Post a thoughtful and considered response to the following (you may also comment on another post for EC by clicking the "reply" button.
From the "Culture" worksheet you made notes about FIVE aspects of life and how yours are different from Okonkwo and his extended family.
In a clear, well written paragraph explain what five features of the lifestyle described in the novel are different from your own. If you don't have the handout, the list is below.
● Tradition: how important is tradition in the way you live your life and how important is an understanding of the traditions you live in, compared with what is presented in Okonkwo’s lifestyle?
● Respect: for family, chi (personal god), community, friends and enemies.
● Personal goals and ambitions: write down three of yours and three of Okonkwo’s.What are the differences?
● Relationships: between men and women, adults and children, friends and enemies, black and white.
Tradition, respect, personal goals and ambitions, relationships, and the role of women are five features of the lifestyle described in this novel that are different from my own. My traditional lifestyle is to not judge past generation's achievements without taking account that they had many limitations and circumstances resulting in them not reaching their maximum potential. My respect for others who are wiser and older or have a stronger academic background than me (especially my parents for the many sacrifices they've made for me) is strong and is more important to me than any other personal god that Okonkwo had. My personal goals are different to those of Okonkwo because I do not blame others for not being successful. I am the only person responsible for achieving my highest potential and I not only want to make my family proud, but most importantly self-validate my willingness, discipline, effort, and perseverance. My relationships with men and women are polar complete opposites of Okonkwo's narrow minded opinion of treating women like animals and servants. Unfortunately, women in other parts of the world are still restricted from having freedom to be independent and are seen as the inferior gender. Most of the time women are smarter and hard workers than men and as a woman I see myself as strong and capable as everybody else. Everyone should be equal no matter what.
ReplyDeleteIn my family,we are actually quite traditional. For a while my father wanted me to be a soccer player and when I told him I didn't really like it, he was quite shocked. Everyone in my family had played soccer for at least 10 years or they were an actual soccer referee. He always wanted a son who could play soccer and when I couldn't fulfill his dream he became disappointed. But unlike Onkonkwo's situation my parents understood and accepted my desire to not play soccer.He didn't force me to play it, instead he let me discover my other talents. Despite this , I still stay very intact with my Latin roots, so even though I'm not a typical soccer playing Mexican, I still am Mexican.
DeleteMy family and Onkonkwo's family are very similar to eachother, respect-wise. In my family,if someone doesn't like someone else's kids they will usually gossip about them. Also if someone is considered a failure then they will be shunned like Onkonkwo's family did to Unoka.
Onkonkwo and my goals are completely different. Unlike Onkonkwo I actually have want to impress my father rather than to completely get him out of my life. Onkonkwo hates Unoka and wants to be nothing like him. I actually want to be more like my father where he is both smart and athletic.
So in conclusion Onkonkwo and my personality and goals are quite different but they do overlap in some places. Which makes different yet similar.
My family is very traditional and we make sure that we, the children understand why we celebrate certain holidays. We celebrate them as a family to share our joys together as well as to remember who we are and where we came from. Onkonkwo on the other hand would only follow traditions to gain something in return. Respect is also very important in our family, if we were to disrespect anyone it would bring shame into our family.Onkonkwo is someone who must be respected but does not respect anyone that he feels is inferior to him. He also degrades all the females in his family while we respect the hard work we do as female do. Yes the males are still the head of our household but the women also have a big role in our family. Not only do they take care of us kids, but they clean, cook and work. They earn their respect from everyone by being everyone's support system and working day and night to take care of their families. My ambitions are more personal for me. All I aim for it to be happy, successful and be a good parent one day. I do not seek approval or recognition from others, while Onkonkwo only seeks to be praised by everyone. His ambitions revolve around being recognized by everyone around him, he will not acknowledge the work he has done unless everyone else does. Although we do have some similarities Onkwonkwo and his family are very different from my family.
