Paper 2 Response

Chosen Question:  Show how and to what effect Achebe makes use of myth legend or other stories and tales. 

Things fall apart is a realist fiction book, which mirrors the colonization of Africa. The novel is set in Umuofia, a town comprising of 9 villages in Nigeria. The story is mostly narrated from the main protagonist's point of view, Okonkwo. . Since the story is told from his perspective the cultural ideologies and traditional aspects are written as closely to the Igbo culture as possible. The Igbo culture incorporates many uses of myths and legends and are expressed as fact through the use of their stories and tales. The following analysis aims to show how and to what effect Achebe uses myth and legends through the different stories in the novel. Through the use of proverbs, myths, legends and fables Achebe aims to create an explanation for the Igbo customs and traditions thus enriching the reader's understanding helping them create a closer sympathetic bond between the Igbo characters in the novel.

The art of folklore and storytelling in African literature specifically Things fall apart has become one of the most important forms of literary expression. Through the novel one can see that the Igbo culture is an oral one. Orality is the only form of documentation, meaning that the different myths and legends in the story are explanations and documentations of the past. The use of proverbs in the culture are a form of expressing an obvious truth. For example in Chapter 1 one can see the reference “Proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten." In this example we see a proverb being used to communicate a more refined lifestyle. This way the standards for a lifestyle are communicated through a popular and clear way. Another proverb which is shown in the first chapter is”If a child washes his hands he could eat with kings". As one can see from the novel the culture is very tradition based and the idea of born with a title, and dying with a title are very important. This proverb communicates the values of their society but also a way to "rise from the ashes".  It is basically stating that by removing the dirt of the ancestors you can have a chance of a different future, each one builds his own fame. We can see this proverb communicated and mirrored through Okonkwo's life which hence builds and enriches the meaning of the proverb for the reader.  

Fables are fictitious stories which are often times about animals. The are shared to teach a moral lesson.  Fables are also used to mirror reality and even foreshadow the future. In the novel we can see both examples.  In chapter 11 Ekwefi tells Ezinma a story about a turtle who changed his name to be a part of a feast. In the culture we can see this as a story about teaching patience but it is a very multi-vocal texts. Taking a colonial lens and the by looking at the context of this novel one can see that this story mirrors the idea of colonization, where the turtle had to change his name (language) to be a part of a community. Only by changing his identity was he allowed to feast, thus mirroring that the Igbos fate.  Okonkwo's son Nwoye changed his name to Issac to survive in a society ruled by oppressors similarly to that of the turtle. The use of this story helps one understand the context of the novel but also foreshadow the fate of the Igbo since this fable is told before the colonizers disturb the peace in Umuofia.

Myths and Legends are both types of stories which are handed down from generation to generation serving to explain phenomena or customs.  In the novel they help the audience understand the historical basis of certain events thus enriching the reader's understanding. The coming of the locuses are very destructive but are values since they mark the coming of prosperity. 


In conclusion fables, myths, and legends serve a deeper purpose.  In the story itself it serves purpose for the characters as it provides explanations for cultural and traditional events. For the audience it enriches their understanding of a certain event. This enriches their understanding of the Igbo culture which then overall makes them have a larger appreciation.