Quotestock!
Please post three passages from the reading (along with page numbers) that caught your attention. Along with each passage, provide a brief explanation as to why you chose it.
No minimum word count!
Due by Sunday, 27 February 2011 by 11:59pm
1. “It was the poetry of the new religion, something felt in the marrow. The hymn about the brothers who sat in darkness and in fear seemed to answer a vague and persistent question that haunted his young soul- the question of the twins crying in the bush and the question on Ikemefuna who was killed. He felt a relief within as the hymn poured into his parched soul. The words of the hymn were like the drops of frozen rain melting on the dry palate of the panting Earth,” (Pg 147).
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows why Nwoye is attracted to Christianity, which eventually leads him to abandon his family to join the missionaries. Nwoye and his father have a very poor relationship. Okonkwo is desperate to mold his son into a great warrior like himself. However, Nwoye would rather listen to his mother’s stories. In addition, Nwoye is deeply troubled by the tribe’s practice of throwing away twins and he was devastated by Ikemefuna’s murder. Although these actions are accepted by other tribe members (like his father) Nwoye still feels they are wrong. Misunderstood and confused, Nwoye is drawn to the answers that Christianity provides.
2. “He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger,” (Pg 209).
I think this quote shows how the District Commissioner, and many of the other whites, truly views the Africans. Although Umuofia has a rich culture that includes a unique blend of government, religion, language, and tradition, the whites simply view them as savage natives that need to be tamed. The quote also shows the Commissioner’s complete disregard about anyone but himself. One of the respected leaders of the tribe has just killed a messenger and then committed suicide, but all he can think about is how to work the story into his book.
3. “That night the Mother of the Spirits walked the length and breadth of the clan, weeping for her murdered son. It was a terrible night…It seemed as if the very soul of the tribe wept for a greater evil coming- its own death,” (Pg 187).
This occurs after one of the converts, Enoch, unmasks an egwugwu in public, killing the spirit. The death of the ancestral spirit seems to foreshadow the death of the tribe. Already the missionaries have begun to destroy the religion of Umuofia by converting many to Christianity. In addition, they have begun to establish their own government and laws. Slowly, they will increase their control until they have complete power of the native people. It is only a matter of time before the whites manage to completely eradicate the tribe’s culture, marking its symbolic death.
“But I fear for you young people because you do not understand how strong is the bond of kinship. You do not know what it is to speak with one voice. And what is the result? An abominable religion has settled among you. A man can now leave his father and his brothers. He can curse the gods of his fathers and his ancestors, like a hunter’s dog that suddenly goes mad and turns on his master. I fear for you; I fear for the clan.” Page 167
ReplyDeleteI chose this passage because I think it illustrates something that we can even see occurring in modern day society. A lot of people in this day and age (myself included) spend their time thinking about what they feel is best for them as individuals, and not what might be beneficial to others, or to the human race in general. Selfishness is a common character trait that can be seen in many, and I think the more selfish we become, the less united we will become when the time comes that unity is greatly needed, just like in the book.
“And immediately Okonkwo’s eyes were opened and he saw the whole matter clearly. Living fire begets cold, impotent ash.” Page 153
I chose these few sentences because I believe Okonkwo has his perspective mixed around. He cannot possibly understand why his son has chosen to make alternative decisions to his own because he thinks that his way of life is really the only way. I think when he seems that Nwoye is thriving and living his life well and prosperously then he will become confused and blame it on something silly, like his chi or something. I wonder if Okonkwo will ever be able to see the big picture past his life and what he believes is his life purpose, or if he will continue to refuse to accept new concepts.
“Okonkwo was very lucky in his daughters. He never stopped regretting that Ezinma was a girl. Of all his children she alone understood his every mood. A bond of sympathy had grown between them as the years had passed.” Page 172
This passage to me is another example of how Okonkwo is incapable of being satisfied with what he has. He is a lucky man, with many children and for the most part he has achieved the majority of the goals he wished to achieve (things his father hadn’t). yet still, he cannot be completely satisfied, because in order for Ezinma to be perfect she should have been a boy in his eyes.
#1 pg 183 "Okonkwo was deeply grieved. And it was not just a personal grief. He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women."
