Afam4eva:
What's it with all these dimensions that you guys keep bringing. What has language got to do with being called the father of modern African literature? you guys don't seize to amaze me.

Regarding your question, why don't you read my previous submissions. Seems you are not reading them before you respond

Afam4eva:
I've not said that i accept him as that. My point has been that if there's anyone that should be accorded that accolade, it should be Achebe. It has very little to do with Nadine Gordimer but more to do with the number of young and coming African writers that he has inspired through his body of work. He was the first person to sell Africa to the world through literature. His global influence is unwavering that Forbes even named him the most influential African even ahead of nelson Mandela. So, what are we talking about.

It is not correct to argue that Achebe was the first to sell Africa to the world through literature. Have you read the works of Peter Abraham like " mine boy"-1946, " tell freedom"-1954, these books were written before " things fall apart" they tell the story of apartheid in South Africa . They were not popular back then until later . There are many more . However, it is a fact that Achebe' work " Things fall apart" was the most commercially successful book ever published by an African, translated into 50 languages. However we can't take it away that Heinemann was the springboard that brought Achebe into preeminence. Without Heinemann, probably, Things fall apart might not have been that successful.

Therefore, Achebe' title can only be construed within the context of his influence as a nurturer of Writers of African literature in English language.

Be that as it may, Achebe' place of eminence in the comity of renowned writers is indisputable.

percipi1:

Regarding your question, why don't you read my previous submissions. Seems you are not reading them before you respond

CHINUA ACHEBE'S THINGS FALL APART. THE NOVEL OWES THIS DISTINCTION TO THE INNOVATIVE SIGNIFICANCE IT ASSUMED AS SOON AS IT WAS PUBLISHED, A SIGNIFICANCE THAT WAS MANIFESTED IN

AT LEAST TWO RESPECTS. IN THE FIRST PLACE, THE NOVEL PROVIDED AN IMAGE OF AN AFRICAN SOCIETY, RECONSTITUTED AS A LIVING ENTITY AND IN ITS HISTORIC CIRCUMSTANCE: AN IMAGE OF A COHERENT SOCIAL STRUCTURE FORMING THE INSTITUTIONAL FABRIC OF A UNIVERSE OF MEANINGS AND VALUES. BECAUSE THIS IMAGE OF AFRICA WAS QUITE UNPRECEDENTED IN LITERATURE, IT ALSO CARRIED CONSIDERABLE IDEOLOGICAL WEIGHT IN THE SPECIFIC CONTEXT OF THE NOVEL'S WRITING AND RECEPTION. FOR IT CANNOT BE DOUBTED THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE SCOPE OF ACHEBE'S DEPICTION OF A PARTICULARIZED AFRICAN COMMUNITY ENGAGED IN ITS OWN SOCIAL PROCESSES, CARRIED OUT ENTIRELY ON ITS OWN TERMS, WITH ALL THE INTERNAL TENSIONS THIS ENTAILED, CHALLENGED THE SIMPLIFIED REPRESENTATION THAT THE WEST OFFERED ITSELF OF AFRICA AS A FORMLESS AREA OF LIFE, AS "AN AREA OF DARKNESS" DEVOID OF HUMAN SIGNIFICANCE. THUS, BEYOND WHAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED ITS ETHNOGRAPHIC INTEREST, WHICH GAVE THE WORK AN IMMEDIATE AND AMBIGUOUS APPEAL--A POINT TO WHICH WE SHALL RETURN--ACHEBE'S NOVEL ARTICULATED A NEW VISION OF THE AFRICAN WORLD AND GAVE EXPRESSION TO A NEW SENSE OF THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE THAT WAS MORE PENETRATING THAN WHAT HAD BEEN AVAILABLE BEFORE ITS APPEARANCE.

babyosisi:


Fame!
Who made it famous
That is the father

Read on



The highlighted part above can be said of Chinua Achebe
In his lifetime he was and still is Africa's most famous literary icon and has sold more books than any African author dead or alive
That is what makes him the father of African literature
I don't know why you tribalists are so pained by that
The world including fellow African writers,Nobel laureates like Gordimer( an African),Europeans,Americans and Asians describe him by that title and the only people that cry about it are a handful of Nigerians from the Yoruba tribe?
You are greatly outnumbered here
All boils down to jealousy folks
I am disappointed that WS would descend this low

I tot Americans,Europeans & Asians knew there were other African Writers even before & after Achebe yet they address him as Father of African Literature.
Achebe did not gave the name to himself. Please lets give honour to whom honour is due.

