Ceremonies/Proverbs/Stories: -Nneka-“Mother is Supreme”…a man seeks refuge in his motherland when he is in trouble and life is bad. Whereas, when life is good, men belong to their fatherland. -When the white man arrived, they consulted the Oracle and he told them that the white men will bring destruction. Also, the Oracle tells the people to expect more white men. So the people kill the white man and tie his “iron horse” to the tree to prevent it from going back to tell the white man’s people. -Nwoye has been hanging around with the missionaries. We learn the story of his conversion. Nwoye finds comfort in the missionaries’ answers to his questions about Ikemefuna and the twins.
Within this section, the theme of change becomes ever present. With the missionaries converting many people to Christianity, there is this separation between those who want change and those who want to remain with tradition. For example, Nwoye converts because he finds comfort in knowing the answers to his questions. However, Okonkwo is worried about losing his status in society.
Change is the major motif of this section. That is why the juxtaposition of the old traditions, ceremonies, proverbs, and stories with the arrival of the white men with their different culture and views is so powerful. We immediately that there is going to be a huge shift in thsi section, first of all because it called for a division into Part II, and second of all becuase the end of Part I is marked by Okonkwo's expulsion from his village and home for 7 years (hmm 7 what a random number to throw into literature...). He is now living with his relatives. It is clear that from the beginninng Okonkwo has been set up as the only person who can take on the strange white missionaries, come to change their way of life. Thus Part II is a struggle, a push a pull, between the old ways, and the impending influx of change.
okkk i have no idea how to switch to my period's blog so sorry guys, youll just have to live with me.
tonight's reading truly brought out the colonialist/imperialist aspects of the novel, which we can now relate to HOD. the white missionaries coming into Okonkwo's motherland and attempting to establish a new religion reveals the christian influence on the native tribes. However, I still was unsure just how the narrator felt about these invaders. To some extent, which is manifested in Mr. Kiaga, the whites are completely harmless and tolerant, and are free to do what they believe. However, when Okonkwo loses his son to their religion, they suddenly become more intolerable, and eventually are banished from the clan when they hear that an "osu" has killed the sacred python. However, a true transition from the old world into the new world is really exemplified in Nwoye's converting to christianity. He was never comfortable in his father's disapproval of him because of their culture, so he decides to step out for his own benefits, which previously was unheard of. Part II really begins to show this effect of colonialism on the African tribes. However, the closing of the section, in which all the kins gather for Okonkwo's departing dinner, shows that the elders have not yet given up on their old ways and values.
I had to ask: is Achebe demonstrating Christianity to be bad or good?
When Christianity is viewd as dividing the tribal society and how it tries to destroy the order and traditional values they had established for such a long time it is destructive. But considering that the church accepts the osts (outcasts), saves innocent children, and provides true refugee for people like Nwoye the readers are also to think that Christianty brings about a good change to their society chained by the requirements of the gods and the traditions.
However, it is also ironic that while the missionaries are preaching people not to believe in false gods their mere presence and actions prove that the oracle is actually true. The oracle prophesizes that the white people will break their society. Also, I thought that the series of deaths of the heads of their tribes was a bad omen, a sign that the whites are coming. and also it proves that some of their supersitions are right.
Also, I noticed that in Part 2 there was significant decrease in the number of ceremonies iterated. After the Christians arrive there is only one farewell feast given by Okonkwo.
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Ceremonies/Proverbs/Stories:
-Nneka-“Mother is Supreme”…a man seeks refuge in his motherland when he is in trouble and life is bad. Whereas, when life is good, men belong to their fatherland.
-When the white man arrived, they consulted the Oracle and he told them that the white men will bring destruction. Also, the Oracle tells the people to expect more white men. So the people kill the white man and tie his “iron horse” to the tree to prevent it from going back to tell the white man’s people.
-Nwoye has been hanging around with the missionaries. We learn the story of his conversion. Nwoye finds comfort in the missionaries’ answers to his questions about Ikemefuna and the twins.
Within this section, the theme of change becomes ever present. With the missionaries converting many people to Christianity, there is this separation between those who want change and those who want to remain with tradition. For example, Nwoye converts because he finds comfort in knowing the answers to his questions. However, Okonkwo is worried about losing his status in society.
Change is the major motif of this section. That is why the juxtaposition of the old traditions, ceremonies, proverbs, and stories with the arrival of the white men with their different culture and views is so powerful. We immediately that there is going to be a huge shift in thsi section, first of all because it called for a division into Part II, and second of all becuase the end of Part I is marked by Okonkwo's expulsion from his village and home for 7 years (hmm 7 what a random number to throw into literature...). He is now living with his relatives. It is clear that from the beginninng Okonkwo has been set up as the only person who can take on the strange white missionaries, come to change their way of life. Thus Part II is a struggle, a push a pull, between the old ways, and the impending influx of change.
okkk i have no idea how to switch to my period's blog so sorry guys, youll just have to live with me.
tonight's reading truly brought out the colonialist/imperialist aspects of the novel, which we can now relate to HOD. the white missionaries coming into Okonkwo's motherland and attempting to establish a new religion reveals the christian influence on the native tribes. However, I still was unsure just how the narrator felt about these invaders. To some extent, which is manifested in Mr. Kiaga, the whites are completely harmless and tolerant, and are free to do what they believe. However, when Okonkwo loses his son to their religion, they suddenly become more intolerable, and eventually are banished from the clan when they hear that an "osu" has killed the sacred python. However, a true transition from the old world into the new world is really exemplified in Nwoye's converting to christianity. He was never comfortable in his father's disapproval of him because of their culture, so he decides to step out for his own benefits, which previously was unheard of. Part II really begins to show this effect of colonialism on the African tribes. However, the closing of the section, in which all the kins gather for Okonkwo's departing dinner, shows that the elders have not yet given up on their old ways and values.
I had to ask: is Achebe demonstrating Christianity to be bad or good?
When Christianity is viewd as dividing the tribal society and how it tries to destroy the order and traditional values they had established for such a long time it is destructive.
But considering that the church accepts the osts (outcasts), saves innocent children, and provides true refugee for people like Nwoye the readers are also to think that Christianty brings about a good change to their society chained by the requirements of the gods and the traditions.
However, it is also ironic that while the missionaries are preaching people not to believe in false gods their mere presence and actions prove that the oracle is actually true. The oracle prophesizes that the white people will break their society. Also, I thought that the series of deaths of the heads of their tribes was a bad omen, a sign that the whites are coming. and also it proves that some of their supersitions are right.
Also, I noticed that in Part 2 there was significant decrease in the number of ceremonies iterated. After the Christians arrive there is only one farewell feast given by Okonkwo.
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