ReplyDeleteI thought it was intersting how Oknonkwo had been dreaming of returning home for so long and comapred his mother's people to his constantly (his people always being better) and now that he has actually arrived he is disappointed. (kind of a "grass is always greener..." situation)
#2 pg 172 "Okonkwo was very lucky in his daughters. He never stopped regretting that Ezinma was a girl. Of all his children she alone understood his every mood. A bond of sympathy had grown between them as the yearshad passed."
Ezimna and her mother are clearly the favorites of Okonkwo and I wonder why. Also, I think that Ezimna understands his moods because she is a girl, so he wouldn't like her as much as a boy anyways. I feel like girls just pick up on moods better than some guys, but I don't know.
#3 pg 193 "For the first time in many years Okonkwo had a feeling akin to happiness."
After I read further into the chapter I found it very ironic that the moment that Okonkwo feels happy he suffers the biggest blow from the white men. Maybe this stems from him being happy for the wrong reasons. He felt joy when they had destroyed something and this is the same reason that they captured the leaders. I think that Okonkwo is so violent and head-strong that he loses perspective on how his actions affect other people and how other people view them. The leaders actions (along with Okonkwo) ruined the clan forever, yet that was when they were happiest. interesting...
1. "But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness. It was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil and capricious gods of magic, the fear of the forest, and of the forces of nature, malevolent, and red in tooth and claw...It was not external but lay deep within himself. It was the fear of himself, lest he should resemble him father." (page 13)
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote because I've thought a lot about it throughout this book. I think fear often drives people, it's their motivator just as it's Okonkwo's motivator, but I'm not sure if it's a good motivator. Children often fear being like their parents when they grow up but they also fear displeasing them a lot of time. I guess fear is just a mind-boggling concept to me because fear stems from the unknown and things someone cares about. Okonkwo cares about his life and what people think of him, so I think the fear is motivating him in a negative way. His main concern is that people don't see him like his father. And the thing with fear is that in the end in ultimately holds you back from completely putting yourself out there and being who you truly are.
2. "He saw things as black and white. And black was evil. He saw the world as a battlefield in which the children of light were locked in mortal conflict with the sons of darkness." (page 184)
I chose this quote because it reminded me of Heart of Darkness with the references to black, white, light, and darkness. I think this book also makes white men and Okonkwo's tribe have positive and negative connotations to them. The white men are portrayed in a negative light with this quote because the man described saying this is coming off thinking white men are better than any other ethnicity with a darker skin tone. But at the same time Okonkwo's tribe is often described as blood-thirsty and brutal. The fact is that they're both humans so no matter the color of skin, they can still do good and bad.
3. "And at last the locusts did descend. They settled on every tree and on every blade of grass; they settled on the roofs and covered the bare ground. Mighty tree branches broke away under them, and the whole country became the brown-earth color of the vast, hungry swarm." (page 56)
I chose this last quote because I also it's very symbolic of the gradual movement of the white man and his religion and culture into that of the Igbo people. The locusts are the white man and they are slowly taking over the religion and customs. The mighty tree branches breaking are referring to "things falling apart" in the society that the Igbo people were so comfortable and so used to. My question is this: was this wrong of the white men to come and colonize these people or is it inevitable that there will always be some sort of predecessor whether it's forced or not?
1) Page 135 “You think you are the greatest sufferer in the world? Do you know that men are sometimes banished for life? Do you know that men sometimes lose all their yams and even their children? I had six wives once. I have none now except that young girl who knows not her right from her left. Do you know how many children I have buried-children I begot in my youth and strength? Twenty-two.”
ReplyDeleteI chose this just because I think it is a message that not only Okonkwo needs to always remember but also us. I think it ties in with today’s society. We all have had hard times and bad things happen to us but so many other people have it worse than us. I think that when we are going through tough things we want the world to stop spinning and we don’t really actually how good we have things. I just think sometimes we need to step back and open our eyes to the big picture as to what is really going on in this world. This blog to me was some terrible thing that I am currently defeating however people go for days without food. They would much rather be doing an English blog.
2) Page 108 “ A man stood there with a machete in his hand. Ekwefi uttered a scream and sprang to her feet. ‘Don’t be foolish,’ said Okonkwo’s voice. ‘I thought you were going into the shrine with Chielo’ he mocked. Ekwefi did not answer. Tears of gratitude filled her eyes. She knew her daughter was safe.”
