SUMMER BLOGPOST 2

AUGUST 12TH


I have now reached by 5^th destination which to be honest has shocked me a lot. I’m now in North Carolina, a state in southeastern America. It was a very beautiful state there was no doubt; I had gone to the Blue Ridge Mountains and seen waterfalls and beautiful sights. It has about 17 major rivers which I was grateful to see many of. About two years ago, a tragic event had happen there. A 24 year old black man, whose car had broken down, went to seek help and knocked on a woman’s house who was surprised that he would knock in the middle of the night and therefore feared a home invasion forcing her to dial 911. Three officers had come immediately and as the young man approached the officers for help one officer fired 12 shots, 10 of them actually hit the man and killing him. The officer was charged for murder but the trial had reopened this summer when I was there and had caused massive campaigning which I got to see. 

As I continued travelling around North Carolina I had noticed many southerners hanging a certain flag on their properties like houses and cars. It was a red flag with two blue crosses that have white stars on them (Confederate flag). In short they basically represented people who were against the act of freeing slaves. The people who had them would have written: “Be white be proud!” on their cars. They were proud of their racist mentality but called it “Pride in our Southern heritage.” One day as we drove around, we got lost and decided to stop and ask for directions and had driven up a pathway that looked like a normal small public road way until we heard shouting coming and saw a guy holding a shotgun shouting: “ Get off my f***ing property you f***ing niggers” as he got closer to the car he saw my mum, aunt and little nephew who were the only light skin people and calmed down for a second before he give us another warning to leave immediately. As lost as we were he needed to stop for gas and thought that might be the only safe place to stop for gas as we were now heading towards south Virginia. When we stopped at the gas station some of us went to the toilet, some to get food or drink but all eyes were on us, their gaze followed our every move. We were then approached by three white men who asked us what we were doing and we replied “Getting gas”  to which they replied “ We are hunting” then flashed their guns that were placed in their pockets, looked us up and down and continued: “Hunting for dogs.” This had been by far my WORST EXPERIENCE ever. 

SUMMER BLOG 1

August 2nd

This holiday we had decided to travel to the United States of America. Although I’ve been there before the last time I visited was 8 years ago. This time I went road tripping around the states. When I used to think of the states I thought mainly of food, American football, politics, food, drinking, and food. Yet when I went around different states I realized how they were both culturally and socially so different from each other. They all had their different arts and culture, different ways of communicating with people and never had I imagined America had been so green.it was by far the greenest place I had visited. The nature there was amazing and hadn’t been altered. So my second destination in this trip was Omaha, Nebraska, a state located in the Midwestern States. It consisted mainly of suburbs and mainly Caucasian people who would always do a double look at me whenever I went anywhere as if they hadn’t seen a colored person before which I slowly realized they probably didn’t seeing as their city consisted 99.5% of Caucasian people but they were still nice. Nevertheless Omaha was very beautiful nature wise, it had greens everywhere, hills you wouldn’t imagine, it was beautiful, the land there was hill like so it went up and down a lot so you would have houses in all shapes and sizes standing either really high or low. It was really interesting, unlike Germany and England where they would alter the land and make it flat to keep everything at one level, America actually cared about its nature and didn’t alter anything making it more beautiful. My third destination was the one and only New York, the city that never sleeps. I stayed in a penthouse right in the middle of Times Square where I could se everything. New York was hyper 24/7, lights on all the time and very energetic. The people were so mixed; you could probably find someone from each race, it was very multicultural and busy. It didn’t have to much green land but the skyscrapers and downtown were amazing, so different from where I had been before. This is where I am now and will continue around America and see how different they are,

How to Write about Black People

Woah! Hold up..! You want to talk about the black race? Let me give you a little insight of how that’s going to work.
First off don’t forget to include words such as “thugs” “ghetto” and “shady” because of course which black person isn't one of those.  Throw in words like “kool- aid, watermelon and chicken” somewhere in your text to further enhance the black culture.

