Chinua Achebe: Difference between revisions

Achebe sought to escape the colonial perspective that framed African literature at the time, and drew from the traditions of the Igbo people, Christian influences, and the clash of Western and African values to create a uniquely African voice. He wrote in and defended the use of English, describing it as a means to reach a broad audience, particularly readers of colonial nations. In 1975 he gave a controversial lecture, "[[An Image of Africa|An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's ''Heart of Darkness'']]", which was a landmark in [[Postcolonial literature|postcolonial discourse]]. Published in ''[[The Massachusetts Review]]'', it featured criticism of [[Albert Schweitzer]] and [[Joseph Conrad]], whom Achebe described as "a thoroughgoing racist." When the region of [[Biafra]] broke away from Nigeria in 1967, Achebe supported Biafran independence and acted as ambassador for the people of the movement. The subsequent [[Nigerian Civil War]] ravaged the populace, and he appealed to the people of Europe and the Americas for aid. When the Nigerian government retook the region in 1970, he involved himself in political parties but soon became disillusioned by his frustration over the continuous corruption and elitism he witnessed. He lived in the United States for several years in the 1970s, and returned to the US in 1990 after a car crash left him partially paralyzed. He stayed in the US in a nineteen-year tenure at [[Bard College]] as a professor of languages and literature.

 

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