Written Critical Analysis of a Literary Text - Essay Example

? Written Critical Analysis of a Literary Text For centuries, scholars have hesitated between two resisting assessment in regard to the role of drama, prose and poetry in social life. A long way of traditional thinking in regard to society and language argues that oral art enhances a clear dynamic drive in shaping linguistic study and structure (Anya, 2012). Nevertheless, linguists and anthropologists have often marginalized poetics through believing that the aesthetic way of using language is solely parasitic upon the core subjects of linguistics (Achebe, 2012). For instance, the core areas are semantics, syntax, phonology and anthropological fields like social and economy organization. This position emanates clearly in the work of a Nigerian author in his latest work of “There was a country,” as the article explains. There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra by Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian writer whose story telling talent and moral courage gifts have left enduring marks on the world’s literature. The release of There was a Country work explains his experience during the Civil War in Nigeria, aka the Biafra War of 1967 to 1970 (Serpell, 2012). The war was not famous because of its impacts on the lives of Biafra’s, who went for numerous days without food or water. The war was the greatest among the humanitarian disasters all over the world. Chinua Achebe and his loving family were caught up in the midst of atrocities. As a worldly known novelist, Achebe resided in a Biafra homestead worked as a ranging cultural ambassador and witnessed the full horror of the war. As soon as the war ended, Chinua acquired one of the academic posts in university based in the U.S (Anya, 2012). for a period of not less than forty years Chinua hardly uttered a word regarding those horrific war years. Nonetheless, he addressed the terrible years solely through his novels and poetry (Achebe, 2012). After spending several years composing “There Was a Country,” he finally presents a towering reckoning fateful experience covering both his experience and how he came to understand the experience. Chinua uses the context of literature and language, character, narrative and awareness of genre in this book. Marrying memoir and history, weaving the poetry of the author all through the chapters, the book distills a vivid observation, considered reflection and research (Serpell, 2012). More so, the book relates the birth pangs in Nigeria, on the subject of Chinua’s development both as a man and significant Nigerian writer, as well as, evaluates the obligation of an artist during war. In the past, Achebe has written short stories and poems regarding Biafra such as Girls at War (1972). However, people hoped and waited for a chronicle about Achebe's view on the contested Nigerian history. At long last Chinua produced, a narration titled There was a Country, which is striking because it is not personal for providing details about the war; even though he subtitled it as A Personal History of Biafra. This book serves right the admirers of Achebe, as well as, those who are not yet familiar with his significant work (Serpell, 2012). Some of the parts are same as the passages of his previous essays and interspersed poems in the narrative. The keen followers of Achebe’s work will develop interest while reading some new revelations regarding his life as he states in the first section. However, the book’s second section provides details about the war especially how he foregoes own memory. In writing regarding the crucial events, Chinua utilizes the information about what people told him instead of his own feelings. As a result, the narration leaves the audience with the most nagging dissatisfaction that reflects as if the writer left things unsaid (Achebe, 2012). More so, the book has several glimpses. For instance, on paying a vacation as one of the Biafra ambassadors to Canada, a host contributed a joke. A loud laughter accompanied the joke and abruptly it dawned to Chinua that Biafra was distinct from any other place that valued laughter. Later on, on realizing the presence of a plane taking off from the Heathrow, Chinua unconsciously tried to jump for cover. Nevertheless, the book has additional small details that are oblique and tantalizingly brief. For instance, the reader longs to hear and see what Achebe felt during war or a more novelistic advance than he represents. The first section of There Was a Country is more satisfying than the second part in the sense of personal and involved. For instance, the section shows Chinua’s happy childhood, father’s portraits, close-knit family, mother, a moral missionary teacher, mother and the intended audience (Serpell, 2012). A direct quote from the book supports this when Chinua stated “It is her peaceful determination to tackle barriers in her world that nailed down a very important element of my development – the willingness to bring about change gently.” The author develops and awareness of the relationship between language and social, cultural and historical themes (Achebe, 2012). For instance, the first book’s section is a celebration of Igbo’s richness in cosmology, philosophy and is inclusive of culture. In Chinua’s attempt to recall the welcoming aspect of his people towards the early missionaries, he outlines about “how wholeheartedly they embraced strangers from thousands of miles away, with their different customs and beliefs.” His story or history? Chinua wrote the book using an approach under three genres: academia, poetry and memoir. For instance, he starts with age introductory routine, recalling his early scholastics life