The art of storytelling is not new to the African Child. Stories are a part of our upbringing. I remember with nostalgia my childhood days, filled with several episodes of the deceitful exploits of ‘tortoise’ and how it ‘earned’ its cracked shell. Another interesting thing about these stories is that they were only told in the evening, usually after supper, especially on nights when the moon shone brightly. Children from different mothers (usually co-tenants in the same compound) would gather around an elder to listen to what has been dubbed ‘Tales by moonlight’. The moon itself became an important aspect of storytelling and the feeling on one of such nights was truly exhilarating. So you see, in Nigeria, we grew up on stories.
Since my childhood until now, I have met so many storytellers, sharing tales shrouded in myth, with morals hidden behind deep proverbs. As I grew older, I graduated from listening to an oral rendition of stories to reading published authors for myself. In all this time, I have not come across a more profound voice than that of Albert Chinualumogu Achebe, in my own words – the master story teller. He, too, described in one of his works, an evening under the moonlight, thus–
“On a moonlight night, it would be different. The happy voices of children playing in open fields would then be heard. And perhaps those not so young would be playing in pairs in less open places, and old men and women would remember their youth. As the Igbo say: “When the moon is shining, the cripple becomes hungry for a walk.” – from ‘Things Fall Apart’
Achebe was, and since authors never die, continues to be, for me a distinctive voice instantly recognisable in a pool of accomplished authors. He wrote with a certain ease that portrayed a mastery of his art, in a unique style heavily influenced by his Igbo cultural heritage. It is, therefore, no surprise that Achebe’s stories have an abundance of proverbs –
“Among the Igbo, the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten” – ‘Things Fall Apart’
Interestingly, I liken ‘Okonkwo’s victory against ‘Amalinze the cat’ in the wrestling contest as portrayed in Achebe’s first published novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ to his own break into the international literary scene. My perception is that, as Okonkwo became famous amongst the local villages after he threw Amalinze in a wrestling bout, similarly, Achebe’s popularity grew in the international community and with the publication of the novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ as Nelson Mandela aptly put it, “Chinua Achebe brought Africa to the rest of the world.”
The novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ upon which Achebe built a remarkable literary career was first published in 1958, two years before Nigeria attained its independence. It depicts the ideology of a society in the southeastern part of Nigeria prior to colonialism. With this novel, Achebe adeptly examined the encounter with and effect of Western ethics on indigenous traditional African values and how the later has been significantly eroded and substituted with the former.
“…The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one” – ‘Things Fall Apart’
Sometime in 1956, when Achebe completed ‘Things Fall Apart’ (the hand-written manuscript), which was almost lost but for the timely intervention of a senior colleague of his, I wonder if he had any inkling that the same manuscript would later be published and translated into more than 50 languages and read across the world, I wonder if he knew that his work would address political turmoil, liberate the minds of the incarcerated and loosen the grip of colonialism; indeed “there was a writer named Chinua Achebe in whose company prison walls fell” – Nelson Mandela.
Professor Achebe, who lived through the times to see the attainment of Nigeria’s independence in 1960, a heartbreaking Civil War that tore apart the lives of people from his birthplace, a number of military coups and government overthrow, an exploitation of the commonwealth of a nation and a budding democracy, was not afraid to confront the social ills of his country through his works, despite the enormous consequences that befell men who dared to express an uncommon view. Achebe in his last book ‘There was a Country: A personal History of Biafra’ succinctly expressed his opinion on the role of a writer thus –
“A writer faced with the ills in his society is left with two options, either confront the ills with his pen or look the other way and do nothing… the one who looks the other way will no later begin to write elegantly tired fiction.”
Achebe strongly believed that Arts must be to the service of society and Professor, we are truly grateful for the service you have rendered to us and generations yet unborn. Since you left, many writers have emerged, and many more still will, as the art of storytelling is not new to the average African child. We grew up on stories, but you Achebe, are a pathfinder. You paved the way for us all.
Written by Kelvin Erhonsele
This article is the fifth in our ‘Chinua Achebe: A Man of the People’ series. Ventures Africa is celebrating and honouring Chinua Achebe, one of Nigeria’s most influential and celebrated writers.
