Frankenstein 2

In short, Frankenstein is a story about a man who was obsessed with life, and decided to create his own. His curiosity into this subject lead to his discovery of the secret of life, which is never revealed to us. He lives in fear of the monster, who goes off to live his own life. But, on the way to living a 'normal life', the monster kills off members of his creator's, Victor, family. Victor realizes this, and eventually is confronted by the monster, who is seeking partnership. Victor, in a backwards threatening kind of way, agrees to make another monster. He runs away to Scotland to create the female, yet when he reaches near completion, he decides against it, realizing his previous mistake. The monster is furious and eventually they chase each other back and forth across the arctic promising to kill each other. On one of the runs across the ice, Victor meets a sailor, to whom he recounts the whole story to, and who later buries Victor. I'm not sure if, at this end, I like the book. I was certainly surprised, that's for sure, continually by the way that this one event, the creation, pretty much ruined Victor's life. He set out to do something grand, something earth-shattering, but ends up with the exact opposite; an abnormal if horrendous end. His greed and judgement prevent him from ever finding happiness.

Native Son

Native Son was really interesting but I was kinda dissapointed. I thought the plot line was pretty predictable. Let me stop now and try to explain that I am well aware that books aren't purely for entertainment and I have never been the kind of person to reject a book simply because it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat the whole time, but still. I felt like the plot for the book was really predictable. Again I also realize that the plot was more to make a point and show a situation from the troubled, young African American's point of view and show how poverty will greatly effect the well-being of people and the racism endured by African Americans during the early to late 1900s, I just felt like the plot was very unoriginal. Native Son was very similar to books like The Ghost of Mississippi and To Kill a Mockingbird and I guess I just expected a little bit more from it. Am I being shallow in my thinking?

Ramblings (Frankenstein)

My previous knowledge of Frankenstein was limited. I believed Frankenstein to be the monster, a green, moldy almost, looking human, scarily symmetrical for his supposed puzzle-piece past. Having a friend just read the book and hate it, I was very excited (note the attempt at sarcasm) to read the book. I have been slightly surprised when reading this book. The words form an undeniable picture that expresses excitement, hollowness, exuberance, and grief. Victor creates something which he becomes afraid of and runs away from - a sin against man-kind, creating something like he does. He was so excited and dedicated to studying science and the creation of life, and this inner joy, throughly expressed, then turned to a deep seeded disjointedness. His creation became the source of his pain and his separation from the real world. Like many books, Frankenstein has it's highs and lows, but as a whole, so far, I would give it a seven out of ten stars.

Moral message of Frankenstein

Does anybody else have theories on possible messages behind the story? I personally think there's a bit of a "Monsters aren't born, they are created" theme going on here. The monster's violent side seems more swayed by Victor's rejection than anything. What do you think?

Estella has actual feeling for Pip which becomes apparent when they talk about the boys she makes follow her. She expresses how she doesn't want Pip to be one of those boys, and this expression of feeling shows a rebellion against Miss.Havisham. But Estella's feelings aren't the only ones that mean something. Pip's love for Estella is also rather odd, with him loving her no matter how cruel she is to him. This could link with how Pip's sister was abusive to him but she was the only family alive to love and care for Pip.

this   is a test!

Native Son

A part of this book that really interested me was the quick transition from guilt to power felt by Bigger after he kills Mary. When Bigger first wakes he's in a manic state and is kinda fumbling around trying to cover up and concoct a story to explain the accident. He mentions being sick about the way he and his family has been living and that he has a new sense of power. I think when Bigger realizes what he has done, he realizes that, for the first time, he actually has some power int he world. I think that power goes to his head and that the satisfaction he feels internally due to his actions on the outside will contribute to the theme of the novel.

Persuasion

All lit circle discussions for Persuasion should occur in this thread. Please remember, Blog posts are due Thursday nights by 10pm. Posters in this group include: Mollie, Tori, Hannah and Josie.

Happy Reading!

Lord of the Flies

All lit circle discussions for Lord of the Flies should occur in this thread. Please remember, Blog posts are due Thursday nights by 10pm. Posters in this group include: Adam, Logan, Kevin, Tyler, and Steven.

Happy Reading!

The Color Purple

The format of the book changes within the second part of our reading. Nettie comes back into the picture, rather it being focused on Celie as it was the first half of the book. Is this more interesting to you than hearing about Celie's different lifestyle? I like how the book touches base on different issues you wouldn't expect during this time period. I've never heard of an older novel addressing the different ranges in sexuality, especially with such early age marriage and high likelihood of rape. Maybe that pushed Celie away from the male figure and lost any attraction to them due to the harsh abuse from her own father and other experiences. Can you really blame her?

Invisible Man

All lit circle discussions for Invisible Man should occur in this thread. Please remember, Blog posts are due Thursday nights by 10pm. Posters in this group include: Kayla, Darean, Marissa and Jenna.

Happy Reading!

Great Expectations

All lit circle discussions for Great Expectations should occur in this thread. Please remember, Blog posts are due Thursday nights by 10pm. Posters in this group include: Maggie, Valerie, Erika, Kerri and Cody.

Native Son

All lit circle discussions for Native Son should occur in this thread. Please remember, Blog posts are due Thursday nights by 10pm. Posters in this group include: Hayley and Angela.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

All lit circle discussions for A Midsummer Night's Dream should occur in this thread. Please remember, Blog posts are due Thursday nights by 10pm. Posters in this group include: Natalie, Tiffany, Haley and Alec.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

All lit circle discussions for A Thousand Splendid Suns should occur in this thread. Please remember, Blog posts are due Thursday nights by 10pm. Posters in this group include: Marleigh, Janie, Jack and Sandeep.

Crime & Punishment

All lit circle discussions for Crime and Punishment should occur in this thread. Please remember, Blog posts are due Thursday nights by 10pm. Posters in this group include: Mo, Sami, Adam, Cameron and Seth.
Happy Reading!

The Great Gatsby: Lit Circle Postings

All lit circle discussions for The Great Gatsby should occur in this thread. Please remember, Blog posts are due Thursday nights by 10pm. Posters in this group include: Holly, Clayton, and Trey.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Besides setting up the scene and introducing characters, the 4 letters in the beginning of Frankenstein, also foreshadow upcoming events. The letter telling of Robert Walton's loneliness, is predicting the theme of isolation throughout the novel. Although the other letter I was unsure of any other possible foreshadowing, has anyone else in my lit group found any other main idea evident of the letters?

