Deception is Just as Bad as telling an Outright Lie

               I personally agree with this statement and the reason behind it is that sometimes there is not such a big difference between the way we would define deceiving someone or lying to someone. Deceiving would be considered convincing one of something that is not true, which is in the end lying, the only observable difference here being the premeditation or purpose behind a deceiving attempt. It is true that lying could have the same result overall yet it would lack the previously mentioned premeditation.

                Taking for example a documentary about the Invasion of Iraq in 2003, (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMsK4F5VOsE) we can notice examples of deception which was applied and lead to a result which was the same as if an outright lie was told. One of the aspects that stood out for me was the difference between American media and Al Jazeera, and especially their views. The senior producer of Al Jazeera, Samir Khader, mentioned that people should be informed of exactly what is happening, “there is a war around you, something is happening in the world; you’re still sleeping; wake up!”. During the interview at the Military Centre, the military mentioned how Saddam Hussein has supposedly threatened the Americans with weapons of mass destruction, statement which is later discarded by the military when more questions on the topic are asked by the interviewer, by saying “I misunderstood your question”. This signals the deception of people at the time. They were deceived into believing that Saddam Hussein was threatening the USA, which was the reason for the attacks. Linked to this comes also the transmissions in which Americans mentioned that the casualties were limited, yet it was in contradiction with the images published by Al Jazeera. Overall, the American media as stated by Samir Khader was promoting the idea of people from both the USA and Iraq being under threat. This could be developed into a perception of safety provided by the action of military forces in Iraq, again deceiving the Americans. Journalist for Al Jazeera, Hassan Ibrahim, mentioned that he had faith in the American public that they were going to understand what is going on and stop the war, yet as we can see, the deception here was something that was in the way of this happening, showing again how deception can be as bad as a lie.

Al Jazeera was also initially accused of being biased, showing only footage of American troops and not of Iraqi troops and their negative actions, yet in defense, Al Jazeera journalists mentioned that there is no one that has that kind of footage, showing that overall every media, including themselves, can be biased in what type of information they present and what they leave aside, and this contributes to the deception of the population.

Pastiche

http://reagancoalition.com/articles/2016/trump-releases-his-plan-for-2nd-amendment-leaves-millions-furious.html

Rationale:
This article shows bias towards the matter of gun control laws in America, overall highlighting the republican ideology supporting weapon carrying. The pastiche is re-written as to display a bias emphasizing a democrat ideology, opposing weapon carrying.  

 Pastiche:

Billionaire businessman and presidential candidate Donald Trump always speaks in vague generalities and does not offer specifics about where he stands on the issues.

There is however one exception and that is his stance on gun rights and the Second Amendment, as Trump just released his official policy position on his campaign website.

“The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon. Period,” the position paper began.Trump went on attempting to convince people of how the government should not be able to take away this right since it has not been created by the government in the first place and nor can it be taken away by it. Describing the Second Amendment as “America’s first freedom,” Trump, used the argument that it helps protect the entirety of rights we currently have.

Instead of adding new gun control laws, Trump proposed tougher enforcement of laws that are already on the books which are supposedly going to protect and defend that right.

Moreover, instead of reducing the probability of gun attacks taking place by limiting the access to guns, Trump relies on the reduction in these attacks by sentencing gun criminals to mandatory minimum five-year sentences in federal prison, noting that crime rates are supposedly going to fall dramatically when criminals are taken off the streets for lengthy periods of time.

Trump also proposed strengthening and expanding laws allowing law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves from criminals using their own guns, without fear of repercussion from the government.

Nevertheless, Trump blames the recent shootings on clear mental problems that should have been addressed, and proposes fixing our nation’s broken mental health system by increasing treatment opportunities for the non-violent mentally ill, but removing from the streets those people who pose a danger to themselves and others, overall refusing the idea of gun and magazine bans which are deemed by him as being ineffective.

Not only are these bans not going to be established but Trump proposed as well a national right to carry, a national concealed carry reciprocity law that would compel states to recognize the concealed carry permits of any other state, as if the right to carry a gun would be equal to the right of holding a driver’s license which would be accepted by all states.

"Daddy" IOC Practice

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxrQRPaIaVGlbnVOY0RNUk55MGM

Outline IOC Coriolanus

 

 

Context:

-          Passage selected from Act 1, Scene 3

-          Previous to the passage, Marcius is sent to war in Corioli where his victory brings him the name of Coriolanus. After the passage Coriolanus returns to Rome and he is suggested as consul.

