The Audience

I have enjoyed reading Achebe's novel this second time around because of the insight I've gained in the class so far. What strikes me about the novel is the essense of the culture of the Ibo people. Their history is honored in their everyday lives, their thoughts, their actions, and their customs. I think the history and culture of their lives are merged into a colorful language. Achebe's use of folk tales, Ibo words, and descriptions of rituals, ceremonies, customs, traditions, and everyday life paint a vivid picture of the everyday life of the Ibo people. He devotes a chapter to the daily lives of his wives and children, another chapter on the wrestling matches and ceremony, and finally another on the "uri" being held by a neighbor for his daughter. Based on the detailed descriptions of these everyday events, I believe that Achebe is writing for an English speaking and reading audience. I feel Achebe has put a great effort into pulling his audience into the culture and history of the Ibo people, as well as into the lives of Okonkwo and his family. If his audience was already Ibo-aware, I believe his novel would have turned into something quite different. His use of Ibo language, glosses, etc, reafirm that this novel is meant for European/American readers. Achebe has reached out to his colonizers and shown them a distinct "before conolization" portrait, then shows a distinct "after colonization" portrait. His use of language coupled with the atitude of Okonkwo throughout the novel reflect the before and after attitudes Achebe himself has towards European colonization of Africa. I am sure that Achebe inteded his people to also read and gain knowledge from his writing, however I feel that they were not intended as his primary target.