English Literature

Chinua Achebe is a well known Nigerian professor, writer, and a novelist. He was born on 30th November 1930, in a remote area in southeastern Nigeria called Ogidi. He is a son of a teacher who was a strong evangelical protestant but he wanted him to learn many values and ideals of his community. His parents named him Albert Chinualumogo Achebe after Prince Albert of England. He attended one of the government colleges in 1944 just like the other famous Nigerian writers including prof. Wole Soyinke, Cole Omotso, John okigbo and many others. He was good in academics and this made him to win a scholarship to study his first degree at the University of Ibadan (Njoku, 1984). He majored in English, History and Theology. While still in the university, he disowned his English name (Albert) and settled for the local one, Chinua. After graduating, he went back home and got his first job with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation as a radio presenter. In 1960, he was in charge of the external services in the corporation. Chinua Achebe is a great African man who is referred to as the father of modern African writing. The truth of this has been affirmed by many writers through writing about him in the last 50 years.
In 1966, he started a publishing company with one of his great friends called Christopher Okigbo. Same years later, he was almost assassinated by the Nigerian military government after linking his novel, A man of the people, to a military coup. His co-partner in business was however killed. He was given a position by university of Nigeria as a researcher which acted as the start of his academic career. In 1971, he was an editor of one of the most known literally magazine in Nigeria. Mr. Achebe did not stop there as1984, he founded a bilingual magazine called Iwa ndi which focused on the culture of his Igbo tribe (Stratton, 1994). He was an achiever as in a years time, he was a full professor in the university. In his career as a professor, this great man has taught in many universities all over the globe including University of Connecticut, University of Massachusetts among others. Due to his great work in academics, he has been rewarded with honorary degrees which are over twenty in number. In addition to all that, he has received the Nigerian National Merit Award which is the most respected Nigerian honor given to people who have excelled intellectually.
Achebe is also one among the most respected writers in the modern Africa. His great vision has greatly influenced and modeled literature in Africa today. This has made him to be referred as the father of the African novel in English. Most of his works talks about the effects of colonization in Nigeria and struggle of the Nigerian people to achieve their independence. He stresses more on the traditions of his tribe (Igbo), the effects of Christianity on the local culture before and after the era of colonists. His style of writing focuses more on the Igbos oral tradition and narration which includes story telling and proverbs. Some of his works represents the first African written works in English (Fadwa, 2005). Critics and scholars have praised his intensive good work about contemporary African politics and society, his excellent use of African folklore, and proverbs.
 Things fall apart was his first novel which was published in 1958.  This famous book has been translated into over 50 languages.  He explores the contradictions and complications that were there between the local people and the missionaries, the Christian beliefs that were against the indigenous culture. This book has become one of the most important books today and over 8 million pieces have been sold. Two years later, he came up with No longer at ease and Arrow of god which were all published in 1964.  A Man of the People (1966) followed which talked of how the African states have been strangled by corruption and the lust for power. Others includes,anthills of the savannah (1987), morning yet on creation day (1975), hopes and impediments (1988) and his long essay the trouble with nigeria (1983). arrow of god (1994) Morning yet on creation day, Hopes and impediments, The trouble with Nigeria, Anthills of the savannah, and many others (Booker, 2003).
Although successful in his work in writing, he has been criticized a lot by women and even referred to as a sexiest author. They argued that, he has used women character in negative way, like women been beaten by their husbands, women been referred as weak and many others. This shows how distasteful he is towards the woman gender.  He also never used women characters in place of authority irrespective of their obedience in his books. Although he seemed to have changed this culture in his novel Anthills of the savannah, where he uses one of the characters, Beatrice, and tries to balance the mens aggression in power.
In Nigerian politic he has not been left behind, he was active in Nigerian politics in 1960s. In fact, some of his famous writings concentrate on the political problems and social problems faced by his country men.  In 1966, he became one of the devoted liberators of Biafria towards its independence. He even served as the peoples ambassador for this new country when it finally broke away from Nigeria in 1967. He also intervened when the peoples survival was at stake due to starvation and war effects that shook the new nation by asking for aid from Europe and America. When the government of Nigeria took over the country again in 1970, he also involved himself with party politics (Chinwe, 2001). Later, he resigned from politics due to what he termed as endless corruption and elitism. He could not take it any more on the trends of the politicians who had no interest in the needs of the people. He shifted to US where he lives up to today with his family after he was involved in a car accident in 1990.
Achebe married Okoli on September 10th 1961, and they have a wonderful marriage according to his wife, Christie Achebe. She says they had some hiccups during their first years in marriage due to lack of attention and communication problems. They solved their differences and now they are stable. They have four children two daughters and two sons, Chinelo, Nwando, Ikechukwu, and Chidi respectively. When the kids were small and in school in Nigeria, the parents had a lot of concern over them in reference to the exposure they were in.  This triggered Mr. Achebe to publish some books on children targeting these concerns.
Chinua Achebe has been referred to as the father of modern African writing, and this is true because a lot of work have been written regarding him in the last 50 years. To affirm this fact in 1992 the Nigerian university celebrated his sixty birthday and they had invited the most known people in literature paternity in Africa. Achebe has been a blessing and a model in the African continent. In several occasions, he has been invited to lecture or deliver some of the important lectures around the globe (Njoku, 1984). A well known event is when he delivered a series in theology and culture on behalf of the Pope John the 16th..   This man, Achebe, is a great man of Africa and he is highly respected everywhere he goes.