Please complete all blog posts pertaining to Things Fall Apart in the comments section of this thread. Blog posts are assigned weekly for the duration of the Lit Circle, and are due by 10pm on Thursday nights.
Students posting in this thread will be: Steph, Julie, Will & Samm.
Happy Reading!
17 comments:
As you see I am the most motivated of the group and I have better things to do with my Thursday nights, I will be the first to post for our group. Yay!
One of the prevailing themes in Chapters 1-6 which I would like to discuss is fear as a motive. Achebe highlights fear as a motive through both the society and main character. Achebe states that "[d]arkness held a vague terror for these people, even the bravest among them" (9). This society is plagued by a deep value of superstition. This superstition is rooted in the society's fear of the unknown and drives many of their curious behaviors, including warding off evil spirits, fearing sinister animals, and believing oracles. The main character, Okonkwo's actions are also greatly driven by fear: the fear of becoming like his father. Okonkwo's life was "dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness" and this causes him to act with extreme determination and live the harsh life because of his "fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father" (13). Okonkwo's reaction because of this fear also instills fear upon his family who lived in fear of his temper. This demonstrates fear as a domino effect, which can define one's demeanor, as seen in the case of Okonkwo. This is analogous to the manner in which many people in our society life as well, fearing the unknown of what might be out there, aliens or monsters, or even what may become of their lives, rejection or loss. Just like Okonkwo many characters in real life fear what they will be in the story of their lives.
Very true Steph, you are the most motivated and perhaps I just have nothing to do on Thursday nights. :)
I love the subject you picked. I find it interesting because this can be very strongly compared to the modern world too. Many live in fear of being a 'nothing'. Exactly what Okonkwo is afraid of. He wants his life to mean something not only to his family, but also to society. He fears that others will have negative emotions towards him because of what his father did although he can not go back and change his actions. Okonkwo has, in some ways, realized that he is unable to change the opinions of others about his father, and has thus focused all of his attention to creating a positive image for himself.
Like Okonkwo, his family now lives in fear of him, of his beatings, and of his failure. The fear becomes a vicious cycle in their lives and this fear is exactly what drives Okonkwo to his extreme measures and irrational behavior.
I would also think that it is very important to note, in the vein of fear acting within people, that a very large part of the fear that Okonkwo has is directed at his society, or rather their conception of him. I feel that Okonkwo is not so much worried about being like his father as he is worried about what other people think about him. There is the passage in which it mentions that, as a child, Okonkwo was extremely ashamed of how another child spoke derisively of his father. This seems to indicate that Okonkwo was not internally ashamed of his father, as much as he was of what other people thought of his father. There is also the passage in which he beats his wife, and then gets in trouble with the priest of the Earth god. Afterwards, though he is inwardly repentent, he outwardly acts like he is not bothered by this, and as if he has done nothing wrong. He does this because he does not want others to think he is weak, or submissive. To me, this fear of how society percieves him appears to be probably Okonkwo's main motivating factor (his value of titles also plays into this), and with the summary given on the back page, I think that this could play a big role in his "downfall." Definitely, this kind of fear, and any other factor causing the fear should be noted further on the book, because it seems that these will play a very large part in the story.
Also, adding onto Okonkwo... This value of others perception seems to also be a key part of the society, mainly seen through the title system, and may play a big role later in the novel for more than just Okonkwo.... O.o
Well clearly I'm going to be fulfilling the role of procrastinator in this group :) Anyway, very good points brought up about fear, I like the idea of discussing Okonkwo as someone that cares very much what other people think. In fact, as I read the part about how he lived in constant fear, it was evident that is a huge clue to his character. Here is this man that has already accomplished so much, from winning a famous wrestling match against a respected competitor to making himself into a successful man without the aide of a strong male figure, and yet he is still not entirely confident in his abilities. He is very aware of how unstable status is, and that at any time he may suffer a blow to his pride. It is interesting that fear still motivates him, even though he has seemingly turned his life into a success story.