1984

Winston knows that they claim the ruler is a figure known as Big Brother. He is there to show power and scare the people into doing the right thing. The only thing is, Winston does not know if he actually is real or not. There is no written proof that shows whether or not Big Brother exists. I think Big Brother was made up so the people would have someone to idolize without actually seeing his real face. There is a face plastered all over Oceania that is supposed to represent him, but I believe the Party made it all up. It is only a name to hand power to, and it allows the people to feel safe under their leader, ensuring that BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU.

Vocab Question

Which week should we be working on for the Vocab test? I assume week one but should we be going any further with that?

Unoka

I wonder what Okonkwo's father, Unoka, would think about how his son's life turned out. I could see him being happy for his son's success, yet sad because Okonkwo never took the opportunity to enjoy life. Would Unoka have converted to Christianity if he was still alive when the missionaries came? I would say yes because of the fact that Okonkwo was so different from Unoka, but I'm not completely convinced. From the little I know of him, I believe Unoka to be open-minded, but more comfortable in believing what he wanted to believe rather than taking either side. Things would have still fallen apart if Unoka was in Okonkwo's position, however, a mix between both extremes may have been able to prevent the tragic end.

Perspective

I'm sure that this has already been discussed, but I just found it interesting reading the book as a Christian, whereas Christians are basically the villains in the novel. The novel really does have you turn against the Christians, so it was kind of weird turning against my own belief. When I considered that, I decided to change my approach and approach the novel from the missionaries' perspective rather than Okonkwo's. I was able to better understand why the missionaries were so forceful, for they truly did bring some great things to the Igbo people, such as education. However, I still thought their actions were unfair. In the end, I took on a third perspective with an omnipotent point of view, and saw this novel as an example of the ongoing process called life. Things fall apart and new things come together; that's just how life is.

Development

Before I began reading, a friend of mine who had already read the book told me it was about missionaries from England taking over an African clan. Even though that is what the novel is generally about, the missionaries don't appear until at least halfway through the novel. The process of things falling apart happens before the missionaries arrival, albeit the steps are subtle. In a way, the missionaries were merely the straw that broke the camel's back. Achebe develops Okonkwo's life to show that things fall apart little by little until everything builds up and ultimately snaps.

Okonkwo's Pride

When I first started reading the novel and considering the thesis of my essay, I placed Okonkwo's pride as the beast in Yeat's poem. I knew that as I kept reading, I would name the beast something else, but Okonkwo's pride always stuck out to me. Pride can be destructive. I believe it had an influence in the weakening of the Igbo culture and Oknonwo's unshakable will. For example, if you hold something too tightly, you will suffocate it. Pride forced Okonkwo to hold onto tradition. His grip on tradition became so firm that it began to cloud his mind and prevent him from thinking through his situation clearly. His society began to crumble under the weight of his standards and expectations. Pride is not necessarily bad. Pride could have united the clan, however, Okonkwo's was too intense. Pride overran Okonkwo's ability to unite, compromise and appreciate what he had.

Okonkwo

Okonkwo is a very interesting character. He puts on an appearance of being very masculine, but he does have a soft side. As hard as he tries, he is not able to hide his true feelings. The death of Ikemefuna truly affects Okonkwo even though he does not want to accept that it does. Seeing Ikemefuna's death makes Okonkwo lose his appetite and always wonder about the situation. He also has a deep connection with his daughter Ezinma. She may be his daughter, but he feels closer with her than any of his sons. He admires her spirit because he sees himself in her. He goes after Ezinma when Chielo takes her away late at night. He truly cares for his daughter. Okonkwo may put on a tough exterior, but he is not that heartless.

Anonymous Egwugwu

One thing that had me thinking throughout the whole novel was how the Egwugwu were anonymous beings to the villagers.  It made me wonder if egwugu even had spouses or children. Because if they did, would that mean if their kids or wives be able to get away punishment free with a crime? Because then no one would think they got off because they were related to one of the egwugwu. Also what I wondered was if Okonkwo was a an Egwugwu.. I feel like they somewhat were implying that he was when they had that small excerpt where they were saying how he was practically the only man not at the gathering and how his domineering  figure and personality fit the description of an egwugu.

Helplessness

When I was reading the novel I found a re-occuring theme of helpnessness displayed through okonkwo, and his clan members. The reason I say they were helpless is because as the novel started out by displaying okonkwo's childhood, Ii felt that his father seemed like a pretty  helpless man, as he was in debt and unable to provide for his family. I then saw helplessness again later in  the novel when the christian missionaries came to the village and began colinization, the helplessness I saw was from the nigerians. The reason I say this is because they kept relying on their mystical gods to protect them from change brought upon by the white intruders. They sent the missionaries into their "evil forest" to build their church thinking it would bring terror to them, but then were disappointed to see them thriving. Eventually when nigerians began to start even converting it ultimately showed helplessness.

Marriage

When I was reading about the weddings and the marriages in this book I began to feel sorry for the women back then. Their idea of marriage in their culture is so different than our idea today. It is like an arranged marriage and I know that I would never want that but it is almost like they are buying the bride which I found to be kind of surprising/interesting. What I do like about it is the huge feast they have to celebrate which is sort of like a reception I guess (maybe that is why I like it though because it is more like what we are used to).

Death

Death is really the main instigator in the novel.
Okonkwo 'slay's the cat'. In this case, I'm classifying it as dying, because the fighting represents killing people. He sees that he can be strong and earn hponor for causing death, and this really what starts his fasination in death, or having control over others.
When Okonkwo's dad dies, he sets out on his own, trying to become everything his father was not. He creates his own little empire of wives, kids, and yams. He honors and feels he should be honored for killing men in war, for having heads in his house, to drink out of.
Okonkwo lives this life of honor, until he kills his for-all-intents-and-purposes son. His death really symbolizes the first real signs of emotion in Okonkwo.
The next time death changes things is when Okonkwo shoots the man at the party. It sends him to his mother's land. The church resides on the land of the evil dead, and takes in those who are sick. When Okonkwo returns to his homeland, he ends up killing himself over the total take over of the church, and the towns reluctance to kill all the church members.

"The white man"

I found what the people of Abame did to the white to be very interesting. I was sort of surprised when I read that they had killed him. It just seemed like some of them were very intrigued by him being there, but what I found even more interesting is what they did with his "iron horse" after they had killed him. After thinking about it a little bit I thought it was very smart of the people to do that. And because of the word that more were coming what they did made more sense.