 Overview and Structure:

-          The passage presents the conversation between Volumnia, Coriolanus’ mother and Virgilia, his wife after Coriolanus leaves for war.

-          The passage is organized in such a way so that it allows us to see the views and concerns of both characters, yet in much more detail for Volumnia rather than Virgilia.

 Purpose/Significance:

-          The significance of the passages is given by the dialogue itself because it allows for Volumnia to be indirectly characterized through her speech.

-          This also helps the readers understand Coriolanus’ attitude and beliefs, since he is so easily influenced by his mother.

-          The passage mostly builds up the plot of the play, foreshadowing the further misunderstandings between Coriolanus and the plebeians due to his attitude.

 

Approach: Sequentially

Outline IOC Runaway

Introduction:

The short story Runaway is part of Alice Munro’s collection “Runaway”, published in 2004. Throughout the passage we can identify the themes of human relationships and trust which are evidenced predominantly in Sylvia’s letter but also in Carla’s thoughts and feelings. This passage occurs shortly after Carla’s return from her attempt to run away and it consists of the letter Sylvia writes in order to apologize as well as Carla’s reaction to the letter. The importance of the passage comes mostly from the similarities that are created between Carla and her goat Flora in Munro’s attempt of sending a message to the audience about women in the society. ‘

Body Sequential:

Chunk #1: Sylvia’s letter

Ø  The first aspect that can be observed is the self-sufficient character that Munro creates with Sylvia. Through her repeated use of the pronoun “I” which shows the importance that Sylvia believes she has in Carla’s life (the only one able to help her), Munro adds to the theme of human relationships.

Ø  “You do not have to answer me”- this sentence shows the difficult relationship and tension between the two characters, Sylvia and Carla, Carla not wanting to talk to Sylvia who acknowledges and accepts it.

Ø  The fact that Munro refers to Sylvia as “Mrs. Jamieson” emphasizes again the distancing between the two characters at this point in the story.

Ø  “I am sure your husband has described it to you”. The fact that Sylvia describes the event after mentioning this sentence shows that she does not in fact believe that Clark told Carla about it. This adds up to the theme of trust in the passage.  In the same time it foreshadows a new internal conflict that will arise for Carla who will have to decide if she trusts Clark.

Ø  Lines 18, 19, 21 and 22 reveal the similarities between the character of Carla and Flora. Carla was “little” and “lost”, just an “ordinary girl” after all.

Ø  The return of Flora is connected to the return of Carla and they both caused similar effects in terms of relationships between the characters (improve the one between Carla and Clark)

Ø  Line 25 - Flora and Carla both had an impact on Sylvia’s life: Carla helped her after the death of her husband and Flora saved her during the conflict with Clark.

Chunk #2: Carla’s reaction

Ø  Lines 29-31 highlight again the conflict created by Munro between Carla and Sylvia. Carla wants to destroy the letter.

Ø  Line 36- tense atmosphere: The needle symbolizes Carla’s attempt to ignore the truth. She knows she can’t trust Clark that much after she read Sylvia’s letter, but she can’t risk destroying their relationship.

 

Conclusion:

Hence through all of these means, Munro develops the mentioned themes of human relationships and trust and describes the situation of the protagonist by depicting her both y through her actions and thoughts and through similarities with her goat Flora.

IOC Practice Family Furnishings

Hi,

For today’s blog, I have prepared a practice IOC based on the following passage of Alice Munro’s Family Furnishings (link at the bottom of the page):

Her dark hair was done up in rolls above her face and at the

sides, in the style of the time. Her skin was brownish-looking,

netted with fine wrinkles, and her mouth wide, the lower lip

rather thick, almost drooping, painted with a hearty lipstick that

left a smear on the teacup and water tumbler. When her mouth

was opened wide—as it nearly always was, talking or

laughing—you could see that some of her teeth had been pulled

at the back. Nobody could say that she was good-looking—any

woman over twenty-five seemed to me to have pretty well passed

beyond the possibility of being good-looking, anyway, to have

lost the right to be so, and perhaps even the desire—but she was

fervent and dashing. My father said thoughtfully that she had

zing.

