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?

Comments

Search

Popular posts from this blog

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,

Upon the Infant Martyrs Poem Summary by Richard Crashaw

Poem To see both blended in one flood, The mothers’ milk, the children’s blood, Makes me doubt if heaven will gather Roses hence, or lilies rather. Introduction The 17th-century metaphysical poet Richard Crashaw was renowned for his religious and devotional poetry. Among his most famous works is the Latin poem entitled "Upon the Infant Martyrs." This poem is a moving and beautiful tribute to the innocent children who were martyred for their faith. In it, Crashaw imagines the children as a chorus of angels singing praises to God. The poem is both a touching elegy and a powerful statement of faith. Summary In the poem “Upon the Infant Martyrs”, Richard Crashaw discussed the brutal murdering of newborn babies particularly the aftermath of the massacre. The "milky fonts that bath [their] thirst" in "To the Infant Martyrs" beg an insulting comparison to the blood dripping from severed veins and female body parts, and the milky lather bubbling from the mouth of

A History of the Art for Art's Sake Movement in English Literature: A Comprehensive Overview

  Introduction In the early years of the 20th century, there was a growing movement in English literature known as “The Arts for Arts Sake.” The movement was motivated by the belief that art should be used to improve society and promote social justice. This is a truly ambitious goal, and it took many years for The Arts for Arts Sake Movement to gain traction. Today, it remains an important part of the literary conversation, and there are many excellent books, articles, and videos dedicated to it. The History of the Art for Arts Sake Movement in English Literature. The Art for Arts Sake Movement was founded in the early 1990s to encourage English writers to focus on the arts as a way to express their ideas and improve their writing. The movement is considered an important part of English literature, and has helped many authors achieve success both in English language publications and abroad. What is the Art for Arts Sake Movement The Art for Arts Sake Movement is a global movement made