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Definition of Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given situation, and that of the... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a... read full definition
Dramatic Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Colonialism:
For any reader aware of the often violent history of European colonialism, Things Fall Apart is a novel that hinges on tragic, dramatic irony. When the people of Umuofia and Mbanta first encounter White people, they are unaware of the violence their people will face at the hands of colonial empires. Readers, however, remain painfully aware of this future violence throughout the novel. When certain characters disregard Christian evangelism as harmless, the reader can only spectate in agony, armed with foreknowledge of the harm some Christian missionaries dealt to indigenous communities and religions.
Undoubtedly Achebe intended this novel to be a source of constructive discomfort for White, Western audiences. Things Fall Apart sheds an empathetic light on Ibo people, presenting tribal culture and tradition as worthy of the same respect afforded to Nigeria's Western counterparts. This presentation contradicts common racist generalizations made about African societies: namely, that they are less complex and produce fewer "high-value" cultural objects (important books, art, etc.). Things Fall Apart was clearly written with a Western audience in mind—very likely with the intent to alter racist Western cultural assumptions. As one of the first novels written about Africa, by an African author, in English, Things Fall Apart clearly targets Western audiences. As such, it harnesses dramatic irony to its advantage.