This passage stood out to me for a couple of reasons. First of all I think it shows a little bit of kindness out of Okonkwo. I am surprised to see him go after her just because I feel like he treats his women so terribly that I didn’t think he would care about her. Also I was surprised he went because he is constantly saying how he wishes his daughter was a boy. It show the kind of person he is deep down. As the quote goes on I also see how much Ekwefi loves him and how much she did love him.
3) Page 172 “He sent for the five sons and they came and sat in his obi. The youngest of them was four. ‘you have all seen. . . and break your neck.” That paragraph
I think this part shows how obsessed Okonkwo is with his kids. He will not accept the fact that his son is different and he refuses to show that he is a man. He says he is weak and not a part of the family about his own son. I feel that he is so scared of his sons being like his father that he will do anything needed to stop them. I don’t like him as a father at all because he is turning his sons into him. I honestly think Okonkwo is as bad of a person as his father. I mean look at him he got kicked out of the village killed his own son, disowned a son, wishes his daughter was a boy he just tries so hard to push everyone to be like the clan that he is actually hurting people.
"Okonkwo did not answer. But he left hold of Nwoye, who walked away and never returned" (pg. 152).
ReplyDeleteI found this particular quote to be very interesting. I think that this may have been foreshadowed when Okonkwo killed the boy on accident with his terrible homemade gun. I was also curious as to what would happen to Nwoye because of the way his father treated him, and how he felt toward his father. I also think that Nwoye is a very strong person in doing this because not only does he stick up for himself against his father, but it also shows how he's just like his father so it's almost like a double edged sword.
"'...Who knows what may happen tomorrow? Perhaps green men will come to our clan and shoot us.'
'God will not permit it,'said Okonkwo. "I do not know how to thank you.'
'I can tell you,' said Obierika. 'Kill on eof your sons for me.'
'That will not be enough,' said Okonkwo.
'Then kill yourself,' said Obierika.
'Forgive me,' said Okonkwo, smiling. 'I shall not talk about thanking you any more.'"
I thought this quote was interesting because it's like Okonkwo cares very much about thanking this man but Obierika seems almost greedy. Telling him to sacrifice his own son seems very savage but then telling him to sacrifice himself just to say thank you is beyond me.
"'I wish she were a boy,' Okonkwo thought within himself. She understood things so perfectly, Who else amond his children could have read his thoughts so well? With two beautiful grown-up daughters to return to Umuofia would attract considerable attention. His future sons-in-law would be men of authority in the clan. The poor and unknown would not dare to come forth" (pg. 173).
I think Okonkwo is a little full of himself. Sure everyone thinks their kids are the bees-knees but he thinks they should be kings and queens, especially Ezinma. It kills me to know how much he cares for his kids but then to see him treat them so poorly is just so sad. He puts them on this high horse and it's scary to see them fall off, just like Nwoye and his other "adopted son" that he killed. I'm not a fan of Okonkwo as a father. I think he should show them how much he cares about them instead of just thinking it in his head.
“Mr. Brown’s mission grew from strength to strength, and because of its link with the new administration it earned a new social prestige. But Mr. Brown himself was breaking down in health. At first he ignored the warning signs. But in the end he had to leave his flock, sad and broken.” (pg 182)
ReplyDeleteI thought this quote was really interesting and it really caught my attention. Mr. Brown is the white leader of the Christian church in the novel, and it seems to me that this quote may be foreshadowing something. Even though the church is prospering at this time, will it start to go downhill? If the white leader of the church is dying, does this mean that the religion itself is dying?
“Okonkwo was beginning to feel like his old self again. All that he required was something to occupy his mind. If he had killed Ikemefuna during the busy planting season or harvesting it would not have been so bad; his mind would have been centered on his work. Okonkwo was not a man of thought but of action.” (pg 69)
This quote really sort of upset me. After the relationship that was built between Okonkwo and Ikemefuna, Okonkwo doesn’t even truly care about him. I think that if he truly cared about him, he wouldn’t have killed him, or at least he would’ve really thought his decision over first. It made me sick that Okonkwo said that he wouldn’t have even thought about it if it was the planting or the harvesting season. I think for a man to kill someone who was a part of his family, especially seen as his son, was really wrong.
