3. Chinua Achebe was born November 15, 1930 into
an Ibo family in Eastern Nigeria in a town called
Ogidi.
His father, Isaiah Okafor Achebe was a teacher in
a missionary school.
His mother, Janet Ileogbunam and his father raised
him with values from his traditional Ibo culture as
well as being devout evangelical Protestants.
He graduated from the University College at
Ibadan in 1954 and also attended a government
college in Umuahia.
4. While in college, he studied English, History, and
Theology.
In 1954 he worked at a school as a teacher in Oba.
He also worked for the Nigerian Broadcasting
Corporation (NBC) in which time he wrote his first
book in 1959, Things Fall Apart.
His first novel showed his readers a new way of
looking at Nigerian Literature with his new way of
writing.
He married Christie Chinwe Okoli in 1961and they
had four children.
5. After writing Things Fall Apart 1959, he wrote
another novel titled, No Longer At Ease in 1960. This
novel was more about the colonial regime.
His literature Arrow of God, written in 1964 was also
about the past in Africa adding in tribal traditions.
From 1967-1970, Achebe worked for the governor
and also confounded a publishing company.
6. Okankwo, the main character in this story was
the superior man of his village who had a major
downfall.
He was powerful and he knew this as he was
the leader of his community. Everything is
perfect in Okankwo’s life until he kills a man
and is banished for seven years.
The time period is set in the 1890s when
missionaries came into Igbo society and took
over. With this real life fact, Achebe
incorporated history into his fictional story.
This invasion was Okankwo’s biggest downfall
as the missionaries took over leadership.
7. Musiitwa, Daniel. "Chinua Achebe." Africa Book
Club. N.p., 21 Aug. 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.africabookclub.com/?p=17>.
Chinua Achebe from Encyclopedia of World
Biography. 2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of
the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.
"Chinua Achebe." Chinua Achebe. Web. 28 Nov.
2012. <http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/achebe.htm>.