 

Alfrida talked to my father about things that were happening

in the world, about politics. My father read the paper, he listened

to the radio, he had opinions about these things but rarely got a

chance to talk about them. The aunts’ husbands had opinions

too, but theirs were brief and unvaried and expressed an

everlasting distrust of all public figures and particularly all

foreigners, so that most of the time all that could be gotten out of

them were grunts of dismissal. My grandmother was deaf—

nobody could tell how much she knew or what she thought

about anything, and the aunts themselves seemed fairly proud of

how much they didn’t know or didn’t have to pay attention to.

My mother had been a schoolteacher, and she could readily have

pointed out all the countries of Europe on the map, but she saw

everything through a personal haze, with the British Empire and

the royal family looming large and everything else diminished,

thrown into a jumble-heap that was easy for her to disregard.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxrQRPaIaVGlbU5GeWdxVWd5Nk0

Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx

The song “Right Here Waiting” has been composed by artist and composer Richard Marx for his wife. Since at that moment they were not married yet and she was in South Africa, the two were not able to see each other for what seemed to be quite a long time. Richard Marx mentioned that the song was written in about 20 minutes and it was simply intended to be a “love letter” for his future wife and not intended to become public. Being a “love letter” it is expected that the song will transmit his powerful feelings of affection towards her and this can be noticed even from the first verses of the song. The fact that Marx says “I slowly go insane” and “I hear your voice on the line, but it doesn’t stop the pain” shows that the idea of being away from the love of his life is unbearable for him and that the only thing that would end his suffering would be her coming closer to him. His love is also noticeable when he mentions that “Whatever it takes/ Or how my heart breaks/ I will be right here waiting for you” showing that even if he suffers, he will always wait for her.

 

Oceans apart day after day
And I slowly go insane
I hear your voice on the line
But it doesn't stop the pain

If I see you next to never
How can we say forever

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

I took for granted, all the times
That I thought would last somehow
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears
But I can't get near you now

Oh, can't you see it baby
You've got me going crazy

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

I wonder how we can survive
This romance
But in the end if I'm with you
I'll take the chance

Oh, can't you see it baby
You've got me going crazy

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you
Waiting for you

 

Can Stories Educate You…Emotionally?

Hi,

          A story can sometimes develop more than simply your general knowledge. It can change the way you think, the way you interact with others and even the way you understand them, which in our days can be a useful skill in a great variety of occupations that humans have. 

In his essay, David Foster Wallace promotes a different type of perceiving the world, available to those who have learned how to think. His thesis is developed mostly around examples of situations which are most likely known to the audience. Such examples include the routine which sometimes appears in an individual’s life, or the feeling that sometimes everyone is simply in your way, a barrier between you and your goals. To be more specific, Wallace uses the example of a tired person, trying to buy everything that is needed from a crowded shop, instead of being where he wishes to be, at home, relaxing after a long day at work. Yet, in the end this feeling of frustration is diminished when the person decides to use his ability of switching from the automatic self-centered thinking  to conscious thinking and to sympathize with others and realize that they might just have an equally, if not much more stressful life.

This idea of “conscious thinking” being something that can be learned leads to the next idea which is the way in which literature can develop this type of thinking. Within literature, characters generally undergo different situations which make us as readers empathize with them, understand their feelings during moments of struggle or why not even glory. Observing the way characters interact is an important aspect since it can highlight the difference between what they believe and think of each other, and what actually does happen internally with each individual character. In other words, we are being given the chance to observe and understand the two (or more) different views of a situation, which is harder to do (yet not impossible) in real life. This is also what Wallace tries to explain within his speech, that thinking this way is difficult, yet it can be trained if one really wishes to.

Wallace’s theory about empathy being something that can be learned from literature is also applicable in what regards Alice Munro’s short stories. One example of short story could be “Free Radicals”. After the man who enters the woman’s house mentioned that he had killed his family, the first immediate reaction is to classify him as an ordinary murderer. However, his side of the story is also told, revealing his suffering as a kid, as well as the struggles he had faced because of his family, which for a brief moment could potentially cause the audience to empathize with him. This is an example of how knowing or thinking of a second version of a situation could influence your perception of it as a whole. Alice Munro’s short stories consist of many instances where characters interact and face their inner conflicts as well as external conflicts. These conflicts are some of the elements that allow the readers to empathize with the characters by offering the possibility of viewing a problem/situation from different angles.

Summer Blog Post 2

The last blog post has been dedicated to some thoughts about summer which for me has been great so far. However, I did mention briefly one of my main activities during this break and that was attending a flight school. As a result I decided to talk a bit more about this subject and share some of my thoughts and experiences in this school.

