Tristan Sofia
Ms. Clapp
AP Lit. and Comp.
10 October, 2008
Irony Overdose
Jorge Luis Borges mocks the ignorant mentality of Christian followers through his ironic recreation, “Gospel According to Mark”. Different forms of irony take place to create a mirror image of Borges story to the Gospel of Saint Mark. The author exposes his ironic point of view by revealing characteristics that link the main character, Espinosa, to Jesus, in comparison to Espinosa’s idea of being nonreligious. Irony of fate plays into the story as Espinosa meets the same fate as Jesus as a result of the Gutres’ blind following to the events in the Gospel of Saint Mark. The use of irony heightens the immorality in Gutres actions by portraying Espinosa as innocent, and the ridiculousness in the idea of following a man who does not believe in what he teaches.
Borges’ ironic point of view emphasizes Espinosa’s carelessness to religion to compare Jesus’ character to question his followers’ intentions. Starting from the beginning of the novel, Borges separates himself from the narrator. The narrator uses an objective point of view by listing off characteristics of Espinosa, while Borges is aware that these characteristics are related to Jesus. Each trait is a check off the How to Read Literature like a Professor’s list on Christ figures, such as “being the age of thirty-three”, “growing a beard”, and having almost “unlimited kindness, as well as, a capacity for public speaking”. (183). The story transitions to identify Espinosa’s lack of passion in faith, as the narrator notes that he reads the Gospel of Saint to the Gutres, as “an exercise in translation, and maybe to find out whether the Gutres understood any of it” (186). Although, Borges infers that Espinosa does not believe what he preaches, and reveals that the Gutres continue to listen to him vigorously. Borges provides distance between himself and the narrator in order to allow the audience to see the irrationalness of following Espinosa, and connect it to the bigger idea of Christianity.
Although similar to Jesus, Espinosa is not Christ himself, and Borges uses irony to highlight the selfishness of the Gutres to kill Espinosa, as according to the Gospel. As Espinosa read the Gospel to the Gutres, they would treat him as the people of Jerusalem treated Jesus. He notices that the “Gutres would follow him from room to room, and that they would secretly steal the crumbs he had dropped on the table”. (186). By the end of the short story as the narrator exposes that Espinosa’s “theology is rather dim”, as he misinforms the Gutres that the “Roman soldiers who hammered in the nails through Jesus to the cross were saved” (187). Espinosa’s mistake costs his life due to the Gutres devotion to the Gospel. The Gutres end up crucifying him, as well as, “mocking, spitting, and shoving him” while he walks to his death, as the people of Jerusalem did to Jesus. The irony Borges uses portrays Christians as selfish, caring only to be saved from Hell.
The variety of irony allows Borges to shape his point in his short story. Reading the story from a on the surface view, “Gospel According to Mark” appears to just be a retelling of the Gospel of Saint Mark. However, seeing the irony allows the audience to understand that Borges is actually mocking followers of Christianity.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Imitating Hemingway
Tristan Sofia
Ms. Clapp
AP Literature and Composition
05, October 2008
Imitating Hemingway
The slender young woman took anxious glances at the round clock that hung above the door. It was crucial for her to make sure that the time was exactly right, otherwise everything would be ruined.
“Ten minutes left,” she muttered to herself. Then, a boy skinnier than her burst through the door below the clock, in a fury.
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” the boy panted. The boy took a seat at the dark cherry wood dining room table to catch his breath, while the young woman stared at him, patiently waiting for him to explain himself.
“Well?” the young woman asked.
“You won’t believe what happened, Jeh!” exclaimed the boy.
“What happened?”
“‘Made’s’ coming to my school!”
“So?”
“So? This means I have a chance to be on TV! I could be a star!” shouted the boy, as he climbed on top of the table. He put his hands on his hips and stared with glazed eyes and a giant smile on his face.
“What are you doing?! Get off the table!” his sister yelled. She grabbed his arm and jerked him violently off the table. Landing with a giant thump, the boy flew off the table. Sprawled face up on the floor, the boy groaned and held onto his back.
