At the university, he dropped his English name "Albert" in favor of the Igbo name "Chinua," short for Chinualumogo. ... At University College, Achebe switched his studies to liberal arts, including history, religion, and English.

What was Achebe's original name?

Chinua Achebe, in full Albert Chinualumogu Achebe, (born November 16, 1930, Ogidi, Nigeria—died March 21, 2013, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.), Nigerian novelist acclaimed for his unsentimental depictions of the social and psychological disorientation accompanying the imposition of Western customs and values upon ...

Why did Achebe reject his European name Albert?

While he was in college, Achebe studied history and theology. He also developed his interest in indigenous Nigerian cultures, and he rejected his Christian name, Albert, for his indigenous one, Chinua. ... Achebe's novel shatters the stereotypical European portraits of native Africans.

What did the Sunday Times name Achebe?

Chinua Achebe was cited in the London Sunday Times as one of the "1,000 Makers of the Twentieth Century" for defining "a modern African literature that was truly African" and thereby making "a major contribution to world literature."

What is Chinua Achebe best known for?

Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist and author of 'Things Fall Apart,' a work that in part led to his being called the 'patriarch of the African novel.

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Why did Chinua Achebe drop his English name?

Only with a college degree was a Nigerian likely to enter the higher ranks of the civil service. The growing nationalism in Nigeria was not lost on Achebe. At the university, he dropped his English name "Albert" in favor of the Igbo name "Chinua," short for Chinualumogo.

How many honorary doctorates does Achebe have?

Achebe received numerous awards and more than 30 honorary doctorates, but among the tributes he may have valued most was Nelson Mandela's.

When did Chinua Achebe retire?

Retiring from academic life in 1982, Achebe briefly became active in left-wing politics before tiring of what he saw as the weakness and dishonesty of those around him. Refocusing on his writing, in 1987 he released his fifth novel, Anthills of the Savannah, more than 20 years after A Man of the People.

Where did Chinua Achebe spend his last years?

In 1972 he moved to Massachusetts and since then spent much of his time in the United States, with occasional spells in Nigeria. His last post was at Brown University in Rhode Island. Through tears, former government minister and friend Dora Akunyili said Achebe's death “leaves a void in Nigeria, Africa and globally.”

What was the musical form of the black Americans that Chinua Achebe mentions in his colonialist criticism?

That is odd, however, given not just Achebe's fascinating, inspiring, but critically untapped reflections on blues and jazz (“Colonialist Criticism” 89; Marrow, “Chinua Achebe”) but also that (African) American blues music and musicians have been well-known in Africa for years and the blues-inflected jazz tradition and ...

What does Achebe demand from his fellow novelists?

Achebe is one of the most highly regarded of African writers in English. His greatest strength as a novelist is the steady refinement of his control over language. ... Therefore, he requests the fellow African writers to advise the future generation through their art of writing.

Why did Achebe write things fall apart?

Achebe's primary purpose of writing the novel is because he wants to educate his readers about the value of his culture as an African. Things Fall Apart provides readers with an insight of Igbo society right before the white missionaries' invasion on their land.

What was the reason why ikemefuna came to live in Umuofia?

Ikemefuna comes to live with Okonkwo's family as a peace offering from Ikemefuna's home tribe to the Ibo for the killing of a Umuofian daughter. Ikemefuna serves the purpose that Oknokwo's tribe will not go to war with Mbaino: A young boy named Ikemefuna is given to Umuofia in order to avoid war.

Why called Things Fall Apart?

The phrase "things fall apart" is taken from the poem, “The Second Coming” by W.B Yeats, which Achebe quotes more extensively in the epigraph. ... The title Things Fall Apart refers to the fact that without proper balance, things do fall apart. The notion of balance in the novel is an important theme throughout the book.

What are 3 facts you learned about the author Chinua Achebe?

Chinua Achebe also wrote many short stories, essays, criticisms, poetry, political commentary, and works of non-fiction. Chinua Achebe continued to teach throughout his life. He was a professor at the University of Nigeria, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and at Bard College in New York.

Was Chinua Achebe paralyzed?

He was 82. His agent in London said he had died after a brief illness. Mr. Achebe had used a wheelchair since a car accident in Nigeria in 1990 left him paralyzed from the waist down.

What was Chinua Achebe's life like?

Chinua Achebe was born on November 15, 1930, in Ogidi in Eastern Nigeria. ... Achebe was brought up as a Christian, but he remained curious about the more traditional Nigerian faiths. He was educated at a government college in Umuahia, Nigeria, and graduated from the University College at Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1954.

How the Leopard Got Its Claws?

About How the Leopard Got His Claws

In a riveting fable for young readers about the potency and dangers of power taken by force, Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, author of. Glowing with vibrant color, Mary GrandPré's expressive and action-filled paintings bring the unforgettable tale to dramatic life.