James+Ch.+12-14

__**Ch. 12-14:**__ In the two chapters, 12 and 13, we are introduced to the Ibo cultures again. In Ch. 12, we get an in-dept view about the marriage celebrations of Ibo. Their celebrations, where the whole village gather to make food, drink wine, celebrate, dance around seemed very similar to the traditional marriage celebrations of Korea. Long time ago in Korea, the families of the bride and the groom would gather together as well as the majority of the village to celebrate the marriage. They would dance, sing, eat, drink and enjoy the feast. They often killed large animals for the feast just like the Ibo culture. In both cultures, marriage celebrations involve majority of the village, showing their closeness and knowing how to party. In the last chapter (Ch. 14), where Okonkwo and his family are exiled from the village for seven years and go to Okonkwo's motherland, we are finally told the superiority of women. Uchendu, brother of Okonkwo's mother, explains to the Okonkwo and his children about the superiority of women in family life as they are the protectors and the comforters. Mothers are refugees for the children when they are in needs. Uchendu's statements about women and mothers connected with my thoughts about my own mother as I tried to find comfort in my mother. Whenever I was in a desperate situation, need or in a fight with my dad, I went to my mom, who always comforted and consulted me. In a way, I became to respect and like my mother more than my father (most of us do, right?). I really do love my father as well, but just like Uchendu said, my mother is always there for me and I take refugee in her. That section of the chapter really got me thinking about the role of mothers and women as well as their superiority compared to men. What an interesting section after reading about the superiority and strength of men for more than hundred pages. I predict that Okonkwo and his family will continue to live in his motherland for the seven years, learning about the greatness and superiority of women from Uchendu. His personalities will greatly change as he becomes a different person, husband and father. He will still continue to work hard on his plantation and his children will definitely grow older and mature. Several of his daughters and sons marry or are sent away as brides. After learning about different aspects of the life and the world, he returns to Umuofia with his three wives after the seven years. When he arrives, he finds many things changed. He notices white missionaries. (I have guessed this from the character sheet) He notices that there are many changes in the villagers' behaviors and beliefs. Okonkwo and his wives move into their old land and start to build his compound again. Some of his sons return to their fatherland and live there also. As Okonkwo builds up his huts and compound again, he also learns many teachings of the white missionary. At first, he refuses to accept their beliefs in Christianity and their practices. However, seeing their technological development and advancement as well as their superior knowledge, he learns that the old beliefs weren't true. Soon, he realizes that his old beliefs he had kept for years were ridiculous and his strength was nothing compared to those of the white man. Although he starts to accept the fact about his inferiority as a native, he suddenly becomes enraged at the fact that there are stronger people than him and they don't even work harder than him! Not being able to control his anger, he rushes out of his house with his machete and gun and start to kill all the white men he sees. He is finally shot down by the white men and he is killed brutally. Everyone, shocked at Okonkwo's actions, turn their backs toward him and his family. His family is soon massacred by the white men and the villagers also. All of their corpses are left in the Evil Forest. And as Okonkwo's spirit/soul leaves his dead body, his spirit/soul grieves at the loss of the clan's traditional cultures and structure. He deplores the westernization and the influence of white men on the natives and his spirit/soul is gone. Over several years, all nine villages are westernized and turned into colonies, losing their traditional cultures and values. Do you like/love your mother or father more and why? (personalities, comfort...)
 * a) Paragraph of Text-to-Text/Self/World Connection**
 * b) Predictions about what's to come in the remainder of the book.**
 * c) A question related to either of the previous two paragraphs in today's journal**