A big square room surrounded by the voice of the instructor. Bright sunlight falling through the window right on top of a book wide open on my desk. I look left, I look right, and I can only see three more students carefully writing their last notes given by our instructor. This is how we spent the first two weeks of school, reading, listening, and taking precious notes which were going to help us once in the aircraft. There was no surprise when one day, we came to class to find a pile of papers on our desks. These were out first tests. We pass these, and we get to fly. We pass these tests and we are one step closer to living our dream of flying in the wide, clear sky, just like birds.

The next week, we have been assigned an instructor and we were sent off to the airplanes. When I got in the plane I was overwhelmed by the number of buttons and displays which were going to become my best friends in flight. Fortunately, right next to the seat of the pilot there was one little pocket containing a checklist which is to be followed by each beginner pilot and even by experienced pilots, since forgetting is known to be a normal human behavior applying even to the most experienced. After the first checks are done, we are ready to ask permission to start the engine. The key turns, and the aircraft awakens with the roar of the engine. Few more checks and we are ready to go. After approval from the tower has been received, we check all the indicators one more time and we start rolling on the runway. I can now hear the engine becoming wilder as our speed increases. 30 knots, 45 knots, 65 knots. With a gentle pull the aircraft springs into the air. Once with the gain in altitude I feel lighter, as I leave all the problems and worries behind. In a matter of minutes I am 1000 feet away from them. Now I have to concentrate on flying; nothing else matters. In front of me I can see the horizon widening; I can see birds flying in the distance, a lonely boat slowly fighting its way through the sea’s waves. As I observe all of these with amazement and joy I listen carefully and follow the instructions of my instructor, teaching me the basics of flight along with the names of villages in the area. But, as I learned, time flies when you fly, and it is time to come back for landing. Yet, I am not unhappy as I will be back tomorrow for another flying lesson, but for now, I have to go back to the classroom and continue my studying.

Summer Blog Post 1

                 Summer: an endless time of relaxation, which only lasts 2 months. But these have never stopped anyone from having fun and enjoying the long awaited moments of recreation. Yet, as the saying goes, all good things come to an end, and as the last days of the break approach, there is one word which resonates throughout the whole being of a student. The “H” word (and I am not talking about the word “heat” which seemed to be the main theme of this beautiful story, the omnipresent element on every beach, on every landscape and on every sidewalk).

 

                However, for me summer is more than an opportunity to relax. It is an opportunity to learn new things, an opportunity to try to do what I have been unable to do during the year, an opportunity to spread my wings and fly wherever my thoughts take me. And when I say “fly” I don’t think of it only as an expression, since this summer I have started my journey towards becoming a pilot. Now, there are two options, dream big or dream bigger (no going home I’m afraid), sky is the limit, so I aim beyond that.

Practice IOC

Hi ,

For today's post I have attached the link for my practice IOC. The passage has been chosen from the play Coriolanus by William Shakespeare (Act 2, Scene 1, lines 1180-1220).

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7p_-PnuHcAJSkR6a0cwSmF6M3c

Personal History of an Author

The personal history of an author can have a significant influence on the way meaning is constructed in his/her writing. Comment on specific instances of such influence in Things Fall Apart

 

Thesis Statement:

The personal history of Chinua Achebe is a factor that plays an important role in the meaning of his novel Things Fall Apart, as the personal background of an author influences his or her perception of the world and consequently the indirect portrayal of the world through the means of character selection and plot development.

 Topic Sentence I:

Being raised in a family of converts, Achebe grew up surrounded by both the Christian and Igbo religions, acquiring precious knowledge that allows him to view the world from two different perspectives.

1)      The Igbo characters’ appreciation of the gods and the punishments for offending them (Author portrays the world through the eyes of the Igbo people)

2)      Presence of characters such as

-          Chielo, the Priestess of the Oracle, who has a high degree of appreciation and respect for the Igbo gods versus Okonkwo who is aware of the existence of gods yet does not seem to respect them as other members of the Igbo culture (keeps offending the Earth goddess through his actions)

-          Mr. Brown, the Christian missionary who respects the values and beliefs of the Igbo people and tries to convince them to embrace Christianity through kindness versus Reverent James Smith who does not appreciate the Igbo culture and forces people to convert to Christianity

(Author acknowledges the values and attitudes of both cultures as well as the existence of extremists who make an exception from the rule)   

Topic Sentence II:

Another important aspect is the historic context, Achebe’s childhood in a culture undergoing the process of colonization potentially influencing his perception of the world.