“What the hell was that for Jeh?”
“Stop being stupid.”
“You’re stupid.”
“Just shut up. You’re being a baby. Get over it.”
“But my back kills now!”
“And something smells gross.”
The siblings sniffed the air which was laced with the aroma of a burning batch of cookies, and directed their attention towards the oven, where a thick cloud of gray smoke streamed out of. Frantic, the young woman glanced at the clock, and realized that she had lost track of time.
“Aiya! I totally forgot about my cookies!” the young woman exclaimed. She scurried towards the oven and switched the dial off, and opened the oven. The smoke poured out of the oven, like a sea of charcoal. The siblings coughed and fanned their arms trying to clear the smoke. While the irritating ringing went off from the fire alarm, there was a sound of crackling coming from the oven. Vibrant colors of red, orange, yellow, and blue flickered from the inside of the oven. Just as she scurried towards the oven, the young woman hurried over to the sink, filled a large plastic bowl with water, and rushed back to the oven, throwing the water on the fire. More smoke came out of the oven, as the fire was put out, and a sizzling noise quickly followed afterwards.
“Damn. That was close,” muttered the young woman. Thoughts ran through her head of the serious consequences that could have followed had she not put out the fire in time. The house could have burnt to a crisp, she could have lost all of her valuable possessions, and she and her young brother could have been roasted to the delight for any parasites. Time is so precious, that one distraction from keeping track of the 10 minutes could have been costly.
“Hey, your cookies look like crap,” said her brother, interrupting her train of thought, pulling out the pan of blackened rocks.
“Just be quiet. Let’s go get some from a bakery.”
As they walked out the door, the young woman took one more glance at the clock.
“Ten minutes,” she thought. This time she would make sure to be on time.
Ms. Clapp
AP Literature and Composition
05, October 2008
Imitating Hemingway
The slender young woman took anxious glances at the round clock that hung above the door. It was crucial for her to make sure that the time was exactly right, otherwise everything would be ruined.
“Ten minutes left,” she muttered to herself. Then, a boy skinnier than her burst through the door below the clock, in a fury.
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” the boy panted. The boy took a seat at the dark cherry wood dining room table to catch his breath, while the young woman stared at him, patiently waiting for him to explain himself.
“Well?” the young woman asked.
“You won’t believe what happened, Jeh!” exclaimed the boy.
“What happened?”
“‘Made’s’ coming to my school!”
“So?”
“So? This means I have a chance to be on TV! I could be a star!” shouted the boy, as he climbed on top of the table. He put his hands on his hips and stared with glazed eyes and a giant smile on his face.
“What are you doing?! Get off the table!” his sister yelled. She grabbed his arm and jerked him violently off the table. Landing with a giant thump, the boy flew off the table. Sprawled face up on the floor, the boy groaned and held onto his back.
“What the hell was that for Jeh?”
“Stop being stupid.”
“You’re stupid.”
“Just shut up. You’re being a baby. Get over it.”
“But my back kills now!”
“And something smells gross.”
The siblings sniffed the air which was laced with the aroma of a burning batch of cookies, and directed their attention towards the oven, where a thick cloud of gray smoke streamed out of. Frantic, the young woman glanced at the clock, and realized that she had lost track of time.
“Aiya! I totally forgot about my cookies!” the young woman exclaimed. She scurried towards the oven and switched the dial off, and opened the oven. The smoke poured out of the oven, like a sea of charcoal. The siblings coughed and fanned their arms trying to clear the smoke. While the irritating ringing went off from the fire alarm, there was a sound of crackling coming from the oven. Vibrant colors of red, orange, yellow, and blue flickered from the inside of the oven. Just as she scurried towards the oven, the young woman hurried over to the sink, filled a large plastic bowl with water, and rushed back to the oven, throwing the water on the fire. More smoke came out of the oven, as the fire was put out, and a sizzling noise quickly followed afterwards.
