For me when of the first things that I thought was kind of confusing about the book was the setting. It’s hard to tell what time setting the novel is taking place. The description makes it sound really savage like with the names, how they keep time by moons, and the use of instruments such as the drums. I know it’s in Africa but that still doesn’t explain the lack of a time period. Half of the things that make the people sound savage could be, and probably is because of their culture, however the narrator uses common era words like how he saw a kite and things like that. Just thinking what the time period was just got me interested.
Another thing that I thought was interesting was the relationship of> Okonkwo and his father. It seems like he is the exact opposite as Unoka. Unoka was seen as a failure and a coward because he lacked a job, focused on music, and didn’t support wars. Unoka found great shame and that and> used it to motivate himself to become great. It’s like he is fueling his pride and triumphs with the anger and disappointment he has for his father.
The death of Ikemefuna made me really want to analyze the relationships that Okonkwo has with his family members. Okonkwo seems to be a really proud man that finds pride and happiness in his family but is to scared to admit it. He leaves his family and those who care for him with no sense of fulfillment on his part. What I mean is that he gives a complete lack of any emotion to his wives and even his kids. However, the more he seems to neglect the children the more they fight and yearn for acknowledgement from him. For example a child from each wife came to him that day of the wrestling match to bring him dinner. This was the night after the day he beat one of his wives and almost shot her. This kind of action would bring most kids fear and to act hesitant toward their father but it only seems to make them want to be loved even more. Okonkwo refuses to show any kind of emotion towards them even if he is fond because he believes it will make him look weak. Being thought of as weak is his biggest fear. This is why he has a hand in the killing of Ikemefuna – he doesn’t want to appear weak. To me this is weakness in it’s self. He is letting the opinion of others derive everything that he does. Which turns out to be a bit ironic.
This reading section was a bit confusing to follow but I defiantly noticed some things that made me want to keep reading. The first was Okonkwo’s relationship and his actions toward his daughter Ezinma. In chapter eight there is a definite connection between the two of them that is clearly seen by the reader. And whether Okonkwo will admit it or not he deeply loves her. This is why I was angered when he said that she should be a boy. I thought it was a disrespectful insult that he was just being a jerk about. However the more I read the more I came to realize that it wasn’t an insult at all. Okonkwo sees women as weak less noble humans that he shows no respect for. Boys are the superior species that hold all the cards in the relationships. He has a connection with his daughter which is something that he never thought he would have. I think he is kind of wondering how he could feel a connection with a woman when the male is the one that counts and the only type that he should feel a connection in. I think this is why he kinds of reasons out that she has masculine qualities. That he has bonded with her “masculine traits.”
In chapter nine we see a little change to his character. When Ezinma gets sick he searches for a way to cure her. He goes to the medicine man of the town and asks for him to give her anything to cure her. I believe this is the first time we see any sort of concern and emotion from him about his children. Helping your offspring when he or she needs you the most is what every good parent tries to do, and he is acting on his paternal instincts for the first time.
These three chapters kind of changed the book for me. I thought the book was ok before – kind of boring but some how I still kind of wanted to read it. These chapters picked up the book’s pace for me. When the priestess took Ezinma I was so unsure of what was going to happen to her. I thought that her death was for sure coming. I really liked how you saw Okonwoa’s mental state and how it contrasted of what he was physically doing. It made me laugh how he kept going back and fourth between the cave and his own home. It’s like he was going back and fourth of what he should be doing be there, or not – as if he were pacing.
Another part in this section that I thought was interesting was Okonwoa’s punishment for accidentally killing a fellow clansman. This was really interesting to me. The tribe seemed to take extreme action by sending him away from his life and everything he has accustomed to it. He now has to start anew and build everyone up again. Being the ultimate “man” that he is the first place he turns to is his mother’s. I thought this was so ironic. I think it’s a natural reaction for all people to feel comfort and sympathy from their mother because of that maternal bond that they share, but I didn’t expect that from him because of how he treats and views women. Its weird to think that he needs his mother and beats his wife. Since he thinks he doesn’t need women you would think he would start building his new life on his own. I think that’s what he would have done this taking place in the earlier chapters before Ezinma got sick. Now that he has felt that bond with his daughter, I think he has come to appreciate women more. Now that he is on his own though I don’t know how long those feelings will last.
