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After reading Chinua Achebe's novel, "Things Fall Apart," I became interested in other popular Nigerians are researched brief facts about Chinua Achebe, Fela Kuti, and Wole Soyinka.
Chinua Achebe
Fela Kuti
Wole Soyinka
After reading Chinua Achebe's novel, "Things Fall Apart," I became interested in other popular Nigerians are researched brief facts about Chinua Achebe, Fela Kuti, and Wole Soyinka.
Chinua Achebe
- "Things Fall Apart" was his first novel, written in 1959.
- He co founded a publishing company, alongside Christopher Okigbo (poet).
- A tragic car accident paralyzed Achebe from the waist down. He was confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life.
- He received honorary degrees from over thirty universities world wide.
- He won several awards, including the Man Booker International Prize, and the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize.
Fela Kuti
- Was a musician combining Funk, Jazz, salsa, Calypso, and Juju.
- He refused to bow after a performance as an act of protest.
- He set out to "reclaim Africa's stolen dignity." (Moore)
- Many of his song lyrics called for revolt, as he chastised the west.
- He had many wives.
Wole Soyinka
- Was awarded a Rockefeller bursary
- Taught drama and literature to a variety of universities
- Produced plays and acted in them as well
- Was arrested for "conspiring with the Biafra rebels" (Nobel Foundation)
- Based his writing off of the mythology of his tribe.
Nigeria's Promise, Africa's Hope
by Chinua Achebe
The thesis of Achebe's essay, I think, is the second paragraph. It's a small paragraph, giving a concise idea of what the entire essay will be about:
"In my mind, there are two parts to the story of the African peoples ... the rain beating us obviously goes back at least half a millennium. And what is happening in Africa today is a result of what has been going on for 400 or 500 years, from the 'discovery' of Africa by Europe, through the period of darkness that engulfed the continent during the trans-Atlantic slave trade and through the Berlin Conference of 1885. That controversial gathering of the leading European powers, which precipitated the 'scramble for Africa,' we all know took place without African consultation or representation. It created new boundaries in ancient kingdoms, and nation-states resulting in disjointed, inexplicable, tension-prone countries today."
He supports this thesis with points as follows.
- Achebe used an analogy to show how Africa was treated, when given their freedom, as mentioned in the end of his thesis.
- He then continues by emphasizing the absence of logic.
- He includes a call for action in regards to the end of his thesis. He calls for a solution to the "disjointed, inexplicable, tension-prone countries today."