The Missionaries

In the novel, I really did not like the missionaries. I was against them and what they did. In my eyes I feel like they were the reason Okonkwo's tribe and other tribes fell apart. I felt like they were creating a drift between other tribe members. They pushed their religion and ignored the religion that was already there. They had no regard for the culture of the tribes. They just cared about getting their way.

Women

"'When did you become a shivering old woman,' Okonkwo asked himself, 'you, who are known in all the nine villages for your valor in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed.'"
Okonkwo sees women as emotional, incompetent property; really little more then slaves.

Maybe I'm just a feminist, but I feel that the way the women are treated is part of the downfall of the community. When women are held this low in a community, it eliminates so much potential for growth. When women and bought for family connections and money, there is less happiness and when you aren't happy, you don't try. When half a society isn't attempting to better a community, it is an instant recipe for failure.

I remember reading that a lot of women joined the church because it's beliefs made more sense. I believe if men would embrace women and emotions, the clan would have been able to last longer, resisting the church.

"No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (and especially his women) he was not really a man."

My Opinion

When I first received the novel I automatically assumed that I was going to hate it. From the cover I could tell that this was not a book that I would read for enjoyment. Once I actually started reading the novel I realized that I actually enjoyed reading it. I liked reading about how different the culture was. There were parts I found boring but overall I enjoyed the book. I liked finding out how things worked in their culture. Some of their superstitions were fascinating to me. For example, how they believed if a mother's child died and then if she gave birth again it was the same baby just reborn. I liked reading about how their marriage ceremonies worked. They seemed more like a trade situation. The novel overall was not terrible... Not saying I would recommend it to someone but it is not that horrible to read.

Cold, impotent ash.

"Living fire begets cold, impotent ash."

Out of everything in Things Fall Apart, this made me think the most. It's something I have always pondered on, how sometimes parents and children are opposites. The way Achebe portrays Okonkwo's view of his son is slightly disconcerting, but it suits his character.
Okonkwo believes he is the greatest of great, having slayed five men, and having overcome his birth. When a stranger's son resembles him more then his own son, Okonkwo tries to change his son. He isn't an affectionate person, and he just comes off as brute-ish.
When his son leaves with the church, Okonkwo struggles to deal with it, although he attempts sort of an 'oh well' attitude.

I believe the quote represents the way that Okonkwo rationalizes his loss. He believes it was pre-destined, that there was no other way that his son could have turned out.

To be honest, I started out hating this book. I read it, and the only thing it seemed to be about was an arrogant man who grew lots of yams. As the book progressed, it grew less about the yams, and more about the struggles of a community to overcome an invaders attempt to change them. I feel like this is something every people has dealt with, and I've learned about it a thousand times, yet Things Fall Apart really put in prospective what it would be like and how it came about.
They always say hindsight is 20-20, and this is true to the narrator. He explains how the missionaries came in peace, and how they found themselves in  their good graces of some of the natives. It reminds me of the idiom 'the straw that broke the camel's back'. The clan was slowly falling apart, with more and more things seeming ineffective, and when the Christians joined the community, it's long-standing ways fell apart.

Ekwefi

The character that I found the most interesting in the novel was Ekwefi. I felt that she was very "modern" compared to the other women in the novel. She ran away from her first husband to be with Okonkwo. She saw Okonkwo win in a fighting match and from that moment she knew she wanted to marry him. In this time period love marriage didn't exist but she went against everything and went to the man she loved. I also find her very bold. She is not scared to break the rules for the ones she loves. She was warned not to go after Ezinma when Chielo took her but she still went. She didn't care for her own safety. All she cared about was her daughter. Ekwefi is also very strong. She has given birth to so many children and has watched all of them die. Even after all the deaths she still had the strength to give birth again. She also had the strength to face the criticism from the society that came along with all the deaths.

Changing view of the Igbo lifestyle

When Achebe first revealed different elements of the Igbo culture such as male superiority, the murdering of twin babies, and the outcasting of "weak" individuals, it was easy to automatically disagree with their way of life and since our lifestyle is so different. As I was reading the book, I couldn't believe that Okonkwo almost murdered his wife, and I disliked him on many occasions. However, as I got further and further into the novel, I found that I began to accept the Igbo lifestyle and the actions of the people. I realized that their culture is totally different from my own, so what I have been taught to be wrong is sometimes completely different than the customs that they have been taught their whole lives. The way in which they act is entirely due to the customs and values in place, and the long-standing beliefs in various gods. Additionally, I felt respect for them when they displayed loyalty and love such as when Ekwefi and Okonkwo followed Ezinma over countless miles to make sure she was safe or when Obierika stuck up for Okonkwo and continually visited him when he was exiled. Overall, Achebe is able to change the negative view of the Igbo people throughout the novel and prove that they aren't the cruel, compassionless people that they first appeared to be to the reader and to the European missionaries.

Point of View

     Achebe uses a clever and somewhat interesting point of view throughout the novel. Though the novel is written in third-person, it focuses extensively on Okonkwo's life, thoughts, and feelings; almost making it seem as though the events are being told through his perspective.
     Additionally, in most of the encounters between the Igbo and missionaries, Achebe reveals the thoughts and feelings of the Igbo, but not of the missionaries. By doing this, he can effectively show how the Igbo viewed the Europeans as strange foreign beings who practically invaded and destroyed their way of life. If Achebe had revealed the inner-emotions of the missionaries in every encounter, he would have lost his purpose of counteracting the negative, inferior view of Igbo Africans and allowing them to give their side of the story.

Picking up where one left off

After reading this novel I was amazed at how different the culture was from ours. I know this novel took place so long ago, but its amazing how things change. I couldnt believe the tribes were so small and secluded, yet the tribe people could go to different clans in a matter of days. I also  found it interesting how Okonkwo went to his "mother clan" when he got kicked out of his. It just goes to show how family centered the whole era is. I found it wierd how his family was so welcomed into the new tribe, and how they picked up life as they left it. The other thing that got me was the fact that even though it had been seven years Okonkwo still wanted to go back to his old tribe. Why would anyone want to put ones family through that again? Or why would you want to do all that work just to start over? Okonkwo should have just stayed in one place.

No Love

I was surprised by the amount of love there wasn't in the book. I feel like the only way the people in the tribe showed love was by beating and being mean to the people they cared about. I feel like the men wanted to be respected more than anything else, and would use fear and pain to achieve the level of respect they wanted. Okonkwo was constantly beating his wives or yelling at his children, but then the narrator would describe that Okonkwo was doing it in the person's best interest. Okonkwo is described as caring about Nwoye, but is constantly yelling and criticizing him. Okonkwo worries that his son will be lazy like Okonkwo's father, but how does Okonkwo deal with that? He yells and beats Nwoye. Okonkwo is also disrespectful and violent towards his wives. I understand that Okonkwo probably didn't marry them because he loved them, but more because it is culture in the tribe to have wives, but he is still so cruel to them. Even if he isn't cruel to them I still don't see very many instances where he is kind to them. 

