how the genre, narrative voice, and structure of Things Fall Apart are influenced by context

Explain how Achebe's choice of narrative structure relates to this learning outcome from part 3 of the course?

learning outcome: demonstrate how the formal elements of the text, genre, and structure can not only be seen to influence meaning but can also be influenced by context.

Achebe's signature structure of "Things Fall Apart" of spiraling all over the basic information of Igbo culture and Okonkwo's conflict between other characters at the beginning of the novel and suddenly develops into great conflicts between societies(Igbo and Christianity) best represents Achebe's choice of narrative structure that relates to the learning outcome. As Achebe is periphrasis throughout his beginning of the text, develops further understanding of the Igbo society which is not common for the other foreigners to specifically know, or relate to them. Therefore Achebe is providing opportunities for the readers to understand the structure of the primitive society of Nigeria and their story of getting colonized by British Christianity, due to their lack of understanding. If Achebe did not form his novel in this way of speaking(periphrasis), it could not be able to express deep emotions and religions of the Igbo society which won't let the readers to personally relate the foreign society with them, the aim of Achebe wanted to deliver. 

Introduction - Religion

The personal history of an author can have a significant influence on the way meaning is constructed in his/her writing. 

Personal history of an author can significantly influence the novel "Things Fall Apart" on how the plot and the meaning is constructed, because as the writer can express his/her personal beliefs or understanding of certain situation throughout the passage and the writing style might vary based on the author's ideology or background information they have.

It is almost impossible to not put the personal history of an author in the passage of his/her, because as the novel is one product of the author based on his/her imagination, which requires the person's thoughts. For example, in "Things Fall Apart" written by Chinua Achebe, Achebe have expressed how the British have colonized Nigeria in the 1900s. If Achebe was not Nigerian, he might not have a thought about the colonialism of British power, and he couldn't be expressing the history and culture of Igbo society in depth at the beginning of the novel. Also, as he is a Nigerian, he knows the pain of the country getting colonized by other powers, which further makes him deliver what he was thinking about the world. 

TFA Okonkwo Character Analysis

- What is the significance of Okonkwo’s character? What does he represent or is symbolic of? 
Okonkwo's characteristic is reaching for the achievement of prestige. As he is working hard for prestige and honor of himself, he hates laziness of his father, as well as his first son, Nwoye. I personally think Okonkwo is symbolic of patriarchal personality.


- What is the purpose of Okonkwo’s character within the text? 
As Okonkwo is the main character of the novel, he is the main reason why the conflict occurs in the story. For example, while Okonkwo was mad at his family about his banana tree got killed(even though it wasn't dead; his second wife just took some of the leaves to cover foods) and he was beating his own wife and even try to shoot her with a gun as he got too aggressive, if Okonkwo's characteristic was not aggressive and hardly search for honour, the conflict might not have been made, and definitely the story will not be interesting if there is no conflict. 
What I am trying to say is the character and his(or her) characteristic differs hows the situation goes in the whole story as different people react in the different ways, as the real world works in the same way.  


- How does Okonkwo’s character contribute to big ideas?
As Okonkwo's character looks for his honor and prestige, he does anything if that keeps his honor high up. When people in his village decides something and it is personally bad for Okonkwo, he doesn't show his emotion and keeps on doing his work as it is the type of being "manly" as his personality. 

3 important moments in TFA

I think the most important plot of TFA is following: 1)Okonkwo accidentally kills Ikemefuna, 2)Okonkwo gets vanished from the village, and 3)Okonkwo commits suicide.

1) Okonkwo accidentally kills Ikemefuna
I think this is the first "crisis" of the whole story that Okonkwo accidentally kills Ikemefuna, and because of that, Okonkwo gets vanished from the village, and that is the beginning step for climax of this novel.

2) Okonkwo gets vanished from the village
This could be a small climax and another crisis at the same time, as Okonkwo gets vanished from the village because of 1), and because of his vanishment and while he was out of the village, the village gets colonized by the British power. This novel's protagonist is Okonkwo, therefore the emotion shift on him gives the most important scene of the whole story.

3) Okonkwo commits suicide
This could be the biggest climax and the conclusion of the story because as Okonkwo's emotional shift in the final stage of the novel gets very aggressive on the change of the culture in his village while he was gone, and it took Okonkwo to kill himself at the end of the novel.

Why would Achebe choose to set his novel prior to and during the arrival of the colonial administration as opposed to during the context of composition?

Why would Achebe choose to set his novel prior to and during the arrival of the colonial administration as opposed to during the context of composition? 

I think Achebe wanted to show the cultural shift in his country by the colonial administration during that time period. Which could make him very distressed while writing, because I personally think when you are talking about your country’s history and culture and your country have been colonized once by another certain country, it is painful to talk about it as it is grey part of your own nation. I have the similar opinion, as I am Korean and Korea was colonized by Japan during WW2, I personally don’t want to talk about that time period because us Koreans got numerous violence by the Japanese government. However, I want to correct some of the assumptions that might have been made from foreigners who don’t specifically know about history of Korea, as I am Korean who supposed to know the “actual’ history of Korea, and correct other people if they know it in different ways- There are certain cultural misunderstandings such as Koreans can barely understand Japanese language as they are neighbouring countries and Korea have been colonised by them, but it is not true, as Korean and Japanese language is totally different, non of the grammar, alphabet, and structure of the language are the same. 

