17 pages • 34 minutes read
Beware Soul Brother
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Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“Answer” by Chinua Achebe (1971)
This poem declares a recovery of identity in the face of the plundered artifacts and culture of Achebe’s people. The poem uses an extended metaphor to describe the feeling of recapturing one’s culture and identity from those who would use it as something to marvel at like a piece of art. Achebe uses literary devices in this poem that are similar to “Beware Soul Brother,” such as repetition, evocative imagery, and a juxtaposition between traditional and Western images.
“Butterfly” by Chinua Achebe (1998)
This poem describes the meeting of a butterfly and a car. The poem uses juxtaposition to show how the soft, light world of nature intersects with the harsh, heavy, and violent world of man. The poem reflects a keen understanding of the qualities of nature that the modern world and its focus on commodification destroys. The symbol of materialism, a speeding car, brings destruction upon something innocent like a butterfly. This echoes how industrial conquest, travel, and technology has led to the exploitation and destruction of the natural world in many places that have become the targets of Western capitalist expansion.
Further Literacy Resources
“An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness” by Chinua Achebe (1975)
This is Achebe’s most famous literary criticism, and it is still debated today. In this critique, Achebe takes issue with Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness (1899). This is the story of a steamship that travels deep into Africa in search of an ivory trader named Kurtz. While the novel acts as a critique of colonialism, Achebe finds the novel racist in its depictions of the African people, as they are presented as childlike and animalistic. Achebe argues that the book gives them no agency. This is an early example of postcolonial criticism where thinkers argued for more authentic portrayals of colonized people that gave voice to their complex realities. Achebe also argues that Conrad being a product of his time is not an excuse for the racism in his book, and he uses contemporary examples to make this point.
“There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra by Chinua Achebe - Review” by Noo Saro-Wiwa (2012)
This review of Achebe’s account of the Nigerian Civil War provides valuable context for understanding both the war and Achebe’s role in it and after it. Saro-Wiwa believes Achebe creates a strong narrative about the war and its consequences on Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
“Remembering Chinua Achebe, Who Defended Africa to the World” by Michel Martin and Ofeibea Quist-Arcton (2013)
In this conversation, Quist-Arcton speaks to the legacy Achebe left behind in Nigeria and in Africa. The conversation focuses on Achebe’s identity as Igbo, Nigerian, and African, and Quist-Arcton explains exactly what Achebe means to the continent of Africa. The speakers also focus on Achebe’s contributions during the Nigerian Civil War and his activities after it. Quist-Arcton concludes that Achebe’s legacy voice will live beyond the grave as an advocate for Africa and the cultures, traditions, and people of Nigeria.
“Bearing Witness, With Words” by Dwight Garner (2013)
This obituary of Achebe discusses his significance as a writer on colonialism, identity, and masculinity. The article recounts the plot and themes of Things Fall Apart and discusses its impact on the literary world. The article also provides a good example of double consciousness, as Garner recounts Achebe’s experience in a British-style school where he read Western literature and came to identify with the white protagonists. Garner quotes Achebe, who describes how he learned to recognize the way these books dehumanized African people, and that inspired Achebe to provide a written voice about his people, by his people.
Listen to Poem
In this excerpt of a longer lecture delivered in 2004, Achebe reads his poems “We Laughed at Him,” “Remembrance Day,” and “Their Idiot Son.” Notice how Achebe adds emphasis, rhythm, and an energetic trill to many of the consonants in his poetry.
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By Chinua Achebe
