Things Fall Apart ; Analysis on Okonkwo

This analysis will attempt to explain how Okonkwo develops themes in the text as a tragic hero, such as culture vs. tradition and fate vs. free will. It will also tend to Achebe's reason of choosing a tragic hero for his protagonist in his colonial counter narrative, thus revealing the purpose of Okonkwo.

To understand how Okonkwo portrays the image of a tragic hero, one must first comprehend its characteristics. A tragic hero is a person of noble character and heroic qualities. He/she , are known to be the protagonist of the story ; commonly found in tragedies. They are fated to destruction and failure by supernatural forces, or God in some cases. However, the initial argument and very essence of a tragic hero is that each and every one of them commit some sort of mistake , perhaps making the wrong decisions, that leads them to their own downfall. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo very much reflects those qualities and actions. His reputation as a fierce  man who acts quickly and endures little  derives from his fear of failure and submission to weaknesses. His loss of high status in the Igbo tribe as well as his suicide both co-exist with Aristotles definition of a tragic hero.

Being recognized as the man who "had brought honour to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat" ; the warrior that never fell, as soon as his character is introduced, pre-defines his reputation which serves to define him. Being a hard worker in terms of growing food and families was highly respected in the Igbo culture , and a huge aspect and purpose of Okonkwos life. His success in growing prosperious farms and marrying several women with children rewards him with several titles and recognition which elevates him from amongst the other clansmen. Although on the surface, Okonwko appeared to be anything but fearful and insecure, it was his one flaw that was planted within the depths of his heart. To turn into a failure like his father, to have the mere resemblance of any of his characteristics which ranged from large amounts of debts to the lack of titles filled him with anguish. Okonkwo did not grow up with a stable father figure, thus eliminating the chances of him growing into someone who can interpret the idea of an honourable man correctly. Perhaps that was why he'd spread power and control , beat his wives and failed to show any major appreciation for anyone in particular. Any type of behaviour that wasnt familiar to him and didnt prove to be of any profit was immediately dismissed. His son, Nwoye suffered greatly under his fathers disappointment and anger towards him of being "degenerate and effeminate", meaning that he wasnt an honest, proper man in Okonkwos eyes. 

Later on when the british colonialists have reached his village and manage to convince people of their religion and lifestyles, Okonkwo feels attacked and alarmed as no one really seems to identify with his strong hatred towards them. He is not familiar with their mentality and therefore rejects it as anything he doesnt know, he fears. And fear is what he tries to avoid which is why he begins to hate the colonialists in every possible way and refuses to further inform himself about them, let alone live beside them in peace. His decision to do so leads him to face rejection of his prior clansmen. He is forced to back out of the situation as the majority did not feel the need to rebel. Okonkwo feels rather betrayed by his own people and doesnt recognize his own village anymore. He also refuses to acknowledge the fact that his very actions had led him to that position of vulnerability and loneliness. He feels misunderstood and as though all his hard work that he had invested in,  the majority of his life , had been down the drain. This chain of events lead to him hanging himself by a tree which serves as the final proof of his role as the tragic hero in Things Fall Apart.

Most meaningful take away

What was the most meaningful takeaway from today’s discussion relating to the cultural or literary context of Achebe’s work?

Yesterdays discussion proved to be very fruitful and interesting as I discovered a lot of additional opinions and information that I hadn't thought of before. The idea of how the western world (colonisers) may not identify with unfamiliar cultures and lifestyles, thus end up degrading them and misinterpreting them seemed to be the core. We also learned that throughout the media, there has been a lot of bias in terms of how the african nation is being represented. As they don't have access to the technology as much as the western world does, the success of Chinua Achebe's book did have a great impact on their reputation, especially the comprehension and appreciation of their culture. He stayed completely honest throughout the entire book , as he claims that knowing just one side of the story means you don't know the story at all. He managed to have other far away countries and cultures read his book and actually relate to it. This showed that the western population never really had the opportunity to view the africans as anything but needy and dependant as well as primitive. Achebe also stated that they were shown in this light to justify the concept of slavery and colonialism, the taking advantage of them and inflicting a new religion and lifestyle on them, as people were beginning to worry about the ethical considerations of those actions.

Paper one analysis- Political speech

Robert F. Kennedy

Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Visit the speech here 

• The video if preferred : (starts at 2:11) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT3Hp9kSrpA

Historic background

Martin Luther King was the leader of the civil rights movement in the 1950's and 1960's. He was admired for his courage to speak up , while risking his own life continuously. He inspired many people of both races, black and white, by his undying passion to obtain universal justice and equality. One can establish that he was regarded as a highly prominent political leader, whose words and actions were taken as valuable advice. He received the Nobel Peace Price in 1964 , marking him as one of the most acknowledged peacemakers in US history.

