Monday, March 21, 2011
TFA Threaded Discussion: Savannah, Dan, Eli
Select and cite one criticial quotation or passage from Things Fall Apart. Next, respond to your peers (identify whose passage you are responding to) with insight regarding why each passage is critical. Once everyone has responded to your passage, you have the last word; add an additional comment stating why you chose the quotation you did. We'll review some in class.
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"Do not despair. I know you will not despair. You have a manly and a proud feart. Aproud heart can survive a general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride. It is more difficult and more bitter when a man fails alone." (p24-25)
ReplyDeleteIN RESPONSE TO SAVANNAH
ReplyDeleteThis passage is critical to the overall view of the book because it foreshadows Okonkwo's final act of "pride" toward his tribe. When he slays the messenger this is the last gasp of pride leaving him. As soon as he realizes he is alone in this act Okonkwo can not take it and he kills himself... Just like the proverb foreshadowed.
"There is no story that is not true", said Uchenda. "The world has no end, and what is good in one among one people is an abomination with others." (pg 141)
ReplyDeleteIn respond to Danny
ReplyDeleteThis quote has a clear connection with the work as a whole because it foreshadows one of the central themes of novel. The parable means that the world does not have one set way, it contains an abundance of uknown ways wich different people practice and many of these ways may be accepted by one group of people and then totally unheard of and unexceptable to another.Yet no one on this earth actually knows all the ways that are good. This fopreshadows the coming of the white man and the meaning ties in to the theme that people should not judge one way when there are so many ways that are not known or understood, like how the novel portrays the white man as a supremist who pushes his ways on the Igbo people, never taking in to consideration that his way is not the set right way or the only way.
“Does the white man understand our custom about land?” “How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad. How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”
ReplyDeleteThats page 176 in my book, chapter 20.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Savannah:
ReplyDeleteI think it is the fear of failing alone, to be judged and found wanting that spurs Okonkwo in his last desperate act, that he might be, later, alone against the white man without his tribe. He makes his heart proud, and kill himself so he is not alone.
In response to Dan:
ReplyDeleteIt clearly addresses meaning of the work but I interpreted it to mean more that there is a grain of truth in all stories and wisdom to be gleaned from them. Uchenda is a voice of reason to Okonkwo and to the reader; he is telling Okonkwo to discount nothing as falsehood because of its improbability but to take what learning he can from it. This is another meaning that can be taken from this passage, that all situations-like the one in the novel-are potential reality and should be studied.
In response to eli:
ReplyDeletethis passage is critical to the book because it places the book in a specific time period. It also list characteristics that happened not only in Africa but all around the world in european conquests. First cam missionaries, then came soldiers, the the "white man" takes total control. Such as what happened in Nigeria. This passage also shows Okonkwos route to the end of things, all resulting in his suicide.
In response to mine own:
ReplyDeleteBoth of your responses combined what i was going to say. THis passage reflects the book because not only are things considered differently in different regions of the world but it also shows how Okonkwo needs to learn that every story has something worthwhile to take out of it
in response to Eli
ReplyDeleteThis quote is important to the book because it points out a main point, which is the white man came and tried to force his customs upon the Igbo.The passage does this while promoting the theme that silence is power, as they were clever coming quietly.It also points out that as they are seperated, the clan is falling apart, they no longer can fight seperately because if one tries to fight by himself he will be forced to face failure.
In response to my own, (hah and its supposed to be heart...not feart:P)
ReplyDeleteYou guys took my thoughts right out of my head.I feel like it definitely foreshadowed Okonkwos failure because as soon as i read that i knew something would happen and he would end up alone because of how the word alone was italicized.It talks about how he had a proud heart, which he does, and through out the whole novel, we see this; but his small failures do not bring him to his end because he still holds on to that pride due to having others, like when he is exiled. His end is a result of the bitter realization that he is alone in wanting to fight the white mans way.
The quote definitely stresses meaning of the work of the whole addresses unity and the ties that bind the clan together. Also, it can be interpreted to mean an individual as well as the clan. A person, like Okonkwo must thoughts can come seemingly peacefully but tears him apart. Okonkwo's pride and drive to succeed serve him well initially but in the end make his downfall.
ReplyDelete