The Crucible
I actually wasn’t aware that The Crucible had anything to do with the cold war, but that comparison really made me appreciate the play more. The story becomes richer when you think of it as just an earlier example of the human potential for mass hysteria, which was also present in Miller’s time. The cultural […]
Still Falling Apart
While reading the Crucible, I was reminded of the scene where Ezinma leads folks to her iyi-uwa (a stone that the ogbanje used as a link between worlds so they could “die and return again to torment [their] mother[s]” (Achebe 81)). Since my belief system does not involve ogbanje, I felt while reading that Ezinma was leading her parents and the medicine man on. Just as the people in the Crucible bowed to external pressures when confessing and convicting others, Ezinma leads them to her iyi-uwa and admits to being an ogbanje only because that is…read more
Names in “The Crucible”
The first time I read The Crucible in grade 12, I picked up on a quote by John Proctor near the end of the play: Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the […]
When the feeling’s gone and you can’t go on it’s…
Tragedy to me has always involved strong feelings of catharsis with a climactic final scene featuring a lot of death. Therefore the Salem witch trials are perfect for this. The only problem is witches seem a lot less fun, so now my childhood is r…
Misogyny in Things Fall Apart is not too different from Conrad and Racism
It is difficult to read Things Fall Apart without being very disgusted with the gender roles and the attitudes towards women in Umuofia. Okwonko’s treatment of his wives as lesser, weaker, stupid beings is unacceptable. His behaviour is very reminiscent of Blanca’s abusive husband in Until the Dawn’s Light. Coming to terms with the misogyny […]
The Palm Oil
I was thinking about the richness of proverbs. “The palm oil with which words are eaten” certainly sounds delicious. There is something not very European or at least not very anglo about this notions. Should language be simple and direct, perhaps more efficient? Or should it be more decorated and fruitful. Certain people would prefer […]
Masculinity in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
Wow, this book is hard to understand. I mean, it’s wonderful to read and imaginative like an old folk story, but when I look back on what I’ve read, it’s insanely complicated. One of the main things I wanted to explore in this blog post was the different representations of gender roles in the novel, […]
Ibo Word of the Day: iyi-uwa
Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is a novel in which the author writes about his own people to us. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Things Fall Apart and learning about the stories, customs and people of Nigeria. I found it interesting, as mentioned in lecture, that by the end of the novel the narrative voice suddenly transitions […]
Things Fall Apart and Masculinity
When reading this novel one of the first things that really stuck me was the blatant integration of gender roles into the Igbo culture. Whether it’s the crops specific to each gender (coco-yams, beans and cassava vs. yams), or even the characterization of varying crimes, essentially all aspects of daily life are gendered. Additionally, sexist […]
Essay Reflections Pt. 2
I’ve been pretty glad with how my essays have gone so far this term, especially with my average mark going up by about 5%. My essays are a lot less cluttered and with stronger overall themes. Usually now I write down a lot of quotes from the book …