To start with, you have to generalize the whole population of black people and assume that they’re all the same primitive creatures who need the help of the upper class white people to succeed in life plus they all look the same anyway right? They’re far back in society and need a push forward because you know, they’re lazy.

With high rates of crime who else is there to blame? That’s right; it has got to be the blacks from the ghetto robbing a bank but only managing to steal $1000 because as I probably forgot to mention, they are neither the brightest nor well educated. They’re also the reason there is drug issues is getting so bad because what else do they spend their money on?

Don’t forget to include the seriousness of gangs and stabbing and crimes happening because we all know when a white person commits a crime they’re obviously suffering from a severe psychological illness because how else would you explain a gunman who shoots 70 people at a batman premiere or when a man shoots 20 children in an elementary…BUT of course this isn't ever the same for black people, they don’t suffer from anything, they’re just vicious in nature and always to blame for their animal like behavior. 

Don’t forget that you’ll need a whole good chapter or so just talking about black women. They’re loud, ignorant and their love for weaves isn't comprehensible. All they do is go on a hunt for a baby daddy because you know; black people abuse welfare systems and need to find someone who can afford for their many kids.

Make sure you establish the fact that they won’t make it far and that half of the black population will rappers because they obviously look up to Jay z and Kanye.  Also add how all they eat is fried chicken which is why they’re lacking so many nutrients and need helping.

Be sure to emphasize on these true struggling issues the black community suffers from and you want to inform the world of these because you care. Also make sure that you constantly repeat how little they know and how they aren't able to help themselves.

DO NOT under any circumstances mention the N-word, you wouldn't want to be offensive after going on so well and cross the line. End it with your deep passion and desire to truly make a change and help these broken homes and communities and how better to end a text like that then with a famous Martin Luther King Jr quote or speech because let’s face it you probably had a dream about that change you’re going to make.

Paper #2 Question

1.       Show how and to what effect Achebe makes use of myth, legend or other stories and tales.

Achebe uses several of different stories whether be myth, legend or tales to make sense of different situations and be able to engage the readers into developing more knowledge on the traditional ways of the Igbo people. The Igbo communities rely on such ways which are presented orally to continue being passed down generations and because things were not written in those times it was made sure they were continuously practiced and passed on. Proverbs were a main way of expressing different situations such as:” "Proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten.” Palm-oil is a very important item in Umuofian society, and is used to cook and is also used as a fuel source. Eating the words simply is a poetic way of saying to take them in, or to gain knowledge. It means that proverbs are an essentially words of wisdom. Unoka, Okonkwos dad was quite known for using words and playing with them to get what he wanted and use of proverbs. Once when Okoye approached Unoka to ask him to repay him, Unoka said: “Our elders say that the sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under the.”  Implying that he will pay his biggest debts first and then moving on to the smaller ones. He was known for using words to his advantage and therefore convinces people to pay him more money even after him not repaying them.

Achebe also manages to use these devices to interest and inform the audience of the ways the Igbo people makes decisions such as when Ikemefuna was walking with the men on the day of his killing, he sang a song and if he ended the song on his right foot it would mean that his mom is alive and well and if he ended the song on his left foot it would mean that his mum is either dead or suffering from an illness. This shows us how the Igbo people demonstrate these rituals to determine things in different situations. Achebe uses this as a way to engage with the readers and inform them about the traditions that happen which further enhances the realism of the culture and makes it more believable and further contributes to the theme of the plot of the novel.

In the 11^th Chapter, Ezinma is talking to her mom when a story is told about a greedy, cunning tortoise. All of the birds have been invited to a feast in the sky and Tortoise persuades the birds to lend him feathers to make wings so that he can attend the feast as well. As they travel to the feast, Tortoise also persuades them to take new names for the feast according to custom. He tells the birds that his name will be “All of you.” When they arrive, Tortoise asks his hosts for whom the feast is prepared. They reply, “For all of you.” Tortoise proceeds to eat and drink the best parts of the food and wine. The birds, angry and disgruntled at receiving only scraps, take back the feathers that they had given to Tortoise so that he is unable to fly home. Tortoise persuades Parrot to deliver a message to his wife: he wants her to cover their compound with their soft things so that he may jump from the sky without danger. Maliciously, Parrot tells Tortoise’s wife to bring out all of the hard things. When Tortoise jumps, his shell breaks into pieces on impact. A medicine man puts it together again, which is why Tortoise’s shell is not smooth.