One evening in the spring of 1968, Martin stepped out into his balcony and received a fatal shot. An hour later he was declared dead. He had been in Memphis, Tennessee , where he planned to march with the cities black sanitation workers on a strike for increased job safety, improved wages and benefits and union recognition.

Robert F. Kennedy held a speech in honour of Martin Luther kings assassination, delivered on the 4th of April 1968, Indianapolis. The political speech served to educate his people of the very recent tragedy and to persuade them to act on it in a more sophisticated way, utilising the rethoric devices of logos, pathos and ethos. It is important to note that he not only addressed the heavily affected black's of the audience, but literally everyone else , as he says:"I have some very sad news for all of you, and, I think, sad news for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world". Kennedy specifically included everyone into the tragic event in order to emphasise his sympathy towards the black nation and steer their attention into the direction of peace and union, knowing that they were not grieving alone. 

He then praises Martin L. king for his dedication in the name of justice and reminds them how he died for that very cause. This may not take away the resentment of his people but it did elevate their sense of pride, as their hero died as a leader and not a follower, as someone innocent striving for peace and not for committing a crime. The issue with his death was the irony of his crime , which was the skin colour that he wore and the power he possessed over a large number of people with only the best intentions for them. 

Kennedy provides his black audience with the option :"For those of you who are black -- considering the evidence evidently is that there were white people who were responsible -- you can be filled with bitterness, and with hatred, and a desire for revenge."  

He admits to his own race being responsible for Martins death as the person who shot him clearly had many supporters of the white race , thus setting the image of understanding and regret ; perhaps shame. By allowing the black nation to openly feel and act on all those negative emotions :"We can move in that direction as a country, in greater polarisation -- black people amongst blacks, and white amongst whites, filled with hatred toward one another." - this  may lead to many more conflicts, worsening the situation. Yet, he gives them the freedom to replicate the way they'd been treated by the majority of the white nation.

However he quickly notes the consequences that their actions would lead to, striving for the better option. As he says: "Or we can make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand, and to comprehend, and replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand, compassion, and love."

Although the action that had been inflicted on Martin L. King was anything but compassionate , the reaction of his very people would mirror his success or failure in leading the civil rights movement. At that point , Martin's people are faced with the ultimatum of acting on their impulse of protests with no intention of peace, with war that would destroy the very cause Martin lived for, or to handle the situation similarly the way he would've handled it. With peace. This sets the mood of suspense for the rest of the speech as the audience is now fully involved , thus hooked.

By portraying how Martin L. King would choose to be the one to make the sophisticated decisions that would result in a more prosperous ending , Kennedy promotes the idea of peace through him. In another sense he challenges the people's sense of loyalty by implying that they are now fully responsible for their actions and no longer have a leader, meaning that their true colours would shine through, in terms of intentions. Clearly, they now represented him and since Kennedy has made it clear how Martin would act on such a crime, his use of Pathos (The idea of showing peace through Martin) and Logos (The correct assumption of Martins reaction) worked effectively. 

After the subtle order of handling the murder and injustice with peace , he incorporates a personal event in order to reach out to his audience and perhaps soothe them through his own pain , when he says: "I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man." He means to convey the message of understanding and agreement, but also the idea that no race can be generalised , as jealousy and hatred transgress the boundaries of race, and the action of an individual of a race cannot be theorised onto the rest of that particular race.

He mentions a poem whose meaning he values and it states that even though one may be in despair and convinced of their right to those emotions, Gods wisdom seeps through and , against their will, becomes the right thing to do. Here he uses Ethos to make an impression on the religious majority of his audience by linking it to how they may deal with their leaders assassination. 

Looking into the figures of speech, when Kennedy says, as a comment on the poem , :" What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom."  One can identify his use of Anaphora and Climax, where he repeats the word "United States" for every sentence, in order to dramatise the connection between every individual and their country, and build up the tension of the sentence to finalise it with the powerful words of "love and wisdom." 

He then proceeds to deliver his final plea of peacefulness and understanding, asking everyone to go home - instead of forming a riot on the streets - to pray for Martin Luther King - as opposed to praying for the white folks suffering. 

He tries to persuade his audience that there will always be conflicts and problems, hatred and war , but the fate of a country lies in the hands of its very people. Kennedy attempted to convey the idea of independence and importance of unity and mutual support in order to succeed. 

