Western Cultural Influences in Things Fall Apart Essay

Things Fall Apart interposes Western linguistic forms and literary traditions with Igbo words and phrases, proverbs, fables, tales, and other elements of African oral and communal storytelling traditions in order to record and preserve African oral traditions as well as to subvert the colonialist language and culture. After situating the novel in its historical and literary context, students will identify the texts linguistic and literary techniques and analyze the relationship of oral elements to the meanings and messages of the novel.?

Folk literature is used widely throughout the world. It helps all generations learn about life and to promote good will. This type of literature also contains a variety of genres including fiction, poetry, and drama. These genres as well as the literature, provide essence for different countries and people. Chinua Achebe uses folk literature in "Things Fall Apart" to enhance the overall story.

The story "Things Fall Apart" is centered on the Ibo tribe and their traditions. As a result, religious myths play a key role within the society. For example: The Ibo believe that swelling of the body is an abomination. To preserve the tribe from the power of their gods, the clan casts this person into the Evil Forest to depart from life. There are many other myths with the Ibo religion that help the reader understand their way of life.

Children are considered to be an importance to the representation of the family. To ensure the children's moral value, fables are used to teach them righteousness. For example: When Ekwefi was telling Enzinma of why the turtle's shell is not smooth. "Once upon a time, all the birds were invited to a feast in the sky....smooth" (Achebe 82 2). Similar to the popular fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", the moral of the story was to teach Enzinma that liars are not appreciated amongst society.

Proverbs are used repeatedly to provide reasoning of why the way things are. "If one finger brought oil it soiled the others" (Achebe 106 3). This proverb is explaining why the elders punished Okonkwo for killing Ezeudu's son. The Ibo tribe believed anyone who disobeys the gods was to be punished and if not, the whole clan would suffer. Proverbs are also used to explain a person's state of mind. "If I fall down for you and you fall down for me, it is play" (Achebe 62 5). This was said by Ukegbu when paying Obierka his bride price. The proverb explains that when Ukegbu does a favor for another, that person will return the favor later on and that this marriage should be pleasurable and not business.

Achebe wrote "Things Fall Apart" to defy the stereotypes about traditional African culture. He used a various amount of folk literature to enhance his purpose. The literature has also presented a better understanding of the Ibo tribe. Without the literature, the story would become uninteresting and dull due to the lack of explanation and excitement. The reader learns not only the morals of the story, but grasps comprehension of African society.