Response to Others

I think that everyone had similar ideas, but we all just analyzed them differently. I responded to Sarah's and Lisa's posts. Lisa's made me laugh because we both used a quote from Shakespeare's As You Like It. I mean that is what I thought of when I was listening to the guy speak so I blogged about it, and I guess she was thinking the same thing. Sarah and Lisa both talked about the black being like the devil, but they thought that the Hindu religion did not include the devil. I guess I think that their devil figure is Shiva, the destroyer.

I really find the religion interesting, and I think it is interesting to read all the different responses everybody has. I guess Hinduism really is an open ended religion that allows its people to see things in their own way. I think that it is good that the religion is that open to letting its people develop their own thoughts, but I think it would be hard to follow the laws of Hinduism. I mean, how do people understand it? I can hardly get the basics under my belt. If it came to getting becoming free from the reincarnation cycle, I would never get there. I would be stuck being reborn one million times. I know now that it might be fun to learn about Hinduism, but I will never become a Hindu. The religion just goes right over my head.

English Blog

If you are looking for my short story blogs, I made a separate website for English. The link can be found under "My Other Blog."

Mythology of Hinduism #2

Wow, Hinduism is confusing. It makes sense that everything in the world can be seen as black and white. I mean there is always a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing would of course be white, and the bad thing is black. I mean there is life vs. death, good vs. evil, spring vs. fall, rain vs. drought, etc. I agree with Hinduism when it says that it is necessary to forget the unity that joins the blacks and whites in the world in order to view the world clearly. The Hindus really do simplify life. If they view the world as black and white, then the gray area that is present in most of our minds does not exist to them. That really has to eliminate some of the stress that results from having to make a decision because there would be no "what ifs" in your mind. I also agree with the Hindus when they talk about looking outside the enclosed space. I laughed when he talked about the white background on a black sheet of paper, and then he stated that it could be a black background on a white sheet of paper. I have thought about that concept myself. I have always wanted to know what way it was, but I guess that the Hindus do not try to figure that out. I think that the reincarnation is a little extreme. I believe in life after death, but I do not believe in reincarnation. I think that you only get one life to live, and then you move on to eternal life. The idea of a kalpa fascinated me. I mean the Hindus believe that Brahma acts as us because he forgets who he is for 4,320,000 years and then, wakes up at peace for another 4,320,000 years. It is like the life and death of the human race. I find it really weird that they believe there is a period of time where people forget who they are and act as others. The Hindus believe that people act as other during one life, and William Shakespeare hinted on this idea when he wrote As You Like It "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players."

Final Thoughts

Overall, I liked the book, but it is not one of my favorites. It was like a rollercoaster ride with Okonkwo. One moment, I like him and agreed with his thoughts, but the next moment, I thought he was a cold hearted person. In the end, I did like Okonkwo's character because he lived by what he believed in until the end. He never second guessed his religion or beliefs. I liked Achebe's writing style, but I didn't like how short he made the chapters. I would have liked longer chapters because I think that longer chapters allow the book to flow better. I have learned about some of the African customs and am glad I read this book.

Chapter 25

I thought that Okonkwo was going to commit suicide in the end, but I would have thought he would have done it on his own ground. I feel bad for Okonkwo because everything he worked so hard for was lost because of two events. I don't think that is fair. He might have come off as cold, but he really did love his family and work hard for everything that he got. One positive thing is that he did not become anything like his father. His father would have never rebeled against the white men. I would actually guess that he would convert over to christianity. I feel really bad for Okonkwo's family because they were hurt just so he could die with his honor. I don't think its right that the District Commissioner plans to write a whole chapter in his book about Okonkwo's suicide. I mean isn't he a christian man, and suicide is just as big of a sin in christtianity as it is in African culture. I guess I really don't like him because he seems like a hypocrite to me. I definitely would side with Okonkwo in the end because I feel so bad for him. His life truly fell apart.

Chapter 24

Okonkwo returns from the jail with whip marks on his back. He is now convinced that war is the only solution to this problem. When a meeting is called, Okonkwo gets his war dress ready. This shows that he really wants things to return to the way it was before his exile. The leaders of all the nine villages are at the meeting to decide on a course of action. The leaders know that if they do go to war that they will have to spill the blood of their clansmen. Messengers are sent by the christians to end the meeting. Okonkwo's anger get the best of him and kills one of the messengers. I knew in the end, his anger would get him in trouble. I could even see this coming in the last few chapters. I found it hard to believe that the leader did not support Okonkwo on fighting the white men. I would have thought that after what they did to the African leaders, they would have supported fighting. I don't believe Okonkwo will stand for letting the white men take him into custody again. I think that Okonkwo will want to die with his dignity and on his own land. I doubt he will run from the village because the last time he was so unhappy with his motherland.