“Damn. That was close,” muttered the young woman. Thoughts ran through her head of the serious consequences that could have followed had she not put out the fire in time. The house could have burnt to a crisp, she could have lost all of her valuable possessions, and she and her young brother could have been roasted to the delight for any parasites. Time is so precious, that one distraction from keeping track of the 10 minutes could have been costly.
“Hey, your cookies look like crap,” said her brother, interrupting her train of thought, pulling out the pan of blackened rocks.
“Just be quiet. Let’s go get some from a bakery.”
As they walked out the door, the young woman took one more glance at the clock.
“Ten minutes,” she thought. This time she would make sure to be on time.
Setting
Tristan Sofia
Ms. Clapp
AP Literature and Composition
29 September, 2008
Setting the Character
The lake in the setting of T. Coraghessan Boyle’s short story, Greasy Lake, provides a source of enlightenment for the main character. The changes of Greasy Lake reflect on the main character’s changes and growth in personality. The setting also is an example of different elements of How to Read Literature like a Professor. Quest and baptism is represented by the lake, allowing the main character to come to his self-realization and enlightenment. Setting allows a progression in as a person in the main character.
The main character goes on a quest to find the keys he drops around Greasy Lake, to escape the men chasing him and his friends, but not only does he find his keys but he finds self-knowledge. The trigger to the chase is the main character and his friend’s foolish actions, such as, “Digby leaning on the horn” and the main character “flicking on his brights” (131), to bother the man in the next car. While trying to escape from the men, the main character hides in the waters of Greasy Lake, where he finds a “dead man rotating to expose a mossy beard and eyes cold as the moon” (134). The main character goes through a baptism, and when he rises from the water, the ordeal leads to the main character’s realization of his foolishness and the possible serious consequences if he continues to act carelessly. Boyle writes, “Who was he, I wondered, this victim of time and circumstance bobbing sorrowfully in the lake at my back. The owner of the chopper, no doubt, a bad older character come to this. Shot during a murky drug deal, drowned while drunkenly frolicking in the lake.” (136). The main character understands that if he continues to act recklessly, he can end up like the dead man in the lake. After he finds his keys, the main character encounters two girls that offer him drugs and a chance “to party” (137). As a demonstration of their newfound maturity, the main character and his friends turned down their offer. The setting allows the characters to experience a rebirth in their behavior.
Boyle describes Greasy Lake as filthy, reflecting the main character’s brash actions, but by the end of the short story, Greasy Lake changes to look more natural to represent the cleansing the main character undergoes. At the beginning of the short story, the main character describes the lake as an area to, “drink beer, smoke pot, howl at the stars. . .” (130) The main character ends the quote with, “This is nature”, meaning that the main character sees “nature” as being able to be wild and acting hastily. The descriptions of the lake transforms by the end of the short story, as the main character takes note more about the environment, such as, “the dew that slick on the leaves” and the “smell in the air, raw and sweet at the same time.” (136). Here, again, the main character repeats “This is nature” (136). The contrast of the ideas of “nature” shows the character’s intensified thoughts of appreciating his surroundings, rather than seeing it as an opportunity to have fun. The change in the main character’s opinion of “nature” is another example of his development as a person.
The setting of Greasy Lake allows the progression of the characters’ personalities, in addition to provide movement in the short story. As the characters mature and become cleansed, the lake appears to make the same changes. What was once the cause of the boys’ recklessness is now cause of the characters to grow mentally by the end of the short story.
Ms. Clapp
AP Literature and Composition
29 September, 2008
Setting the Character
The lake in the setting of T. Coraghessan Boyle’s short story, Greasy Lake, provides a source of enlightenment for the main character. The changes of Greasy Lake reflect on the main character’s changes and growth in personality. The setting also is an example of different elements of How to Read Literature like a Professor. Quest and baptism is represented by the lake, allowing the main character to come to his self-realization and enlightenment. Setting allows a progression in as a person in the main character.