In other news, I am intrigued by the culture shock of this book. I am excited to discuss the lifestyles of this tribe, including the multiple wives, the taking on of "titles", and the sacrificing (trading) of people between villages. Can't wait for our first Circle and to see how you guys pronounce some of these crazy names :)
I love this book :) I'm curious to see what you think. Whenever I assign it to be read in class, we also look at the poem alluded to in the title ("The Second Coming" by Yeats). Perhaps that's an interesting connection to explore.
I read the poem 'The Second Coming' and found it very intriguing; however, I feel very hesitant to comment on my interpretation of the poem because there are others better suited to analyzing poetry than myself. But from the first few stanzas about the falcon I can find a connection between its theme of companionship. In the last part of our reading for this week, we had a closer look at the relationship between Okonkwo, Ekwefi, and Enzinma. I think this part of Okonkwo's family is what allows him to keep things from falling apart (so punny). However, the emotional bonds they share are not supported by the rest of society, even though it makes Okonkwo stronger. The fact that Okonkwo fears what others think is what weakens him because the values that the society endorses are honestly what may drive Okonkwo to falling apart.
I would also like to take this opportunity to point out how trite the culture seems to me. Most of them blindly follow the religious practices. This is shown in the religious ceremony with the Evil Forest, where there are the spirits, which are portrayed by the society as unlike anything from the human realm. However, the author notes that it was clear that one of the spirits walked like Okonkwo and Okonkwo was not present at the ceremony, as a few of the women noted but did not comment upon. This religious hoax gets to the root of the society's loose bonds, based upon ignorance and social conformity (as "Mister Hardy" pointed out).
Slightly disoriented by the length of Stephanie's comment... So I'm going to choose to bring up another topic :) In last week's reading we heard a little bit about how Enzenma was Ekwefi's only child, I remember thinking that that was a bit strange. Here we have a society where raising children is basically the most a woman can aspire to, and Ekwefi has only one. And on top of that, her child is not even a boy. In this reading we of course find out why it is that Enzenma is an only child. The story of Ekwefi's numerous attempts prior to Enzenma is another interesting point for discussion,as it reflects the strange rituals and beliefs of the people.
But the most interesting thing to me was Okonkwo's reaction to the whole thing. When Ekwefi follows the Priestess, Okonkwo gets worried and makes not only one but four trips to go check for Ekwefi. This is shocking because Okonkwo is described as a strong and unemotional man, and it is clearly important to him that he keeps up this image. Yet he frets over Ekwefi and Enzenma, a woman that gave him only one child and a sick Ogbanje (changling). I love this section because we get to see the beginning of a breakdown in Okonkwo's "manly" facade.
Julie, this is probably my favorite part of the book so far. I find the part about searching for the Obanje stone particularly interesting. I feel as though, at first, Ezinma enjoys the attention she is getting from leading the search, until finally she points to where the stone is hidden. I find the whole story of the stone interesting because I feel as though there are so many connections and so much symbolism within it. I feel as though bringing the stone to the surface represents how one’s sins and past continue to haunt them throughout their lives, and in a way control them. Much how Okonkwo allows his conscious to control his day to day life and even many of his relationships and place in society after he killed Ikemefuna. In all, the I find the Obanje spirit interesting, as it kind of reminds me of the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I also find it interesting that Ekwefi still holds this enduring love and care for her daughter, regardless of the countless emotional pain she has put her through. Do you think the Obanje story is foreshadowing any events in the future, or was it simply embedded to explain the society and relationships?
