what Do you think is the main idea William Butler Yeats is trying to present to us as readers?

In Yeat's poem of "The Second Coming", in class we discussed multiple parts in which we could see this poem in the sense of being biblical through the literary device of Allusions.  We can see Allusion in when the author talks about the The body of a lion and the head of a man. This part of the poem is powerful in how in the Bible, the devil is compared to a lion in how a lion will stalk on the sheep, who are represented as lost individuals without Christ in their life. So with the body of a lion and the head of the man we can see, that this imagery is representing the coming of the anti Christ, and how the head of a man is used as deception among those who don't understand the truth, of that of Jesus. This is how we can see how the beast is slowing dragging it's self after the people in the dessert, who are either believers, or common people who are under the danger of being influence by lies and deception. In class though we discussed how the body of a lion and the head of a man is represented as the Spinx statue in Egypt, and how this represented going back to older traditions, as well as the part of the poem that talks about "The best lack all conviction, while the worst
    Are full of passionate intensity" and my question to all of you is, do you think that this poem is supposed to viewed in a more biblical way, or in a way that supposed to use allusions as a supplement in order to break down to the main point of  to vanquish evil in the world good men must not just sit and stare, but to rally and come to oppress the adversity, what do you think?

How do heart of darkness and things fall apart connect if at all?

In heart of darkness, we see the story is being told as a very racist and negative connotation, but that is because it is viewed through the eyes of Marlow, a white man who knows nothing else but racism. In Things Fall Apart, we have many different perspectives. Was it done on purpose that heart of darkness was done in only one perspective? Either way, these books have similar traits. They both are groups of people who are percieved to be doing wrong because their method is different. They tackle things differently than the rest of us do. Does that make it wrong? In both novels, the place that was once properly functioning is brought to ruins by the hands of the white people who percieve that this method of life is savegery. So to help them, they take total and utter control. So what makes these books so different?
- Trevor Denny

Do You think history tells the whole story?

At the end of the novel the commissioner decided that he wants to write a book. But, he gives Okonkwo only one paragraph to tell his story. Which makes you think about if the history books we read today are also a short summary of what happened. As society has a bias towards only looking at what we read or are told is true. As one of the reasons the author wrote this book was to try and dig out a more unbiased opinion of the situation in Nigeria. While also, trying to change and enhance the way we perceive information and how we need to cognitively analyze both parts of an argument. As it gives the commissioner a power within the story. As the book gives him a sense of higher knowledge of the situation at hand. Which makes him seem victorious and therefore we only see the perspective of the victor. So is history only told in the opinion of the winning side?

Have the townspeople of Ibo lost their conviction?

As we know, Okonkwo is looked upon as a strong and brave man by all of the Ibo people. He fights and collects heads to prove his worth and bravery, which the townspeople look up to and see as courageous. Even though Okonkwo has a positive reputation among the Ibo town, he engages in very unethical acts. First, he killed his own son, and lied to his God while doing so. He said he would not kill Ikemefuna himself, but went ahead and did it anyway, lying about it afterwards. After killing a young man who referred to him as “father”, he witnessed two twin babies getting murdered in the woods, and agreed it was okay since his God said it was a tradition and it must happen. Of course, the townspeople of Ibo did not see this as unethical or wrong, unless they have just lost all their conviction toward society, as they are unable to stand up to the courageous Okonkwo. The townspeople have lost their conviction as they are unable to stand up for what they believe in because they are afraid of embarrassment and disapproval. Okonkwo holds such a high place in the Ibo tradition that no one would ever question anything he did, because they would be frowned upon and seen as weak and cowardly. In reality, the fact that they lost conviction toward their town and do not stand up to unethical crimes makes them the culprit and just as bad as the ones who are killing infant twins and their own family. The townspeople of Ibo have lost conviction and agree with societies crimes because they are too afraid of getting reprimanded and looked down upon by everyone, but especially the “great leader” Okonkwo. 

How did Marlow feel about Kurtz's death?