Nwoye

The character I think I liked the best was Okonkwo's son, Nwoye. I think I can identify with him the closest. I don't think of him as lazy as Okonkwo did in the book, but I think he just had a different set of skills that Okonkwo would consider weak or lazy. He was obviously very smart, but also very cautious. He didn't like his original religion because it ultimately left many of his questions unanswered. I think he was smart to question his religion and not just take what his relatives and neighbors told him at face value. I was happy when Nwoye finally let his father stop bullying him around and went into education and pursued something that he was not only good at, but something that made him happy, regardless of how his father felt about it.

Things Only Kinda Falling Apart

I was surprised in the book by the lack of "falling apart" in the book. I did read the poem first and I thought that if the book was as bad as the book then this would be an ordeal similar to the Columbus case, where the entire tribe would somehow be destroyed due to the missionaries presents. Although people were killed and there was definitely some controversy in the tribe, the mayhem didn't reach the level I thought it would.
I thought that the book's title would signify the falling apart of the tribe, but after reading I think the title may refer closer to the internal trials faced by Okonkwo. Maybe in his eyes his entire world was falling apart. But then you have persons like Okonkwo's son who appeared to actually gain from the presence of the missionaries, as they provided him with answers to questions and an education. So even though their is a major internal conflict in regards to Okonkwo, the tribe only kind of fell apart.

Corupt Missionaries

It's kind of a cliche now, but I still find myself really upset by the corrupt missionaries. I hate the idea of someone who takes advantage of people's trust and uses that trust to manipulate in order to get what they want. I was happy when Mr. Brown didn't fit this corrupted description and treated the tribe with dignity and respect, but then got upset when Rev. Smith didn't follow Mr. Brown's example. I also feel really bad for the tribe who were blindsided by Rev. Smith's strict and harmful attitude. I think Mr. Brown's technique was more effective anyway and obviously less harmful.   

Okonkwo, a tragic hero

I found the different resources and articles that appear before and after the novel in this addition to be especially helpful. As I was reading the section titled “Technique and Theme in Things Fall Apart”, I came across a comparison between Okonkwo and a typical hero in Greek tragedy. I can definitely see the connection now that I think back to when we covered greek tragedy sophomore year because Okonkwo shares many of the same characteristics of Sophocles’s Oedipus or any other tragic hero for that matter. For example:

o   Okonkwo holds an insecurity caused by his father’s weakness that eventually triggers his demise. His fear of not being a great warrior or appearing effeminate is essentially his “tragic flaw”, and what brings about eternal disappointment.

o   Because Okonkwo holds a tragic flaw, he undergoes a tragic event which results in his demise. As he beheads a Christian in a moment of intense hatred and war-like instinct, Okonkwo initiates his downfall and ultimately takes his own life.

o   After his dramatic murder, Okonkwo finally realizes that he can’t reverse his tribe’s new transformation no matter how hard he tries. This increased self-awareness is like that of a tragic hero.

o   When the novel reveals that Okonkwo has committed suicide, the audience can’t help but feel shock and sorrow for him, especially as Obierka tells the white men that they drove one of the greatest men in Umuofia to kill himself.

Chinua Achebe

                As I was searching the Internet for outside sources, I came across a few interviews and biographies of Chinua Achebe which held an interesting piece of information. It turns out that Achebe’s parents were converts to the Christian religion and he was a Christian himself. This is interesting considering that his novel paints a bad image of Christian missionaries and converts by showing how they devastate the Igbo religion, and that his novel is told through the perspective of the Africans who wholly believe in the Igbo faith.

                With this, Achebe’s purpose for writing the novel becomes even nobler, since he truly aimed to change the demeaning view that White European authors had created for Igbo Africans even though he and his family were considered to be some of the natives who had betrayed their fellow tribe members. Though Achebe didn’t practice the Igbo faith, he was fascinated by it, and those who practiced it, so he wanted to allow them to share their lifestyle fairly through their point of view. Perhaps his fascination and ability to fully depict a religion that he personally doesn’t follow is what makes Chinua Achebe the talented, widely popular author that he is today.

Ezinma's connection with Okonkwo

Ezinma has the best relationship with Okonkwo out of all his children. I think that they share a special bond with each other because Ezinma handles Okonkwo's anger better than the rest of his family. She understands his personality as his only way of showing affection. Okonkwo also repetitively states that he wishes Ezinma was a boy because of her "spirit." This shows how he wishes his sons were different in a way that they could share the same bond he has with her. His relationship with his daughter is not completely about masculinity but more about understanding and sympathy verses his relationship with his sons.

Okonkwo's Personality

I think many people believe that Okonkwo's character or personality is arrogant and controling but I believe that it is a product of his enviroment. When it comes to part 3 in the book, Okonkwo's character becomes more clear to understand. He cares for his family and being superior is the only way he knows how to protect them. It is also clear that Okonkwo has extreme difficulty in accepting change. This is noticable when the tribe starts to follow the missionaries beliefs and they begin to accept their European culture. His inability to accept change is one of the main causes of his death.

Things Fall Apart

The idea of Things Fall Apart can be compared to how a old society changes or adapts to a new one. I believe Chinua Achebe was relating the event of the missionaries trying to change old traditions of the tribe to European traditions to how Yeats describes "things fall apart; the centre cannot hold," the center being the society of Okonkwo's tribe.

The Second Coming

When I was researching about the relationship between Things Fall Apart and The Second Coming, I looked at the history of Yeats writing to get a better understanding of the poem. It was interesting to know the in a previously published book called, The Voice, Yeats describes a theory about the Universe which he took many years to create. The theory is based on the "gyres" mentioned in The Second Coming. He used them to describe how the coming of the new era and the ending of the present coexist. This idea could be compared to the missionaries coming to Okonkwo's village and bringing in a new society's beliefs.

Change.

I believe the entire novel is a metaphor for the battle of morality versus obedience. When Okonkwo is forced to kill the child towards the rising climax of the novel, he experiences this struggle but obedience wins overall. Finally, at the end, by committing suicide, Okonkwo's morality overcomes obedience in the battle for a stake in Okonkwo's life. Is this because Okonkwo simply realized what he had to do via epiphany? Or did the novel recognize a change throughout the story of his character and values?

