Achebe was born in a Protestant family in Ogidi, a village in Ibo, southeast Nigeria. He studied very well and won a university scholarship. During his college years, he became interested in world religions and African indigenous culture, and began to write short stories. After graduation, he worked for Radio Nigeria and soon moved to the metropolis Lagos. His "Disintegration" published in the late 1950s of1965-/kloc-0 attracted the world's attention. Later, he published the novels Gone with the Wind (1960), Arrow of God (1964), Public Servant (1966) and Ant Hill in the Wasteland (1987). Achebe writes novels in English and openly supports the use of this colonial language in African works. 1975, his speech "Impression of Africa: Conrad"
1967 When Biafra District seceded from Nigeria, Achebe became a staunch supporter of Biafra's independence and became a member of the new regime. War has caused great suffering to civilians, and violence and famine continue to spread death. He sought humanitarian assistance from Europeans and Americans. 1970 When the Nigerian government re-annexed the region, he joined the ruling party, but soon he was disappointed with the corruption and discrimination he saw with his own eyes and quit the party. He lived in America for several years in the1970s. 1990 A car accident in Nigeria left him half disabled, and then he returned to America.
Archie's novels pay attention to the tradition of the Igbo people, the influence of Christianity, and the cultural collision between colonial and post-colonial periods. He draws nutrition from the traditional oral literature of the Igbo people and often quotes folk stories, proverbs and famous sentences directly. He also published many short stories, children's literature and essays. Now he is Stevenson Professor of Language and Literature at Budd College in Hudson River, new york.
Achebe's parents Isaiah Okafo Achebe and Janet Anaenechi Iloegbunam are converts of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Nigeria. [4] Later, Achebe gave up the religion handed down by his ancestors, but he respected his traditions and often integrated elements of traditional customs into his Christian life. Chinua's full name is Chinua Alu Gu Mo ("May the Lord fight for me" [5]), which is to pray for the protection and strength given by God. [5] The Achebe family has five surviving children, whose names also express the meaning related to Protestantism in traditional words: Frank Okwuofu, John Chukwuemeka Ifeanyichukwu, Zinobia Uzoma, Augustine Nduka and Grace. [5]
Albert Chinua Aru Gu Mo Achebe was born in an Igbo village in Nairobi in his early years. [5] Tuo Fanica Weng and Taylor Sha Achebe are under the dual influence of traditional culture and Christianity, and Christianity has a great influence on children, especially on Chinua Aru Gu Mo. After the birth of their youngest daughter, their family moved to Okidi, the hometown of Isaiah Achebe, which is now Anambra. [2]
The map of Igbo, Achebe's hometown, is very common in the tradition of Igbo people. When Chinua was a child, his mother and sister Chinobia Uzoma often told him stories, and he was very satisfied with these stories. His father's collage, almanac and some miscellaneous books hanging on the wall, such as the simplified adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Ibo version of Pilgrim's Progress, also benefited him a lot. At the same time, he is interested in traditional activities in the village, such as masquerade, which he often reproduces in his future novels. [8]
[Editor] Early Education 1936, Achebe entered Philips Central School. The school ignored his protest and let him stay in the children's religious class for a week, but his intelligence was soon discovered by the resident priest and he was transferred to a higher grade. [9] A teacher called him the best student in calligraphy and reading in his class. He also attends weekly Sunday school and monthly special gospel activities. There was a big debate when opponents of Protestantism asked missionaries what Christianity was. After that, Achebe wrote this event as disintegration. [ 1 1][ 12]
/kloc-When he was 0/2 years old, Achebe and his family moved to Neckade, 4 kilometers away from Ovelli. As his brother John said, he was registered in the name of a central school student. [13] In Neckade, Achebe was appraised by Mbari, an art of symbolic sacrifice in the form of sculptures and clippings [14] 1944 When Achebe was about to enter middle school, he took the entrance examinations of the prestigious Dennis Language School in Onycha and the more prestigious Political College in Umm Archillas, and both of them passed. [ 15]
The political public school was established in 1929 by the colonial government with reference to the British public school standards, with the aim of cultivating future elites in Nigeria. [15] Its academic standards are quite strict, and it is also very equal. It enrolls students purely on the basis of individual ability. [15] English is widely used in schools, not only to improve language ability, but also to provide communication convenience for Nigerian students from different language areas. [16] Achebe later said that this required them to "give up their different mother tongues and talk in colonial languages". [17] This rule was mandatory. Achebe recalled that his first punishment was to ask another boy to pass soap in Ibo. [ 16]
In the first year, Achebe completed two years of school, and he only needed to stay in school for two hours instead of the standard five hours. [18] He didn't adapt to physical education class, but he got together with five other excellent students. Their enthusiasm for learning is so high that the headmaster forbids them to study textbooks between five and six in the afternoon (although other activities and other books are allowed). [ 19]
