Hi m14! What a tricky prompt!
I assume you are struggling with the 'storytelling' bit of the prompt ('consequences of failing to change' seems pretty do-able for most students). I would encourage you to:
- define the word - is it just plot? the characters changing into different/more mature people? literary devices? the narration? something else? all of the above?
- think about the impact of 'storytelling', as you've defined it. How does it shape the reader's understanding of these consequences? Does it make them seem less surprising? more predictable? fateful? deserved? tragic?
- consider the word 'warn' as a connecting point between 'storytelling' and 'consequences'. It suggests that Achebe is deliberately using storytelling as a tool to achieve an outcome. How can this be true? What do you see supports this idea?
A great way to showcase your analytical skills a little bit more is to think about the implications of the prompt. You're being asked to consider how Achebe uses 'storytelling' to achieve the purpose of 'warning' - is there another purpose? Maybe to memorialise Igbo culture? To condemn colonisation and white superiority? I wouldn't make this the focus of your whole essay, but having a little bit here and there will show off your understanding of the novel 🙂
Hope that helps!