Things Fall Apart

You could see the ending of the novel as things falling apart in the sense that old ways are being destroyed and broken. Perhaps "falling apart" simply means coming apart so something new can form; a second coming one might say. Things falling apart signifies a new era in the society of Umuofia. When Okonkwo was exiled, he came back to a place of change. At the end when he commits suicide, perhaps this signifies that Umuofia can finally enter that new era through a great transformation.

Okonkwo's Fate

There is a lot of debate on whether or not Okonkwo's hanging was "noble" or "right". In their society and even a bit in the modern world, suicide is not very just and is in general, simply frowned upon as a disgrace. However, perhaps it was Okonkwo's only choice. The actions of the evangelists forced him into making a decision of either losing his dignity or committing suicide. If he hadn't killed himself, he would be living in a society taken over by people that live to suppress his ideas, so perhaps his only available response was death to save himself.

Religious Curiosity

I found the whole concept of the battle of religion to be the most interesting idea in this novel. Religion seemed to not only rule their beliefs, but it also controlled their overall life and actions. When a new idea was presented to a native, their beliefs, personality, and entire life would change to match this new faith. This seems like an extreme of loose religion on one end of the spectrum and on the other end is the religion in modern society where people of religion attack those of other beliefs due to their tight restrictions of faith. Would our society be better if we had loose religion or would Okonkwo's clan be better off using tight boundaries of faith?

The Death of Okonkwo

I thought it was interesting that Okonkwo hung himself at the end of the novel. After a whole book of building up his masculinity and to the letter following off society's traditions, he kills himself. Not only is this a disgraceful way to die in their society (his own people can't bury him) it seems cowardly. His whole life he faces every problem head on, not running away from any confrontation, criticizing any man who didn't face problems the same way he did calling them womanly, and then he kills himself. The Roaring Flame gives up and runs away from his problem in the most absolute way. I was very, very surprised when I read that part of the book and found it a very interesting  way for Achebe to finish his story. The falling apart for both Okonkwo's society and life was absolutely complete.

Okonkwo's Struggle

While reading, I found myself sympathizing with Okonkwo. It's true he is very stubborn to any change at all, but I can understand his grief in the change of his people. It would be easy to just look at his situation and think that he is being ridiculous because there are several things that are off about their culture, but I found that if you look at through his perspective it becomes harder. This is a way of life that he has dedicated his whole life too. And I know if some outside group of people came in and started denouncing Christianity and  pushing people that follow that religion to believe it is nonsense, I would be very upset for my fellow Christians. After thinking on this I started to see Okonkwo as a different character, I started to sympathize with him a lot more than at first when I saw him as a stubborn man who was behind the times.

The Countdown is on!

Hello, AP Lit-ers!

I am wading through your summer homework essays now and hope to have them back to you within the first week (or possibly two) of classes. I'm seeing some interesting things happening!

I also wanted to let you know that at this point, I've responded to all of the emails I've seen. If you are still awaiting a response from me, please try resending your email. I have been on maternity leave since February so there were a LOT of emails to sift through this week when I came back to work, and it's entirely possible that one or two may have goten missed in the shuffle. If so, apologies!

I look forward to seeing you all next week! Enjoy your last week of break!

Religious Readers

Marleigh posted a comment about the Igbo traditions and how Achebe wrote in such a way that she understood and supported the tribe's traditions. I felt the same way about their traditions, to the point that when the missionaries came in the story I had very strong feelings against them. I'm not very religious, so I was wondering if all readers, religious or not, felt the same way about the missionaries. I would think if you were religious you would feel the missionaries were right in their actions, and sort of be rooting for them during the story. Did religious veiwpoints affect the way you read the novel?

Masculinity

In the novel, Okonkwo decides to kill Ikemefuna because he does not want to appear weak in front of the other men of the tribe. He values masculinity very highly, and does not want to ruin his good image. I think this shows that the Umuofia tribe has a very skewed view of masculinity and courage. The real courageous thing to do would have been to remain home and not betray the trust of the one he loved, yet because of societal pressure, Okonkwo views staying home as cowardly. This skewed view can also be seen in the titles they take. All that needs to be done to take a title is to pay a certain amount, yet somehow these titles represent manliness to the tribe. 

Connections

In the process of writing my essay I did a lot of research on what the poem The Second Coming was really pertaining too. I found it so interesting that Achebe took this ancient ideas of Yeats' poem and translated them into a story. The poem actually scared me a little bit with its dark tone at the end. It just ends with this unanswered question of: Is the beast going to take down society? If you think about it, still today we have a million beasts in our lives that could awaken at any moment and change our lives completely.

Yeats Imagery

If you have a hard time understanding what Yeats is talking about, you might want to look into his past, and in turn, hermeticism, or at least the symbols. A quick look at tarot card interpretations might help as well.

widening gyre

This is something I was talking to my friend about and I thought it was really interesting. She pointed out the idea of the widening gyre. The first time I read the poem, I had no idea what a gyre was but after looking it up, I learned it was a circle or ring. I thought it was really interesting how this went with the book because after looking closely, there are several things that go in circles. For example, every year they plant the crops, harvest them, the have the festival where they eat the new crops. This repeats every year like a cycle. The wrestling tournament also happens at the same time every year as well as the cycle with getting married and having a kid, then they grow up and get married themselves. I found this parallel with the poem very interesting.

Interesting Points

I was trying to find a secondary source relating to The Second Coming and found this. It makes some really interesting points that I didn't notice before. http://users.humboldt.edu/jlwaters/thesecondcoming.html

Line 10

Just pointing out an error in the packet version of the poem, line 10 ends with the word "out," not "our." A quick Google search with several copies of the poem referenced confirms this.

Nwoye

Nowye story line definitely intruiged me the most. He really wasn't a factor until the missionaries moved on the Igbo land. Okonkwo could never accept him as his son, and only as a "woman". When Nwoye rebelled against his fathers wishes to become a "manly man" as I would call it. That really got me thinking about Nwoye because in reality no one really paid any attention to him in the beginning. His interest in the white men and the new religion kind of pulled me into the book as he disobeyed his father. Nwoye definitely made himself untouchable when he sided with the white men because they would protect him. I hoped that his story would have continued.

