The African Writer and the English Language Response

In his essay, "English and the African Writer" Chinua Achebe reflects on the role of language and power, focusing on the reason and purpose of why he, a Nigerian author, wrote his critically acclaimed book "Things Fall Apart" in the English language. Through this explanation, Achebe manages to transmit that the African literature was affected by the English language in a positive way. Achebe gives insight on the fact that the english language, brought by the British colonizers to Africa is now an essential part the African culture. The African continent is separated into a large variety of ethnic societies, which use different languages to communicate and write literature. Achebe says that these cultures do not want to accept the english language as their official communication and literature language even though it is an international language that gives a more steady and efficient type of communication. To further prove this point, Achebe uses the following quotation, "If it didn't give them a song, it gave them a tongue". Through this quote Achebe is referring to the efficiency of the english language and how it expanded internationality and cultural diversity in communication throughout a great part of Africa and if used more, will in the future create a further steadier communication system for all the countries containing different cultures throughout the diverse continent of Africa.

Achebe's main purpose was to communicate the idea that the introduction of the English language by British missionaries in some parts of Africa was culturally more positive than negative. The introduction of the English Language into the African Cultures enabled them to embrace a language used worldwide, which creates stronger global connections and as mentioned before, enhances the communication system. In fact, in "Things Fall Apart" by Achebe it is clear that the introduction of the english language brought by British missionaries had more negative than positive effects on the Igbo culture, allowing them to unify further and allow clear expression and freedom of speech. In his essay, Achebe mentions that he once had a visit from a fellow author and poet from Kenya named Joseph Kariuki. He read his poem, Come Away in Love, which talked about the trials and tensions of an African man in love of a British girl. The poem was in english, and allowed Achebe to connect with the messages and semantic figures rich in the poem and be impacted by its connotation. In contrast, Achebe in 1960 met with Shabaan Robert, a Swahili poet. Achebe recognized that he was conversing with a very influential and important writer, but because of the fact that the literature was written in a language belonging to a specific area of Africa, he did not feel a strong impact and certainly did not feel the connection he felt with the poem written in the english language by the Kenyan poet. By these examples, Achebe's intention is to further enhance the fact that the introduction of the english language was positive. Literature written in an international and steady language such as English, allows other people around the world to comprehend the writing and feel connections that are impossible to feel with Swahili, as it is a language enclosed in a specific area and not spoken and any other continent around the globe. Achebe also says that he would love to learn all the languages spread around the continent, but it is impossible. He clarifies that the English language is one of the most common ways of speech, and ties a strong communication knot between countries. One of the quotes of his essay proves this point when he says "Where am I to find the time to learn the half dozen or so Nigerian languages, each of which can sustain a literature?". Furthermore, this quote refers to the fact that mainly literature in too many different languages impedes understanding and insight from other cultures that efficiently use the english language to interact and gain knowledge about other cultures.

Achebe's view of the British/English language is that although it is hard to process for some African people, it brought more positive than negative aspects to the African culture. He comprehends that the African have a negative perspective of the British colonizers as they also brought diseases and oppression, but, regarding language, they brought a powerful way of communicating that has proven to be efficient for several cultures spread around Africa that have been able to create strong links with other nations that permits prosperity and development. He asserts, "Let us not in rejecting the evil throw out the good within". With this assertion Achebe refers to the idea that African society must let go of the past and leave behind all the harm brought by the British missionaries and embrace this powerful language that enhances the communication system throughout the African continent. Also, he referred to the usage of the English language as the main national language of Nigeria as it represents the current reality, which created the emotion/reaction of indignation and resentment within the reader, which did not accept a language originated from a considered hostile and different culture.

Achebe believes that the justification for using English as means of communication in his novel is that British colonialism gave the opportunity for different ethnic groups around Africa and overall to efficiently be able to communicate with each other. He then states that African writers that chose to write their pieces of literature in the English language are not unpatriotic, they are positively influenced by the immersion of the English language in the African culture, and use it to establish and enable a good global communication system. The English language unified groups that were separating, as a result, permitting a better communication and understanding between them. Achebe explains that before the imperialistic period, Africa was completely separated by tribes and different cultures that had different communication systems. The English language established an official way of communication, allowing the cultures to help each other develop and further create positive links with the aim of national and international progress. It also expanded and eased education, since most African areas learned a common way to communicate and express.

The influence of the British led to a high sociopolitical change, including, new political systems and further social unification between cultural groups. These changes allowed clans and tribes located in the same area to unify into powerful nations that shared a same political system and could express themselves using the english language as a common communication form, establishing efficient political and social norms that led to the creation of a unified and working nation. Achebe points to the irony of work when presented with work by authors such as Shabaan Robert, the Swahili poet of Tanganyika, as he could not understand his work, and would not, until he manages to learn the swahili language and could understand the meaning of his poetry, and then proceeded to mock the authors that utilized these languages enclosed to one single area by saying " Where am I to find the time to learn the half dozen or so Nigerian languages, each of which can sustain a literature?"

Writes who choose to publish in the colonial languages of English and French, are not, Achebe believes, "unpatriotic smart-alecs," they are in fact, "alecks with an eye on the main chance - outside their own countries. they rare by-products of the same process that made the new nation-states of Africa."

Achebe draws to a conclusion by referring to the work of James Baldwin. He draws a parallel between this work and his own ideas by stating that he recognizes that Baldwin's problem is not his, but he feels that the english language will be able to carry the weight of his African experience. He also says that it will have to be a new English, still in full communion with its ancestral home but altered to suit its new African surroundings