I felt like Achebe wanted to show similar ideas in Things Fall Apart. As many people don’t specifically know what culture or history of Nigeria, and from that people have wrong/untrue assumptions or stereotypes based on that. Chinua Achebe almost used half of the novel to express the atmosphere of the Nigerian tribe, to fully deliver the actual image of the Nigerian tribes who are not commonly accessible for other people who don’t relate closely. 

[Enter CAIUS MARCIUS]

Hail, noble Marcius!

MARCIUS Thanks. What's the matter, you dissentious rogues,

That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion,

Make yourselves scabs?

First Citizen We have ever your good word.

MARCIUS He that will give good words to thee will flatter

Beneath abhorring. What would you have, you curs,

That like nor peace nor war? the one affrights you,

The other makes you proud. He that trusts to you, 160

Where he should find you lions, finds you hares;

Where foxes, geese: you are no surer, no,

Than is the coal of fire upon the ice,

Or hailstone in the sun. Your virtue is

To make him worthy whose offence subdues him

And curse that justice did it.

Who deserves greatness

Deserves your hate; and your affections are

A sick man's appetite, who desires most that

Which would increase his evil. He that depends 170

Upon your favours swims with fins of lead

And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang ye! Trust Ye?

With every minute you do change a mind,

And call him noble that was now your hate,

Him vile that was your garland. What's the matter,

That in these several places of the city

You cry against the noble senate, who,

Under the gods, keep you in awe, which else

Would feed on one another? What's their seeking?

MENENIUS For corn at their own rates; whereof, they say,

The city is well stored.

MARCIUS Hang 'em! They say! 180

They'll sit by the fire, and presume to know

What's done i' the Capitol; who's like to rise,

Who thrives and who declines; side factions

and give out

Conjectural marriages; making parties strong

And feebling such as stand not in their liking

Below their cobbled shoes. They say there's

grain enough!

Would the nobility lay aside their ruth,

And let me use my sword, I'll make a quarry

With thousands of these quarter'd slaves, as high

As I could pick my lance. 190

MENENIUS Nay, these are almost thoroughly persuaded;

For though abundantly they lack discretion,

Yet are they passing cowardly. But, I beseech you,

What says the other troop?

MARCIUS They are dissolved: hang 'em!

They said they were an-hungry; sigh'd forth proverbs,

That hunger broke stone walls, that dogs must eat,

That meat was made for mouths, that the gods sent not

Corn for the rich men only: with these shreds

They vented their complainings; which being answer'd,

And a petition granted them, a strange one-- 200

To break the heart of generosity,

And make bold power look pale--they threw their caps

As they would hang them on the horns o' the moon,

Shouting their emulation.

Telling my friend who haven't read Coriolanus before

Hey, I just noticed that you haven't read Coriolanus written by William Shakespeare before!
Which is quite sad, but it's okay. Because from now, Coriolanus will be your favorite book of the year!

Caius Martius, who is the main character of the play, is a lower class hating person who thinks the plebeians(citizens) don't deserve any political power, and he is also a hero of the Rome, as he wins the battle with Volscians, and he gets the nickname, which is also written on the title: Coriolanus. In my personal opinion, it's easy to explain Coriolanus' personality as a "Bully in the high school". Why?   He's cool, as he turned the Volsces upside down, he's strong as everybody knows. As Coriolanus is the strongest of the school(Rome), he wills to become a leader of the plebeians. From that, Coriolanus had to lower the position and ask the plebeians for votes. As everybody knew that he could be the strongest leader, everyone voted. But, if something always goes fine, that's not going to be much interesting as you thought, right?

At this point, the tribunes, Sicinius Velutus and Junius Brutus come in. They claim that Coriolanus cannot be the best leader as his personality, that he always has been rude to people and his aggressive dictions. Sicinius and Brutus temped the citizens and make them get the votes back from Coriolanus. Because of that, obviously, Coriolanus gets mad and that became the greater reason to prove that the tribunes were right: Coriolanus is not suitable for the leader. They decide to vanish Coriolanus, which is "forced change of school" for the "bully".

Volumnia, who is Coriolanus' mother, was keep showing tenacious personality from the beginning of the play. Even she said "Away, you fool! it more becomes a man than gilt his trophy: the breats of Hecuba, When she did suckle Hector, look'd not lovelier than Hector's forehead when it spit forth blood at Grecian sword, contemning." to Vergilia, who is Coriolanus' wife when she freaked out that Coriolanus came back all bloody from the war. Now you can see how Volumnia is creepy. However, she totally changes her position when Coriolanus vanished, even though Coriolanus himself wasn't stressed at all. Volumnia was begging Coriolanus to not leave. He leaves anyway, like an obstinate teenager, and he was planning for the revenge. 

Revenge! You can see how this play goes so interesting! It will take way more time to tell the whole story and I also don't want to ruin the masterpiece by shortening it too much, so it's going to be the better idea to read it by yourself, later on, I guess. I'll borrow you my book if you want to!