Toni Morrison reads "English and the African Writer," by Chinua Achebe: Writing Frame:

In his essay, "English and the African Writer" Chinua Achebe reflects on the role of language and power, focusing on the influence of other cultures on the African  (Nigerian) literature and culture.

Achebe's main purpose was to communicate the idea that all countries are independent and they should promote their own culture, especially when it comes to language and sharing it instead of include foreign languages.

Achebe view of the British/English language is that is a powerful language that is most likely going to finish covering the world’s toung. He asserts, “Yet the fact remains that Nigeria was created by the British—for their own ends.” Also, he referred to _______________________ which created the emotion/reaction of guilt within the reader.

Achebe believes that the justification for using English as a means of communication in his novel is not an excuse or a bad thing because using such a powerful language gives the opportunity to share their literature to a wider extent.  

The influence of the British led to a high socio-political change, including, change of of language and culture within the smallest communities. Achebe points to the irony at work when presented with work by authors such as Shabaan Robert, the Swahili poet of Tanganyika, as he could not understand his work, and would not, until she learned Swahili or other African languages that are not English or French, or until the works would be translated.

Writers who choose to publish in the colonial languages of English and French, are not, Achebe believes, "unpatriotic smart-alecs," they are in fact, " by-products of the same process that made the new nation-states of Africa."

Achebe draws to a conclusion by referring to the work of James Baldwin. He draws a parallel between this work and his own ideas by comparing the similar problem that both of them were facing; the different ways of applying the inheritance of the English language in literature.

Quote bank: please add to this/highlight key quotes within your copy of this extract.

 "If it didn't give them a song, it gave them a tongue."

“Where am I to find the time to learn the half dozen or so Nigerian languages, each of which can sustain a literature?”

“Let us not in rejecting the evil throw out the good within.”

“I do not see African literature as one unit but as a group of associated units—in fact the sum total of all the national and ethnic literatures of Africa.”

“Yet the fact remains that Nigeria was created by the British—for their own ends.”

“Today, for good or ill, that language is English. Tomorrow it may be something else, although I very much doubt it.”