We learned that Marlow’s main goal was to speak to Mr. Kurtz. During his travel through the Congo, Marlow learns more and more about the type of person Kurtz is. He states that he doesn’t even care about shaking Kurtz’s hand, all he wants to do is hear Kurtz’s voice. Kurtz is said to be a very talented speaker and he is the best Ivory collector in the company since he gets ivory through any means necessary. Kurtz is also described as being a very tall man even though Kurtz in german means short. Marlow becomes more and more interested in hearing this man Kurtz even though he learns all about what Kurtz has done to get all the ivory he has collected. Kurtz has destroyed many villages and has also kept many trophies as in dismembered body parts of the villagers from the villages he has destroyed in his search for ivory. When Marlow finally gets up the Congo he learns that Mr. Kurtz ha died. Even after hearing about all the horrors Kurtz had done he still walks up to his dead body and calls him a “remarkable man”. He viewed Kurtz as a remarkable man because whenever he had something to say he said it which shows something about Marlow’s character. All people he sees as “amazing” or “remarkable” are white men that do what they do, no one that actually does anything amazing is actually amazing to Marlow. Marlow never really heard Kurtz speak like I believe he wanted to. All he heard from Kurtz was “The horror! The horror!” I feel like Marlow travelled up the Congo for no true reason. He never officially heard the man speak like he heard in the stories. Conrad didn’t write about Marlow’s feelings towards Kurtz’s death but I feel like Marlow wasn’t too satisfied by just hearing a few words from such a “remarkable man” as Kurtz

Was the killing of Ikemefuna justified?

Ikemefuna was a prisoner until he began to live with Okonkwo's family for 3 years. The fact that he was once a prisoner makes him seem like a troubled kid, which Okonkwo does not approve of. Ikemefuna was like a son to Okonkwo, he lived with the family for over three years, and was starting to feel accepted. Okonkwo starts to notice something new arise in his son, Nwoye. He has started to act up, in a more masculine and troubled way than before. His father knows it is from the influence of the once prisoner, Ikemefuna. Ogbuefi Ezeudu pays Okonkwo a visit, demanding he must kill his disobedient son, Ikemefuna. He told Okonkwo that he must not kill his son, as they are too close, and they boy refers to him as "father", which would be unjust to do to him. Okonkwo is killed with a large machete by a man, while asking Okonkwo for help, he does nothing about it. Okonkwo decides to join in and kill his son. 

The fact that Okonkwo brought in a torubled boy who was a former prisoner, shows that Okonkwo wants change in the boys life. He want sot raise him to be respectful and have pride in his actions. After years of living together, he finally refers to Okonkwo as "father". The relationship is pushed from man to boy, to father to son. Okonkwo opened up to him and gave him a better life, and a loving father. Okonkwo promises that he would not be the one to kill his son, as he was asked, but goes ahead and participates in the murder. He not only lied about his actions, he also killed a boy who referred to him as "father".

Okonkwo's actions were unjust. No matter if God told him to kill or have someone kill his son, doesn't make it okay for him to do it. Not only was Ikemefuna a living human being, he was his son who loved his father and took pride in having such a symbolic father. Okonkwo was in the wrong when he killed his son and should be punished for it. I do not believe that just because God tells you do perform an unjust act, it is the right thing to do. Okonkwo shall earn no justice, as his acts were not justified. 

Is Okonkwo a hero?

  In the novel “Things Fall Apart”, Okonkwo, the main character, is regarded as a hero to his village. Through his strength and bravery, Okonkwo has battled in many wars and won. To his people, he has brought peace by making his village look like a force not to be reckon with. He make it seem as if any village were to go to war with them, they would lose. Okonkwo shares many values as a hero along with comparable traits. Chinua Achebe, the author, makes a very unique character who faces challenges against his elders, his family, and their religious figure who is connected to the people through the oracle.

  Some character traits that Okonkwo shares with a modern day hero is his inspirational figure. To become the strong and brave person he is today, he had to correct the wrongs of his father, who can be described with the quote, “In his day he was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow”(Achebe, pg.4). Another problem Okonkwo faced was the fact that his father was a debtor who owed everyone money. One of Okonkwo’s challenges was to pay back everyone of whom his father owed money to. In addition to these problems, he also had to shape his children so that they do not end up like his father, but soon finds failure when his oldest son shows rebellion by converting to Christianity.

  Many villagers regarded him a hero for saving his family name by fixing the problems his father laid out on them. Another instance of heroism was with his great power. Okonkwo was a fearless wrestler and fighter who has contributed to the victory in battle for his village, but, can he still be regarded as a hero when he performs such savagery actions such as taking the head of one of his enemies and drinking out of it? There are many clues that can classify Okonkwo as a villain. The way he beat his third wife during a Week of Peace was regarded as an abomination among the other clan members. Okonkwo usually treated his family with cruelty. However, there are moments when we see that Okonkwo cares deeply about his family. When one of his daughters Ezinma, was carried away by the priestess, he did not sleep and soon went after the priestess where he found the mother of his daughter waiting outside the cave and he stayed there until she came back with his daughter.