Through Kennedy's speech one has seen the strategies in which he carefully steers his audience in the direction that would cause the least trouble. The idea that one forms is that although Martin was no longer amongst his supporters, that didn't mean his hard earned work should have to go down the drain. Instead, the nation should use his death as a way to strengthen the bond amongst each other and carry on his dream of justice and racial equality. That is the initial message of Robert F. Kennedy. 

THE TEMPEST PRACTICE IOC

go on this link: https://soundcloud.com/amina-menace-mais-thaher/shakespeare-the-tempest

The relationship between language and power.

• The task is to analyze a quote or certain concept in one of the texts that were given to read. 
• What really stuck with me was The Woman Warrior. 

The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghost 

As the memoir unfolds, Maxine uses a very exquisite and exact way to express herself, the words flowing along delicately. Although this may not directly relate to what is being asked to analyze, nevertheless, it very much influenced the way in which I perceived her story, and further instigated the content of what she wrote. 

The memoir focuses on her school experience in America, in comparison to her Chinese school experience. She views American school, as she names it, as a rather miserable place for her, filled with endless silence. 

The reason for that was her inability to communicate using the english language, as she described it as weak and limping, a frightened deer , ready to run off at any moment of possible danger. The power of language is exemplified by her experience in American school as it completely changes her as an individual. Eventhough she is unskilled in expressing herself to her full advantage in the english language, she still is a fully capable person. However, the teachers and classmates are not aware of her and her feelings as she and other chinese girls are mostly quiet and shy ; they go unnoticed. One can see how language can have a very dramatic effect, altering them as a person as well as how people with a different language and culture perceive them to be, which is often as primitive and lower class. Maxine wasnt familiar or prepared for the cultural differences that involve language, which she had to face, and it did have a negative and lasting effect on her in terms of how she views americans and their language. This is linked to the chinese being considered subaltern as theyre forced to learn the english language in order to effectively communicate. 

Chinese school seemed like a different world, all in all. She noticed how her peers would morph back into their old, daring selves, talking back to teachers and running around recess having fistfights. She appears to be more of an observant person that prefers to stay in the shadows , regardless of language. It is very clear, however, that she identifies China school as a much loser and free-spirited place, where everyone spoke loudly, proudly and confidently in their mothertongue and felt safe. Their language is no longer a barrier between people, but rather an opportunity for them to unite. They could finally step out of their 'foreign kids shell' and embrace their true selves.

So through the two schools, very different environments have been established, although the initial idea (education) is identical. Language plays a deciding role in how people chose to express themselves, or rather, are forced to. In order to survive in America, Maxine must learn the english language. From several implications in the text one can assume that her parents are immigrants, thus having come to america for a better and more prosperous future. This in turn reflects on the power of the english language, and how it reaches over remote places, exerting its power. 

Linguistic Imperialism

• Where do we see evidence of linguistic imperialism in the Anglophone world?

Liniguistic imperialism is defined as the infliction of a dominant language on speakers of a divergent language. One can assume that by doing so, the superior language actively promotes its power over the language that has been invaded.
The english language, for one, is described to be the most prominent example of linguistic imperialism, which can be backed up historically , where one can examine the effects of the english language taking over and thus eradicating entire cultures.
Linguistic Imperialism can be linked to a variety of sources, the following being the media which includes social networks and international news, education, colonalization and power which is exemplified through financial , economical and political aspects. 
English linguistic imperialism is perhaps the most common case around the globe and can be identified in Pakistan. 
Pakistan is a culturally wealthy country that consists of 6 major and over 57 smaller languages. Unfortunately all of those languages are dying out rather quickly (apart from punjabi), as the authoritative positions such as the government, media, education and corporate sector ( The part of the countries economic activity that works privately) - are all superior influences that eject power and control throughout the country, with different outlooks.
Their two main languages are Urdu and English, not surprisingly. Urdu is its national language and yet has plummetted to become 7.56 percent of the nations spoken language. This policy has resulted in the english language morphing into one of sophistication and supremacy. What strikes one as rather despondent is the fact that all the smaller "insignificant" languages have now become a symbol for lower status, being primitive and most drastically shame. Why have shame in your identity that has grown and blossomed over decades, just like its carriers, why neglect a very relevant part of your self? And most particularly why enforce its elimination? 
Empowerment. Pakistan's aim is to modernize its population in terms of scientific and technological knolwedge and this incorporates the usage of the english language as they are then directly connected to to the outer populations of their country and thus empowered the state. The reality of this situation is that in order to be efficient and sucessful, pakistan has replaced english as their main language in the name of the futherment of their nation, economically and financially. Wether those choices, and to what extent they are being carried out , are worthy of support is debatable. However, to me, they have clearly crossed a line by attacking the countries very heart and soul.