Chapter 23

I don't think that Okonkwo is really that happy. I mean the village is now on its guard, but the christians are still there. I have lost respect now for the missionaries. They tricked the African leaders into leaving their weapons and then arresting them. The christians plan on killing the leaders unless bail is payed. I think this action was a huge mistake on the part of the missionaries. Before the African people were separated on the issue, but this event will probably reunite a large group. I think that there is going to be an uprising because I have a feeling the white men will not honor the bail and keep the leaders in jail or kill them anyway. If this does happen, I think the old warring nation will return, and the christians will have a fight ahead of them. I knew that white soldiers would be brought in after the church was burnt down. Okonkwo is going to lose his temper and do something that is going to get him in a lot of trouble. I think that he will kill a white missionary, and the soldiers will come to take him away to be killed. I doubt Okonkwo will let them do that, but how he avoids this I am not sure yet.

Chapter 22

I didn't realize one person could hold that much peace in a village. I mean when that new reverend came to the village, everything went downhill. He did not have as much patience as the last man, and he took things at a faster rate. The one African man even went as far as to unmask an egwugwu, which is one of the greatest sins of all. The other egwugwu go and burn the man's complex and even burn down the church. This is calling for a definite problem. There were mixed messages, and I think more white men are going to come the the village now. I don't believe Okonkwo will put up with much more of the missionary work. He was never pleased with them, but I think this event is going to push him over the edge. Something extreme is going to happen really quick, but what it is, I don't know yet. It could even go as far as the village splitting and fighting against themselves. That could be horrible for the African people because they would be doing the hard part for the white man. This book is starting to make me realize that Africa has its own belief systems, and us as outsiders should not try to change the beliefs that these people have. I think that we should aide them to an extent, but their beliefs are their own problem to deal with.

Chapter 21

The missionaries are really helping the people, but there are still some that do not want anything to do with the missionaries. These white men have built a school and a hospital. Both would be very helpful to an African village. I think the missionaries use these kinds of things to gain the native people's trust. I found it shocking that Nwoye is already going to school to be a teacher. I would have thought the basic education would have taken longer than it did. I don't know, maybe their education system is different. Okonkwo still stands strong on his opinion that the white men should be forced to leave the African land. You can tell this when Mr. Brown comes to update Okonkwo on Nwoye's education. I think that Okonkwo has basically disowned his son. The positive is that his daughters are drawing a lot of suitors. I feel bad that his return to the village did not cause as much of an interest. He had his heart set on returning to the village he left, but it has changed it ways drastically. I think that Okonkwo might be considering suicide again. I think he is starting to become overwhelmed with all the changes in the community.

Chapter 20

I knew that Okonkwo would not be happy upon his return, but I didn't think that it would have been this bad. The christians have basically torn apart his fahterland. I think this really has pushed Okonkwo over the edge. All the big plans he has made in exile are ruined. I think he might end up doing something radical. I mean, if his fatherland who is known for its warriors will not even stand up and fight the white man, than nobody will in Okonkwo's eyes. I think that he will eventually take things into his own hands and try to convert the village back to the original religion. I don't think he is going to be the slightest bit successful, and I think he will just get himself in trouble. Things are really beginning to fall apart in Okonkwo's world. He does still have his two daughters to marry off, but I don't believe that he will let a man who is sided with the white men marry his daughters. I wonder if he will find a man suitable to marry his daughters.

Chapter 19

I knew that at the end of his exile he would go back to his fatherland. I was shocked that Okonkwo held a feast for his kinsmen, but I guess they are his family and have helped him through his seven years of exile. I think the missionaries are starting to take a great toll on the younger generation, and this is not a good thing for the African tribes. Their religion is in danger if they cannot draw the young people away from the christian faith. It didn't surprise me only that Okonkwo regreted having to spend the seven years in his motherland. It basically destroyed his goal of becoming a lord of the Umuofia, and he had to spend his time with such un-masculine people. I think that is a little harsh of him. Umuofia is a tribe known for its warriors, but that doesn't mean that every tribe has to be as violent. There are other ways of settling disagreements, but Okonkwo apparently cannot see these ways. I lost some respect for him when he said this about the tribe that has welcomed him into the communtiy and gave him yams and shelter. I guess its just his true personality.