Okonkwo's feelings (or lack thereof)

While reading the novel it was interesting to see how Okonkwo's mood changed in different situations, without anyone but the reader able to notice. Okonkwo definitely puts up a fierce air about him because (as people mentioned in other posts) he had a fear of being just like his father. A failure and a coward. He feels like he can't let anyone see him as anything other than tough or macho. Even though, while I was reading I noticed that Okonkwo did break down a couple of times. His vulnerablity did show, but again only to us readers. Chapter 8 comes to mind, where we finally see some feeling and emotion come out of this guy. It was the chapter right after he killed Ikemefuna. It was definitely my favorite chapter because he was suffering of guilt for killing a boy who was like his own son. Those parts were the best parts of the book for me because for a guy so intimidating to feel the slightest emotion was kind of entertaining because right after he would feel any type of emotion, he would quickly dismiss it like it made him a weaker person.

Traditions

As I was reading, I found myself getting wrapped up in the Ibo culture, and I surprisingly accepted their traditions much more than I originally thought I would. Normally, I would never accept someone who leaves their baby twins to die in the forest or cuts their recently dead baby with a razor. At first, I thought that these things were crazy. But there is something about the way these customs were described and justified that made me slowly accept them. Achebe made it all sound so normal. By the time the missionaries came and commented on the sinful nature of many Ibo traditions, I found myself thinking "how could you say that, that's just the way they do things". I'm not sure if I'm proud of that thought, but by that time I was rooting for the clan, even though I knew how it had to end. It wasn't until I finished the novel and took a step back that I realized that some of their traditions were unimaginably horrible. All in all, learning about the culture was interesting, and I would be curious to learn more about other clans that went through the same thing.

Problems

I am having major difficulties trying to start the introduction for my essay! I don't know if it's just becasue I haven't written an essay since the end of the school year or what! I have already started a few body paragraphs but I just need something to help me start my intro!

Passage of Time

It is evident that this novel depicts the passage of time as one of it's themes, especially when Okonkwo is banished for 7 years. Throughout this time, Okonkwo's place in his clan was taken by someone else, his daughters turned into beautiful women, a new religion had started to spread like a disease, and he disowned one of his sons. The present time seems like it goes so slow, but looking back, it seems as if it just flew by. I have family that comes in town from Chicago every once in a while and they always tell us everything that's changed in our area since the last time they visited - some which we didn't even realize because time goes by so fast. Achebe made it seem as if Okonkwo knew that there would be numerous changes to Umuofia after he got exiled, but when he actually did return, I do not think that Okonkwo expected so much change since his departure.

Okonkwo and Behind Blue Eyes

Well I usually listen to music when I read and I'm not sure if that's the best studying tactic, but while I was reading Things Fall Apart, the song "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who came on. And I started listening to the lyrics of the song and it correlates directly with the novel from Okonkwo's point of view (not literally; nowhere in the novel does it say that he has blue eyes). So here are some relationships between the lyrics of the song and Okonkwo:

"No one knows what it's like / To be the bad man / To be the sad man" - No one else could experience how Okonkwo felt after he accidentally killed Ezeudu's son. He spiraled into a depression because he had to leave his homeland and along with his stature within the clan.

"But my dreams / They aren't as empty / As my conscience seems to be" - During Okonkwo's depression, he barely ate or spoke as if something inside of him was left back in Umuofia. Even though he couldn't go back to Umuofia for 7 years, he started to plan his return only 1 year after arriving in Mbanta and how fast his sons and him will rise back up into Umuofia's elite.

"My love is vengeance / That's never free" - Okonkwo's love was toward his town of Umuofia and the people that live there. He could never take out his vengeance on the missionaries until near the end of the novel because he needed the support of his people to do it along with him.

"No one knows what it's like / To feel these feelings / Like I do / And I blame you" - It appears that Okonkwo has the strongest feelings against the missionaries in the whole tribe based on Achebe's narration. he blames all of the hatred built up inside of him on the white men and their religion.

"No one bites back as hard / On their anger" - Okonkwo is always frustrated with his tribe about fighting the the new religion. He has an enormous amount of anger built up on the inside, but he has to bite back on it until he can gain the support of his tribe.

"When my fist clenches, crack it open / Before I use it and loose my cool" - The entire tribe could probably tell all of the rage Okonkwo was feeling, and most were trying to reason with him and white men to be on equal grounds. They tried to lessen his hatred, but in the end he couldn't control it and killed one of their messengers.

Superiority of Gender

Throughout the novel, it obviously displays that the Igbo's culture is dominated by men. The women cook for the men, and if the women do one slight thing wrong, the men get to beat them and that is completely acceptable within their way of life. The men's wives don't even live in the same hut as their husband. The men also "buy" their wives as if women are just something off the shelf at Wal-mart. I find these things to be very unnerving because of how much it clashes with our culture in today's society. But there is one thing that sets me at ease on this subject: how some Igbo people name their children "Nneka", meaning 'Mother is Supreme'. I find this to be quite peculiar, but also comforting due to the harsh conditions the women live through all of their life. This also seems to relate to our concept of 'Mother Nature'.

"the worst are full of passionate intensity"

The first thing I noticed when I read The Second Coming was the ending of the first stanza "...the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity". I immediately thought of Okonkwo's reaction when the tribe elders were deciding what course of action to take with the missionaries and their courts. His ideal course of action was to fight and try to kill them while the wiser elders were strongly against a violent approach.

Confusion

I really enjoyed the novel, but I kept getting tripped up by all the similar names. For example, one of Okonkwo's wives is Ekwefi, she has a daughter named Ezinma. Throughout the short story of the taking of Ezinma into the cave late at night I kept having to go back and think about who was who! But it is not just Okonkwo's family that is hard to keep straight. The villages and the neighboring families also have similar names. Another strange thing I noticed about how the book is written is that Achebe does not always call characters by their names. He may call them "Nwyoe's daughter" or "Obierka's son-in-law". This just adds to the confusion of who belongs to who and which family is which! I'm thinking about making a character chart just to keep everyone straight.

African Culture

This novel gave amazing detail about the African way of life at the time. It showed a lot of things that I don't think I would have heard about otherwise, like the trial with the egwugwu being the judge and jury, or like the belief that everyone has a personal god, or chi, that determines their fate. After learning as much as this book shows about the culture, it really sets up for the tone of anger and hate even at the end because the white people are destroying all of the tradition that was set forth. It makes you wonder how many other cultures in the world have been supressed like this one. . .

Conquest

Did anyone else notice how close Okonkwo's name is to the pronunciation of the word conquest? I think the author planned this, because it really fits his character. He always had to be in control of everything around him, and forcefully if necessary, as evidenced by his treatment of his family, and was always striving to get the highest place in the tribe. Even until his dying day, he was telling the tribe that they had to fight back and take back their land, even though most of the tribe didn't agree with him. I wonder if any of the other names were similar to an English word that described the character?