The main character goes on a quest to find the keys he drops around Greasy Lake, to escape the men chasing him and his friends, but not only does he find his keys but he finds self-knowledge. The trigger to the chase is the main character and his friend’s foolish actions, such as, “Digby leaning on the horn” and the main character “flicking on his brights” (131), to bother the man in the next car. While trying to escape from the men, the main character hides in the waters of Greasy Lake, where he finds a “dead man rotating to expose a mossy beard and eyes cold as the moon” (134). The main character goes through a baptism, and when he rises from the water, the ordeal leads to the main character’s realization of his foolishness and the possible serious consequences if he continues to act carelessly. Boyle writes, “Who was he, I wondered, this victim of time and circumstance bobbing sorrowfully in the lake at my back. The owner of the chopper, no doubt, a bad older character come to this. Shot during a murky drug deal, drowned while drunkenly frolicking in the lake.” (136). The main character understands that if he continues to act recklessly, he can end up like the dead man in the lake. After he finds his keys, the main character encounters two girls that offer him drugs and a chance “to party” (137). As a demonstration of their newfound maturity, the main character and his friends turned down their offer. The setting allows the characters to experience a rebirth in their behavior.
Boyle describes Greasy Lake as filthy, reflecting the main character’s brash actions, but by the end of the short story, Greasy Lake changes to look more natural to represent the cleansing the main character undergoes. At the beginning of the short story, the main character describes the lake as an area to, “drink beer, smoke pot, howl at the stars. . .” (130) The main character ends the quote with, “This is nature”, meaning that the main character sees “nature” as being able to be wild and acting hastily. The descriptions of the lake transforms by the end of the short story, as the main character takes note more about the environment, such as, “the dew that slick on the leaves” and the “smell in the air, raw and sweet at the same time.” (136). Here, again, the main character repeats “This is nature” (136). The contrast of the ideas of “nature” shows the character’s intensified thoughts of appreciating his surroundings, rather than seeing it as an opportunity to have fun. The change in the main character’s opinion of “nature” is another example of his development as a person.
The setting of Greasy Lake allows the progression of the characters’ personalities, in addition to provide movement in the short story. As the characters mature and become cleansed, the lake appears to make the same changes. What was once the cause of the boys’ recklessness is now cause of the characters to grow mentally by the end of the short story.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Shaping Up "A Rose For emily"
Angel Han
Ms. Clapp
AP Lit and Comp
15 September, 2008
Shaping Up “A Rose for Emily”
William Faulkner’s use of an observer as a narrator with an editorial omniscience shows the narrator’s respect and sympathy of the main character’s, Miss Emily, peculiar actions in his short story, “A Rose for Emily”. The narrator tells the story in the point of view as a minor watching events occur in the main character’s, Miss Emily, life. Faulkner uses “we” in reference to the narrator, which shows that the story is seen not just by a singular person, and the narrator acts as a speaker on behalf of the community. Through the narrator’s point of view, the audience is brought into the short story, with more depth and understanding.
The narrator emphasizes Miss Emily’s isolation by taking the point of view as an observer. Instead of being a part of Miss Emily’s life, the narrator and the community watch her life progress. Faulkner writes, “That was two years after her father’s death and a short time after her sweetheart—the one we believed would marry her—had deserted her…A few of the ladies had the temerity to call, but were not received. . .” (27). The narrator exposes to the audience how lonely Miss Emily is, and also shows the void between the community and Miss Emily. The narrator and most of the community do not interact with Miss Emily, as they are not included in the few women who gave their condolences to Miss Emily. Faulkner uses point of view as one of the sources that leads to Miss Emily’s strange actions later on in the story.
The narrator shows editorial omniscience to provide a connection to Miss Emily’s isolation to her odd actions. After her father dies, Miss Emily goes into a phase of denial, unable to let go of her father’s body. Faulkner writes, “Miss Emily met [the ladies] at the door, dressed as usual and with no trace of grief on her face. She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days, with the ministers calling on her, and the doctors, trying to persuade her to let them dispose of the body.” (28). The narrator then goes on to give commentary about Miss Emily’s actions, saying, “We did not say she was crazy then. We believed she had to do that. We remembered all the young men her father had driven away, and we knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which robbed her, as people will.” (28). The quote shows that the narrator is sympathetic towards Miss Emily, through the use of words such as, “robbed”, “nothing”, “cling”, and “driven away”. Through the narrator’s point of view, Miss Emily’s bizarre actions are justified as her inability to handle being alone.