Achebe started his exploration journey in the school's "wonderful library". [20] There, he found Booker Washington's Beyond Slavery-Autobiography of a former American slave; Achebe discovered the tragic story of this book and "saw the other side of reality". He also read classical novels, such as Gulliver's Travels, david copperfield and Treasure Island, as well as stories about heroic deeds of colonies, such as Adventures by H Reed Haggard and Pastor John by john buchan. Achebe later recalled that as a reader, he "stood on the side of the white role and opposed the aborigines" [20], and even had an aversion to blacks. "White people are kind, fair, smart and brave. In contrast, aborigines are vicious, stupid and cunning. I hate them. " [20]
[Editor] University 1948. On the eve of independence, Nigeria opened its first university. [2 1] was originally a university college (now ibadan University) and a cooperative school of London University. Achebe got high marks in the entrance examination and won a scholarship to study medicine. [2 1] After studying hard for a year, he felt that natural science was not suitable for him, so he turned to English, history and theology. [22] Because he changed his major, he lost his scholarship. However, the government and his family continued to support him, enabling him to complete his studies. [23] At the beginning, the English teaching level of the school was very high, and there were many famous writers among the alumni. Among them are Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Walter Soyinka, novelist Ilya Amadi, poet and playwright john clark and poet Christopher Okibo. [24] 1950, Archie wrote a short essay "The Two Poles of College Students" for Campus Pioneer, which was his first time to set foot in writing and praised the cleverness of his classmates with irony and humor. [25] Then he wrote several comments on academic freedom and philosophy, which were published in another campus publication, Celebrity. [26] 195 1 academic year, became the editor-in-chief of Pioneer, and worked for two years. [27]
When Achebe was in college, he wrote his first short story "In the Country Church", which combined Christian customs with Nigerian rural life scenes, and this style was also reflected in his later works. [28] His other novels in ibadan (including The Conflict between the Old and the New Order and The Road of the Dead) explored the contradiction between tradition and modernity, and focused on the dialogue and communication between them. [29] When Professor Jeffrey Palinder offered a course of religious comparison in the university, Archie began to study the history of Christianity and traditional African religions. [30]
While studying in ibadan, Achebe began to criticize African European literary works. He read Mr Johnson1939, a novel by Irish novelist Joyce Cary, which described a Nigerian employee who was abused by an English shopkeeper, but he was still very happy. Achebe was very dissatisfied with the author's ignorance of African culture. One of his classmates told the professor that the only thing that makes people happy in the book is that the protagonist Johnson was shot. [3 1]
From 65438 to 0953, Achebe completed his studies in ibadan and was awarded a second-class degree. He was very annoyed that he didn't get the highest degree and didn't know what to do after graduation. He returned to his hometown of Okidi. [32]
[Editor] After returning to Zznja after disintegration, Archie began to revise his novel (now called disintegration), the title of which was taken from a poem in Ye Zhi's Second Coming. He deleted the second and third books of this book, leaving only the story of O 'Connor, a potato farmer. He added some paragraphs, polished the text and adjusted the structure. By 1957, he had carved the novel into what he wanted. He sent the only manuscript to the printing house in London. However, after several months and still no news, Achebe began to worry. Angela Beattie, the director of the radio station where he works, is preparing to go to London for a holiday; He begged her to ask about it for him. Betty went over and asked him angrily why he put the manuscript in the corner. Achebe soon received the printed manuscript. Betty's involvement played a key role in his continuous literary career. He later recalled that if the manuscript of the novel was lost, "I would feel very discouraged and maybe give up completely." [33]
Anchor Book 1994 Edition Disintegration 1958, Archie sent his novel to the London agency recommended by Gilbert Phelps. Novels were sent to several publishing houses; Some publishers directly refused, arguing that the works of African writers have no market value. [34] Finally, it was sent to Heineman, where the supervisor was hesitant at first, until Donald MacRae, a consultant who had just returned from a trip to West Africa, wrote a concise report: "This is the best novel I have read since World War II". [35]
On June 1958 and 17, Heineman sold 2,000 hardcover copies of Disintegration. According to Alan Hill, an employee of the publisher at that time, the publisher was not ready to publish. [36] The book was widely praised by the media, and the critic Walter Allen and the novelist Angus Wilso also gave positive comments. Three days later, The Times Literary Supplement wrote that the book "really succeeded in expressing tribal life from an internal perspective", and the literary magazine Times and Trends also said that "Achebe's style is an example for aspiring scholars". [37]
The response of this novel in Nigeria is mixed. When Hill tried to sell the book in West Africa, he was met with suspicion and ridicule. The faculty and staff of ibadan University think it is interesting for their alumni to make a novel that can be easily sold. [38] Some readers reported a supportive attitude; A commentary published in Black orpheus wrote: "This book completely shapes a vivid picture of the life of the Igbo people in front of readers, and the characters and plots in the book fully show a way of life that is still in people's memory but has disappeared irretrievably." [39]
In the book, O 'Connor has been trying to get rid of his father's influence. His father is a lazy man who likes to play the flute and is often in debt. When the white missionary came to his Umafia village, all kinds of contradictions and chaos intensified. [40] By discussing the problems in the field of cultural conflicts, especially the collision between Igbo tradition and Christianity, Achebe finally returned to the main body of those early novels based on personal experience.