Over-arching Themes

From the beginning, i liked very much how the story always followed Okonkwo, and how it wrapped up with him at the end too. How it told the story of his entire life was very moving and really helped to set up for the conflict at the end. It seemed that everything in the story went full circle. Many things turned around entirely. The ways of the tribe got completely changed from the way they started out, and Okonkwo was never going to disgrace himself or family intentionally at the beginning, but at the end he hanged himself. A very full book.

Checking In

Hello! I am loving the comments so far--great job! A few of you have emailed me about blog invites. I have resent the invitation to anyone who has contacted me. Let me know if you didn't receive it! I just wanted to offer a friendly reminder about outside sources. You must use three. You may NOT use sparknotes, about.com, wikipedia, or any kind of plot summary. Stick with academic sources and you'll be fine.

One of the biggest problems students seem to have with the summer homework is finding appropriate sources. Feel free to share any resources you've found particularly invaluable. Don't forget to access district databases and check out the local library (and their online databases) as well.

There are only two weeks to go until the July 25th essay due date! So far the essays that have been submitted are looking pretty fabulous :)

Point Of View

When I read Things Fall Apart I realized that their were many similarities to the Poisonwood Bible. Except the fact that the point of view was switched from African tribe to American missionaries. This lead me wonder why Chinua Achebe used third-person omniscient and if he just used a point of view of Okonkwo how it would have effected the novel?

Suicide

In the end, is the death of Okonkwo due to fear of what the white men would do to him for killing one of their messengers, or because he knew they would kill him, and he would've rather killed himself then be killed by the men he despised so much?

Ikemefuna's Death

In the beginning of the book the Oracle sentences for Ikemefuna's death, and without questioning it the Men go out to the forest to kill him. Was there reasoning behind his death at all?

Okonkwo's Chi

Throughout the book the author talks about one's "chi" or personal god. The people of the clan believed that if you had a bad "chi" then you lived a bad life, full of misfortune. When Okonkwo's life continued in a downward spiral, he blamed his "chi". If Okonkwo knew that his "chi" was bad, then he knew that this misfortune would follow him to his downfall. Why did he try to prevent his father's footsteps if he already knew he had an ill fate?

Confused

I am confused on the essay prompt. Are we supposed to answer all those questions, or do we just pick one to focus on in our essay?

"Rough Beast"

Does anyone else think that the "rough beast" from the Second Coming is relgion...?

Like father like son

In the very end Oknokwo became a abomination much like his father.  This was completely ironic because Oknokwo spent his whole life trying to escape the shame of his  father. 

Change

Most of us have certain routines in life and when it changes we have to figure out how to respond.  In this novel I believe that it portrays the importance of routine.  Such as the importance of routine in their farming and religous beliefs. It is true that change can cause complete tumult and I believe this happened with Okonkwo and the villages.

Half way through

Reading into the final chapters of the book I began to realize that it is not how Okonkwo handles himself but how he handles those around him. Weather it be aiming a gun at one of his many wives or his numerous responsibilities to the village. The way that they scrub the village for the families that are coming shows that they care and shows how they want everything to be perfect for there guests.

Onkonkwo's Mistreatment of Family

I feel that Onkonkwo mistreated his wives and children. He had a lot of anger built up that he took out on people that didn’t deserve it. He was perpetually angry at his father and often overreacted with rage when a family member did something he didn’t like. Even in the clan, some people were shocked to hear that he almost killed Ekwefi with a gun. Although that the customs and culture in Umuofia didn’t have as strict of views on treatment of women and children as society nowadays, I still believe that Onkonkwo overstepped the boundaries a few times.

Connections to the text

As I have been reading this book, I have discovered that Okonkwo is a very devoted person. One who doesn't give in easy and is willing to work for what he wants to achieve. He is strong idiviual with lots to fight for. Seeing as his father left him with little to survive on and little to work with but debt when he passed. Okonkwo is one who never gives up, one who never backs down. And personal I think this what makes him the strong individual he is through out the first few chapters.

A Public Question

Is there any place we could pick up or download a replacement assignment packet for the summer homework?

Hello, Class of 2013!

I have had quite a few emails in regards to the blog post invites. As of ten minutes ago, they've been sent! Let me know if you do not receive the invitation (it should come directly from Blogger). Remember, to receive credit for your postings, you may post a question, comment, or anything pertinent to the text.

I look forward to working with you all next year. Enjoy your summer and happy reading!

Quick Wrap Up

First of all, thank you all for a wonderful school year. Though I appreciate the fact that you were awesome to work with this year, I also think it's really unfortunate that I had such a wonderful bunch during a school year in which I'll be absent for a good chunk of time (darn you all for being such pleasant, hard-working students!;)

As I've assured you many times before, you are in very apt hands, and I think you will really enjoy having Mr. B as a teacher. You're very lucky indeed, trust me.

The control freak in me would like to address a few things before I leave:

1. Please make sure to pay attention to the calendar I gave you. Know what's on the agenda. If it says to bring your books, bring your books!
2. PLEASE remember to sign up for the AP Lit exam. I'm not going to lie--the fact that I have a measly two sign ups in is giving me slight panic attacks. I'm going to assume that everyone is just procrastinating and really will turn it in before the deadline. You have two weeks! Don't forget!

And, finally, a word about those timed writings. As many of you have noticed, the grades have been entered. You may pick your papers up from the stackable trays in the front of the classroom. Stapled to your timed writing you will find the scoring sheet, which should give you some specific info as to how essays were scored (by the groups). You will also see a grade (or rather, two grades) in my handwriting.

As I explained previously, this timed writing is worth 100 points (as is every timed writing), but it has been entered into the grade book as two separate grades. First, you'll see a 50/50 completion score. EVERYONE got a 50/50 for having completed the timed writing. Next, you'll see a group score (out of 50). This is the score the group who read your essay chose to give you. On your paper, you might see a 50/50 + 35/50. This means that you got your 50 completion points, and you were scored a 70% on the essay. So, math whizzes, this averages out in your favor to an 85% in the essay category. I say "in your favor," because I did review each essay and score to make sure I was comfortable with that designation, and if your paper says 70% for the group score, I wholeheartedly agreed that that was an accurate assessment and likely what I would have graded the essay (out of 100) had I been the sole grader. (Note, some of you will see that I did NOT agree with what the group scored you, and your grade was adjusted accordingly). I say all of this simply because I want to assure you that I made every effort to make this whole process as fair as possible. (And a side note here: you all did an amazing job with this scoring, and I think it shows how knowledgeable you are about the writing process and how to prompt-fondle and construct that 8-9 range essay :) I have no doubts there will be some amazing AP test scores from this bunch.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me. I'll do my best to respond and help you out in any way I can. Have a wonderful rest of the year!