Throughout the book, the narrator conveys a sense of respect towards the seemingly crazy Miss Emily. When the narrator opens the story with Miss Emily’s funeral, he or she compares her to a “fallen monument” (26). A monument is a structure that marks a person, event, or place that is notable, and by using the description, “fallen”, gives Miss Emily a sense of grace. At the end of the story, the narrator addresses Miss Emily’s abnormal act of killing and keeping the body of her lover, Homer Barron. Faulkner writes, “Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair.” (32) While the narrator offers commentary about Miss Emily’s actions and life, the story ends at this passage without any judgment from the narrator. The narrator uses his or her objective point of view as a sign of consideration and understanding for Miss Emily’s creepy actions. Although Miss Emily appears mad, the narrator shows acceptance for her.
Faulkner uses the narrator to bring the audience into the book as they follow the events and feelings of the narrator. As the narrator goes through the sad to strange events that occur in Miss Emily’s life, the audience makes the same transition. By being able to see through the narrator’s perception, the audience sees another distressing side of Miss Emily than her fanatical exterior.
Ms. Clapp
AP Lit and Comp
15 September, 2008
Shaping Up “A Rose for Emily”
William Faulkner’s use of an observer as a narrator with an editorial omniscience shows the narrator’s respect and sympathy of the main character’s, Miss Emily, peculiar actions in his short story, “A Rose for Emily”. The narrator tells the story in the point of view as a minor watching events occur in the main character’s, Miss Emily, life. Faulkner uses “we” in reference to the narrator, which shows that the story is seen not just by a singular person, and the narrator acts as a speaker on behalf of the community. Through the narrator’s point of view, the audience is brought into the short story, with more depth and understanding.
The narrator emphasizes Miss Emily’s isolation by taking the point of view as an observer. Instead of being a part of Miss Emily’s life, the narrator and the community watch her life progress. Faulkner writes, “That was two years after her father’s death and a short time after her sweetheart—the one we believed would marry her—had deserted her…A few of the ladies had the temerity to call, but were not received. . .” (27). The narrator exposes to the audience how lonely Miss Emily is, and also shows the void between the community and Miss Emily. The narrator and most of the community do not interact with Miss Emily, as they are not included in the few women who gave their condolences to Miss Emily. Faulkner uses point of view as one of the sources that leads to Miss Emily’s strange actions later on in the story.
The narrator shows editorial omniscience to provide a connection to Miss Emily’s isolation to her odd actions. After her father dies, Miss Emily goes into a phase of denial, unable to let go of her father’s body. Faulkner writes, “Miss Emily met [the ladies] at the door, dressed as usual and with no trace of grief on her face. She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days, with the ministers calling on her, and the doctors, trying to persuade her to let them dispose of the body.” (28). The narrator then goes on to give commentary about Miss Emily’s actions, saying, “We did not say she was crazy then. We believed she had to do that. We remembered all the young men her father had driven away, and we knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which robbed her, as people will.” (28). The quote shows that the narrator is sympathetic towards Miss Emily, through the use of words such as, “robbed”, “nothing”, “cling”, and “driven away”. Through the narrator’s point of view, Miss Emily’s bizarre actions are justified as her inability to handle being alone.
Throughout the book, the narrator conveys a sense of respect towards the seemingly crazy Miss Emily. When the narrator opens the story with Miss Emily’s funeral, he or she compares her to a “fallen monument” (26). A monument is a structure that marks a person, event, or place that is notable, and by using the description, “fallen”, gives Miss Emily a sense of grace. At the end of the story, the narrator addresses Miss Emily’s abnormal act of killing and keeping the body of her lover, Homer Barron. Faulkner writes, “Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair.” (32) While the narrator offers commentary about Miss Emily’s actions and life, the story ends at this passage without any judgment from the narrator. The narrator uses his or her objective point of view as a sign of consideration and understanding for Miss Emily’s creepy actions. Although Miss Emily appears mad, the narrator shows acceptance for her.