DIVINE78:


Orji uzor Kalu, a university of maiduguri dropout was the gov of abia for 8 years.

What of obasanjo a semi-illiterate buffoon that ruled this country for over 8 years

d Nobel Prize committee didn't deem Achebe worthy of a prize. what's with all d whining?
it's even ironic when u consider why Achebe wrote "Things Fall Apart." Wasn't it in response to Conrad? A very charged book like his fits more in d genre of political "propaganda."

in response to babyosisi, d popularity of the book actually owes a ton more to the fact that millions of students are FORCED to read d damn book in high school every year rather than because all those buyers truly wanted to buy d book out of interest. If that makes him king or father of African literature. then so be it. Kim Kardishian (based on popularity) is queen of American entertainment after all... maybe she also deserves Nobel Prize.

tons of African writers have better quality works out there if you're looking for good African literature. quantity is not d same as quality. but then again, you don't strike me as someone who reads so d advice may not be useful to u.

As a short cut to such corrective, I recommend Tunde Okanlawon's scholarly tribute to Chinua in The Sun (Nigeria) of May 4th. After that, I hope those of us in the serious business of literature will be spared further embarrassment.

Hmmmmm.

Try to read the tribute to Chinua Achebe by Tunde Okanlawon as recommended by Professor Soyinka. The link to the tribute is below:

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/specials/literary-review/what-achebe-did-not-know/

DerideGull:

It appears you are down with bottles and do not deserve any evidence so STFU, olodo.

Tranalation: "I have no evidence for my false accusations so I resort to insults to win arguments against my betters"

THINGS FALL APART CANNOT WIN NOBEL PRIZE (From What is Your take On this)
I extol the contributions of Professor Chinua Achebe in the areas of African literatures and his literary stride in the world in general. I like to comment on the misnomer concerning the Nobel prize which has been causing fuss around since the day Chinua Achebe died. The fact is that Professor Chinua Achebe had a story and he told the story to the world in order to express his feelings about the inglorious and brutal activities of the white man against his people. The truth remains that he did not write Things Fall Apart as a piece having Nobel prize in mind. Things Fall Apart was written to expose and unfold the cruelty of white man's rule against his people, and if such story was not noted down the events and all that happened during that colonial era in Igbo land would have gone down the drain like other African histories.
On the other hand, giving a Nobel prize to Things Fall Apart means a direct indictment on the rule of white man in Africa and in Igbo land in particular. How would any black African man in his right senses think that Things Fall Apart should win a Nobel prize? The last paragraph of the book sum up the whole story and the white man understood what that stands for. If Things Fall Apart wins a Nobel prize that is organized by the same people that committed the crime that the book stands against, it means that the people who are agitating for reparation from the Europe countries that manhandled Africans and their resources should be given credence and their request granted. To deprive or deny Things Fall Apart the Nobel prize is a determined act to save the face of the white man.
President Nelson Mandela said that, Things Fall Apart can break the prison walls. This implies that Things Fall Apart has won the greatest prize, because for this purpose it was written, to break the shackles, bondages, yolks of ignorance, timidity and mental slavery that beclouded the sense of reasoning of the black African people. If Africans can imbibe and inculcate the virtues and truth that is found in Things Fall Apart the life of Africans will not remain as it is even today. Upon all that Things Fall Apart stands for, we still have many gullible African politicians and government officials looting the scarce resources of Africans to the lands of the same white man, it shows that we have not learned any lessons from Things Fall Apart.
However, this page applaud the gesture of the American senators in honouring Professor Achebe in recognition of his literary works in the world. This is a big plus coming from simple minded people and is better than the Nobel prize.
This page mourns the exit of Professor Achebe, he is indeed a true Igbo man that believed so much in Igboism. A true Igbo man and Nigerian that rejected the sugar coated frivolous award from the successive Nigerian governments in protest for lack of justice, probity and accountability to the common people of Nigeria. This page is saying Adieu Professor Achebe, you are truly an epitome of man's integrity and dignity and it is what this page stands for. I suggest you visit this page "what is your take on this" on FB and your contributions to some of the topics there are welcomed.