Interesting comments, one and all..... I think Steph made a good point today in lit circles/on the blog about the religious hoax deal.. The society does seem to have a great fixation upon religious practices, rules and rituals, yet it seems that they embrace a great deal of contradiction and apparent conflict between reality and their religion. The fact that Okonkwo is obviously indicated to be acting as a spirit, and that some of those around note it indicates a clear sense that they know that what they are choosing to practicing and believe in is not quite real. This would be even more so for someone, such as Okwonkwo, who experiences firsthand the conflict with reality. Though this conflict between what the society chooses to believe and what they must know is true seems to be very transparent to the reader, and indeed might be very clear in a general sense, even to the tribal people, I think it certainly bears worthy parallels to society, and humanity in general. While the tribsepeople's practices may seem a bit farfetched, similar parallels happen all the time in western society. Take the genocide in Rwanda for example. There was clear evidence that there was genocide going on there, but the western countries buried their heads in the sand and simply said "we don't believe it" or perhaps "there is no KNOWN genocide, only reported acts of genocide"... Obviously there was genocide occurring, and anyone with two eyes, a tv, and a functioning brain could figure that much out. But we chose not to acknowledge or believe what logic and simple thought could tell us. While Rwanda may seem a little extreme, I think that it serves as a clear and easy to understand example of how the same thing happens in our own society. Maybe, it'd be best to look at why the tribespeople choose to believe what they do, rather than look down on them for the disconnect between their beliefs and what they know.
In addition to all of that,I think that its very important to note the nakedness/vulnerability theme in Chp. 11, which apparently all you females glossed over. (idk how I was the only one to pick up on this...) Ekwefi runs behind Chielo (naked), and Chielo acts "inhumanly" when she comes randomly to take Ezinma from her. I think that this whole chapter was rather symbolic. Life is going along as normal (Ekwefi and Ezinma are sharing stories), and then suddenly, we are ripped out of our home, and thrust naked, bare, into the cold inhuman world, without apparent reason or cause. There, we are left to follow only what we think might be best, but in the utter darkness (nightime in the book) of the unknown, we truly have no way to know what direction is best. At times, we might have phantom images, faint ideas of hope that might guide us to the place that we want to be (the moon rises), but just as often, we might find ourselves precariously perched between that hope and a bottomless fall towards hell, or whatever other analogy to a bad place you might like (Ekwefi is suspended in the night between the upside down man on the palm tree and the faint image of Chielo). We may fall at times, and be cut and beat up, but the only hope is to follow our best intuition, what we hope to be true, and believe might be, and perhaps make it out. But in the end, regardless of what path we pursue, we are left bare to the chances that life may throw, and in the end, there is no sure way to to protect ourselves from that.
Personally, I never saw the naked diction until will pointed that out. However, here is some diction that I did spot. In chapter fourteen, just as Okonkwo faces exile, the rain comes, "[i]t was sudden and tremendous," and brought renewal upon the earth and its people (Achebe 130). This diction of renewal is juxtaposed with the "scorched brown" and thirsty description of the earth (130). This diction is like that at the beginning of Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. However, this paragraph condenses all 300 pages of Grapes of Wrath into a paragraph, going through the dry, barren time before the rain and fresh beginning after the rain. This is important to note in light of the events that occur in our section of reading because it signals that part two of the novel is indeed the beginning of something fresh and a time of growth for Okonkwo. Perhaps, Okonkwo, "a fish [on the] dry, sand beach, panting" will benefit from this rain, and maybe this will apply to the dispute Nwoye and he face (131).
I would also like to suggest that the royal python is an allusion to the bible. This is not a completely sure assertion on my part because I feel like the allusion will be continued in the next part of our reading. But the first reference to the python is close to the mention of the Christians and Mr. Kiaga in context. It would be reasonable to conclude that the python is symbolic of sin because of its reference to the serpent in the Garden of Eden. I think all of us should be keeping an eye out of serpent references in the next section because this could be the key to understanding the symbolic meaning of the text as a whole.
Hmm... So much to think about. So much changed in this section! First, Okonkwo's gun goes off at Ezeudu's funeral, accidentally killing the buried's son. Now, since we are living in the world of AP Lit I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that this situation was not merely coincidental. However, I am struggling to uncover the significance (Help!). I think I may have found a connection, but then again I could be completely off... Here goes nothing!
