Introduction

Published in 1958 In 1960 there are only six novels by Africans published in the West. Achebe has been called the Father of Modern African Writing because he sort of opened the door for Africans to reclaim their past and their traditions and tell their own story in their own way.

Nigeria A post-imperialist text about colonization in Africa Late nineteenth, early 20th century Ibo culture

In 1964, Achebe stated his goal for the novel was as follows: “to help my society regain belief in itself and put away the complexes of the years of denigration and self-abasement. . . . I would be quite satisfied if my novels . . . did no more than teach my [African] readers that their past — with all its imperfections — was not one long night of savagery from which the first Europeans acting on God's behalf delivered them.”

Achebe’s Goals Destroy Stereotypes Recognize Western arrogance Help to understand the two sides of Africa Respect Igbo people as complex, thinking people with traditions Accurately tell the African story

African Complexity

Social Systems

Respect Igbo people as complex, thinking people with traditions Governing Body- Elders or ndichie, kindred meetings Holidays- Feast of the New Yam, Week of Peace Social Hierarchy- titles, marriage customs Traditions & Customs- kola nut, drinking customs, superstitions, proverbs Defense Force- Warriors, consulting oracle about war Economy- yams, market place, cowries Religion- oracle, chi Entertainment- wrestling, music Ch 1-5: Culture Achebe’s Goals Destroy Stereotypes Recognize Western arrogance Help to understand Africa’s notion of duality Respect Igbo people as complex, thinking people with traditions Accurately tell the African story

Okonkwo Character Foil: Examples in literature, TV, or film: Oedipus vs. Creon Peeta vs. Gale Edward vs. Jacob Unoka Character Description: Traits: Evidence (include page #): Two opposing characters whose traits/personality highlight the strengths/flaws in the other. Debtor, alcoholic, musician

Give an of gender roles in Ibo society. Provide page number. Define gender Give an example of gender roles in our society (Lets to avoid single stories please). Give an of gender roles in Ibo society. Provide page number. What is Achebe’s attitude toward gender roles? Think about how he discusses concepts of femininity and masculinity within the text. Does he complicate traditional Ibo ideals through his characterization of females in the text? Ch 1-5: Gender

Reinforcing Female Gender Roles Defying Gender Roles Girl from Mbaino Okonkwo and Ikemefuna’s arrival p.12 agbala– woman, man with no title Yams– man’s crop Unoka– gentle and idle Beating of Ojiugo Shooting at Ekwefi Agbala the oracle p.13 Anasi, Mwakibie’s wife p.16 Old woman and her war medicine p.9 Ekwefi– beauty, bravery in standing up to Okonkwo Ezinma– brazen, talkative, insightful Obiageli– breaking of her pot, false tears Community that exists between wives– Okonkwo violates Week of Peace

What is the major topic of this chapter? What is the mood? Ch 6: Analyzing Mood What is the major topic of this chapter? What is the mood? How does Achebe establish this mood? - Give one example of diction - Give two examples of figurative language Why do you think Achebe included this chapter? How could it possibly contribute to his goals for the novel?

TFA Ch 7 pg 56 At first a fairly small swarm came. They were harbingers sent to survey the land… Everyone was about now, talking excitedly and praying for the locusts to camp in Umuofia for the night. For although locusts had not visited Umuofia in years, everybody knew by instinct they were good to eat. And at last the locusts did descend. They settled on every tree and on every blade of grass; they settled on the roofs and covered the bare ground. Mighty tree branches broke away under them, and the whole country became the brown-earth color of the vast, hungry swarm.

Exodus 10:12 – 15 12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. 13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. 15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

Revelation 9:1 -11 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh

Cultural Practices

Infrastructure

Values/Beliefs

Art, Expression, Celebrations

Marlo, the narrator, says at one point in Heart of Darkness, "These chaps had no earthly reason for any kind of scruple. Restraint? I would just as soon of expected restraint from a hyena prowling among the corpses of a battlefield." Achebe's novel is written precisely to overturn this image of Africa.

Born in 1930 at the high watermark of British Imperial involvement in Africa. He was raised in a Christian family. Baptized Albert, in honor of the Prince of Wales.

Phenomenal student; went to an elite secondary school. Has said that when he read as a youth, Gulliver's Travels and Treasure Island and David Copperfield, he found himself siding with the white people. At university felt like that cannon was really coming out of the author's cultural ignorance. Achebe wanted to learn about his own past through his own people. He wanted to reflect the stories of his people, without a white messenger.

Nigeria is an invention of the British Nigeria is an invention of the British. The very name itself was conjured up by the wife of the first and most important British Governor, Lord Lugard.

Political/Cultural Imperialism

Spiritual Imperialism

Nigerian Independence: 1963 What will we be?

American Civil Rights Movement What will we be?

Questions for readers to look at How are our beliefs are created and destroyed? How do changes, both good and bad, affect the group? The individual? How does man process a changing world? What is gained and compromised? How do we move & progress instead of regress when what we know is taken from us? What causes some to fall apart?