Dawning the stamp of realist fiction, author Chinua Achebe’s
narrative, ‘Things Falls Apart’ serves as a thought-provoking commentary on the
life and customs of the Ibo people. In an effort to more accurately depict his
society, Achebe both abides and deviates from a number of aspects of his chosen
genre. This is most apparent in the message of his novel; it’s many cultural
ties and the progression of its narrative. In doing so Achebe actively engages his
audience and depicts the world of his people, in a authentic and tangible
light, all the while maintaining his personal flair and insights on the matter.
Realist fiction, correlates with the
working and dynamic of the real world. As such the plot of ‘Things Fall Apart,’
coupled with Achebe’s incentive in writing it, serve as the narrative’s most
obvious adherence to the conventions of Realist Fiction. Determined in his
effort to correct the tainted notions that had been cast upon his society,
Achebe presents his people, the Ibo in an authentic light; true to whom they
were. In light of all the Ibo have undergone and their far than flattering
representation at the hands of Western authors, one might have suspect Achebe
of purposefully casting his people in an impartial and bias light. Nonetheless
the author stays true to himself and his audience, maintaining his integrity by
commenting on both strengths and flaws in society. An example of his impartiality
would be his mention, of wife beating and fellowship, contrasting factors that
both played a prominent role in the shaping the Ibo community. In not favoring
a particular sentiment, Achebe succeeds in providing his reader with an
accurate and veracious outlook on the Ibo and it is this multi-faceted view
that strengthens the novel’s plausibility of life, endowing it with its sense
of authenticity.
Achebe further adds to this sense
of realism by incorporating a number of practices unique to the Igbo people,
the most notable being his inclusion of their oral tradition. Amongst the Ibo, the act of tête-à-tête was
well regarded, and for that reason, proverbs, folklore, mythology and oration
make up a sizeable portion of the novel’s mythos. This in turn ties into the
notion of Mimesis, a defining characteristic of Realist Fiction, as Achebe’s
inclusion of these practices in his novel, represents and imitates the real
world.
Popular perception of realist
fiction had long entailed the author to follow a linear structure in the
progression of their account. However Achebe fails to adhere to this convention
instead opting for a framework that more closely reflects the style of speaking
used by the Igbo, skirting round a subject before pouncing on the very heart of
it. This is evident in the passing of the novel’s three sections. In the first,
Achebe adopts a circulatory narrative, retracing Okonkwo’s roots and his
relationship with his father. As such this structure does also serve a
practical role, in providing the reader with some background and pretense
regarding Okonkwo’s ambtions. The latter half of the novel, is far more
structure and time oriented, possibly reflecting the structural change brought
upon by the arrival of European colonizers, whose way of life is far more time
centric. Regardless in adopting this structure, Achebe celebrates the discourse
of his people, furthering the novel’s authenticity and veracity in relation to
its subject material.
By abiding and deviating from a
number of aspects of his novel’s chosen genre, Realist Fiction, Achebe succeeds
in depicting his society in its most true form. This is not only made clear in
the subject matter of the novel, but also it’s countless ties-ins with the oral
traditions of the Ibo and the progression of its narrative. In doing so Achebe
is able to actively engage his audience and depict the world of his people, in
an authentic and tangible light, providing a thought-provoking commentary on
the life and customs of the Ibo people.
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