Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart a demonstration of  Africans’ heroism – Dr. Uwakwe

By Cecilia Ologunagba

New York

Dr Uchenna Uwakwe,  an associate Professor at the Directorate of General Studies, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), says the globally acknowledged classic novel, Things Fall Apart, has retained its value for over six decades because it demonstrates the heroism of Africans globally.

Uwakwe said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York, United States of America (USA) recently.

Uwakwe, a senior lecturer of English (African Literature) at FUTO spoke against the backdrop of the 65th anniversary of Things Fall Apart, which was first published in 1958, by William Heinemann, London.

Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is still so relevant across the world at 65 years of age as it is displayed on the shelves of most public libraries in the U.S.

“Things Fall Apart is a book that demonstrates the heroism of Africans. Chinua Achebe demonstrates that despite being colonised, Africans had a tradition.

“And the Americans have come to believe that when you read Things Fall Apart, you are going to be following the African tradition and they believe that ‘Okonkwo’ – the tragic hero in the classic fiction is a representation of the African legend,’’ Uwakwe stressed.

To further demonstrate the importance of the iconic work, Uwakwe said Things Fall Apart has been

translated into more than 100 languages, noting that it speaks to the issue of colonialism faced by other third world countries too.

“Indians will tell you about their own experience with colonialism, Asians and other African countries will let you know that they had colonial experiences similar to what Achebe presented in Things Fall Apart.’’

He, however, expressed disappointment over the decline in the reading of the novel in Nigeria, which he attributed to preference of technology, increase in cost of books and rise in the number of authors in the country.

The don said the authors and lecturers would have focused on getting the students to value African culture by recommending the book  rather than focusing on the money they would make by selling their own books.

He said they should have focused on getting the students to understand the roots of African literature, the patterns that Chinua Achebe put in place, which has been a standard for many African writers.

“For instance, when we talk about Nigerian writers like Chimamanda Adichie, a number of critics have said that she is Achebe’s daughter based on her style. When you read her works, you’ll find patterns of Things Fall Apart as Chinua Achebe’s crafts flow in her work.

“Some have said that it’s a form of plagiarism, but it is not. So, creativity is about your being able to tell a story from your own perspective.

“In our oral tradition, creativity was passed on to generations, by sessions of storytelling, and you will discover that a person tells a story now, when another person has to tell the same story, some form of creativity is imputed into the story,’’ the don said.

Uwakwe further cited the style of another Nigerian author, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, noting that patterns in her work are also similar to what Achebe put in place in his novel.

“I was reading her book, The Last of the Strong Ones. She brought a feminist touch to it when you see her female character breaking Kolanut, praying over Kolanut in the traditional Igbo society, which Achebe also presented in his work.

“Now, a number of people believe that women were derogated in the Africa society, but the African society made room for respect for both the man and the woman.

“There are quite a few things that Achebe put in place in Things Fall Apart to show that there is honour for the woman. You will find, for instance, that the Almighty “Okonkwo” was cautioned by the priestess.

“Also, when he had a problem, he had to run to his maternal home and his uncle taught him that the reason why he had to come to his mother was that when what happened to him happens, it is only the mother that will take care of him.’’

According to him, there is gender balance in Things Fall Apart which was not discovered by the early feminist writers.

“Although, when the argument of feminism was becoming so heated up against Things Fall Apart, Achebe had to write Anthills of the Savannah in which he made a woman, Beatrice, the heroine.’’