2/23/16

Jasper Gong

How does Okonkwo face fate and free will in the novel?

In the beginning of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo's will allows himself to rise to the top of the Umuofia society. He first starts off as a son of a debtor and then rises to be one of the leaders of the clan, due to his hard work and hostility. He mainly becomes known for his wrestling skills, and luck has no say in his skills as stated in the novel. “That was not luck. At the most one could say that his chi or personal god was good. But the Ibo people have a proverb that when a man says yes his chi says yes also. Okonkwo said yes very strongly, so his chi agreed. And not only his chi but his clan too, because it judged a man by the work of his hands”, (Achebe). However, once things stop going Okonkwo’s way, he blames his fate. This starts off when Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna. Ikemefuna and the infant twins killed in the evil forest, represent the most candid victims. They aren't given a chance to act, but are instead acted upon violently. “The ill-fated lad was called Ikemefuna”, (Achebe).  Okonkwo blames the Oracle for him killing Ikemefuna,  even though it is argued by the clan's oldest member, Ezeudu, and by Okonkwo's neighbor Obierika, that he had a choice in whether to kill him or not. When Okonkwo's gun goes off and accidentally kills one of Ezeudu's sons, Okonkwo faces exile. Even though his crops are thriving in the neighboring clan and Okonkwo is allowed to return in seven years, he is completely discouraged by the experience. “A man could not rise beyond the destiny of his chi. The saying of the elders was not true--that if a man said yea his chi also affirmed. Here was a man whose chi said nay despite his own affirmation”, (Achebe). 

-          Sunil Shiwnath 2/20

Who does "Heart of Darkness" portray as the "savages"?

In Heart of Darkness, a constant repetition of the word savage, showing us that Conrad, the author is trying to expose us to and consequently, critically think about what truly constitutes a savage and how western society takes form of this savagery. In the beginning Marlow starts the book by alluding to the conquests of the Romans, naming the "uncivilized" territory as "Sandbanks, marshes, forests, savages,—precious little to eat fit for a civilized man" describing the way in which the Romans alienate the culture of the "savages" that they must conquer and civilize. Conrad continues this characterization of the savages when he writes, "march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him,—all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men." This shows the “savagery” that is perceived from the civilized world when looking upon the uncivilized world.  This savagery could most simply be defined as the allowance of letting the most primal and basic human instincts shine through.  This savagery, is then paralleled with the European populace whose society is basically equated to a "whited sepulcher".  This illustration shows how the western society knows and can clearly tell the underlying destruction that the society causes in order to maintain its way of life, however, this process is painted over and forgotten about in an attempt to distance the society from the harsh workings that have been conspired by civilization in order to maintain this high quality of life.  This harsh process is the colonization of the "savages" down in the Congo, leading us to the point where it can be inferred that the Africans who follow their traditions and primal instincts are not savages, but rather that the colonial force who knows full well the terror that is brought by its imperialism and continues to justify it through the means of helping the poor folks become civilized is the real savage.

In the novel “Heart of Darkness”, how is civilization portrayed within the novel?

The “Heart of Darkness”, the narrator states how the purpose of their mission is based off of spreading civilization to these less developed areas such as the Congo by practicing a sense of colonization towards the natives as well as the land. The narrator explains how civilization has changed over time from the era of the Roman empire to the ideas of civilization of today or for in this instance, the Belgians colonizing the Congo. The narrator also explains how handy the Romans must have been, building ships and setting up shops but then states, “ They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect. They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force— nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others”(Conrad, 8). to differentiate the Belgians in the Congo to the Romans.

    For Marlow, the narrator hints that the idea of civilization today means people trying to gain high end positions that pay the most. This means that it is no longer about conquering but rather earning wages. in the novel, the Belgians are at the Congo in search of ivory, a hard material which they would use as profit. Almost everyone despised Kurtz because he held the highest position. This is what earns the manager’s distrust as he feels Kurtz in unfit to play his role in the Congo. He would be happy when Kurtz dies in the novel.

    In the novel, the colonist focus less on spreading civilization to the natives as much as their sole purpose for being there, which is hunting for ivory. Kurtz takes advantage of his power and his dominant arms to trick the natives into think he is their god. To exert his dominance, he showcases the heads of natives on stakes right under his window.

   “Heart of Darkness” showcases the different aspects of civilization and how it has changed over time from its general ideas to the overall goal of it.

2/16/16

Jasper Gong