Earlier in the ceremony, the one-handed spirit said something that stood out to me. It stood out mainly because Achebe takes such care to describe the character, that when he finally speaks I am extremely interested as to what he came to say. I also found it a bit ominous for the occasion. He said: “’If your death was the death of nature, go in peace. But if a man caused it, do not allow him a moment’s rest”’ (87). Then, not even a full paragraph later the accident occurs and Okonkwo’s life is torn apart. This would lead me to believe that Okonkwo had a hand in Ezeudu’s death, but I think he had too much genuine respect for the man. Thus, it must be more subtle than that. Perhaps Achebe is hinting a previous betrayal or one that will be made known to us. Or maybe Ezeudu and Okonkwo simply stand for a bigger picture, and were just used by Achebe to represent a larger-scale betrayal. But like I said, I am still in the pondering stages and would appreciate any enlightenment!
As far as Steph was saying, I have a feeling that the python is not necesarily a biblical allusion, or maybe, rather it is a biblical allusion in a contextual sense, but more directly an allusion to the tribal spirit, and sin as it is conceived by the tribe. Having Mr. Kiaga in such close proximity to the python does draw out the biblical devil reference. However, I feel that the python is intended to represent the soul of the tribe, and what it means to be part of the tribe. It seems that the closer that the missionaries come, the further our the culture of the tribe is drawn. The python is not even mentioned until after the white man shows up, even though it is an extremely central part of the tribal religion. Also, the Egwugwu have a bigger representation role as the time passes after the missionaries appear. It might be crazzzyy to suggest, but perhaps Achebe is trying to indicate that the missionaries are getting to the heart of the tribe, distancing it from the ancient traditions, and at the same time, the more central parts of their religion come forward and play a more forfrontal role as the battle for the soul of the tribe is fought... I think that the python may serve as a physical symbol of the tribe's adherence to their ways, and as time passes, what happens to the python may happen in turn to the tribal spirit... O.o
Ms. Buchanan would love how much I’ve procrastinated today….
Julie, you stole my quote! I’m also in the pondering stages of this little incident. I am intrigued by this quote for many reasons. One of which being, the ‘coincidence’ in how it occurred, another for the deeper meaning of it and what exactly the author is trying to convey through this…I suppose this will be a great discussion topic for tomorrow
Now a little change of subject, I find this passage very contradicting. As the missionaries begin to take over the community and convert many of the outcasts of society, why is it that Okonkwo’s first reaction is to attack and kill them? At the beginning of the book, it stated that Igbo culture prides itself on their ability to peacefully solve problems, yet Okonkwo and others find this very hard to abide by. I’m also not sure I completely understand how they justify the killing, sacrificing, whatever you want to call it….of twins. Their ideas of peace and violence confuse me… I am also curious as to what the missionaries stand for and what kind of social struggle they represent. Obviously they bring forth the issue of religion and their ability to survive in the ‘Evil Forest’ convinces many members to convert. But what other social norms and struggles do they suggest? Anyways…the whole situation is interesting me
Alright, so moving on to talk about the novel as a whole. I hope that is alright with everyone, because I feel that the book is much more interesting as a whole than in individual passages. I was hoping that some time we would get to talk about the end of the novel. I am a little confused as to the significance of Okonkwo's death, other than a convenient ending for the author. Although, it seems that the novel comes full circle with Okonkwo's death. Perhaps, this is the significance of his "cowardly" death, it is that Okonkwo has faced the death he believed his father deserved? Maybe the author is suggesting a sentiment of nihilism, just like in the novel Grendel. But that could be a stretch. Let me know what you guys think!
Now leaning towards essay topics, I was considering the 2007 Form A Prompt. However, that is loosely based upon my interpretation of the novel as a whole. Okonkwo must contend the past throughout the novel as a whole, and constantly battles the social shame that seems to catch up with him. First, the novel begins with Okonkwo battling his father's legacy, building his life from the ground up. Then Okonkwo faces social ridicule for hitting his wife. Towards the novel, his son even betrays him, taking the name of Isaac. It seems that his legacy is doomed, all beginning with his father's legacy: an aspect of the past.
But, I don't know if I could get an whole essay out of that one. Let me know what you guys are thinking about for your essays!