[Editor] In the same year that Marriage and Family Disintegration was published, Archie was promoted to NBS to be responsible for the coverage of the East District Broadcasting Network. He moved to Enugu to perform his duties. There, he met Christie O 'Cowley, who was born and raised there and just joined NBS. A friend of hers found that although they both joined the company at the same time, Christie's salary was one level lower than her, so she found Archie's theory from Christie, and they chatted for the first time. Christie is in hospital for appendectomy. She was glad to see that Achebe had brought many gifts and magazines to see her. [4 1]
Achebe and Aucler got closer and closer, and finally got married in the Easter Church of ibadan University on 19531October 22nd. [42] Christie Archie said that their marriage was full of trust and mutual understanding. Because of the conflict of care and communication, they sometimes have conflicts at the beginning of marriage. However, with the passage of time, the couple slowly learned to adapt to each other. [43]
Their first child is a girl named Chinelo, born in June 1962+0 1. Their eldest son, Yi Kai Chukwu, was born on February 3, 1964, and their youngest son, Tiki, was born on May 24, 1967. When the children started to go to school in Lagos, their parents began to worry about the world outlook instilled by the school-especially the world outlook on race-and those white teachers were often biased against the African way of life. [44] 1966, Archie published the first children's book Chekhov and the River to express these worries. [45] After the Biafra War, Achebe had a second daughter, Enwando, born in1March 7, 970. [46]
[Editor] Turbulence and Travel 1960 Archie dedicated his second novel Turbulence to Christie, which described the corruption of Lagos officials. The protagonist of the novel is Obi-Wan, the grandson of O 'Connor. [47] Achebe described Obi's experience in Lagos to reflect the challenges faced by the new generation after Nigerian independence. Obi-Wan is limited by the expectations of his family, tribe, hometown and the whole society. Like his grandfather, he was overwhelmed by these forces and eventually went to prison for taking bribes. Achebe's novels show his ability to describe life in modern Nigeria. [48]
Later that year, Archie won the Rockefeller Prize for a six-month trip, which he called "the first allowance of my writing career". [49] He went to East Africa. One month after Nigeria's independence, he went to Kenya, where he was asked to fill out an immigration form and fill in his race in the blank: European, Asian, Arab or others. He was surprised that he had to fill in "other" and found that his situation was "almost ridiculous", so he took an extra watch as a souvenir. [50] After that, he went to Tanzania and Zanzibar (now incorporated into Tanzania), and he was depressed to see the paternalistic attitude of African-American hotel clerks and social elites. [5 1]
Achebe also found that Swahili is becoming the dominant language in Africa. Swahili radio is widely used in the countries he visited. Even so, he found that people were "indifferent" to literary works written in Swahili. [52] He met with the poet Sheikh Shaban Robert, who complained that he had difficulty in publishing Swahili works. [53]
In Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), he once took a bus to Victoria Falls and sat in the white section. The conductor asked him why he was sitting in the front, and he replied, "If you must know, I'm from Nigeria, where we can sit wherever we want." [54] The black passengers who came to the waterfall cheered for him, but he felt sad-ironically, they could not persist in resisting apartheid. [55]
Two years later, Achebe left Nigeria again, this time with the support of the Creative Artists Fund of UNESCO. He visited the United States and Brazil, where he met many writers, including novelists Ralph Ellison and arthur miller. [56] He also met with some Brazilian writers to discuss the trouble of writing in Portuguese. Achebe is worried that if Brazil's distinctive literary works are not translated into more widely used languages, they will be ignored. [57]