In what ways does this text influence your understanding of Achebe’s use of language and stylistic choices in Things Fall Apart?

The text at hand, despite being chosen for a paper 1 exam, is a solid example for the context of language in Things Fall Apart. 

The author Ngugi structured his writing in 2 distinct topics or sections. The first part being a praise of his language and the ties to the culture and everything that belongs to his language. He discusses about how magical everything felt from creating songs, to education and using it to learn, and the “games [we] played with words through riddles, proverbs, […]”. However, in the last two paragraphs he mentions how “this harmony was broken” with the introduction of English as the language of education. By saying “all others had to bow before it in defence” he clearly states the superiority and might English had over other language, regardless of the fewer english colonists than Kenyans.

This relates to the novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe because he exemplifies the importance of language to the Igbo. The constant usage of traditional Igbo words within the text helps the reader understand the significance specific words have in the culture. Along with this, the shared commonality of proverbs in both cultures play a major role in the description of both cultures, as a proverb is a saying which generally holds wisdom and truth. The usage of such proverbs and the extent to which a language can establish such traditional words to create “magical power” assists in determining the intricate structure of the culture and the importance of language within it. Achebe assumably chose to include this because this helps the reader form a connection and better understanding of the Igbo, and the effects colonisation had on them. In addition to this, it gives an insight and plausible excuses for some of the Igbo’s actions in response to the colonial powers settling in their land.