ReplyDeleteMy culture and Okonkwo's culture are two sides of the same coin, we have similar backgrounds, but we choose how to face them differently. I am not encouraged to break traditon, but when I do, I am not shut down without reason. I am listened to and given the respect I may or may not have earned regardless to what my status in my family is. This is quite the opposite for Okwonko and his tribe. because they don't challenge tradition and they look at status. This leads to respect; While I firmly believe respect is earned, I was raised to believe that family deserves more respect than I give them credit for. The people who I believed did not earn my respect, have respected and cared for me since I was just a thought in my parents' minds. However, Okonkwo, only respects people who have made a name for themselves and aren't seen as failure. The people in my family who may seem to be failures in the eys of society, are my main reason to want to rise above what I already am. They have risked and sacrificed everything so that I could be "better than them" when the values they have given me are worth more to me than anything material, however I continue to rise for them. In contrast, Okonkwo only wants to rise for himself due to his pride and slight masculinity complex. I aspire to be level-headed no matter what life throws at me, since I was raised with patience and endurance. On the other hand, Okonkwo
ReplyDeleteis very hot tempered and happy to lift a hand on anyone. Perhaps, the biggest difference, is that I, more than anything, want to be like my parents. I admire what they have made for my family and I I wish to continue the legacy they have bestowed upon me.
Referring to traditions, Its seems that my family and Okonkwo's are quite different. For the particular reason that my family member's choose to keep our beliefs a big part of our lives. For instance, one of our main traditions is having religious gatherings. Unlike Okonkwo's parents , mine respect my decisions, giving me freedom; however, not letting overstep their boundaries. Additionally, although my family is quite fond of out going, loquacious people, they accept me for who I am, a .introverted person. On the contrary, Okonkwo can not tolerate the fact that his father is nothing like him, resenting him; even going as far as shunning him. Lastly, the protagonist's goals are to be completely opposite of his father for he is ashamed of him for being a more somewhat "feminine" man. To the contrary, I look up to my dad; aspiring to be as hardworking and loving as him.
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DeleteMr. Jessup, may I gave your email so that I can contact you about my absence tomorrow?
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo's and my lifestyle have some similarities and differences. Tradition is important in Okonkwo's and my everyday life. We both follow customs and celebrate holidays. While in Okonkwo's tribe respect has to be earned, in my family it is important that you respect everyone. Okonkwo and I have similar goals because we both want to be successful in what we do. However, we have different motives. He wants to be successful to earn respect and I want to be successful to make people proud of me. My relationships with others ties back to respect because I was thought to be respectful of everyone no matter our differences. On the other hand , Okonkwo was thought to be the enemy of the people of other tribes. In both our societies women's roles are in the house. They have to cook, clean, and take care of the kids while men go to work. Although women's roles are similar in both societies, women in my society have gained more freedom throughout time. My lifestyle is very similar to Okonkwo's even though we have different backgrounds and are from different countries and time periods.
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ReplyDeleteIn "Things Fall Apart" the lives of Okonkwo and his family are centered on a farm where their lives are based upon agriculture, Okonkwo and his family live very traditional lives in their tribal village away from modern civilization. Traditionally many aspects of the culture that they live can differ from the societal norms of my family, especially in this day and age. In the novel women are discriminated for not being men, as seen when Okonkwo orders his wife to do something she didn't want to do. In my family the women are usually seen taking charge, managing the home, and managing its expenses. Agriculture and hard labor are seen as the main source of income in the novel, however, Hard labor is seen as the source of income for uneducated people who weren't able to go to additional school after high school. Culturally the thing that may differ in my lifestyle are titles, in the novel the titles convey the message that a person has a certain amount of respect in their tribe, but in society today people are expected to hand out respect to whomever they speak to. Personal goals in Okonkwo's village were based primarily on the yield of crops of the certain harvest, but in my lifestyle a goal of mine is to find self-worth and become a successful hardworking citizen that is self-reliant and doesn't need any type of financial aid.
ReplyDeletebtw ^ that was Isaac Quinonez, in case my name doesn't show
DeleteTradition has always been a vital part of my life. Also, religion is very important to me, but since Okonkwo is from another religion he is allowed to have more than one wife, but I was always thought to only be respectful and faithful to one girl or wife. One other important aspect of marriage for me is to love and respect my wife, but Okonkwo beats his wife and son. Furthermore, my mom always told me to love to my children and respect them, and to never hit a girl even if they do something bad. In addition, we praise God and we love our family and there is nothing more valuable than your family. Three of my goals are to join the Marine Corps, graduate college, and become an Aircraft Mechanic. Okonkwo’s goals are to become the most respected man in the village, not be like his father, and he wants his sons to be respected warriors just like him. Okonkwo’s goals are very different because he focuses on the future of himself and others, but I deal with my own future.
