Introduction

This introductory chapter presents the presuppositions underlying the study and the concept and derivation of ‘care’ as used in the book. It also underscores the need to treat Chinua Achebe’s novels as literary works of art which, accordingly, always call for rereading. This applies equally to all the literary works of the tradition, as long as they manifest what Walter Benjamin calls ‘strength’. The tendency has been to present them all, including Chinua Achebe’s works, especially to students of literature as having fixed meanings, and this is what is taught and learned, with the result that the learners have no incentive to directly engage the text.