i read CA Things fall apart in Jss two,i was 12 years old at that time and i was hooked.i followed it with No longer at ease and Arrow of God.they were books in my father's library and reading was a custom in our house.they were books that makes a library complete(i was able to relate to the story lines and proverbs in those books during my NYSC days in IMO state
i next picked up WS The Lion and the Jewel and dropped it after about 5 pages, likewise The Trial of Brother Jero.i couldn't comprehend what the hip was about this writer!i just couldn't understand those books.
during my final year in OAU,i was a bit bored and i came about those books again and decided to go thru them.you can imagine my surprise that i have been dulling my self for so long.the plays/book open a new world for me and i so enjoyed them.Now i understand why he was awarded the Nobel prize! undoubtably both writers are good,CA writes for ease understanding for the young at heart while WS plays/books are for more matured minds!
they should both be celebrated as nigerians instead of all this tribalistic ego runs!

Your response is a great disservice to the quality of the interview...... Gosh!!!

patrick89: This is a very intelligent response! But then I don't see anything wrong in making achebe the father of African literature he deserves it, owing to the fact that he popularized African literature through his work, I have few questions here to ask who is the Queen of nollywood? Who is the father of nollywood? what criteria were used in given them the title? Now let me chip in one thing more, those so called *first to do that and do this in Nigeria how did they get to be the first? He(soyinka) clearly stated that in the field like this, even in the music industry there must be this kind of tussle, so Achebe is the father of literature and so what? He is a "storyteller" he (soyinka)used there to me is absurd! I rest my case here

@ CyberG...... with your well analytical response here, I need not type further. Big up bro!

CyberG: This is fantastic, well-written and so well articulated! The use of vocabulary is absolutely brilliant and the content is consumately solid! For the watery commenters here, who are pushing the disgraceful point of view Professor Soyinka soundly debunked, pay them. O attention or dignify them with a response. They probably did not read or understand the crux of the matters effectively dispatched, except where they only found buzz words like "Nobel Prize", "Chinua", etc. Beyond the those, WS cleared up the air on issues relating to Nigeria's war history and it is germaine to point out that most of the points he made is similar to the position of those who have stood for factual history of the events that lead to the war and thereafter. In all kudos to Professor Soyinka, he is indeed a leavening light in every aspect of human endeavor and intelligence.

Ojiofor: certainly she has sold more than him.how many people knows about his latest work?

ds isnt relevant.

gbadexy: Facts is there is rivalry between WS and achebe.
They aren't as close as he professes from his use of perhaps if achebe would come to his abeokuta den when he hosted gowon and co to the statement he credited to achebe saying WS isn't the asiwaju of literature just because he won nobel laureate in response to an unrelated political issue.
The man made good points and while I agree achebe is clannish, he may deserve the title of father of african literature. While it may seemingly appear that achebe is superior to WS, he too should take consolation as being the first black to be awarded the nobel laureate. They are both good in their genre so different title should be given to each to appease their ego just like the CAF footballer of the year and BBC equivalent to okocha or the ooni of ife and alaafin of your case.
We don't have to tribalise this and include it with the ojukwu/awolowo argument.

Very sensible post

Wetin be my own and how does that affect my life? Professor Achebe has made his mark no doubt so instead of arguing with you on issue that add nothing to my life I'll rather concentrate on how to make my own mark that will make coming generation remember me for good. [/quote]
won over? rest then

shymexx: Osisi

Michael Jackson is the King of Pop because he created that genre of music. And he's the highest selling artist of all time. Before MJ, there was nothing like pop(popular) music and as long as he remains the highest selling artist ever, he'll forever remain the King of Pop.

Elvis isn't the father of anything; perhaps the father of white people's version of rock n' roll. If anyone deserves to be the top-of-the-pops in rock n' roll - then it should be James Brown.

These folks need to stop throwing titles around.

