Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart was published in 1958, on the eve of Nigerian independence in 1960. Although Achebe developed alongside the likes of “Beti, Laye and Tutuola”, Achebe’s Things Fall Apart was considered to have formed the foundation for all other African literature that would follow. One could argue that the success behind the novel is due to Achebe’s ability to re-establish dignity and self-respect of African people contrary to authors like Joseph Conrad and Charles Dickens. History is often written by the victor and so Achebe offers a different interpretation showing that Africans had dignity prior to European arrival, there is a sense of pride or self-respect in having a title in the clan, in sharing a kola nut with your fellow people and arriving on the ilo to watch the much anticipated wrestling. This essay will discuss how Achebe restores the morale and self-respect of Africans in the episodic novel - Things Fall Apart. The first episode that will be discussed is in part one, when Okonkwo explains, “[He] did not have the start in life which many young men had.” In this episode, Okonkwo explains how he rose to the top on his own by going to one of the wealthiest men in Umuofia, Nwakibie, and asking Nwakibie for some seed yams. …show more content…
These names are often difficult for the reader of a colonial language to remember and to pronounce. Thus, Achebe restores respect and dignity in his characters by not making them have an English name just so that it is easier from readers to pronounce. “Achebe’s characters do not seek our permission to be human, they do not apologise for being complex (or being African, or for being human, or for being so extraordinarily