Chapter 18

It is common sense that the outcasts and worthless men would join the church because they are not accepted in the community. I knew the Okonkwo would eventually want to fight the missionaries because he is a great warrior. I think it is funny that he called the tribe a womanly tribe because it is his motherland. That is kind of ironic that he says that. I think that it is a good thing that the village didn't do anything violent against the christians because the whole community would probably be killed once the other white settlers discovered the murders. I think this lack of violence causes Okonkwo to miss his fatherland. His exile has to be coming to an end, and I think Okonkwo cannot wait to return. It is a good thing that he man who killed the sacred royal python died of an illness because it restored many of the Africans faith. I am really beginning to think that these missionaries are going to be the downfall of Okonkwo.

Chapter 17

I think it is kind of funny that the Africans thought that the missionaries would not survive if they tried to build a church in the Evil Forest. It was even better that the missionaries survived the twenty-eight days that the African elders said they would for sure be punished during. I think this is another thing that causes Okonkwo to lose hope because the religion he is used to is failing him now. It makes it even worse when the church starts to get more members. Most of these are people who do not have a lot of respect in the community, but still, they are converts.

It is a really low blow for Okonkwo when he discovers Nwoye is talking and hanging out with the Christians. I knew that Okonkwo would not put up with this for long, but it kind of surprised me that he choked Nwoye. It is a good thing that he didn't accidently kill his son because I don't think that crime could be forgiven as easily as the misfire of the gun. The only reason Okonkwo doesn't kill his son is his uncle forces him to let go of Nwoye. I don't Nwoye for leaving to go to school. I would want out of there too.

Chapter 16

Wow, Nwoye converted to christianity. I would have thought that Okonkwo would have prohibited him from doing this. It is understandable that Nwoye would convert only because he began to question his faith when he hears the twins crying in the forest and Ikemefuna is killed. The majority of teens question their faith which did not help the matter either. I guess Nwoye must really want to upset his father. That is the last thing that Okonkwo would want to happen, and I think that Nwoye knew that.

I think that this is just another thing in Okonkwo's spiral downward. I really do not expect things to get much better for him, but I could be wrong. For some reason, I get the idea that he is close to just giving up. I do think that Obierika is helping Okonkwo to keep going, but I don't think that that will work for that long either. The only positive is that Okonkwo is almost halfway through his exile because it has now been 3 out of the 7 years. I just wonder what his fatherland will think of him when and if he tries to return after his five years.

Chapter 15

Obierika, Okonkwo's friend from his homeland, continues his farm by selling Okonkwo's yams and giving some to share croppers. This is a way for Okonkwo to get money. Obierika plans to do this until Okonkwo returns from his exile. This shows that Okonkwo still has friends in his homeland despite the terrible crime he committed. Obierika brings Okonkwo the news of the white men who are showing up in villages. I think that the white men might have something to do with Okonkwo's tragic ending in the book. I think that he will lose his temper with one of them and hurt the white man. I also think that Nwoye might be feeling more resentment towards his father so he might be looking for something to make his father upset. I think that after Okonkwo took part in the death of Ikemefuna and their exile from the community, Nwoye is upset with him. I don't think that Okonkwo will do anything extreme at first to the white men because he seems reasonable when it comes to war, but I don't think he will accept their proposals. I think that they might be missionaries, and I can't see Okonkwo switching to christianity.

Chapter 14

Although Okonkwo is welcomed out warmly into his motherland, I think he still feels like an outcast. It has to be hard on him now because he has killed two young men. That has to be weighing on his soul. Also, Okonkwo's dream of becoming a lord of the clan died with the sixteen year-old boy. I think that Okonkwo is almost to the point of giving up on life, but his desire to be the opposite of his father is what is keeping him working. His uncle tries to convince Okonkwo that the whole experience is good and that the motherland is where refuge is seeked when the times are bad. Okonkwo takes part in his cousin's wedding although he is sad. His uncle sees this and does what he can to help. Okonkwo's relatives help him start a farm and give him seed yams, but this still does not restore Okonkwo's spirit. I think that the line his uncle said, "I did not hang myself, and I am still alive," plants an idea in Okonkwo's head. I think that eventually if things do not improve, Okonkwo will kill himself so that he can die with his dignity.