Faulkner uses the narrator to bring the audience into the book as they follow the events and feelings of the narrator. As the narrator goes through the sad to strange events that occur in Miss Emily’s life, the audience makes the same transition. By being able to see through the narrator’s perception, the audience sees another distressing side of Miss Emily than her fanatical exterior.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Summer essay
Angel Han
Ms. Clapp
AP Lit
21 August, 2008
The Meaning Behind Okonkwo’s Violence
Throughout Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, there is a constant element of violence that surrounds the main character, Okonkwo. He shows his aggressive behavior through his harsh discipline and abuse among is family. The violence that comes from Okonkwo eventually leads to his downfall and his own death, through suicide. Achebe uses Okonkwo’s violence to develop his character and to connect the beginning of the novel to the end. There is always a meaning behind Okonkwo’s threatening gestures and at times irrational actions.
Okonkwo’s violence originated from his fear of becoming a failure like his lazy father, Unoka, who died in debt and without a title to his name. Achebe explains Okonkwo’s hatred towards his father on page 13, “even as a little boy he had resented his father’s failure and weakness, and even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told that his father was agbala.” In Okonkwo’s village, Umuofia, the word for “woman”, agbala, is also used to describe men without titles. In order to dissociate himself from being feminine and weak, he uses brutality to show his manliness. On page 29 Achebe writes, “Okonkwo was provoked to justifiable anger by his youngest wife, who went to plait her hair at her friend’s house and did not return early enough to cook the afternoon meal. . .And when [Ojiugo] returned he beat her very heavily.” When Okonkwo’s wife fails to complete her duty, Okonkwo uses force to punish her. Since, women in Okonkwo’s village are treated as property, for a man to not have control of his wives shows that he is weak. Therefore, Okonkwo uses violence as a method of control and a scare tactic to keep his family in line. Achebe uses Okonkwo’s violence among his family as a symbol for masculinity.
One of the villager’s wife is killed by a man from another village, and the murderer’s 15 year old son, Ikemefuna, is taken captive as a punishment to his village and ends up killed by the hand of Okonkwo. Ikemefuna is forced to live in Okonkwo’s household, where he quickly bonds with the family. After three years of living with Okonkwo’s family, the elders of the nine villages of Umuofia decides that Ikemefuna must be killed, but Ezeudu state that since Ikemefuna is like family to Okonkwo, Okonkwo cannot take a part of Ikemefuna’s death. However, Okonkwo disregards their orders and “drew his machete and cut [Ikemefuna] down.”, because “he was afraid of being thought weak” (61). Okonkwo’s willingness to kill Ikemefuna, who is like a son to him, emphasizes his self-consciousness of appearing weak. Not only that, but Okonkwo’s violence also leads to the downfall of his relationship to his actual son, Nwoye. Nwoye views Ikemefuna as an older brother. Achebe writes, “Ikemefuna had an endless stock of folk tales. Even those which Nwoye knew already were told with a new freshness and the local flavor of a different clan.” (34) Nwoye is deeply impacted that his father killed Ikemefuna, and Achebe describes his feelings as “…something had given way inside him. It descended on him again, this feeling, when his father walked in, that night after killing Ikemefuna” (62). Previously, Nwoye would try his best to be strong, masculine son his father wanted, but he had interests that would not please his father, such as enjoying “the stories that his mother used to tell. . .But he knew [the stories] were for foolish women and children.” (53-54). However, Nwoye’s loyalty to his father ends as he feels betrayed by his father, to take away a brother so dear to him. After Ikemefuna’s death, Nwoye later on turns against his father by leaving him to join the newly settled missionaries. Achebe portrays Okonkwo as selfish; being prone to protect his image rather than restraining himself from killing basically a family member, and uses his violence as a symbol of betrayal to both Ikemefuna and Nwoye.