I think that in these chapters you see Okonkwoa kind of slipping back to his older self of anger and selfishness. I think he sees himself as his father, a failure and a weak broken man who needs the help of others. This bothers him and begins to eat away at him. We see this angry self come back when his son Nwoye joins the missionary and he starts choking him to get it out of him. Since his daughters illness we haven’t really seen him get angry to the point where he physically hurts one of his family members that he did several times in the past. This physical strength over his son and the wives that he beats could be how he feels his manly power-by dominating his victims.
We met a new character in the reading, Uchendu. I really liked this character he seemed wise and trustworthy. He kind of reminded me of the town elder who gave advice to Okonwoa to not shoot Ikemfuna. They both seem to have that guiding role. Okonkwoa didn’t listen to the first man who tries to guide him maybe he will listen to the second.
One thing that I noticed about Okonkwo in this chapter is that he thinks that when he returns to the tribe everyone will be overjoyed and ecstatic as soon as he steps foot on the grounds. He already plans on expanding the land getting titles for his boys putting himself in the head chief position. He has been gone for seven years and just expects to rule everyone. I found this a little irritating. It’s like he thought nothing would change if he wasn’t around. He needs to learn that the world does not revolve around him. I think this is one of his greatest flaws. He cares was HE looks like and not how others feel. Like when his son left to go with the missionaries he didn’t understand how HE could raise such a weak boy instead of analyzing what happened to make Nokye want to leave. He only focuses on himself which makes him a little annoying but mostly pathetic because he has no idea that he’s doing it.
Okonkwo once again decided to be the strong war hero that he was longing to be, but yet again the change that his people have gone through got in the way of that. The white men have changed the way the people of his land act. They are no longer the war-driven men they once were like explained in the earlier chapters. Now they seem to be rationalizing things out and having meetings deciding what they are going to do. Okonkwo, being away from all that time is still the warrior at heart. When he kills the messenger he believed everyone would jump with excitement and join him in his riot against the white men and the church. I think it’s because Okonkwo is still living in the past. He still thinks of himself as this great leader who can get anyone to do whatever he wants. I felt bad for him when no one did follow him and questioned his actions. For the first time I honestly thought he looked weak. I think he then realized how the people of the town didn’t feel or think the same way as he did. Its like they didn’t respect him as a leader as much as they used to. This is why he killed himself; because of loss of respect and of the appearance of looking weak and alone.
Didn't the passage of background information say that Antigone was a victim of Creon's hubris? Some of you are suggesting that Antigone is the tragic hero. Thoughts on that.
8 comments:
For me when of the first things that I thought was kind of confusing about the book was the setting. It’s hard to tell what time setting the novel is taking place. The description makes it sound really savage like with the names, how they keep time by moons, and the use of instruments such as the drums. I know it’s in Africa but that still doesn’t explain the lack of a time period. Half of the things that make the people sound savage could be, and probably is because of their culture, however the narrator uses common era words like how he saw a kite and things like that. Just thinking what the time period was just got me interested.
Another thing that I thought was interesting was the relationship of> Okonkwo and his father. It seems like he is the exact opposite as Unoka. Unoka was seen as a failure and a coward because he lacked a job, focused on music, and didn’t support wars. Unoka found great shame and that and> used it to motivate himself to become great. It’s like he is fueling his pride and triumphs with the anger and disappointment he has for his father.
5-7
The death of Ikemefuna made me really want to analyze the relationships that Okonkwo has with his family members. Okonkwo seems to be a really proud man that finds pride and happiness in his family but is to scared to admit it. He leaves his family and those who care for him with no sense of fulfillment on his part. What I mean is that he gives a complete lack of any emotion to his wives and even his kids. However, the more he seems to neglect the children the more they fight and yearn for acknowledgement from him. For example a child from each wife came to him that day of the wrestling match to bring him dinner. This was the night after the day he beat one of his wives and almost shot her. This kind of action would bring most kids fear and to act hesitant toward their father but it only seems to make them want to be loved even more. Okonkwo refuses to show any kind of emotion towards them even if he is fond because he believes it will make him look weak. Being thought of as weak is his biggest fear. This is why he has a hand in the killing of Ikemefuna – he doesn’t want to appear weak. To me this is weakness in it’s self. He is letting the opinion of others derive everything that he does. Which turns out to be a bit ironic.
