e during the week of peace. The priest deems Okonkwo's actions unacceptable and refuses the peace offering that Okonkwo proposes when he says, "Take away your kola nut. I shall not eat in the house of a man who has no respect for our God and ancestors" (30). The refusal of the nut demonstrates the priest's disapproval of Okokwo's actions, but in a peaceful manner.
             Achebe uses a great deal of narrative irony to enhance the reader's literary experience. The most blatant example is his decision to relay the story in the English language as opposed to African dialect. Why would Achebe write his story in English when he is trying to recreate a non-English culture? The author answers this question when he says that "English is the national, administrative, legal and literary language of both the West African's living in ex-British colonies and the white man...where am I to find the time," he says, "to learn the half dozen or so Nigerian languages?" (The African Writer and the English Language," Morning Yet on Creation Day, 1976). A vital point to keep in mind is that the novel is intended for both English-speaking Africans and Westerners. Therefore, although it seems ironic for the author to write in English, this choice serves a greater purpose because is enables the Achebe to communicate to both ethnic groups. This source of narrative irony adds to the themes of language and culture in the novel, given that a key conflict between the two nations is the their lack of effective communication and as a result, the development of major culture clashes. A concern for this language barrie
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