The fame and success, that Okonkwo worked hard to gain in his village, dissolves when he and his family are banned from his village. During a funeral for the oldest and respected man of the village, Ezeudu, “Okonkwo’s gun had exploded and a piece of iron had pierced [the son of the Ezeudu’s] heart.” (124) Since, Okonkwo did not intentionally kill the boy; his crime is seen as female. For a female crime, the punishment for killing a clansman in Umuofia is being banned for 7 years. As a result of being banned, Okonkwo and his family flee to his mother’s land. In Umuofia, Okonkwo “won fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages…was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife. To crown it all he had taken two titles and had shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars.” (8). As a result of Okonkwo’s violence, he becomes powerless in his village and helpless, like a child, in his mother’s village. Okonkwo shifts from being known as a successful, and masculine to becoming his worst fear of being associated with female traits.
The downfall Okonkwo experiences, such as losing his sons and pride, comes to a crashing end when he commits suicide. Okonkwo works hard, throughout the novel, so he would not become like his father, but ironically he ended up suffering the same fate as his father: dying shamefully. Unoka died without any titles and “heavily in debt” (8), bringing shame upon Okonkwo. Okonkwo dies by hanging himself from a tree behind his home. According to Obierika, “‘it is against [their village’s] custom for a man to take his own life…[Okonkwo’s] body is evil, and only strangers may touch it.’” (207) Obierika goes on to say, “‘That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog. . . .’” (208). Okonkwo shows his weakness by ending his life rather than continuing to fight for his village against the missionaries. The violence that Okonkwo uses as a tool for power, turns Okonkwo to become his worst fear of becoming weak as his father.
Achebe’s use of violence is effective in the development of Okonkwo. Early in the novel, the author uses Okonkwo’s violence to emphasize his drive to succeed and become prosperous, unlike his father. Violence is also a way for Okonkwo to control his family. However, Okonkwo’s violent actions lead him to the loss of a boy who he views as a son, his own son’s loyalty, and being banned from his own village. In the end, Okonkwo turns his violence on himself and commits suicide, where he is left to be buried like animal. The downfall of Okonkwo can be seen through the transition of consequences that follow Okonkwo’s brutality.
Ms. Clapp
AP Lit
21 August, 2008
The Meaning Behind Okonkwo’s Violence
Throughout Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, there is a constant element of violence that surrounds the main character, Okonkwo. He shows his aggressive behavior through his harsh discipline and abuse among is family. The violence that comes from Okonkwo eventually leads to his downfall and his own death, through suicide. Achebe uses Okonkwo’s violence to develop his character and to connect the beginning of the novel to the end. There is always a meaning behind Okonkwo’s threatening gestures and at times irrational actions.
Okonkwo’s violence originated from his fear of becoming a failure like his lazy father, Unoka, who died in debt and without a title to his name. Achebe explains Okonkwo’s hatred towards his father on page 13, “even as a little boy he had resented his father’s failure and weakness, and even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told that his father was agbala.” In Okonkwo’s village, Umuofia, the word for “woman”, agbala, is also used to describe men without titles. In order to dissociate himself from being feminine and weak, he uses brutality to show his manliness. On page 29 Achebe writes, “Okonkwo was provoked to justifiable anger by his youngest wife, who went to plait her hair at her friend’s house and did not return early enough to cook the afternoon meal. . .And when [Ojiugo] returned he beat her very heavily.” When Okonkwo’s wife fails to complete her duty, Okonkwo uses force to punish her. Since, women in Okonkwo’s village are treated as property, for a man to not have control of his wives shows that he is weak. Therefore, Okonkwo uses violence as a method of control and a scare tactic to keep his family in line. Achebe uses Okonkwo’s violence among his family as a symbol for masculinity.