1)      Plot development – life of the Igbo people before and after the apparition of the first Christian missionary. (This reflects the author’s perception of the impact that colonization has on a culture and its members)                                                                       

2)      Characters such as Reverend James Smith and Mr. Brown reflect the importance of Hegemony in the process of colonization.

-Mr. Brown is more effective than Reverend James Smith in the attempt of gaining the trust of the Igbo people and convincing them to convert to Christianity.                                                                                                                                                                                

Topic Sentence III:

The influences of the cultural context in which the author was raised are also visible in the novel Things Fall Apart as Achebe portrays the Igbo culture in a way that makes it easier to accept and understand by the Western Culture.

-          Achebe grew surrounded by the Western Culture’s influences, gaining knowledge about the differences between this culture and the Igbo culture. These differences are taken into account when he portrays the Igbo culture.

a.       Out of the three wives of Okonkwo, only one is constantly mentioned in the novel as in the Western Culture (the audience) polygamy is uncommon.

b.      Same rule applies to the gods. Even though the Igbo people are polytheists the earth goddess Ani is mentioned most of the times as in the Western Culture, people are monotheists.

Gender Influences in Things Fall Apart - Essay Outline

With reference to Things Fall Apart, discuss how an understanding of gender influences how the text may be understood.

 

Thesis Statement:

Throughout the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe the concept of gender is explored through the eyes of the ancient Igbo culture, view which in the modern society can generate different responses from an unaccustomed Western audience.

 Topic sentence I:

As opposed to the modern Igbo culture, where the attitude towards women presented in the novel is not anymore applied yet it is accepted as a value of the past, members of a modern Western audience could consider the novel as being sexist and violent.

-          Members of the modern Igbo society accept the described attitude towards women and consider that if this would disappear from a novel such as Things Fall Apart, it would lack authenticity

-          Violent attitude of Okonkwo towards his wives

-          The use of the name Agbala or woman for a man with no titles reflects the lack of appreciation towards women as members of the Igbo culture with no titles. Only the first wife of a man was allowed to carry her husband’s titles.  

 Topic sentence II:

Western audiences might interpret Achebe’s novel not only as a representation of a misogynistic society, but also a society of anomalies where a man is allowed to “own” multiple wives who are considered solely means of boosting his social reputation.

-          Polygamy in the Igbo culture

-          Advantages and privileges of the first wife in front of the other wives

-           Representation of Okonkwo’s wives

 Topic sentence III:

Both the power and role of the women in the Igbo society portrayed by Achebe are greatly reduced and this is not only a deviation from the actual life of ancient Igbo women, but also a factor which could give birth to anger and frustration from the Western audience, accustomed to the gender equality mostly present in a modern society.

-          Igbo women and religion

-          Chielo, an exception from the rules

-          Role of women in the society as seen through the representation of Okonkwo’s wives’ activities.  

 

Okonkwo, a Tragic Hero

Hi

 

Today I will be discussing why Chinua Achebe considered using the tragic hero archetype in Okonkwo’s characterization.  

To begin, a tragic hero is the type of hero who faces a downfall, which is also the case of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart. One of the main reasons why Achebe chose to characterize Okonkwo this way could be to show what would happen when a person fails to maintain a balance in his or her life. According to the Igbo culture, people were expected to maintain a balance not only in their religious life, having a good relationship with the gods, but also in their social life, having good relationships with other members of the society. Okonkwo as opposed to other characters such as his friend Obierika is not a representative figure of the Igbo culture, being an extremist who does not try to achieve a balance in his life but to have a hyper masculine appearance, eliminating emotions, affection and compassion from his life.

Achebe might have tried as well to show that when one is living by one’s own rules, ignoring the cultural beliefs the consequences can be severe and even tragic. Some examples include Okonkwo being proud of his kills in war, drinking palm wine from his first human head, killing Ikemefuna and even beating his wife during the week of peace. It can be said about Okonkwo that he lives in his own world, a world of excessive masculinity, severity and violence. These, along with the previously mentioned deeds of Okonkwo are not part of the cultural beliefs of the Igbo people. In their culture, one would not brag about killing a person, neither about cutting one’s head off since all of these were considered terrible sins against the earth goddess. Same applies to violence during celebrations such as the week of peace.