Oh yes we definitely need to confront the ending! Am I the only one that was a little dissatisfied? I mean it wasn’t completely a surprise since Okonkwo is a warrior and, realizing that his people have given up the fight, we could tell that his personal story was basically over. Achebe has characterized him in such a way that it is obvious he would rather be dead than be a part of a group of “soft women”. But still, here we have this tension building between the natives (particularly Okonkwo) and the “white man”, preparing for a fight, and the story ends with Okonkwo giving up.
Also, I found the shift in the last few pages extremely unsettling. As the reader we have mainly been exposed to the point of view of the Igbo, but the story ends with the Commissioner’s thoughts. It makes the tribe seem insignificant, since the Commissioner plans to dedicate to Okonkwo maybe a passage in the book he plans to write, when we have read a whole novel on it. I would also like to point out that I was surprised at Obierika for speaking out against the Commissioner, saying that they had driven Okonkwo, an honorable man, to a dishonorable death. I was surprised because Obierika is among the group of men that is willing to adjust to the new customs; he hasn’t really put up a fight like Okonkwo wanted to. So it was interesting that he said something that could have gotten him in trouble. Anyway, just some general observations about the close of the novel. As for essay prompts… yikes :0
As far as the ending is concerned Julie, I would not be dissatisfied if I were you, at least not for that reason perhaps. I think that if you consider it, Okonkwo was Achebe's parallel, and embodiment of the African, or Igbo, culture. We see this with Okonkwo was as one of the Egwugwu; Okonkwo is not just one of the tribesmen, he was part of the living, breathing culture of the African society. We see this everywhere else throughout the novel in Okonkwo. He was a man who started with nothing but the desire to fulfill the ideal of the culture, and defy the failure of his father. Despite his low start, he rose rapidly in the ranks of the tribe, and by his adulthood, he had become one of the highest ranking members of the tribe, indicating him as an authority and example of the tribal values. In every way that the Igbo were expected to act, Okonkwo acted to an extreme, allowing no softness, and demanding complete obedience of his family, sometimes even beyond what was seen as too much in the eyes of the tribe (beating his wife during the week of peace). In my mind, Okonkwo's suicide is simply an expression of the "suicide" of the culture. When Okonkwo kills the man, in the way that would have been expected by that culture, and the rest of the tribe fails to respond, there is, in a way, a kind of cultural suicide. In one of the sources I brought this week, it mentions something about fighting for a culture being an inherently tragic, but necessary action if any sense of culture is to remain. By failing to fight for their beliefs and way of life, the tribe commits a collective cultural suicide, seceding their way of life to that of the European "invaders." At this point, it is only logical that Okonkwo does the same, as he is the physical embodiment of that culture. And, beyond even literary or structural equivalencies, in a human sense, consider things from Okonkwo's perspective. He sees the death of his culture in the failure of the tribe to fight, and what does Okonkwo have, other than that culture? He has done nothing in his life other than to try and fulfill the expectations, and no sooner than he can turn around, that culture is whipped out from under him, and all of the sudden, his whole life has no meaning and no relevance. What if you had spent all of your life, every ounce of energy you had, devoting yourself for 50 or 60 years to becoming the best pommelhorser in the world (Okonkwo was in his 40's, and comparing average life spans, that's probably roughly close to 50/60's nowadays.). You know that in 6 months you're going to win the Olympics (Okonkwo expects to achieve the highest title available soon). Then, out of nowhere, you are told "there won't be any Olympics this year," and on top of that, "also, there's no more pommelhorsing." Now, everything you've done with your life has no meaning. Noone will remember what you've done. You won't be able to do what you've done. And all in all, you would simply be a passenger that point forward in your life, as the world moved in a different direction, perhaps towards old style pollo or squash. What is their left to do? Perhaps suicide is not the best possible option, but I'm sure that it would occur to you (or us or whatevers). And I feel that, through both the human and the literary aspect, Okonkwo's suicide was well "merited (?)" and effectively delivered Achebe's message of the humanism and living culture of Africa, which Eurocentric writers had glossed over many times before the writing of his novel.
Post a Comment