One of the villager’s wife is killed by a man from another village, and the murderer’s 15 year old son, Ikemefuna, is taken captive as a punishment to his village and ends up killed by the hand of Okonkwo. Ikemefuna is forced to live in Okonkwo’s household, where he quickly bonds with the family. After three years of living with Okonkwo’s family, the elders of the nine villages of Umuofia decides that Ikemefuna must be killed, but Ezeudu state that since Ikemefuna is like family to Okonkwo, Okonkwo cannot take a part of Ikemefuna’s death. However, Okonkwo disregards their orders and “drew his machete and cut [Ikemefuna] down.”, because “he was afraid of being thought weak” (61). Okonkwo’s willingness to kill Ikemefuna, who is like a son to him, emphasizes his self-consciousness of appearing weak. Not only that, but Okonkwo’s violence also leads to the downfall of his relationship to his actual son, Nwoye. Nwoye views Ikemefuna as an older brother. Achebe writes, “Ikemefuna had an endless stock of folk tales. Even those which Nwoye knew already were told with a new freshness and the local flavor of a different clan.” (34) Nwoye is deeply impacted that his father killed Ikemefuna, and Achebe describes his feelings as “…something had given way inside him. It descended on him again, this feeling, when his father walked in, that night after killing Ikemefuna” (62). Previously, Nwoye would try his best to be strong, masculine son his father wanted, but he had interests that would not please his father, such as enjoying “the stories that his mother used to tell. . .But he knew [the stories] were for foolish women and children.” (53-54). However, Nwoye’s loyalty to his father ends as he feels betrayed by his father, to take away a brother so dear to him. After Ikemefuna’s death, Nwoye later on turns against his father by leaving him to join the newly settled missionaries. Achebe portrays Okonkwo as selfish; being prone to protect his image rather than restraining himself from killing basically a family member, and uses his violence as a symbol of betrayal to both Ikemefuna and Nwoye.
The fame and success, that Okonkwo worked hard to gain in his village, dissolves when he and his family are banned from his village. During a funeral for the oldest and respected man of the village, Ezeudu, “Okonkwo’s gun had exploded and a piece of iron had pierced [the son of the Ezeudu’s] heart.” (124) Since, Okonkwo did not intentionally kill the boy; his crime is seen as female. For a female crime, the punishment for killing a clansman in Umuofia is being banned for 7 years. As a result of being banned, Okonkwo and his family flee to his mother’s land. In Umuofia, Okonkwo “won fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages…was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife. To crown it all he had taken two titles and had shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars.” (8). As a result of Okonkwo’s violence, he becomes powerless in his village and helpless, like a child, in his mother’s village. Okonkwo shifts from being known as a successful, and masculine to becoming his worst fear of being associated with female traits.
The downfall Okonkwo experiences, such as losing his sons and pride, comes to a crashing end when he commits suicide. Okonkwo works hard, throughout the novel, so he would not become like his father, but ironically he ended up suffering the same fate as his father: dying shamefully. Unoka died without any titles and “heavily in debt” (8), bringing shame upon Okonkwo. Okonkwo dies by hanging himself from a tree behind his home. According to Obierika, “‘it is against [their village’s] custom for a man to take his own life…[Okonkwo’s] body is evil, and only strangers may touch it.’” (207) Obierika goes on to say, “‘That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog. . . .’” (208). Okonkwo shows his weakness by ending his life rather than continuing to fight for his village against the missionaries. The violence that Okonkwo uses as a tool for power, turns Okonkwo to become his worst fear of becoming weak as his father.
Achebe’s use of violence is effective in the development of Okonkwo. Early in the novel, the author uses Okonkwo’s violence to emphasize his drive to succeed and become prosperous, unlike his father. Violence is also a way for Okonkwo to control his family. However, Okonkwo’s violent actions lead him to the loss of a boy who he views as a son, his own son’s loyalty, and being banned from his own village. In the end, Okonkwo turns his violence on himself and commits suicide, where he is left to be buried like animal. The downfall of Okonkwo can be seen through the transition of consequences that follow Okonkwo’s brutality.
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