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The main themes in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe are the language – which is a sign of cultural differences - and the conflict between the Ibo people’s culture, traditions, what they are used to and the changes that are taking place.

Through language, Achebe illustrates that Africa is not as backward and uninteresting as many Colonial writers presented it. He shows us the originality and formality of the language of the Ibo. By the addition of translations of proverbs, stories and songs from the Ibo language, he shows us how intricate it is to translate directly into English. A good example of this - and also an illustration of how many different dialects and languages there are in Africa – is when the missionaries come to Mbanta “He spoke through an interpreter who was an Ibo man, though his dialect was different and harsh to the ears of Mbanta. Many people laughed at his dialect and the way he used words strangely. “(p. 102). One could compare this to the same......

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Approximate Word Count: 565
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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