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.