and his interest for literature (Anya, 2012). More so, he describes his exploding desire to write African narratives and make the society a narrative routine. In addition, outsider exposition, misrepresentation and cliche burdened Chinua. He tucked poems in between the pages that he published in a way they conjured the horrors that Biafra’s went through during the three years war in Nigeria. Nevertheless, Chinua uses academic as a crucial narration mode in the book. Achebe states that the genocidal determinations of the Nigerian official touched off the war. For instance, Obfemi Awolowo hardly tolerated the occupancy of Igbo’s especially in the upper class of society. In addition, Awolowo charges people from Muslim and Hausa north for the offence of murdering Igbo’s during the revenge of 1966 coups. Was there an imbalance? Judging from the topic, There Was a Country Chinua unsurprisingly made it sensitive and infuriated its equal share of all Nigerians. This was regardless of the fact that some members have uttered words against him especially in the media. It is certain that the memoir by Achebe strikes the ethnic nationalism (Achebe, 2012). The story does not feature any part where Achebe disparages any person from Hausa or Yoruba descendants. Nevertheless, he celebrates the industrious and enterprising characteristics of the Igbo people. Construction is a common word people use to describe or identify Igbo. This is especially when they state that Nigeria cannot achieve much in the absence of Igbo’s contributions. A partisan picture When exploring whether Achebe’s work portrays a partisan picture, it is sensible to compare his work with that of his fellow Igbo and acolyte like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Adichie wrote Half of a Yellow Sun, which was her second novel exploring the war of Biafra. Her work provides the reader with realistic stories complete with the aspects of moral deterioration of the Biafra soldiers. For instance, the Biafra soldiers involved in immoral practices such as child soldering and rape. When making a comparison between Achebe’s and Adichie’s work, Achebe’s looks like propaganda. More so, his work fits on the consideration of his obligation in the succession. Nevertheless, his work was dangerous for a country that experience immense tensions just as it did in 1960s. Adichie considered Achebe as her mentor, but later on got disappointed for reasons she suggested as exceeding explores. It does not matter the location of a teller or author; storytelling is not a smooth work. For instance, in Achebe’s work There Was a Country he dedicates little time to compose the project’s memoir trope. In addition, Achebe distributes the key incidences in his entire life in a paragraph, hardly ever encouraging the reader to smell, touch or hear a lot (Anya, 2012). Consequently, he uses a traditionally concise writing style that hardly services the brief treatments. As a result, a meaningful and sparse advance to language reads as incomplete and clumsy. For instance, passive constructions lead the approach, which shows a reliant on unclear verb choices. Achebe used to boast that people nick named him as “The Dictionary,” but his incomplete and clumsy work proved otherwise. If narrating, a true and honest story, is the objective of every writer, and Chinua would confirm that truly it is, then the most celebrated narrator of truth in Africa indeed missed that objective (Achebe, 2012). What the reader achieves after reading There Was a Country by Chinua Achebe is a partisan narrative about politics, as opposed to a contribution to an informative collection. Approaching the incidences and contributors of war – the government’s participation in misrule and corruption – Achebe acquires a straightforward and less personal recounting tone than other writers. This starts in the first section until the other parts especially when Achebe starts to explain the 1966 counter-coup. In addition, he describes the Igbo’s massacre after the coup, the continuous declaration of freedom, the unsuccessful attempts to negotiate peace and the painful impacts of the coup. Achebe hardly pulls punches even though he makes concessions in relation to the alternative view points. For instance, he uses viewpoints related to colonialism era and the moral necessity on other writers to provide a committed literature (Anya, 2012). Moreover, he shows little concern regarding whether the deeds of Nigeria’s Federal Government in war contributed crimes and genocide. Achebe is scrupulous towards people’s response and naming the government officers. For instance, he provided the viewpoint of officers on the basis of reports and news. The book is significant, but it can emerge victorious when an informed editor could carry out the fact checking and close proof-reading process (Achebe, 2012). There are irritating errors in Achebe’s narration such as “Deferral” instead of “Federal,” and “maul over” instead of “mull over,” among others. References Achebe, C. (2012). There was a country: A personal history of Biafra. New York: Penguin Press. Anya, I. (10 October 2012). “There Was a Country”: A Review of Chinua Achebe’s Biafran Memoir. Retrieved from http://africanarguments.org/2012/10/10/%E2%80%98there-was-a-country%E2%80%99-a-review-of-chinua-achebe%E2%80%99s-biafran-memoir-by-ike-anya/ Serpell, N. C. (2 November 2012). “There Was a Country,” by Chinua Achebe. Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/There-Was-a-Country-by-Chinua-Achebe-4004703.php Carlucci, P. (8 November 2012). Review – There Was a Country by Chinua Achebe. Retrieved from http://thinkafricapress.com/nigeria/review-there-was-country-chinua-achebe-biafra (Carlucci, 2012) Read More