                Okonkwo’s death in the end of Things Fall Apart emphasizes these two potential intentions as it could be considered the severe and tragic consequence of his extreme actions and behaviour. In conclusion, Achebe’s overall purpose in characterizing Okonkwo as a tragic hero was to offer the audience an example of negative behaviour along with its consequences since this generates a more powerful impact on the audience than a simple advice on how not to behave.

Guidebook

Getting the differences makes a difference

As a western person travelling to Igboland, it is important that you are aware of the differences that you will encounter between the western culture and Igbo culture. A good understanding of their customs could potentially prevent unnecessary troubles and would lead to the desired good diplomatic relationship. This guide will offer information about the key elements of the Igbo culture including the cultural differences and eventually offer suggestions for a good relationship with the Igbo people.

1)      Family life

In the Igbo culture, family is one of central elements of an individual’s life. It is considered one of the important steps that one has to make in order to improve his social image. One major difference between the western culture and the Igbo culture is the acceptance of polygamy. Men get married and work in order to increase the size of their households however if they are unable to do this the first wife can bring more wives in order to help. Yet, the first wife will always be the only one carrying the titles of her husband, this being only one of the privileges in front of the other wives. It is very important to consider however the freedom of the wives who can leave at any moment if they consider themselves mistreated.

2)      Religion

Religion, similar to family, has been important to Igbo people even from antiquity and presents another significant difference from the western culture. Igbo people believe in one Supreme Being named Chukwu; however they also believe in spirits which are generally representatives of the elements of nature such as rain, iron, the earth and many more. Igbo people approach these spirits in order to be given help in their lives. Sometimes, sacrifices are needed in order for the request to be accepted. Here is where the Oracles are being considered. Oracles play an important role in the relationship between the people and the spirits as they are the ones informing Igbo people whether a sacrifice is needed; Oracles also help them communicate with their deceased fathers in order to seek advice.

3)      Activities

Throughout their lives, Igbo people work hard in the attempt of obtaining wealth and titles that improve their social image. The most common activities are iron working and agriculture and they allow hard working individuals to obtain wealth and buy titles which are generally very expensive. The highest title one man can get is known as ozo which is considered by Igbo people the gift of immortality, which makes the owner a god in the eyes of other people. These ozo people are highly appreciated and respected by the others, the ozo title being extremely hard to attain. Yet, one man is not allowed to achieve a title which would make him equal or superior to his own father.

Apart from title earning, Igbo people are also members of different groups such as age groups, women’s associations, council of chiefs or council of elders. In age groups, people under 15 years old are being given easy tasks in the society such as bringing water from a stream. People between the age of 15 and 40 generally take part in wars and do jobs such as cutting trees and bushes before the planting season.

After the age of 40, they are in charge with judicial matters. These include decisions of war, punishment of offenders and so on. In women’s associations, members are taking care of the punishment of aggressive people as well as urging male Igbo to go to war. Councils of elders are in charge with hereditary matters, the biggest authority being the one of the eldest member. Yet all the decisions are being taken only with the approval of the entire group. Lastly, the chief’s council is composed of the people who achieved the ozo title and it represents the community in front of outsiders.

4)      Rules and beliefs

One of the first and most important rules is that no one has the right of killing another human being. This is however not a difference from our own culture. Even after wars, men have to go through rituals of purification. Homicide is generally punished by hanging the murderer since killing another human being is considered an offence towards the earth goddess Ani. So is the act of committing suicide, the person not being buried after death, but abandoned in the forest. This is also the fate of twins which are left by their parents in the forest. In some villages however only one of the twins killed.

 Respect the customs:

Customs are very important for Igbo people since they are offering guidelines for Igbo life. Offences and rule breaking can be severely punished. One of the most important aspects is that Igbo people prefer to be in balance with both the gods and the other members of their society. Therefore, people often make compromises in order to make sure that the members of a trade are both equal. This means both winning or both losing. Do not try to incline the balance towards yourself as they will not be happy with your actions. Another very important aspect is respect, especially for the elders and people with high titles, which has to be shown for a good relationship to be established. Do not try to convince them that their religion and their beliefs are false. Religion has been an important element in Igbo life even from antiquity, Igbo people having a very well developed explanation of how life on earth began. Moreover, Igbo people are willing to listen to people that listen back to them and respect their customs. As long as these rules and beliefs of the Igbo people are being respected and followed, a good diplomatic relationship should be easy to establish.