“The royal python was the most revered animal in Mbanta and all the surrounding clans. It was addressed as “Our Father,” and was allowed to go wherever it chose, even into people’s beds.” (pg 157)
This part of the novel about the python really intrigued me. I was very curious as to why a python is sacred in this culture. In every other piece of literature I have read, snakes have been placed there to represent evil, or the devil. In this culture, the snake is seen as almost a god. Is this like a respect out of fear sort of thing, or was this put in the novel for a reason
“He sighed heavily, and as if in sympathy the smoldering log also sighed. And immediately Okonkwo’s eyes were opened and he saw the whole matter clearly. Living fire begets cold, impotent ash. He sighed again, deeply.” (pg 153)
ReplyDeleteI chose this passage because I think Okonkwo finally realizes that his irrational and constantly angry state has done nothing to make Nwoye the man he has always wanted him to be. Okonkwo not only fears that he could be lazy but also that his son has the potential for that as well. In order to prevent that from happening Okonkwo has been extremely tough on his son and that in turn is what has driven Nwoye to go and study the Christian religion. This is the moment when hopefully Okonkwo sees his mistakes.
“‘I wish she were a boy’, Okonkwo thought within himself. She understood things so perfectly. “(pg 173)
This is about the third time or so that Okonkwo has commented on the fact that he wishes Ezinma was a boy. Okonkwo is obsessed with how other people view him. He must be strong, never like his father. In turn his sons must also be the same way, yet he seems to believe in them like he does Ezinma. The fact that he has this thought so often shows is true insecurities about how people see his family.
“Okonkwo was also feeling tired, and sleepy, for although no one else knew it, he had not slept at all last night. He had felt very anxious but had not shown it.” (112)
I chose this quote because the fact that Okonkwo was actually worried about his daughter just as much as his second wife was really shows a lot about him. Okonkwo never shows emotion due to the fact that it might mean he is weak, but because he was up all night worried about his daughter shows he truly cares for his family.
“When Ekwefi had followed the priestess, he had allowed what he regarded as a reasonable and manly interval to pass and then had gone with his machete to the shrine, where he thought they must be. It was only when he got there that it had occurred to him that the priestess might have chosen to go round the villages first. Okonkwo had returned home and sat waiting. When he thought he had waited long enough he again returned to the shrine. But the Hills and the Caves were as silent as death. It was only on his fourth trip that he had found Ekwefi, and by then he had become gravely worried.” (pg 112).
ReplyDeleteI enjoy any passage in which Okonkwo shows any type of emotion for his family, or for anything for that matter. Although he expresses his feelings for his favorite daughter, as he has multiple times prior in this novel, I liked this passage especially because he finally expresses his feelings without saying “inwardly” as he usually does. It is visibly apparent that he is worried for his daughter and his wife.
“Mother Kite once sent her daughter to bring food. She went, and brought back a duckling. ‘You have done very well,’ said the Mother Kite to her daughter, ‘but tell me, what did the mother of this duckling say when you swooped and carried its child away?’ ‘It said nothing,’ replied the young kite, ‘It just walked away.’ ‘You must return the duckling,’ said Mother Kite. ‘There is something ominous behind the silence.’ And so the Daughter Kite returned the duckling and took a chick instead. ‘What did the mother of this chick do?’ Asked the old kite. ‘It cried and raved and cursed me,’ said the young kite. ‘Then we may eat the chick,’ said her mother. ‘There is nothing to fear from someone who shouts.’” (pg 140).
I found this story to be extremely wise, and thought provoking. Who are the men and women who kill? We find them to be silent. Who are the friendly, amiable men and women no one tends to fear? We find them to be loud and boisterous. At least, that’s how people with these traits are usually portrayed. I thoroughly enjoyed this folktale, as I find it to hold true in many situations in our culture.
“He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” (pg 176).
I liked this quote because the speaker has finally referenced the title of the novel, *Things Fall Apart*. Obierka, of course, is talking about the white man. The main idea of the novel is finally exposed, that the white men made the African tribes "fall apart".