From this story we see that the oral tradition of storytelling in Igbo culture is a means for teaching history and customs, for passing on legends and beliefs, and for explaining the natural as well as the supernatural worlds. The tradition is particularly well-illustrated in the long story about Tortoise and his shell. The story explains why a tortoise shell is not smooth, but it also reveals the proverb, "a man who makes trouble for others is also making it for himself" — another indication that Okonkwo is bringing misfortune upon himself.

Another way of looking at this story would be seen as linguistic imperialism as the tortoise forced them to call them a specific name and then as a form of oppression the birds had used their communication to talk to the tortoise’s wife 

MEMOIR

Umuofia. My clan, my tribe, my home. So much changed has happen right under our noses yet we were too blind to notice that we soon were no longer the rulers of our own land. The white people were very sneaky when they came along with their strange and abnormal beliefs and customs.  When my good friend and also one of the greatest men in Umuofia, Oknokwo was exiled, I knew that things were slowly starting to change, the seven years that he missed was the introduction of the arrivals of the colonists. They has slowly taken our people into their side and manipulated their minds into believing that Christianity was the right way and that our well-shaped and vigorous culture and superstitions were erroneous and disapproved by them. The settlers had even gone as far as killing of the village of Abame and attempted to convert the rest and imposing their power upon all the different lands.

The white people have done many things in which they had disrespected us and our traditions and way of life.  The first reverend sent to our land was Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown was actually respected by the clan because he trod softly on our faith and had even made friends with some of the great men of the clan and would frequently visit us in the villages. But with the coming of the new reverend, Mr. Smith, things were bound to change. Mr. Smith thought about nothing but numbers. Yet before that let me talk about Enoch. Enoch was one of the white missionaries who was the son of the priest of the snake. Enoch had murdered an egwugwu by unmasking him during the annual ceremony to honor the earth deity which caused a horrible conflict between us. This led us to burn down Enoch’s compound and then burning down the church. This act led 6 of us to the court and then unknowingly being imprisoned by the white missionaries (who had also beat us with sticks) who only accepted to release us if our village would pay a fine of two hundred and fifty bags of cowries. From this point on we knew that they were the enemies. It wasn’t a joke anymore; the white men had more power than we had anticipated, they were a smart bunch and we had foolishly accepted their stay. They had taken many of our people and our culture society was starting to break down and the falcon could no longer hear the falconer and that’s when I knew things changed. Things had fallen apart. 

PAPER 2

3- Discuss the significance of social status in Things Fall Apart, and comment on its contribution to characterization.

Social status plays a remarkable role in Things Fall Apart. In the Igbo culture it is seen how they determine how much a man should be respected depending on their successes. These successes rely on various things such as how big a man’s barn is and how many crops he is able to produce, how many wives he has and children. A wealthy man in Okonkwo’s village, Nwakibie was known for having three huge barns, nine wives and thirty children. He was known for having taken the highest a man could get in Umuofia. So titles are gained by men through their successes in their life. Okonkwo’s dad, Unoka, had never earned any titles in his lifetime, he was the laughingstock of Umoufia and no one had any respect for him because he was considered a man of lower social status. Looking at the protagonists, Okonkwo has known to for winning the greatest wrestler in the nine villages. He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams and had married three wives. He had taken two titles and had shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars and such a thing was revered in the Igbo society. A proverb used in Umofia is: “If a child washed his hands he could eat with kings” and Okonkwo had this privilege. This helped develop Okonkwo’s character in regards for him aiming higher and trying to become even more and better than he is but therefore this lead to him having a bigger ego and develop a harsher more violent and brutal persona and later led to his downfall as he was eagerly trying to oppose his father’s ways as he was considered of a low social status.