Most Meaningful Takeaway

Hi

In today’s post I will be discussing one of the ideas that have been mentioned during an interview of Chinua Achebe.

The author of “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua Achebe, mentions during one of his interviews from august 2 2000 that literature has great power consisting in the ability of making us “identify with situations and people far away”. The reason I found this idea interesting is because it highlights one of the things that literature can do.  Literature gives us a different perspective of the world, the perspective of a different culture through the eyes and mind of the author. In the very beginning of the interview, Chinua Achebe mentions that at the time he wrote the novel “Things Fall Apart”, “there was no African literature as we know it today”. Some of the questions that could be asked here is how did this situation change?  What made people be more opened in terms of accepting other pieces of literature from different cultures?

 Well, it is possible to say that humans are by nature inclined to have a need of understanding the world and more importantly to socialize and to find other people they can identify themselves with. Therefore through the means of literature, not only can an individual gain knowledge about different aspects of the world but he or she could be given a different version of the same story which has been previously learnt. Having more versions of a story allows us to analyse and draw conclusions for ourselves, not simply accepting a fact which is being given to us by other means. This is what could satisfy an individual’s need to understand the world. Furthermore, literature can offer insight into the lives of people from different places around the globe having also the advantage of being able to send in the same time the emotions and perspective of the author to the audience.  Having more information about a culture including the successes and struggles of its members could help one identify with them which is the first step in the process of socializing. In conclusion this could be both the answer to the questions above and the most meaningful takeaway for me from this interview. Literature is an element that helps shaping an individual and keeps the world improving. One has to understand this in order to continue developing and accepting new pieces of literature from different culture is one of the most important steps that have to be taken.  

We shall fight on the beaches

Hi

Today's post will be an analysis of Winston Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches" .

This text is a political speech by Winston Churchill from June 4^th 1940, right after the beginning of the Second World War in the dawn of the Battle of Britain. This can also be deduced from the text since Churchill is constantly referring to Germany, their opponent during the Battle of Britain, as a threat for England, a “menace of tyranny”. The identification of the text as a speech is based on the consistency of the text as it contains a powerful message that is being directly sent to an audience orally, with the aid of rhetorical devices and phrases with powerful meaning and impact on the audience. This analysis will look into the features of this speech along with the devices used by the author in order to effectively send the message to the audience.  

                  One of the most important features of a political speech is its audience since depending on the audience the content can be changed so that the purpose could be achieved. The main audience of this speech are people from Great Britain as the author focuses his ideas on the future actions of the country in what regards protecting it from the attacks of the Nazi oppressors as well as the future of the country itself after their success. The author mentions that “we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home” giving another reason to believe that the audience are people from England, since Winston Churchill, a British statesman, includes himself in the group of people he is talking to by mentioning the pronoun “we”. Therefore, we can deduce that the overall purpose of this political speech was to encourage people to fight for their country, be united in times of crisis and even more important to convince them of their power and ability to succeed.  The author uses repeatedly the pronouns “we” and “our” in order to achieve the goal of uniting people and bringing them closer to each other as well as building a stronger relationship between himself and the people. By mentioning all of the environments in which the British could fight and succeed - on seas, oceans, in the air, etc. - he also tries to achieve the previously mentioned purpose of convincing the British of how powerful they are and their good odds of winning.

                  The content of this speech also plays an important role in the ability of the author of reaching his goals and delivering the message effectively to his audience. The speech starts with Winston Churchill, the author, mentioning that he has “full confidence” in the ability of the British Empire of overcoming the current crisis consisting in the attacks of the Nazi. The allies of the country, the French Republic, are mentioned as well and they are described as ready for fight, ready to die to protect their “native soil”. Furthermore the author describes a variety of places, environments and conditions such as seas, oceans, air, beaches, France, where their people could be able to fight and still win. The speech ends with a brief description of what would happen in the eventuality of the British losing, however not much importance seems to be given to this situation or possibility. The main overall ideas would be that for the British Empire, the current threat from another nation represents only a challenge that could be overcome and that their power and ability to adapt to numerous battle conditions would be enough in order to eliminate this threat. This is what in the view of Winston Churchill should give everyone confidence and eliminate the idea of being defeated from the audience’s minds. Throughout the speech, we can identify the overarching themes as being the one of confidence, tyranny and power. Firstly, the theme of confidence is highlighted even from the beginning of the speech, when the audience is being encouraged to have confidence in their power to overcome the threat imposed by the oppressors of England. This is generated indirectly by Churchill who has “full confidence” and who could be using his authority, people themselves starting to feel confident if he declares himself confident as well. Secondly, the theme of tyranny is being developed constantly throughout the speech. Churchill describes the current threat coming from the Nazi as “the menace of tyranny” and continues to develop this image throughout the speech by using words such as “odious apparatus” and mentioning that many other “famous States have fallen” while fighting the Nazi. Lastly, the theme of power is omnipresent in the speech as were the previously described themes. The audience is constantly being encouraged using as predominant argument the power that England has in wars and the ability of adapting to any given situation. This is done through the previously mentioned enumeration of battlefield conditions such as seas, oceans and air.