1. “Does the white man understand our custom about land?” “How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad. How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” –page 176
ReplyDeleteThis quote is significant because it deals with blurring of black and white imagery. In this discussion between Obierika and Okonkwo, they voice their opinion on the events that have come to pass after the arrival of the white man. Obierika realizes that the hatred that has formed between the two rival groups cannot be blamed solely on the white men. While the newcomers showed little regard for Igbo customs and religion, he also criticizes some of the clan member’s reactions to the missionaries’ presence.
2. “Among the Igbo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten.” –page 7
This quote serves to demonstrate the highly sophisticated cultural and social structure of the Igbo. They adhere rigidly to their customs, which are often very intricate. Also, the repeated use of food metaphors is appropriate given the agricultural nature of their society.
3. "A proud heart can survive general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride. It is more difficult and more bitter when a man fails alone." –pages 24-25
While this quote is from chapter 3, it describes perfectly while Okonkwo’s death is so tragic. He watched everything he stood for fall apart and he felt it was his duty to put up a noble fight. There is nothing as disheartening as standing alone against your enemies and in the end, it drove Okonkwo to suicide.
1. "It's true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother's hut. A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland,"(pg. 134).
ReplyDeleteThis passage shows how the man has to be physically demanding to show his power, but a woman shows her power in the comfort and kindness she gives. The clans in the area are commanded by men, but this passage is a break to reveal the truth behind the scenes. The men think that they can do everything all the time, but where would they be without their women?
2. "There is something ominous behind the silence. And so daughter Kite returned the duckling and took a chick instead. What did the mother of this chick do? asked the old kite. It cried and raved and cursed me, said the young kite. Then we can eat the chick, said her mother. There is nothing to fear from someone who shouts," (pg. 140).
I love how the most complicated of concepts can be presented in such simple forms that make sense to everyone of all ages. I believe the story means that there is something mysterious when someone doesn't try to get their belonging back or struggle. There is something wrong that they want them to do the bad thing they are doing. However, when there is a struggle or a screech, then the captive or the person the object is getting taken from sees value in the taken. Okonkwo needs simple stories like these, because he only has the trapped mind of a child as well.
3. "He sighed heavily, and as if in sympathy the smoldering log also sighed. And immediately Okonkwo's eyes were opened and he saw the whole matter clearly. Living fire begets cold, impotent ash. He sighed again, deeply," (pg. 153).
First off, there is a beautiful comparison of nature to Okonkwo and his clan. The fire and? Okonkwo seem to be reacting to the situation as one. They both suffer from the white man's new influences. Now, they try to comfort each other. This is one of the first times that Okonkwo looks vulnerable on the outside and inside. Hopefully, Okonkwo's fire doesn't run out as quickly so that he can keep the clan's fire going. Nature can only help out so far before human nature has to protect it.
“Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children. Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness.” (pg. 13)
ReplyDeleteThis quote is probably my favorite in the whole book. I like it because right off the bat, we get an understanding of who Okonkwo is. It’s important to know what drives his actions, words, and thoughts and this quote explains it. Okonkwo grew up fearing to ever be like his father. To him, his father’s life WAS a failure and he was the perfect example of weakness. Everything Okonkwo does revolves around not ever sinking down to his father’s level.
“Okonkwo was also feeling tired, and sleepy, for although nobody else knew it, he had not slept at all last night. He had felt very anxious but did not show it. When Ekwefi had followed the priestess, he allowed what he regarded as a reasonable and manly interval to pass and then gone with his machete to the shrine, where he thought they must be.” (pg. 112)
When Ezinma gets taken by the priestess, Okonkwo is truly worried. This stood out to be significant because Okonkwo never shows emotion or affection. Although he doesn’t exactly show it, we are told how he feels and know that he actually has a heart. Deep down Okonkwo has feelings and is not just a harsh man that everyone sees him to be. I think it’s quite touching that he goes to watch after his daughter. He makes it very clear that he cares for her and also supports Ekwefi so that she knows Ezinma will be okay.