Chapter 13

It seems that after the death of Ogbuefi Ezeudu, everything goes wrong for Okonkwo. He accidentally kills a sixteen year-old boy at the funeral and is exiled for seven years. I think that it is interesting that he returns to his mother's homeland in this state of shame. It kind of parallel's his beliefs that women are not as worthy as men. His huts are burned and his animals killed. Basically, everything Okonkwo worked for, he has lost. All this happened because of an accidental gun shot. Why did he even have a gun at a funeral? I mean what is going to happen at a funeral anyways. Didn't most African villages build brush walls to keep wild animals out? Why would any enemy be cruel enough to attack a village the day of a respected man's funeral? I didn't get why Okonkwo had a gun, but I guess it could have been like a power thing to him. I feel bad for his family because they have to leave their friends behind just because Okonkwo could not control his firearm. It has to be hard on all of them, but I think Okonkwo will take it the hardest. I think he will feel like this is the lowest blow of all. I mean he probably is not very happy about having to move back to his mother's homeland. I think things are just going to get a lot worse for him.

Chapter 12

There is a real human side that is shown in Okonkwo when Ezinma becomes ill. When Chielo takes Ezinma to the Oracle's cave, Okonkwo makes multiple trips to the cave to try to find his daughter. This shows that Okonkwo truly cares for his family and that he is not as cold hearted as some may think.

I find it amazing that the whole village takes part in the wedding celebrations. They are generous people because they donated food and other supplies for the feast eventhough it was not their child getting married. It seems that the community thrives or falls together. They are dependent on the community. If one person does something to offend a god, the whole village could be punished for it. I think that this belief is a little extreme, but it makes sense that the African culture is this way. They depend on the village for protection and many other things. There are no real states that are designed to protect them. They have to depend on their own community.

Chapter 11

I think that the story Ekwefi tells Ezinma about the tortoise and is misfortune can be related to Okonkwo. The tortoise got what he wanted, but he ended up hurting himself in the end. I think that Okonkwo's luck is going to take a turn for the worse pretty quick. I think that is why Achebe included that small story in the chapter. The tortoise's shell was his most prized possession, and I think that Okonkwo is going to lose what he prizes the most. That is his postion in the community and his success.

I think that now Chielo, the priestess of the Oracle, has taken Ezinma, the ogbanje is going to be banished from her body. I found it courageous of Ekwefi that she followed Chielo when she was told not to. I think that shows that Ekwefi is not willing to back down as easily as most African women. She is not afraid to stand on her own two feet. When Okonkwo goes to the Oracle's cave with a machete, Ekwefi is surprised. This shows the side of Okonkwo that often doesn't show. He truly cares for his wife and her daughter and will do anything to protect them. This act of caring makes Ekwefi reflect on the night she ran away from her husband to be with Okonkwo. I find it weird that they didn't even talk; he just took her straight to bed. I guess that shows Okonkwo's belief that women are merely property.

Chapter 10

The egwugwu is like the court system of the village. These are merely men in masks that impersonate the spirits, but the women and children still fear them. I think that Okonkwo has to be among them, but that is my opinion. He appears to strong to other people not to be. These egwugwu emerge from a hut where no woman is allowed to set foot in. This is another example of the views of women in the African culture. I think the whole idea of the court system is good, but to have men inpersonate spirits is a little weird. I mean, that is somewhat extreme. Why couldn't the village elders, who are so well respected, be the judges of the gathering? Why does it have to be men acting as spirits?

I also found ironic that a man brought his case in front of the egwugwu that was similar to stuff that Okonkwo had done. He wanted his wife and children back and claimed that they were unfairly taken from him by his wife's three brothers. The brothers claim that the husband had beat their sister and that he should have to beg to get her to come back. I think it is ironic because the egwugwu rule in favor of the wife and brothers. If Okonkwo is truly one of these "spirits," he is really being a hypocrite because he has beat Ekwefi and shot a gun at her. Shouldn't his wives be taken from him too? Or is he just overlooked because of his postion in the community?

