Contextual Comprehension #TFA

1) What was the most meaningful takeaway from today’s discussion relating to the cultural or literary context of Achebe’s work? 

Today's discussion certainty shed light on elements of the text that I had not considered as much in depth, as I now understand, that I should have. The most meaningful takeaway per se would be the acquisition of the concept of context of composition, which stands in stark contrast with the context that Achebe's tale prevails in. Accordingly, to primarily cement what the context of composition refers to:

The context of composition is when writers are influenced by their context (time in which they live, place in which their write or families from which they come), which ultimately contributes to the construction of their literary works. 

Subsequently, learning about the fact that Achebe penned his novel, Things Fall Apart, during the period of political turmoil in Nigeria (due to English imperialism), provoked me to conjure the link between why Achebe may have chosen to set his novel in a period earlier than the times he was writing it in. Perhaps Achebe was trying to revisit the incipient intervention of the British in Nigeria and thus was attempting to highlight the complexities of Nigerian life that were irreparably disrupted. In doing so, he attained the aim of showcasing the transition of clustered villages into one colonized nation under the British. Moreover the fact that Things Fall Apart was penned in 1958, which was two years prior to Nigerian independence, delineates the fact that nationalism was already heightened amongst the people and literary works as such only further propelled people to exhibit resilience and thus challenge the forced Eurocentric hegemony and assimilation. 

2) Select a specific quote from the interview or a general idea from the discussion and write a brief reflection.

One quote from Achebe’s interview that genuinely resonated with me was, “Storytelling has to do with power. Those who win tell the story; those who are defeated are not heard.” I am in complete agreement with Achebe’s perspective in this case as Achebe specifically alludes to how Europeans had initially constructed, through their literary works, a relatively skewed image of Africa in the minds of the Western populace and this was only possible because they were the domineering influence in the world during the mid 1900s. That being said, I also believe that this quote may not be as applicable today as people of all groups today have access to a platform that allows expression in the form of literature. Subversive literature such as Achebe’s works were a rarity in his time, nevertheless today the horizons have widened and the scope of such literature has expanded only due to revolutionary writers who took the risk and decided to tell their side of the story. It is crucial that perspectives are balance; simply viewing one side of a story can never capture the authenticity of a situation. As Chimamanda Adichie mentioned in her TedTalk— Single stories create stereotypes that are not untrue, but are incomplete. Hence, while the perspective of the “winners” is incontrovertibly crucial, hearing the voice of the “defeated” is equally as important to gain a holistic understanding.