What way but to seek a journey through earth’s natural living, as well as consisting tradition and customs. In Nigeria Africa, there is a village named Ibo.
In the Ibo village there lived people who followed strict customs and traditions within their clan. A man named Okonkwo was a well respected man whose goal was to be on top and not under his father’s shadow. This story was based on the book Things fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, in which book reviews find this writing piece to be an open book filled with significance and culture.This happens with Achebe’s choice of words, and imagery that the reader is able to know what the character is feeling. The author Achebe uses words or phrases that make the reader engaged during a moment in the book or about a character. According to Dirda’s review, he states “his mostly declarative sentences - leavened with occasional Ibo words and phrases - eschew the emotional, preferring to describe rituals and practices rather than judge them”.
What Dirda stated means how Achebe, when reading his book, rituals and practices illustrates the meaning in that culture and how it has an impact within the story.Furthermore, this quote from Dirda shows how the book portrays a straight forward passage and is diverse with tradition. Tradition is important to the Ibo village. In the Ibo village, men are superior of women, while men hold most of the title; women also share tradition when occasions come up.
In the book Things Fall Apart it states “the women, who drank a cup or two each, to help them in their cooking. Some of it also went to the bride and her attendant maidens, who were putting the last delicate touches of razor to her coiffure and cam wood on her smooth skin” (115).This quote fits Dirda’s statement, because it illustrates tradition and how important it is to follow. As well as how the villages all come together to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company, it shows unity within the clan.
Achebe’s writing style characterizes the main character Okonkwo to be challenging. Achebe does this by providing actions and diction that gives characterization. Mark Thwaite says that “Okonkwo is strong, a traditionalist who is blind to the absurdities, cruelties and sheer backwardness of certain of his tribe’s customs and of his own; sometimes outrageous actions”.The quote portrays how Achebe wrote about a character that has a very strong spirit and how Okonkwo’s villagers perceive him. For example, Achebe writes plenty of scenes where Okonkwo shows his level of stubbornness. The book states “My father, they have killed me! As he ran towards him, dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down.
He was afraid of being thought weak” (61). Although Okonkwo did not have to be the one to kill his foster child, he did it to prove to the other men how strong he is internally.He does this to show how Okonkwo takes actions that are harsh, just to keep with the custom of men being superior. Choice of words, characterization and tradition/culture has an effect of the author’s writing style. If an author is able to style its writing it engages the reader to connect and read beyond the text.
Which in this case Achebe used this writing style in the book Things Fall Apart, using declarative sentences as stated by Dirda and characterization said by Mark, shows the critic of Achebe style be to in depth and clear for the readers.