Chapter 9

I think it is kind of ironic that when Okonkwo begins to show his true feelings for Ezinma, she becomes very ill. It is also ironic that Okonkwo is doing everything in his power to keep her alive, while he has appeared to give up hope on teaching Nwoye. I understand Ezinma is deathly ill, but Nwoye is the future of his bloodline. I would think Okonkwo would try harder to beat the laziness out of him. Instead, he has seemed to give up on his son after Ikemefuna's death. I think that Ezinma is Okonkwo's pride and joy, but he would never admit that because that is a sign of weakness to show that much attachment to a female.

I found the whole background on the ogbanje very interesting. The fact that the African people believe that a woman who has continual child deaths is plagued with an evil spirit of a child who continually returns to cause the parents great grief. When Ezinma's iyi-uwa was found, the problem was thought to be solved. An iyi-uwa is the ogbanje's connection to the physical world from the spiritual world. Even after the iyi-uwa was found, it could not end Ekwefi's worrys that her only daughter would die. I feel bad that Ekwefi has lost so many children. It seems that Ezinma is her last hope. If this child dies, Ekwefi will probably give up hope.

Chapter 8

Once again, we see another side of Okonkwo. He falls into a depression state after the death of Ikemefuna. That show that he is actually a kind hearted person, but he is so desparate to be viewed as a strong and powerful man, he comes off as a cold hearted person. His desire for Ezinma to be a boy show that he wants to view Ezinma worthy of being his child, but he refuses to allow himself to openly show this because Ezinma is a girl. Okonkwo's beliefs are that women are like property, and they do not deserve to be a respected part of society. They are meant to serve their husband. When Okonkwo blames his depression on his lack of work, that shows his desire to be viewed as a hard working man. He views depression as a sign of weakness and blames it on his lack of work to do instead of accepting his actual feelings that he feels at the time. In a way, I think this show a major flaw in Okonkwo. If a man is not able to accept his flaws, there is no chance that he is going to overcome them. I think that this lack of acknowledgement is going to hinder Okonkwo later.

When Obierika asks Okonkwo to stay and help him determine a bride price for his daughter, it shows the respect that Okonkwo has gained in the communtiy. The communtiy sees him as a good judge of character. This is ironic because his is really not a very good judge of character at all. If a man will not even judge himself fairly, it is hypocritical to judge another. I found that kind of weird. Okonkwo is good at seeing the work mentality of a person, but he will hold a grudge if he sees any laziness in a person. I guess he could be a good judge of the qualities that the African people wanted in a man, but he would not be a good judge of character outside of Africa.

Chapter 7

Okonkwo for the longest time dispised his son Nwoye because he did not act like a man. After spending so much time with Ikemefuna, Nwoye begans to show more signs of masculinity. With this new change, Okonkwo begans to accept his son. He evens invites the two boys into his hut to talk about their masculine stories. I think that Ikemefuna was the one who brought Nwoye around from hearing the twin babies' crys from the Evil Forest when he was younger. That was the first time he was disappointed with mankind, but Ikemefuna brought him around from his disappointment and helped Nwoye see the good in the world. When Okonkwo took part in the death of Ikemefuna, I think that Nwoye is going to lose all of his respect for his father. It might even drive him to feel the same way as Okonkwo did about his father. Nwoye might pledge to never become anyting like Okonkwo. I think that when Okonkwo took part in Ikemefuna's death, it showed his desparation to be an elder of the community. He showed that he will do whatever it takes to be respected.

I am still not completely clear on the Oracle. I get that it is like a "god" and that there is a priestess who conveys the prophacies from the Oracle, but is the Oracle a god or some kind of presence. I understand that if a person wants to get advice from the Oracle they must go to a cave, but what exactly does the Oracle represent in their culture? Anytime the Oracle is mentioned, I change my idea of what it is. I just want to clear that up.

Chapter 6

This chapter is about the actual wrestling match. I see why the Umuofia village is known for having a strong military. They have a time in their feast to dedicate to a battle between two young men. The whole village gathers around the ilo to watch the match, and it is the favorite part of the feast for many people.

I think that it is interesting that the drums are considered as the heart of the wrestling match. The drummers began around noon when the match didn't even start until dusk. That would be a long time to keep a steady drum beat. It is weird that the actual wrestling event is after a few smaller matches. Why do these matches even take place? I guess that it could be a way to see what the future warriors will be like in the village. I think that any village that bases a part of its festival on wrestling matches shows that it is a village that is not afraid to fight. That could be a reason why Okonkwo is so violent. For so long, he has strived to become a respected member of the community, and if violence is a part of the community, he would have to show some violence to be accepted.