The Voice of the Villagers: Model Sentences from Chinua Achebe
Three sentences to study by the author of Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease, and Arrow of God. Plus, quotes about writing novels about America, the importance of connection, and more.
Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian novelist, poet, and essayist, is widely regarded as the father of modern African literature and one of the most important literary figures of the 20th century.
Best known for Things Fall Apart, Achebe gave voice to precolonial African societies and the complexities of colonial disruption through clear and powerful prose. By fusing oral traditions with Western narrative techniques, he redefined the African novel in English and challenged dominant Western portrayals of the continent. Achebe’s work is marked by its cultural depth, political insight, and profound humanity.
Let’s explore his writing style and his thoughts on writing novels about America, the importance of connection, and a 1964 interview with Achebe and Soyinka.
Three Questions to Ask When Studying Sentences
How is the sentence structured, and why does that structure work?
What literary or rhetorical devices are being used, and how do they enhance the sentence?
How does the sentence create emotion, and what techniques contribute to that effect?
Three Sentences by Chinua Achebe to Study and Imitate
Sentence #1
“When the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk.”
Practice: Try this sentence frame using a topic from your writing.
When the ______ is _____ the _____ becomes _____ .
Here’s an example I came up with.
When the stars are twinkling in the night sky the thief becomes impatient for a stranger’s pocket.
Sentence #2
“When a coward sees a man he can beat he becomes hungry for a fight.”
Practice: Try this sentence frame using a topic from your writing.
When a _____ [verb] _____ [he/she/it] becomes _____.
Here’s an example I came up with.
When an honest and just man mentors a young boy without guidance and direction he becomes the father the young boy never had.
Sentence #3
“But the eye is very greedy and will steal a look at something its owner has no wish to see.”
Practice: Try this sentence frame using a topic from your writing.
But the _____ is _____ and _____ its ____.
Here’s an example I came up with.
But the heart is a cup and will forever be filled with its desire to care for others.
Your Turn: Use the model sentences and frames to craft your own sentences and post them in the comment section below.
Two Quotes by Chinua Achebe on Writing Novels About America and the Importance of Connection
Quote #1
“There’s no lack of writers writing novels in America, about America. Therefore, it seems to me it would be wasteful for me to add to that huge number of people writing here when there are so few people writing about somewhere else.”
Journal Prompt: Writing about America, or writing the American novel, is about writing about the American mythos - determined individualism, exploration, from rags to riches, from lost to found. What are the core beliefs and perspectives found in your writing?
Quote #2
“I tell my students, it’s not difficult to identify with somebody like yourself, somebody next door who looks like you. What’s more difficult is to identify with someone you don’t see, who’s very far away, who’s a different color, who eats a different kind of food. When you begin to do that then literature is really performing its wonders.”
Journal Prompt: Connection is an essential human need. Like water and food, feeling connected to someone feeds the soul. What stories have made you feel connected? The connection could be to the writer or a character.
One Cool Thing - A 1964 interview with Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka
An archival interview featuring two of Africa’s most influential literary figures: Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka.
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