Skip to main content

Chinua Achebe's "The Novelist as Teacher" Analysis in English

 Chinua Achebe's view on the novelist as teacher is odd. He mentions early in the essay that his works are mostly read by school-aged children, whether he wants the role or not. Achebe accepts that "it's part of [his] job as a writer to teach" (71), but not the lessons others want him to teach. Achebe insists that "no self-respecting writer will take dictation from his audience"

Even though he has little regard for what society expects of him (both as an author and as a teacher), Achebe sees the value in being seen as an educator. He has taken advantage of this inadvertent role to teach his readers. In "The Novelist as Teacher," Achebe defines his role as helping "his society regain self-belief and shed years of denigration and self-abasement"

 He explains why this is the most important lesson from his novels, but he would be satisfied if they only showed his people (his readers) that they had a past before the Europeans came. Achebe disputes and accepts his teaching role throughout the essay, creating a confusing message. As a teacher, he believes he should send his own message, not listen to society. In the end, he describes his novels as "applied art", or useful art, saying, "

Art is important, but so is the education I have in mind" (72). Achebe describes a difficult-to-define relationship between author, text, and reader. Achebe's essay shows that author and reader expectations don't always align. How can one determine what an author is responsible for? How much is it the reader's job to interpret a text?

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Search

Popular posts from this blog

Sir Roger at Church by Joseph Addison - Essay Summary & Analysis

Introduction: "Sir Roger at Church" is an essay written by Joseph Addison, first published in "The Spectator" in 1711. In this essay, Addison reflects on the character of Sir Roger de Coverley, a fictional country gentleman, and his behavior and attitudes during church services. Background of the Essay: Joseph Addison, along with his friend Richard Steele, founded "The Spectator," a periodical publication that featured essays, social commentary, and satire. "Sir Roger at Church" is part of a series of essays that depict the life and adventures of Sir Roger de Coverley. Summary: Sir Roger's Character: Sir Roger de Coverley is depicted as a benevolent, traditional English country gentleman. He embodies virtues such as kindness, generosity, and a deep sense of duty to his community. Despite his old-fashioned ways, Sir Roger is well-respected and admired by those around him. Sir Roger's Religious Observance: In the essay, Addison observes Sir...
Post a Comment
Read more

On Shaking Hands Essay by A.G. Gardiner Short Summary & Notes

 The piece of writing titled "On Shaking Hands" was penned by A.G. Gardiner. In this piece of writing, Gardiner makes some observations and judgments about the widespread practice of shaking hands. There are many different ways to greet someone depending on where you are in the world, such as the Japanese bow, the Indian "Salaam," the Chinese "grave motion of the hands," the Arab "touch with fingertips," and so on. Gardiner draws parallels between the practice of shaking hands and other social norms. He provides some humorous insight into the Russian practice of kissing, which is quite common there. He recounts the hilarious situation in which Prince Kropotkin was greeted with cheek kisses from a group of elderly gentlemen.  In addition to that, he tells some humorous anecdotes about the various ways that people shake hands. He claims that one should not favour shaking hands that are warm and clammy, hands that are listless and flaccid, or hands ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Not Just Oranges by Isai Tobolsky Short Summary

 Isai Tobolsky is the author of the short story titled "Not Just Oranges." The narrative explores a range of human experiences, including love, innocence, arrogance, and repentance. A mother raises her young daughter all by herself in the narrative's fictional setting. She has a tremendous amount of love for her daughter. Her income is not very significant due to the fact that she is employed as a charwoman in a medical facility. On the other hand, she provides an exceptionally healthy diet for her daughter. At one point, the young girl makes a request to her mother to purchase a blue ball. She has a lot of fun with the ball that her mother buys for her when she plays with it. However, there comes a day when the ball hits the window of their next-door neighbours, the Malachovs. It shatters a pricey vase that was sitting on the window sill.  The elderly woman, Mrs. Malachov, gets worked up into a rage. The young girl and her mother pay a visit to the Malchakovs' home, ...
Post a Comment
Read more