Mrs. Linneman

Vocab Reminder

If you've paid attention to your handy calendar, you've noted that there's a vocab quiz on Thursday. Here's a copy of the Week 6 word list:

1. expectorate: v—to spit, to remove mucus by spitting and/or coughing

Cough syrup is a great expectorate when one is sick.

2. palpate: v—to examine by touch

The nurse palpated the patient’s stomach.

3. preemptory: adj—putting an end to or making impossible an action, debate, delay

The teacher made a preemptory gesture in giving the kids an extra day to complete their essays.

4. pusillanimous: adj—lacking courage and resolution

He despised himself for entertaining such pusillanimous considerations in the country’s time of need.

5. surfeit: n—an overabundant supply; excess

He looked at the surfeit of homework which laid on his desk.

6. allay: v—to make less severe; relieve

The parents tried to allay their children’s fears about the upcoming storm.

7. capacious: adj—able to contain a great deal; not narrow

Her capacious bag was ridiculous; it looked like a small suitcase.

8. diurnal: adj—reoccurring every day

The students completed a diurnal journal which required several entries.

9. extricate: v—to free or remove from an entanglement or difficulty

He could not extricate himself from the Halloween maze.

10. ignominious: adj—marked by disgrace or shame; dishonorable

The British were forced into an ignominious retreat in the Revolutionary War.

Essay Outline Information

Remember, Purdue's OWL website is a wonderful resource for all things essay. I would encourage those of you who are still losing MLA points on essays to check it out before your next round of essay submissions (and keep it bookmarked on your computer for easy reference).

OWL is also a good resource for tonight's homework assignment. If you're having difficulty figuring out how to construct an essay outline, see the information explained here. I am not picky about which outlining format you choose to use, but for this particular assignment, I do want to see your thesis statement and topic sentences in complete sentences (everything else can be listed/bullet-pointed). I realize that may seem awkward with some outline formats, but the whole purpose of this assignment is to a) practice organizing your writing and b) (more importantly) pay attention to structuring your arguments with a strong thesis statement and topic sentences to avoid the dreaded plot summary trap.

Happy essay planning! :)

2 Page Doll's House Essay

Does anyone know if the header of the essay counts as part of the two pages???

Ebsco Host App

FYI, there are now iPhone and Android apps for EbscoHost (you know, if you have the burning desire to look up literary criticism when you're not in front of a computer). See below for directions:

1. Download the ebscohost application for free from your app store.
2. on your computer login into ebscohost at http://search.ebscohost.com at school there is no password. At home the ID is francis and the Password is howell.
3. Click on the ebscohost database and scroll down to the bottom of the page. There should be a link (New! Ebscohost iphone and Android Application. Click on this link.
4. Type in your email address that you can receive on your smartphone or devise.
5. Go to your smartphone or devise and open the email. Follow the directions on the email and it will make the ebscohost application connect to our library ebscohost account.
6. This is good for 9 months and then you will have to redo it.

Things Fall Apart (3rd Q Lit Circle)

Please use this thread for all blog posts relating to the 3rd quarter lit circle reading of Things Fall Apart. Posters in this group are: Richard, Dan, Megan, Rachelle, and Ashley.

Happy Reading!

Slaughterhouse Five

Please use this thread for all blog posts relating to the 3rd quarter lit circle reading of Slaughterhouse Five. Posters in this group are: Will, Steph, Julie and Sam.

Happy Reading!

Catch-22

Please use this thread for all blog posts relating to the 3rd quarter lit circle reading of Catch-22. Posters in this group are: Connor, Andrew, Keenan, Sam, and Lisa.

Happy Reading!

Pygmalion (3rd Q Lit Circle)

Please use this thread for all blog posts relating to the 3rd quarter lit circle reading of Pygmalion. Posters in this group are: Cynthia, Sarah, Mikaela, and Nina.

Happy Reading!

The Scarlet Letter (3rd Q Lit Circle)

Please use this thread for all blog posts relating to the 3rd quarter lit circle reading of The Scarlet Letter. Posters in this group are: Ann, Gabby, Leah, Zack and Paige.

Happy Reading!

The Kite Runner (3rd Q Lit Circle)

Please use this thread for all blog posts relating to the 3rd quarter lit circle reading of The Kite Runner. Posters in this group are: Erica, Code, Claire, Michelle, Alison, Reena, Alex, Brittany, and Mackenzie.

Happy Reading!

The Crucible

Please use this thread for all blog posts relating to the 3rd quarter lit circle reading of The Crucible. Posters in this group are: Danielle, Kaitlin, Cailin, Olivia, and Josh.

Happy Reading!

The Sun Also Rises(3rd Q Lit Circle)

Please use this thread for all blog posts relating to the 3rd quarter lit circle reading of Huck Finn. Posters in this group are: Tamra, Melanie, Megan, and Jennifer.

Happy Reading!

Week Four Vocabulary List

Quiz Tuesday

Happy Studying! :)

nefarious: adj—flagrantly wicked or impious
Darth Vader is one of the most nefarious movie characters.

retinue: n—a group of retainers or attendants
Kurt Cobain never left his house without his retinue surrounding him.

suppliant: adj—humbly imploring
The suppliant beggar asked the businessmen for money.

tedium: n—the quality or state of being bored; a tedious period of time
No one truly experiences tedium until sitting through Mr. Smith’s education classes.

torrid: adj—parched with heat; giving off intense heat; passionate
The children played in the fire hydrant to avoid overheating in the torrid afternoon.

affront: v—to insult especially to the face by behavior or language
The baseball player’s comment about the media affronted the reporters in the room.

blasé: adj—apathetic to pleasure or excitement because of excessive indulgence or enjoyment
After a huge steak and two potatoes, Tim had a blasé reaction when the waiter asked if he wanted dessert.

cajole: v—to persuade with flattery or gentle urging especially in the face of reluctance; to obtain from someone by gentle persuasion
Tiffany cajoled her mother into buying her a Lexus.

choleric: adj—easily moved to often unreasonable or excessive anger; hot-tempered
Most employees avoided the payroll manager because of his choleric reputation.

encumber: v—to weigh down or burdenThe eight-man tent usually encumbered the hikers, so they bought a lighter one.