PAPER 1 ANALYSIS - Oxfam ; Food Crisis In Sahel

The article, "Food Crisis in Sahel" stems from the website "Oxfam",  which is an international association of 17 organizations joining forces in more than 90 countries. As commonly seen, the article commences introductively, briefly summarizing the article.  The institution presents itself as an ambitious hardworking team that "works to find practical and innovative ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty and thrive." They claim to "save lives and help re-build livelihoods when crisis strikes." This information will be relevant throughout this analysis, as upon reading the article one recognizes a distinct pattern of laying out the present obstacles and providing constant applicable solutions in relation to Oxfams qualification to do so. 

The target audience of "Food Crisis In Sahel" pertains to the western population , as suggested by evidence within the article wherein the author avoids personal reference of the affected places in need. Additionally there are no personal pronouns such as "We" or "Us" in relation to the affected countries mentioned. The purpose of this article serves to persuade, rather than to educate which is the initial interpretation after a quick skim over the text. However after repeated inquiry, the utmost part of the article centralizes its attention around the Oxfam charity and propagandizes its audience into supporting the charity. The tactic of exposing a conflict and granting a solution is the key usage of this article to galvanize the audience ; to stimulate a response. The first part of the article is based on factual information (logos) of the conflict which is concerned with prior mistakes of not acting on the problem on time, as well as an immediate suggestive solution: "By investing now in earlier and more cost-effective actions, vulnerable populations can be protected from the worst impacts of the coming crisis at a much lower cost than if we waited."  Not only does it soothe the reader into thinking that everything is organized effectively ; the audience would feel more willing to co-operate and contribute financially , now that low costs are being mentioned. How low the costs are and how much less effort this event really requires , however, wasnt specified upon. In pursuit, "What Oxfam is doing" adopts the focal point of the article by listing all the work that they're gearing up to complete in detail and how that would aid those people in need. Anew , the audience's attention is jerked back into how Oxfam has the answer to all the problems displayed, while cunningly weaving in large numbers and including the consequences of their absence.

Moving on to Content and Theme, the article commences with facts and events that discuss the underlying causes of the crisis in Sahel. How the region of west and central africa appears to be dealing with a persistant issue of starvation that would cost a lot of lives , mentioning how it affected ten million people in 2010. As revealed prior, it provides a solution that is , not surprisingly, directly connected to Oxfams charity event. The next slice of the article specializes itself on the current situation in Sahel, including a variety of factual information that keeps track of how the economy has drastically altered in a five year time frame, as well as who is directly affected by the food crisis. The rest of the article continually talks in the future tense of what activities they are planning to carry out , while in comparison only having started a minority of them, such as pumping water with 1,300 women or sanitation programs. This evokes skepticism , as for an institution with such high aspirations, they have little to show for it. 
The Theme of this article closely resembles the one of pretentious exigency. Right at the beginning the reader is bombared with urgent , stress arousing sentences or words, such as "should not", "likely to face a serious food crisis", or "needs to also tackle". Later on the use of effective words that strike the reader with the urge to aid them is exemplified, such as "serious problems", "dangerously low", "immediately". The reason for chosing "pretentious" to add to the theme of exigency is that Oxfam appears to merely provide factual information , conflict and answers but lacks in having carried out any of the big plans that they so promptly and explicitly shared. 

The tone of the article illustrates the image of hard labour. Its story is decorated with a picture of people from Africa , riding on extremely overloaded donkeys, which further supports the tone. The eye catching headline of the article is a line quoted from the text, and aims to summarize the entire point of the article and engage the reader, by using stress induced words to make them feel obligated to participate. "The humanitarian response must tackle the underlying causes of crises like this to prevent them recurring." Effective word choice has been utilized, such as "humanitarian" which stands for a persons concern with, or seeking human welfare. Automatically one feels the need to be included. The fact that one could prevent the food crisis from recurring, as quoted, motivates the reader to be a part of preventing the vulnerable from going through that again. Conclusively, the headline sets the tone for the article. 
The way the article is structured,  strongly suggests its confidence and assurance in carrying out each and everyone of the tasks aimed for. This defines the mood of the text, in which the readers will have the expected impression of determination. Some intriguing sentences were: "Oxfam started to work closely with some of the poorest families mainly around the Gorgol and Brakhna regions and will be reaching 70,000 people this year." ,
 "vulnerable populations can be protected".  The underlined words are what set the line for Oxfam being able and willing to fill out those tasks with confidence. This creates a sense of security , which is needed in order to convince their audience of their capability, which in turn benefits them as they now have a supportive audience. 