                The overall tone that this speech is mostly informative, containing however hints of criticism while exposing specific ideas. The informative side of the speech is based on the attempt of Churchill of assuring people that “the best arrangements are made” and that this is also “the will of Parliament and the nation”. The atmosphere created by Churchill’s speech is stimulating, inducing hope and confidence to the audience since if an authority figure with high power in the state wishes to accomplish something, it is more likely for that to be done, but it also helps building up the mood of the speech which will be discussed later on. In this part, the priority and power of the nation which is composed of the people is being placed as an equal to the Parliament. As previously mentioned, the tone could be considered as well as being critical when the author mentions that the “old famous States” have fallen, meaning that they might not have done the best they could to overcome the “menace of tyranny”.  It is possible for the author to have been sarcastic and even a bit satirical when describing these nations as old and famous which would be in complete antithesis with their current status of defeated countries. The mood created by the speech is mostly a friendly and encouraging one. Starting from the use of the pronoun “we”, the author of the speech is placing the task of protecting the country in the hands of everyone, including himself, gaining more trust and appreciation from the others.  In other words, the task of defending the country is distributed among the people of the society, not only one specific group. The use of the pronoun “we” is also one of the elements giving the speech the friendly and encouraging mood, suggesting that no one is alone in this fight and that everyone will help everyone. As previously mentioned, the idea related to the authority of the people being equal to the one of the Parliament helps building up the mood as by doing so, people are encouraged to take action and they are more likely to do so if they know someone will listen to them.

                As in any other political speech, Churchill’s speech makes use of an abundance of stylistic and rhetoric devices as well as appeals in order to achieve his purpose. The speech makes use of ethos by mentioning even from the beginning the fact that Churchill has “full confidence” and continuing by using the Parliament that is a big authority symbol in the state. Pathos is used as well through the means of the pronouns “we” and “our” since they are creating a more friendly relationship between the author of the speech and the audience.  Also, a metaphor is being used in the beginning of the speech, Churchill associating the Nazi with a “storm of war” potentially because a storm can be very destructive, therefore trying to reinforce the vicious image of their enemy in the minds of British people. The anaphora “if necessary” is used as well, in order to make people understand that the best will be done in this situation, no matter what happens. Furthermore, Churchill uses antithesis in order to compare the British Empire with the other countries, England being pictured as a much more powerful country as they will not “flag or fail” by comparison to the others. In this part of the speech, a very clear distinction between ‘friends and foes’ is established by speaking about the Nazi as “the menace of tyranny” and describing the allies, the French Republic as a nation ready to “defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades” therefore creating another antithesis between these two nations. Lastly, one of the most powerful devices used in this speech, the anaphora, is used again through the repetition of the structure “we shall fight”. This structure is being used in front of successive phrases containing numerous situations in which the British could find themselves during a fight. By doing so, Churchill aims to convince the audience of their power and convince them to be united and fight for the cause. From the point of view of structure, we can notice that Churchill opens the speech with his own position in this situation, describing himself as highly confident and creating a general mind-set for everyone else. Next, he continues by describing all the reasons why he believes that the Nazi will not succeed in their attempt of conquering England and ends with a very brief description of the eventuality of England losing the fight. This tells us that little importance is given to this possibility.

                In conclusion, this speech of Winston Churchill from 1940 was a very efficient way of creating an optimistic view towards the outcome of the Second World War for the British people. It is important for such an image to be created in a situation as such since a positive attitude is more likely to lead towards a positive outcome of any given situation. All of this has been achieved through the use of the rhetoric and stylistic devices, as well as the appeals such as ethos and pathos which unified lead to a highly stimulating content, able to reach to the hearts and minds of the audience.