Wrong here. MJ did not even invent the moonwalk. Pop songs were common in the 1920s. The term pop music actually originated in Britain

Olong:
won over? rest then

Far from it, there's just no point arguing about a virtual award especially coming from some white men. If there will ever be an award of such it will be institutionalised and awarded by Africans.

c.fours:
d Nobel Prize committee didn't deem Achebe worthy of a prize. what's with all d whining?
it's even ironic when u consider why Achebe wrote "Things Fall Apart." Wasn't it in response to Conrad? A very charged book like his fits more in d genre of political "propaganda."

in response to babyosisi, d popularity of the book actually owes a ton more to the fact that millions of students are FORCED to read d damn book in high school every year rather than because all those buyers truly wanted to buy d book out of interest. If that makes him king or father of African literature. then so be it. Kim Kardishian (based on popularity) is queen of American entertainment after all... maybe she also deserves Nobel Prize.

tons of African writers have better quality works out there if you're looking for good African literature. quantity is not d same as quality. but then again, you don't strike me as someone who reads so d advice may not be useful to u.

SMH. Achebe response to Conrad's book is called "an image to Africa". It was an essay, not a book. Things fall apart had no correlation to conrad.

as for implying TFA is popular because they "forcing" students to read it is just sad. is it not sad you are trying to belittle that work while disregarding you are also belittling WS in effort to defend him. Do you think it's an easy task to get many schools to require one specific book, out of all the million books in the world, as a mandatory reading in their curriculum. It's not easy. if it was, WS would have achieved that same task. out of all his poetries, plays, etc how many do you kno is listed as a mandatory reading all over the world?

you cannot imply your own view of what you consider "quality" is better than the view of an organization whose sole purpose is to provide quality contents for their students. na only you sabi abi?

Are there things WS said that am not seeing? Beacause most of this thread here have either misunderstood him or are still trying to turn deaf ear to his quite lucid interview. Most times, it is underlings of greats that fight even when there is no fight as such between them for that!

Lets not make mountains out of mole hill.

4watever:

Wrong here. MJ did not even invent the moonwalk. Pop songs were common in the 1920s. The term pop music actually originated in Britain

i wonder where the Beetles, elton john and the likes. no mind shymex jor, he just wants to defend his position.

sweetcheecks:

Wow, you are hopeless!

harsh entrance....

One_Naira:

SMH. Achebe response to Conrad's book is called "an image to Africa". It was an essay, not a book. Things fall apart had no correlation to conrad.

as for implying TFA is popular because they "forcing" students to read it is just sad. is it not sad you are trying to belittle that work while disregarding you are also belittling WS in effort to defend him. Do you think it's an easy task to get many schools to require one specific book, out of all the million books in the world, as a mandatory reading in their curriculum. It's not easy. if it was, WS would have achieved that same task. out of all his poetries, plays, etc how many do you kno is listed as a mandatory reading all over the world?

you cannot imply your own view of what you consider "quality" is better than the view of an organization whose sole purpose is to provide quality contents for their students. na only you sabi abi?

You know the funny thing I have come to understand about people referring to Wole Soyinka's work is that they barely mention the name of any of his books, the ones that manage to mention one or two always do not have much to say about the work. It is so obvious that many of his admirers are more into how he mesmerizes them with needless verbosity than the import of his work, they mistake verbosity for quality.

I know how many times I tried reading Wole's book, "The Man Died", I got bored just after few pages of trying to understand exactly what he was trying to communicate in the book: I found myself trying to understand every paragraph of the verbose sentences and phrases he kept on churning out to the point I just had to drop it, as much as I tried. If you observe even the interview that is supposed to be simple and straight forward since the audience are going to be largely moderately educated people reading it, Wole still did not fail to mesmerize us verbose grandstanding and rigmarole, at a point, I just said to mysef, Mr Wole get to the damn point, I am not interested in how many multis and jaw breaking words you can gather in a sentence, leave all that to rappers jar!
Wole Soyinka is good no doubt but he can be a bore when you try to understand him, not necessarily because his ideas or books are so intellectually deep, it is just in the way he sets out to communicate them, he always does a bad job of communicating it.