A rarity in many articles, but very strongly implemented in this one, Ethos, Pathos and Logos are all used to their full extent. 
Ethos is known to be the credibility that defines the eloquence of a character and is used to persuade with morals, their reputation and beliefs. This is exemplified in the article by using words such as "Vulnerable population", "Humanitarian aid", "break the hunger cycle", "protect people", "children die from malnutrition". They all evoke beliefs on what is right and wrong , and honesty with ones self from the audience, as well as trust in Oxfam. The reader will feel capable of altering the food crisis in some way, inspired by the urgency of the text.
Oxfam attempts to make the reader feel personally responsible for the Food crisis, and uses structured sentences according to that. As an outcome, the first thing an active reader would do , is to search for a path to help in some way and Oxfam constantly reminding the reader of their purpose, would seem like the perfect and most effective choice to make. Using sentences such as : "While an early response to the coming crisis is crucial to protect people in 2012"- primarily getting their idea across using ethos, - " Oxfam has warned that preventing future crises would require action to address the root causes", - hence calling for action, as in help from the audience, once again bettering their image. -"In Burkina Faso, Oxfam is aiming to help 100,000 people access food, with cash for work activities, animal health and food programs for pastoralists communities, and assistance to refugees from Mali" This sentence has a lot of ethos in it ,which attacks the readers sense of morale by referring to how Oxfam is contributiong to this issue, which in turn might inflame guilt or a sense of responsiblity to do similar in the audience. 
Pathos is a way to appeal to emotions by bringing out happiness or disdain in the reader. The second part of the article, "The situation in Sahel" and the last part of the article, "What Oxfam is doing"  both include Pathos. In the second article, pathos and Logos ( The logic, facts , evidence and statements of a text) are effectively combined. By mentioning factual statements on what caused the food crisis, and precisely how that affects its population , there is a higher chance of appealing to the readers feelings , simultaneously assuring them that there is no exageration of any sorts involved. "Low rainfalls and water levels , poor harvests and lack of pasture , high food prices and a drop in remittances from migrants are all causing serious problems." Here one can identify the facts and effects of the food crisis.  There is also talk about the production of certain foods having lessened, but prices risen in order to gain as much profit as possible, with the lack of supply. There are numbers of people from different parts of Africa and their rate of vulnerability being illustrated by those high numbers is yet another strategy of pathos in the text. For Logos, there are actual set numbers, estimations and locations as well as dates being mentioned which rounds up the article and consoles critical viewers that might question the legitimacy or authority of this article . It gives off the image that activities are being as good as fulfilled, since they've got it all mapped out. However, upon closer inspection one must notice the fact that, not once has the article stated a direct path for the audience to help those people in need. They are simply stating what is required to do in order to prevent the food crisis, but nowhere do they ask fo direct help or contribution. Yet, it is insinuated throughout the article, which gives the reader a chance to make a personal decision of wether they would help out or not. This is done unconcsiously, however , and enables the audience to feel like it is their own trail of thought, with the planned solution from Oxfam merely being a suggestion rather than a  manipulated choice.

Nothing in the structure of this article stands out particularly or seems to have been planned out rigorously , though there are a few slight indications of hindsight thoughts. The picture at the top of the page suggests the effectiveness of the title and what the article is about as well as illustrating the text and giving visual thinkers more clarity and a feeling of engagement. A woman, looking strained is portrayed , riding on an overloaded donkey in a deserted area. Her and the people behind and around her all appear to be traveling somewhere, suggestively to a more fruitful location. This picture is relevant as it gives the article the needed profile to underline what the article says. As mentioned earlier, the quoted headline of the article serves to catch the readers attention and address them. Titles are given for certain sections of the article, labeling what the coming text is about and immeditetly informing the reader. 

"Food Crisis in Sahel"(2011) has been analyzed from Oxfams website. Conclusively, Oxfam skillfully camouflaged their article into one of utmost urgency , with scholastic material, when in reality it superintended and manipulated the audience in order to receive supportive feedback. As the entire website engages in wordly political and environmental conflicts, the audience already has the intention to be an active member of society, therefore not a lot of strategy is required to persuade. We have now established a final analysis of this article and Oxfams website and its use of advertising techniques, ethos, pathos, logos as well as the conflict- solution technique.

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