Journal 12

Achebe once famously said, "If you only hear one side of the story, you have no understanding at all."

1. How do you think this quote connects to Achebe's decision to present these two drastically different missionaries?
2. What purpose do they serve in the story?
3. What purpose do these two perspectives serve in the broader historical context of colonialism?

Mr. Brown was the missionary who was more laid back than Mr. Smith, and Mr. Smith was the missionary who was more strict and serious than Mr. Brown. This shows that the story is always different since Mr. Brown and Mr. Smith are like the opposite of each other.

• More than one story for the reader
• Destruction
• Mr. Smith
• Diffusion
• Mr. Brown
• Shows that ultimately, cultural transformation is the goal
• Manipulation
• Temptation
• Another story with Brown
• Stereotypical vs. gradual
• Destruction & diffusion
• Diffusion becomes destruction
• Portray one as less chaotic

Journal 11

"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"(176)
Why, according to Okonkwo, do the Ibo hold responsibility for the white man invading their land? Do you agree with his perspective? Why/Why not?

The Ibo are responsible for the white man invading their land because in the quote, it says that "We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay." They let him stay because they thought he was not going to cause much harm, but then he started spreading his religion and taking Ibo people to the side of Christianity. Okonkwo argues that they should fight for what is theirs before they fall apart. I agree with his perspective because the white man came one day and all of a sudden started changing the Ibo culture. The Ibo should fight back because they need to show the white man that they are not weak and that they can believe what they want to believe.

The Ibo at Fault?

• Ignorance
• Carelessness
• Nonchalant
• Blindness
• Assumption
• Participation
• Giving
• Weakness
• Foolishness
• Encouragement
• Shocked - Connects to Ignorance, Blindness, Assumption, and Foolishness
• Temptation 

Journal 10

Reflect on the creation of your "Infomercial" yesterday and analyze/discuss:
Why would this decision be incredibly challenging for an individual? Why would this be incredibly challenging for the larger community?

This decision would be challenging for someone because they have been believing in their religion for their whole life, and if they switch, they would be changing their beliefs that they have believed their whole life. Another reason why this would be challenging is because the person's family would be upset with that person if they switched religions since mostly everyone in the Ibo society do not want their beliefs to change. It would also be embarrassing since the culture would look down at the person for leaving.

Individual

• Face rejection from former culture
• Reputation
• Changing beliefs learn new things
• Loss of personal identity
• Danger (physical harm)
• Questioning
• Emotional probs

Community

• Divide/fracture
• Community disagreement
• Transforms/kills culture
• Lose power/ability to control
• Rivalry
• Traditions lost
• Justice
• Family problems

Journal 9

1. What were the consequences to the village as a result of giving the missionaries land in the evil forest?
2. What are the cultural gains to the Christians and losses to the Ibo because of the decision to locate the church in the forest?

The consequences to the villagers for giving the missionaries land was that the missionaries were succeeding in their mission to spread Christianity. The Christians have some gains because they are spreading their faith to a culture that is foreign to them. The Ibo faith is slowly dying because of the missionaries.

Ibo

• People left
• Be fake friendly
• Proved wrong
• Mocking them
• Rigid
• Lost validity

Missionaries

• Get land
• Joined religion
• Proving they are superior/powerful
• Accepting & open
• Gained Validity
• Encouraged outcasts
• More people talked about them

Tragic Hero

Based on what your group came up with yesterday, respond to the following question: Is Okonkwo a tragic hero? Why/Why not? Make sure you can explain your answer!

I think that Okonkwo is a tragic hero. Traits of a tragic hero would be hubris, a leader, has recognition, doomed from the start, and their destiny is found throughout their OWN actions. Okonkwo has most of these traits since he acts very hubris, he acts as a leader since he is the man of his household, and he is recognized as the best wrestler of the land. I am not sure at the moment what his destiny is since the story has not uncovered that much.