ROSSIKE: Why will his works be popular when so called educated AFRICANS like you know next to nothing about him? You expect the Europeans to pick him up and make him popular? They won't, since their job is to maintain the illusion that nothing serious occurred in Africa before their arrival. So it is left to Africans to lift up these personalities from their pre-colonial history. Celebrate them, study them, re-publish them and propagate them. THEN the rest of the world will sit up and take notice.

enough talk.take d lead....tell us abt d old dude!

texazzpete:

Tranalation: "I have no evidence for my false accusations so I resort to insults to win arguments against my betters"

I am “better or greater than Joe” is the idiotic mindset that got goons such as you twisted out of human form simply because certain Africans and non-Africans called Achebe the Father of African Literature.

Based on your disgraceful foolery, you do not deserve any evidence to prove your silly indulgence on issues bordering on tribal bias on this forum so STFU.

c.fours:
d Nobel Prize committee didn't deem Achebe worthy of a prize. what's with all d whining?
it's even ironic when u consider why Achebe wrote "Things Fall Apart." Wasn't it in response to Conrad? A very charged book like his fits more in d genre of political "propaganda."

in response to babyosisi, d popularity of the book actually owes a ton more to the fact that millions of students are FORCED to read d damn book in high school every year rather than because all those buyers truly wanted to buy d book out of interest. If that makes him king or father of African literature. then so be it. Kim Kardishian (based on popularity) is queen of American entertainment after all... maybe she also deserves Nobel Prize.

tons of African writers have better quality works out there if you're looking for good African literature. quantity is not d same as quality. but then again, you don't strike me as someone who reads so d advice may not be useful to u.

The Nobel Prize Committee is a bunch of KKK members who frowned at the Achebe’s scintillating criticisms of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness through the essays tagged “An Image of Africa”. If Achebe had cast the Africans in a silly image in his novels as Wole Soyinka did in his dramatic works, the bunch of weird characters on the so-called Nobel Prize Committee would have been rushing to Chinua Achebe with the silly prize.

babyosisi: Wole Soyinka should be careful not to destroy the legacy he has built by involving himself in unsavory affairs.
The first time the Prof disappointed me was when he spoke in support of Patience Jonathan's perm sec appointment,now this.


Chinua Achebe was called the father and grandfather of African literature by others
He did not label himself that
People recognized his immeasurable contribution to African literature and bestowed on him that honor in his lifetime so it is quite petty for WS whom I respect a great to utter such words.
It makes him sound jealous and he should be above such pettiness.
Michael Jackson was called the King of Pop
Elvis was the King of Rock and Roll
Donna Summer was the Queen of Disco While Aretha Franklin is and remains the Queen of soul
That label on Chinua is deserving.


Secondly why speak about Chinua's Book in his death what you couldn't say while he was alive?
I love Soyinka but his words here are beneath a man of his calibre
Maybe old age is setting in
Still respect you sir but you disappoint me here once again

Thank you my sister. You captured what I had in mind all along in the last paragraph of your post. Why now? Why did he wait until his death to rubbish his legacy? Is it not cowardice at it's best?

US Embassy Ghana
We honor Chinua Achebe, Nigerian literary and political beacon, best known for his novel, “Things Fall Apart,” which is considered the most widely read book in modern African literature. He believed that writers and storytellers ultimately held more power than army strongmen. Read more about him here:

Shymexx and co have shown dat Yorubas are the most jealous tribe in Nigeria. Exactly the problem with Nigeria after Boko haram.

Unu bu ogbenye burukwuo amosu

It is rather unfortunate that today's youth who are known for not reading, that now infest this thread, should be passing judgement on world renown scholars.

jealously and battle of superiority all round... Today it is with the Ghanaians, the next day South Africa, and cap it all off with fellow country men.
I sit in dismay and read what is coming from such a supposedly elite? SMH!

WS has bitten the bullet.
I have read but only a little snippet of 'There was a country' and can only say some comments from Achebe were unfortunate.

A major sticking point was the claim of genocide of Igbos in the SW in the events leading up to the war. So far I've looked and read through dozens of articles, books and newspaper s of that period and yet to see any evidence of this. Only seen this claim in Achebe's book so far...