Achebe's intended audience

In Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”, we as readers most definitely get to see a side of the Igbo culture that otherwise wouldn’t be available for us to see. This, coupled with the fact that Achebe did write the book in English can be used to suggest that his target audience was a European/Western Audience. The use of the Igbo stories, songs, etc. serve as a reminder to a European audience that this group of people have their own culture, beliefs and traditions that are sacred to them, much like our own culture, beliefs and traditions are sacred to us. By using these different elements of the Igbo/Nigerian culture, though a European audience might not agree with their practices, we are reminded that they are human beings, just like us. They too have the fear of failure and being disappointed or not being “all they can be”. One could argue that using the stories and songs in the book was done solely for the benefit of a European audience, because a European audience may never have been exposed to the culture previously. It would seem slightly redundant to go over the Igbo practices and customs if his sole intended audience was the Igbo people, especially if the proverbs and customs in the book ones that are widespread throughout Igbo culture. Why would Achebe need to inform the Igbo people of their own traditions when they have been exposed to them throughout the duration of their entire lives? But on the other-hand, there is one song that Achebe chooses to leave in Igbo and not translate. It almost seems like an incentive for someone reading the book who knows the Igbo language. Or another way to put it is, it’s something special that Achebe and that particular reader share. Either way, whether it was written for a European audience or a Nigerian audience, both cultures can take something away from it. One, a better understanding and a new perspective. The other, a call for steadfastness in their traditions and beliefs