ReplyDelete- Alejandro Mendoza
My traditions are not limited to my family: as a result of the spread of communication, all sorts of people around the world can share beliefs and customs with others. A tradition in my family is teaching Roman Catholic customs to offspring and using them in daily life. For example, before a meal, we are expected to pray in gratitude to God for our food. In contrast, Okonkwo's traditions are kept within the confines of the villages. The custom of offering a kola nut to a guest and praying to gods for blessings is a signature trait of the Ibo people.The Ibo are a mostly polytheistic group, while my family follows a monotheistic faith. On the topic of respect, Okonkwo and the Ibo regard a man not by their predecessor, but by their personal honorable achievements. For this reason, Okonkwo has gained recognition as a very able man, even though his father Unoka had no titles. On the other hand, my family respects people with an appropriate personality, courtesy, titles, accomplishments, or an overall admirable character. My goals are centered on the future of my kin. I will follow a career and work toward improving the economic status and standard of living to introduce a relaxed atmosphere. Okonkwo aims for more personal benefits. He is repelling any femininity that threatens his masculinity and he wants to make his children strong and hard-working. This is probably because he wants to apply and improve a strong image of himself.
ReplyDelete- Brenda Rodriguez (1st Period)
In the novel, “Things Fall Apart,” by Chinua Achebe, the author portrays the society of the Igbo as one that follows its common traditions and beliefs. The Igbo tribe differs widely from our current society. One of the things that stands out the most in Kino's society is the role of women. It is evident that this tribe treats women as minorities and there is certainly gender inequality. Okonkwo sees a man who has no titles and contradicts him as a woman, which results in a way of “killing a man's spirit.” Furthermore, men are seen as the head of the family, while women are thought to be responsible for the household. In our society, this may happen in some cultures and traditions. However, it is hard to say, that it's always a man who a family should depend on. In today's world, women take a great impact throughout our population, government, enforcement, healthcare, and many more influences. Furthermore, the beliefs that the Igbo believe on differ from many of the religions throughout our world. In Okonkwo’s society, most and many of the people believe in their personal god. In our society, people have the liberty and right to exalt different gods, one god, or no god at all. The Igbo also produce and rely in a lot of agriculture in their everyday life. We can see in our society today, that the average person depends on more than just agriculture. Lastly, it seems that the freedoms and rights gained in the Igbo society all come and have to be accepted from a certain group of elders. In contrast, we gain our rights as a whole and by representation of each other in our democracy. Overall, the Igbo tribe may have many different traditions that may seem distinct from our society but they all lead to a better view of the type of lifestyle that these people live in.
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ReplyDeleteLuzma Grimaldo
ReplyDeleteIn my family we get together on certain celebrations. We usually go ti certain places to have a certain family reunion. We respect our family religion, friends, and other people. Our family doesn't disrespect others since othera might think bad about us. All we want is to make a good impression on the people we meet. These things compared to Okonkwo are different. Okonkwo's culture has aspects that we don't have. As in having many wives and children. Men nowadays can only have one wife based on our religion. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is judged based on hus father's legacy. My goals are to be able to graduate from school unlike Okonwko who wants to be respected among the clan. In the novel the customs are different and don't relate in any way to the customs I am used to. The way Unoka left things for Okonkwo were not accepted in his clan since he needed to have some kind of legacy that showed his father's strength. You would be judged by who you are based on what you have. In these times, you need to give good first impressions and then people judge you by the way you act. Achebe was trying to make us realize how important our traditions and customs are to us and in our everyday lives. We need to value our ways and that's what makes us special. Although we may have different customs we all have have our beliefs.
In the novel, “Things Fall Apart,” by Chinua Achebe, the author illustrates the society of Igbo, as one that follows tradition and culture very strictly, to the point where it plays a huge role in the lives of citizens. It's very noticeable that religion specifically is a major influence on their tribe, their polytheistic society is dependent on their gods and ancestors. My household is very religious, Catholicism greatly affects our life. I was sent to a private school for 5 years and baptized as a baby. However unlike the Igbo tribe, my family is accepting of me going against the grain and following my own path. They accept me for me, they don't dehumanize me or slander me, my beliefs and actions do not interfere with their logical judgement of their favorite relative.