“Although they had not agreed to kill the missionary or drive away the Christians, they had agreed to do something substantial. And they had done it. Okonkwo was almost happy again.” (pg. 192)
Upon returning to his tribe, Okonkwo was disappointed that his fellow clansmen had seemed to lose their warrior-like attitudes. He wanted to kill the Christian missionaries to get rid of them but no one conformed to this idea. It got Okonkwo’s heart pumping when the men decided to burn the church because the violence thrilled him. It is kind of sad that it takes an act of violence to make him happy. He wasn’t satisfied until the manly, fierce demeanor was back in the clansmen.
“When did you become a shivering old woman” (pg 65)
ReplyDeleteI like the whole passage after Okonkwo killed Ikemefune because it made him human. He realized, at least for a moment, what he did made him feel guilty and that he was wrong to have done it. His self-deprecation is such a human reaction it surprised me and showed me his wall wasn’t so impenetrable. It didn’t make me like him or pity him but it made me able to relate to him, if only just for a moment.
“And so when he called Ikemefune … guns that never shot” (38)
I thought this quote was very humorous because I couldn’t believe that the second wife would actually talk back to Okonkwo. It just was very surprising for a wife to “sass” her husband in that environment and I give her props, especially after dodging a bullet. I could almost imagine her going all matrix-like.
“Ikemefune had begun to feel like a member of Okonkwo’s family” (34)
I’m not entirely sure I like this passage, but I feel very strongly about it. It reminds me that reality really kind of sucks. And just because you feel like everything’s fine and dandy it usually isn’t. Ikemefune felt like he belonged and felt like a son only to have Okonkwo assist in his murder. It’s a very humbling idea to know that things aren’t always as they seem and as quick as a blow to our head your whole life could be turned up-side down.
g. 73 “All their customs are upside down. They do not decide bride-price as we do, with sticks. They haggle and bargain as if they were buying a goat or a cow in the market”
ReplyDelete“That is very bad,” said Obierka’s eldest brother. “But what is good in one place is bad in another place.”
I think this quote was interesting because it showed an ethnocentric view from Okonkwo and his peers, notably to other villages. While one would expect Okonkwo and the other men to be opposed to something radically different like Christianity, it shows how set in their ways some of them are that they find the minor differences in other villages to be a major problem.
Pg. 176 “How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came queitley and peacably with his religion. We were amused by his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart. “
I picked this passage because it summed up the effect of the new white presence on Okonkwo’s society. While the white presence didn’t appear to be an “invasion” it effectively destroyed the civilization it contacted, by destroying the communal bonds that it was based on.
Pg. 187 “It was a terrible night. Not even the oldest man in Umuofia had ever heard such a strange and fearful sound, and it was never to be heard again. It seemed as if the very soul of the tribe wept for a great evil that was coming- its own death.”
I picked this passage because it seemed to summarize the beginning of the end of Okonkwo’s story. It shows that there are things happening in Okonkwo’s world that no one has ever seen, and that there are things that Okonkwo base his life on that will soon be gone forever. The song made by the Mother of the Spirits is a swan song for the society that Okonwo’s life is based on, and its ending will be the ultimate end for Okonwo himself.
1) "When he thought that he had waited long enough he again returned to the shrine. But the Hills and Caves were as silent as death. It was only on his fourth trip that he had found Ekwefi, and by then he had become gravely concerned" page 112
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo clearly loves Enzima and he doesn't want to lose her. He tries to mask his feelings about how his heart favors her. When the priestess takes her to the caves he can't bear the thought of her being out of his sight and protection. Trying to seem uncaring he makes multiple trips to find her and each time her grows more worried. I thought this showed his love for his daughter.
2) "But there was a young lad who had been captivated. His name was Nwoye, Okonkwo's first son" page 147
It was only a few lines that held much meaning. Nwoye clearly doesn't want anything to do with his father since he has become captivated by a religion that his father despises. Also it's foreshadowing because Okonkwo is a man of war who will not stand for this. Either there will be a fight between the two or exile, because Okonkwo will not stand for it. I thought it also showed the difference between the two. Nwoye is willing to embrace a new culture for he feels it is right, but his father despises anything that is different and not how he was raised. It shows a huge generation contrast.
