Chinua Achebe
Eric Kim
Nick Yun
Allison Lee
Biography
background
Albert Chinualumogu Achebe
16 November 1930 ~ Present
Nigerian novelist, poet, professor and critic.
Most famous novel: Things Fall Apart
Childhood
Raised in the Igbo village of Ogidi in
southeastern Nigeria
Parents were christian.
Ogidi
Passion
Storytelling was a main part of Igbo tradition
His parents told him many stories as a child.
He also read numerous books including
Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Childhood education
In 1936, he entered St Philips’ Central school
and his intelligence in reading and writing was
recognized.
By 12, he moved to Nekede, where he attended
Central School.
Took the SAT and was accepted into the
governemnt college in Umuahia.
Nekede
Education
1944 - Achebe attended Government College in
Umuahia
1953 - Achebe attended the Universtiy College of
Ibadan where he recieved his BA.
University of College of Ibadan accepted his
indegenous name (Chinua)
College of Ibadan
Occupation
In 1954, he joined the Nigerian Broadcast
Company in Lagos
In 1958, Achebe published his first novel, Things
Fall Apart.
In 1960, Achebe published No Longer At Ease
1961, he was the director of External Services in
charge of the Voice of Nigeria.
Occupation
(1967-70) Nigerian Civil War
In 1967, Achebe entered the Biafran governement service and
cofounded a publishing company with his friend.
In 1970, He became director of Heinemann Educational Books
Ltd.
By 1971, he was the editor of Okike, the leading journal of
Nigerian new writing.
In 1976, He became professor of English at the University of
Nigeria.
Occupation
In 1983, he published The Trouble With Nigeria.
In 1984, he founded the magazines UWA, NDI, IGBO.
In 1985, He became a professor emeritus at the University
of Nigeria.
In the 1990s, Achebe was a faculty member at Bard
College, where he has taught literature to undergraduates.
An automobile accident in 1990 left Achebe confined to a
wheelchair permanently to this day.
Major Works
Major WOrks
Other works
Poetry
Beware, Soul-Brother
Short Stories
Civil Peace
Dead Men’s Path
Marriage Is A Private Affair
Essays
Morning Yet on Creation Day
Hopes and Impediments
The Trouble with Nigeria
---
Importance to African
American Literature
Legacy
“the father of modern African writing”
One of the first
paved the way for other writers
published other writers’ works
Quote by Achebe
“My position is that the Nobel Prize is important.
But it is a European prize. It’s not an African
prize...Literature is not a heavy weight
championship. Nigerians may think you know,
this man has been knocked out. It’s nothing to do
with that.”
Summary
Chinua Achebe was born in an Igbo village by the name of Ogidi.
He was extremely dilligent and showed quick and excellent
progress in school. He went to several universities including
Imuahia and Ibadan. Once he graduated with a BA, he pursued his
career in many fields mostly focusing around English. He was an
English professor in many areas including the University of
Nigeria. Achebe has successfully published many books and
poems including his most famous novels Things Fall Apart, A Man
of the People, and the Arrows of God. Today Chinua Achebe is
known as a novelist, professor, poet, and a critic. He has greatly
influenced African literature as well as literature outside of Africa.
Chinua Achebe was an honorable man who till this day has shown
nothing but determination.
DISCUSSION
Discussion
Why do you think Achebe wrote in English? If you
were in Achebe’s shoes, would you write your
novel in English or in your native tongue?
Discussion
Do you think Achebe wrote his novels for
entertainment or for a different message?
discussion
Why do you think Achebe’s books receieved so
much attention rather than other books?
QUOTES
Quotes
“During the planting season, Okonkwo worked daily on his
farms on his farms from cock-crow until the chickens went
to roost.”
This quote is simply put Okonkwo worked extremely
hard and looking at his present state, he became
extrmeely successful.
This represents Chinua himself because he worked
countless hours on reading and writing and he was
indeed recognized for his hard work and became
extremely successful.
Quotes
“The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his
religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay.
Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one.
He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have
fallen apart.”
This was is conveying the message that the white man has slowly
encroached and taken over the customs of their culture making
their tribe fall apart.
This relates to not only Chinua’s belief but the majority of Nigeria
and imperialist victims at the time. African nations being colonized
always feared the white man and his beliefs and this is exactly
why.
Bibliography
•
Apart, the renowned author of Things Fall. "Chinua Achebe." African
American Literature Book Club: African American Books by Famous .
23 Apr. 2009 <http://aalbc.com/authors/chinua.htm>.
•
"BBC - BBC Four Profile - Chinua Achebe." BBC - Homepage. 23
Apr. 2009
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/profile/chinuaachebe.shtml>.
•
"Chinua Achebe biography." Essortment Articles: Free Online Articles
on Health, Science, Education & More... 23 Apr. 2009
<http://www.essortment.com/all/chinuaachebebi_rwpx.htm>.
•
"Chinua Achebe: An Overview." Postcolonial and Postimperial
Literature: An Overview. 23 Apr. 2009
<http://www.postcolonialweb.org/achebe/achebeov.html>.
•
name:. "Chinua Achebe." Chinua Achebe. 23 Apr. 2009