ReplyDelete-Alejandro Morales
In my family, tradition is a major key of remembering who we are as are whole. It is very important in understanding the traditions I live in because in reflects on who I am as an individual. If I were to disrespect any one of my family members, that would be a problem. Ever since I was little, my parents always told me to respect all of my elders and even if I didn't like someone, I would still have to respect them because I would want the same amount of respect back. Just like Okonkwo, one of my goals is to be a hard worker and not give up for I want. Another goal would to be successful in life and live it to the fullest. Okonkwo’s goals and ambitions were to keep the tradition in his town alive. Okonkwo's goals are different from mine because he wants to get everyone's respect and be well known but as for me, I just want people to respect one another and be treated equal because no one is perfect. In relation to the men and the womyn, men had many wives and children. Men were the ones to make sure that they were respected and ready to take charge. The adults and children had the type of relationship that if you didn't respect your elders, you would get punished immediately. As for the role of women, it has always caused people to think twice about them. Women were basically treated like objects and not necessarily loved. This showed how back in that time period, women were not valued as much as they are now.
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ReplyDeleteThe contrast between the daily lifestyles of Okonkwo and I are quite intriguing. His tradition involves daily harvesting and rituals. Whereas, mine includes more commercial activity and a very small amount of agriculture involvement unlike the son of Unoka. Okownkwo and the rest of the Igbo tribe believe in the occurrences of magical and environmental spirits and Gods. As for i only believe in one. Okonkwo has little regard for his father thanks to Unoka' status as a forever liability. I however, have been taught since the days of my youth to always respect your family and elders. Even if you highly disagree with their actions. When considering personal goals, Okonkwo and i are somewhat similar. Both of us want to establish ourselves as a male. Eternally, Spiritually, Mentally, and Physically. That is where the comparisons end though. Okonkwo is greatly obsessed with producing a magnificently sized proportion of a farm. In contrast to my aspirations of a suitable business related occupation.
ReplyDeleteAnother element that I saw as surprising of Okonkwo's tribe are the relationship confusion. In Nigeria it is somewhat common for a man to have multiple wives. Okonwkwo is a culprit for he has a trio of females. My opinion on relationships is that from what I've been taught from wise instructors is that the righteous way for a relationship to consist is a 1 to 1 interaction, in which their can be direct attention and love. It mus be demoralizing o those women that have to share their lives with other wives. It gives me the impression that when one wife lacks a certain quality, the husband will just garner more wives to fulfill what the other was missing without letting gov of the initial woman. That also leads up to the roles that these women are subsequently forced to complete. They are submissive towards their husbands and consistently are beaten for expressing disagreement in the man's request. Their lives are actually reminiscent of what life was like for women in the United States decades ago. Having to responsible for the state of the living conditions, cooking for the household, and most importantly taking care of the children. It is very astonishing how large the disparity between men and women was in the past and how different different nations live their lives daily.
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ReplyDeleteIn the novel “Things Fall Apart” culture is very different than what my culture does. Many teach their children certain ways and their traditions a certain ways, so they won’t be able to forget how it is like to be a part of their past. One of the main difference is that they ask for a god to do something, and that god can be so much alike like the person who is asking for that saying, that is what Okonkwo father told it was like whenever he did something. In family we don’t usually just ask for one god that may look act like us, but we stick to our one god and many more that take care of us. The other difference is that Okonkwo want to be the leader in everything even with the women that he has at home. He wants to beat them like if they did not do any kind of work like if they are just sitting there in the couch doing nothing. We may get that the man is the one that runs the house, but he should learn that a women does her job too. In my tradition is usually the men and the women who run the house. It is mostly the women who is running the house because they want to make sure that everything is in place, and that everything is fine. Okonkwo is afraid to be ashamed of his father because he is not as successful as Okonkwo wants him to be. He knows that his father is a lazy man, that can’t even think about tomorrow because of all of the laziness he can’t even do since Okonkwo thinks of himself as a high man he just really doesn’t like the fact to say that Unoka is his father. It doesn’t matter if your family doesn’t so well, we all know that family will always be there for you no matter what the situation is, this is one of the main reasons that we like to keep our family close. We don’t like when we are ashamed of someone, and then we are talking about that person behind our back. I have a really huge respect for my family, friends, and even enemies, Okonkwo on the other hand can even be seen with family. I have a huge respect for enemies because you never know when they can become your friends, you never know when they can surprise you. You think that enemies is because someone doesn’t like you, but probably deep down they admire you, and with family you can just leave them out of the picture because they are there. Okonkwo and I may have a lot of many different traditions, but we learn from each other, I learn the good and the bad traditions that he has. We both have many goals that we will like the complete, but I am always keep on adding to my list like Okonkwo has been doing it too.
ReplyDeleteBy: Xolotzi Mendez 1st period