lone individuals. They are the continuously evolving products of people interacting with each other. Cultural patterns such as language and politics make no sense except in terms of the interaction of people. If you were the only human on earth, there would be no need for language or government.
O’Neil, Dennis. What Is Culture. © 2002-2006.<>
Cultural Transmission- “The primary channel of transmission of culture is the family: [including] …a piety towards the dead, however obscure, and a solicitude for the unborn, however remote. No man wholly escapes from the kind, or wholly surpasses the degree, of culture which he acquired from his early environment. It would not do to suggest that this can be the only channel of transmission: in a society of any complexity it is supplemented and continued by other conduits of tradition…”
T. S. Eliot, Notes towards the Definition of Culture in Christianity and Culture (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1949), 115-16.