The prose used to write Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart is uniquely stylized and shaped to suit its African setting. The author largely succeeds in developing a blend between the English language and the culture of the Ibo people. Using this European language to define various unfamiliar words, explain customs, invent ways of thinking, and translate metaphors creates the illusion of an African language while still being accessible to individuals in this English-dominated world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout the entire novel Achebe inserts Igbo words that can be defined by the reader through evidence from the text or are defined in his writing. This technique makes the reader reinterpret the sentence, as one would when translating, and gives us just a taste of what this particular African language sounds like. “The active ingredient of that medicine was a one-legged old woman. In fact, the medicine itself was called agadi-nwayi, or old.” (Things Fall Apart pg.11-12) The deceptively simple blend of African words and English writing makes the story easy to understand while remaining true to its African roots. Although written in English, the author explains various African customs that become familiar to the reader as the story progresses. An example of this can be found in almost every chapter with the breaking of kola nuts, the fruit of kola trees found in African rainforests, as a ritual metaphor and common practice of the Ibo people. ""Thank you. Whoever brings the cola brings life. But I think you should break it,” Okoye replied, handing the disc back.” (Things Fall Apart pg.6) Being a recurring theme, it gains more meaning throughout the plot as the Ibo culture begins to decline due to colonialism. The use of African customs and values ​​intensifies the culture of the story without being burdened by its English disguise. In addition to showing the customs of this African tribe, Achebe also includes assorted metaphors that represent the morals valued in this society. They are crafted to help the reader become familiar with the unique group mind of the Ibo people, whose ways of thinking may be different from ours. The simplicity of these stories makes them translatable and accentuates the importance of verbal continuation in Ibo culture. In one particular Igbo tale, Mosquito asks Ear to marry him, whereupon Ear mocks him by stating, "How long do you think you'll live?...you're already a skeleton." (Things Fall Apart pg.75) Mosquito leaves humiliated, but every time he passes Ear in the future be sure to tell her that he is still alive. Although simple, this tale gives the reader an understanding of how Ibo culture explains the world. This is a contrast that might be lost if it were written in the African language. Some philosophers and deep thinkers, such as Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, might argue that using English to write about one's culture only reinforces colonialism and its effects. Language and communication are an essential part of culture, and using a foreign language to create an artistic rendition of that culture would overlook a substantial part of its value. “[In] the colonial education system, in addition to the racial demarcation of apartheid…English became the measure of intelligence and ability in the arts, sciences and all other branches of learning.” (Decolonizing the Mind by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o pg. 3) Language has been used to destroy connection and convert individuals to a single way of thinking. So writing in your own language can be seen as one..