Another notable character who shows social status is Ezeudu; he was the oldest man in the village who had been a great and fearless warrior in his time, who had earned titles and was now accorded great respect in all the clan. When he died, due to him being of such high social status and great power he was to be buried after dark with only a glowing brand to light the sacred ceremony. It is seen how a man with titles was placed significantly higher in the social structure of Umuofia. This can be compared to Unoka and his time of death which was his fated doom. He suffered from swelling which made the Earth Goddess angry and therefore he wasn’t allowed to die in the house and had to be carried to the Evil Forest and left there to die and wasn’t given any type of burial.

Another perspective of social status is one between men and women. It is seen in the book that women don’t hold up power but instead are used as a statement for men’s statuses. Crime and accidents that happen are categorized into female and male crimes. If a man commits a severe and planed crime then it is considered a male crime whereas when a man commits a crime that isn’t severe and was accidental such as Okonkwo had committed during Ezeudu’s funeral where he accidentally killed Ezeudu’s 16 year old son, is considered a female crime which again displays the inferiority women hold against men in the Igbo society and what some role they play in having a social status.  

In conclusion, social status is defined by a man’s wealth which is defined through his success of things such as barns, wives and especially titles which leads a man to be respected by his fellow clansmen and village. They’re given their deserved respect by their achievements. The more achievements and wealth a man has the higher his social status is in his society therefore gaining him more respect. Therefore we see the significance social status plays in Things Fall Apart and how the interact with characters.

OKONKWO'S CHARACTER

A tragic hero is one that is defined as a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to their own destruction. Common characteristic traits defined by Aristotle usually consist of a flaw or error of judgment (hamartia), a reversal of fortune brought through due to the hero error of judgment (peripeteia), the discovery or recognition that the reversal was brought about by the hero’s own actions (anagnorisis), excessive pride (hubris) and lastly the character’s fate must be greater than deserved. It can be seen that Okonkwo- the protagonist- follows many of these traits.

Yet from this essay a hero is defined as person not made in isolation but they’re rather a product of the social matrix with in which they operate. The person's determination to pursue his individual interest concomitantly with that of the society is a constant source of dynamic tensions because his obligations to his society can become an impediment to his individual quest for fame and reputation. This is very relatable to Okonkow which makes us question why Achebe would choose a tragic hero as the protagonist. Using Okonkwo as a tragic hero is a brilliant way to portray not only Okonkows downfall but rather the downfall of the whole society. One of the most important proverbs in the novel is: ““As the elders said, if one finger brought oil it soiled the others” which means that the downfall of one person could be the downfall for everyone else which in this case was the protagonist as well as the tragic hero. By making Okonkwo a tragic hero, Achebe tries to illustrate a message that the Westerners are causing them much trouble and even though it is very frowned upon to take your own life in the Igbo culture- they would still rather that than having to follow the British as Obierika says: “That man (Okonkwo) was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself and now he will be buried like a dog…” therefore using Okonkwo as a tragic hero truly emphasizes on the true struggle of the Igbo society as a whole and not just Okonkwo alone.

One of the themes that take place throughout the novel is the struggle of change, tradition and culture which in the Igbo society holds great value. Using Okonkwo we see this theme develop due to the fact that he resists the new cultural, religious and political change within Umuofia because he doesn’t consider them manly which leads to develop him as a character and the theme itself. Okonkwo also resists such things because of his strong fear to lose societal status. His wisdom on self-worth is dependent on the traditional standard which by his society judges him.
Another theme that Achebe promotes through Okonkwo is destiny/fate. Due to Okonkwo’s hard and inflexible ways, he seemed destined for self-destruction. Throughout the novel is it seen through the character development how certain tragical events were building up against Okonkwo. Again by using the protagonist as the tragic hero we see how the novel falls on them and implies the same for the Igbo society.