3)"Okonkwo was deeply grieved. And it was not just personal grief. He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountable become soft like women" page 183
I find it to be a milestone every time Okonkwo shows emotion that isn't hate or anger. Here he grieves for his village for he sees that changes have happened that has left his town opposite of how he left it. He may be a rough man, but he loves his town. He feels pride in being a town leader, he loves helping create the town and upholding its traditions, but most of all he feels a sense of belonging in his clan. With the white men now overtaking the land all his desires for the town and hopes of its future are fading away. I thought it was very powerful that he felt so strongly. Not many people today would feel that strongly about their own town if it was overtaken by outsiders.
1.) "The rainbow began to appear, and sometimes two rainbows, like a mother and her daughter, the one young and beautiful, and the other an old and faint shadow. The rainbow was called the python of the sky." (page 163).
ReplyDeleteThere was a lot about this quote that I liked. The first thing that shows the most is the use of imagery in this quote. The picture of the rainbows is really brought to life. Also I feel as though symbolism is used here to represent Ezinma and her mother as Ezinma has grown into this beautiful young woman who is important in the eyes of her father. Just so much is packed into this one quote and I can't help but love it. (Also it has a refrence to a double rainbow :) ).
2.) "He already had chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger." (pages 209).
Such irony in this one sentence! The author clearly makes his point come across through this one sentence that the white people attribute the coming of peace to themselves but after reading the book it is quite obvious that they were much more peaceful before the white men came and that all they are causing is trouble. Such thought comes from only one line in the book and I think that it made a wonderful ending to the book and really strikes a chord with the reader.
3.) "But his whole life was dominated by fear...to resemble his father." (page 13).
After reading this book a quote that meant so much in the beginning as the drive of one character has become just an intriguing thought to come back to.In the end Okonkwo kills himself and isn't that itself an act of fear? This quote describes the motivation of the whole book and proves to be continually important, by reading the book and than coming back to the quote so many thoughts and ideas are brought back out of this.
“You have all seen the great abomination of your brother. Now he is no longer my son or your brother. I will only have a son who is a man, who will hold his head up among my people. If any one of you prefers to be a woman, let him follow Nwoye now while I am alive so that I can curse him. If you turn against me when I am dead I will visit you and break your neck.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo was very lucky in his daughters. He never stopped regretting that Ezinma was a girl. Of all his children she alone understood his every mood. A bond of sympathy had grown between them as the years had passed.” (pg. 172)
I believe that Okonkwo is way too hard on his children. He is to extreme about everything and his expectations for his eldest son are way too high and I believe unrealistic. I am not surprised that Nwoye left his father and the clan….because who would want to live with a control freak? Okonkwo wants to see no characteristics of his father in his children and that is why he is so hard on them. Because of the way the two generation were treated, completely opposite, it will just create a continuous cycle of the child rebelling and turning out to be the opposite of what the father wants. It is funny and ironic that Okonkwo wishes his daughter was a girl. He believes that she is stronger and more passionate than her older brother. Okonkwo’s relationship with his children affects the way they feel about him.
“It’s true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother’s hut. A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to protect you. She is buried there. And that is why we say mother is supreme. It is right that you, Okonkwo, would bring to you a heavy face and refuse to be comforted? Be careful or you may displease the dead.” (pg.134)
I absolutely love this passage; I think that it is awesome that this old man is proving to Okonkwo that he does not know everything and that he should be sensitive to his situation while he is living with his mother’s clan. It is not necessarily a bad thing that clan is different and more compassionate and willing to compromise than Okonkwo’s clan. I think that people who are sympathetic are necessary for the “balancing” of the world and society. It negates the ‘evil’ of the world. I think that it is unfortunate that Okonkwo was not able to see the good in his father. He is too busy trying to be nothing like him that he does not notice the good qualities his father possessed. He would have been a better person if he was able to be aggressive and sympathetic.
“Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness. It was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil, and capricious gods and of magic, the fear of the forest, and of the forces of nature, malevolent red in tooth and claw. Okonkwo’s fear was greater than these. It was not external but lay deep within himself. It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father.” (pg.13)
This is clearly how Okonkwo’s problems began. His resentment led him to intentionally be nothing like the man he hated. He was way too caught up in being that person that he wanted to be and obtaining a status where people would be able to look up to him and that he could be seen as a respected man in his village. I remember when we talked about if love or fear was more motivating. Obviously fear was what drove Okonkwo to become the violent man that he was.