8-10
This reading section was a bit confusing to follow but I defiantly noticed some things that made me want to keep reading. The first was Okonkwo’s relationship and his actions toward his daughter Ezinma. In chapter eight there is a definite connection between the two of them that is clearly seen by the reader. And whether Okonkwo will admit it or not he deeply loves her. This is why I was angered when he said that she should be a boy. I thought it was a disrespectful insult that he was just being a jerk about. However the more I read the more I came to realize that it wasn’t an insult at all. Okonkwo sees women as weak less noble humans that he shows no respect for. Boys are the superior species that hold all the cards in the relationships. He has a connection with his daughter which is something that he never thought he would have. I think he is kind of wondering how he could feel a connection with a woman when the male is the one that counts and the only type that he should feel a connection in. I think this is why he kinds of reasons out that she has masculine qualities. That he has bonded with her “masculine traits.”
In chapter nine we see a little change to his character. When Ezinma gets sick he searches for a way to cure her. He goes to the medicine man of the town and asks for him to give her anything to cure her. I believe this is the first time we see any sort of concern and emotion from him about his children. Helping your offspring when he or she needs you the most is what every good parent tries to do, and he is acting on his paternal instincts for the first time.
11-13
These three chapters kind of changed the book for me. I thought the book was ok before – kind of boring but some how I still kind of wanted to read it. These chapters picked up the book’s pace for me. When the priestess took Ezinma I was so unsure of what was going to happen to her. I thought that her death was for sure coming. I really liked how you saw Okonwoa’s mental state and how it contrasted of what he was physically doing. It made me laugh how he kept going back and fourth between the cave and his own home. It’s like he was going back and fourth of what he should be doing be there, or not – as if he were pacing.
Another part in this section that I thought was interesting was Okonwoa’s punishment for accidentally killing a fellow clansman. This was really interesting to me. The tribe seemed to take extreme action by sending him away from his life and everything he has accustomed to it. He now has to start anew and build everyone up again. Being the ultimate “man” that he is the first place he turns to is his mother’s. I thought this was so ironic. I think it’s a natural reaction for all people to feel comfort and sympathy from their mother because of that maternal bond that they share, but I didn’t expect that from him because of how he treats and views women. Its weird to think that he needs his mother and beats his wife. Since he thinks he doesn’t need women you would think he would start building his new life on his own. I think that’s what he would have done this taking place in the earlier chapters before Ezinma got sick. Now that he has felt that bond with his daughter, I think he has come to appreciate women more. Now that he is on his own though I don’t know how long those feelings will last.
14-18
I think that in these chapters you see Okonkwoa kind of slipping back to his older self of anger and selfishness. I think he sees himself as his father, a failure and a weak broken man who needs the help of others. This bothers him and begins to eat away at him. We see this angry self come back when his son Nwoye joins the missionary and he starts choking him to get it out of him. Since his daughters illness we haven’t really seen him get angry to the point where he physically hurts one of his family members that he did several times in the past. This physical strength over his son and the wives that he beats could be how he feels his manly power-by dominating his victims.
We met a new character in the reading, Uchendu. I really liked this character he seemed wise and trustworthy. He kind of reminded me of the town elder who gave advice to Okonwoa to not shoot Ikemfuna. They both seem to have that guiding role. Okonkwoa didn’t listen to the first man who tries to guide him maybe he will listen to the second.
19-21
One thing that I noticed about Okonkwo in this chapter is that he thinks that when he returns to the tribe everyone will be overjoyed and ecstatic as soon as he steps foot on the grounds. He already plans on expanding the land getting titles for his boys putting himself in the head chief position. He has been gone for seven years and just expects to rule everyone. I found this a little irritating. It’s like he thought nothing would change if he wasn’t around. He needs to learn that the world does not revolve around him. I think this is one of his greatest flaws. He cares was HE looks like and not how others feel. Like when his son left to go with the missionaries he didn’t understand how HE could raise such a weak boy instead of analyzing what happened to make Nokye want to leave. He only focuses on himself which makes him a little annoying but mostly pathetic because he has no idea that he’s doing it.
22-25
Okonkwo once again decided to be the strong war hero that he was longing to be, but yet again the change that his people have gone through got in the way of that. The white men have changed the way the people of his land act. They are no longer the war-driven men they once were like explained in the earlier chapters. Now they seem to be rationalizing things out and having meetings deciding what they are going to do. Okonkwo, being away from all that time is still the warrior at heart. When he kills the messenger he believed everyone would jump with excitement and join him in his riot against the white men and the church. I think it’s because Okonkwo is still living in the past. He still thinks of himself as this great leader who can get anyone to do whatever he wants. I felt bad for him when no one did follow him and questioned his actions. For the first time I honestly thought he looked weak. I think he then realized how the people of the town didn’t feel or think the same way as he did. Its like they didn’t respect him as a leader as much as they used to. This is why he killed himself; because of loss of respect and of the appearance of looking weak and alone.
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