Things Fall Apart Language Analysis

"Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe discusses the post-colonial lifestyle of African tribes during British colonization. During this time period, European imperialism, specifically European cultural imperialism, and Western influence had reached its zenith of influence; in other words, European culture began to impact the lifestyles of individuals on a global scale. Historically, Europe was and continues to be a continent containing countries that most would categorize as "great powers" through the domination of multiple territories circling the globe. As a result, this has led some to believe that African culture has failed development and recognition not only globally, but also domestically throughout countries within the continent of Africa;

Throughout the novel, the customs and traditions of the Igbo people pose as a central theme; for example, towards the beginning of the novel, one of the main characters, Okonkwo demonstrates patriarchal ideals and concepts by asserting his dominance over his family. In other words, in order to ensure and display his masculinity, Okonkwo ensures that he is portrayed as the leader, or "head", of his family and household; however, some perceive his methods of achieving this as extreme. Additionally, in accordance to tradition, men and women are "required" to abide by unspoken axioms that define and determine their lifestyles. Another major theme centered around the foundation of culture and tradition is language and the implication of the language of the Igbo people. This is a crucial aspect of the novel because it emphasizes the method of communication among these people, thus allowing individuals to challenge their perceptions of African people. Prior to reading this novel, some may only associate Africans, during this time, as, primarily, slaves performing manual labor activities and tasks involving physical endeavors such as gardening, cotton-picking, and other activities instructed to them by European slave-holders; however, this novel allows

According to Thiong'o, African literary pieces should be translated to English to ensure that they are understandable on a global scale, especially since English is being taught and spoken on a global scale, one may view this as understandable. Additionally, for African literary pieces that are intended to educate a mass population, as previously mentioned, literary pieces that are written in a specific native language may be seen as an obstacle towards understanding and comprehension. Considering that, in today's society, most individuals, most notably those of Western nations, may have xenophobic tendencies to dismiss foreign cultures, translating foreign literary pieces to a "common" language, such as English, may be perceived as