• High power/authority/hubris
• Downfall (caused by hero) - become a better person
• Returns as a hero (sometimes)
• Main
• Unlucky
• Fated to fail/be defeated
• Fatal flaw
• free will
• Lacking some heroic qualities
• Foreshadowed tragedy

• Ron Burgendy
• Snape
• Ender
• Harvey Dent
• Jay Gatsby
• Luke - Lightning Thief series
• Regina George
• Tiger Woods
• Lance Armstrong
• Michael Phelps & Ryan Lochete 
• Odysseus
• Adrien Pieterson
• Miley Cyrus
• Anthony Weiner
• Robin Hood

"His life had been ruled by great passion -- to become one of the lords of the clan. That had been his life-spring. And he all but achieved it. Then everything had been broken. He had been cast out of his clan like a fish onto a dry, sandy beach, painting" (131)
In Okonkwo's eyes, his life had been ruined. Do you feel sorry for him? Why or Why not? Was excommunication from the clan an appropriate punishment? Why or why not? Do you think Okonkwo takes appropriate responsibility for his choices? Why/Why not?

Foreshadowing

• Broke week of Peace
• Shoots at wife
• Killed Ikemefuna
• Rude/woman
• Followed Chielo

Women

What are your impressions of women in the Ibo society? How might Achebe's viewpoint be limited here?

I feel that the women in the Ibo society are treated differently since the society is run by patriarchy. I also feel that the women are discriminated since men are judged by how many wives they have, and the more wives they have, the higher in society they are. This makes the women feel discriminated since the men are trying to have a lot of wives as if women are like objects to be possessed by the men.

• Women obey men 
• Okonkwo beats his 3rd wife
• women are seen as less prestigious
• Highest title is priestess 
• To call a man "woman" is bad
• Man vs. women social structure pg. 21
• What does Achebe know
• "Single story"
• He's a man

Story of the Tortoise

Briefly summarize the story of the tortoise. What is the purpose of this folktale about the Tortoise? Why do you think it is inserted at this specific point?

Story Line-

• Tortoise wants food
• Tricks Birds for feathers
• Lies/Tricks Birds "All of You"
• Birds trick in Return
• Cracked shell

• Hungry greedy turtle - wants exclusive access
• Lies about personality 
• Tricks birds
• Birds get angry & punishes him

This could be a foreshadow that Okonkwo is like the tortoise in this story and he will fall from fame and "crack his shell".

Men elders in Umuofia is powerful leader/and/respectable. Women in Umuofia not powerful leader. Women scrubbed and painted. Man fights man, and man beats wives.

Chapter 9

The situation in chapter 9 regarding Ezinma is foreign to us. Explore the text pages 74-85 and analyze. Respond to the following:

• Why might this theory, that children who do not survive are actually evil spirits, make sense to the tribe?
• What did you find most challenging about chapter 9? Why? What did you find most interesting? Why?

I think that this theory makes sense to the tribe because when a child dies during birth, their culture and religion makes them believe that they are evil spirits. The thing I found challenging about chapter 9 was most of it because it felt foreign to me. It felt foreign because there were stories about miscarriages about people with names that are foreign to me. It was foreign to me since there were a lot of names that do not sound like names I hear everyday. The thing I found interesting was the fact that a stone could save a child. It was interesting because a stone buried in the ground could save someone.

• Lack of modern medicine
• Provides justification 
• displaces blame
• Personal safety concern
• Needed and explanation
• Spiritual beliefs 
• Makes cultural sense 

Ikemefuna

Was Okonkwo justified in killing Ikemefuna?

I think Okonkwo had a legitimate reason for killing Ikemefuna because the oracle said that Ikemefuna should be killed. The reason why it is legitimate is because the oracle is like their god saying that Ikemefuna should be killed. Though, it would be awkward for Okonkwo to kill Ikemefuna since Ikemefuna lived with Okonkwo for about 3 years. Ikemefuna has also grown a lot over the 3 years and also had a good influence on Nwoye. I also think that Okonkwo had no choice but to kill Ikemefuna because if he didn't, I don't think he would be very respected because the oracle said to.

Similarities

What similarities do you see between Okonkwo's family structure/relationships and your own family? What specific example is the most different?

There are some similarities between my dad and Okonkwo. Okonkwo is the man of the house and that is how my household is like. Okonkwo works hard day to night, and my dad does the same. When Okonkwo's family visits someone's house, they bring gifts just like my family does on birthday parties, Christmas, etc. One of the biggest difference is that there are 8 kids in the family and Okonkwo has 3 wives, which is different from my family. Another difference is that my dad does not beat me when I don't harvest yams fast enough. We don't harvest yams in the first place.