TFAJournal+Austin

Journal #7 (CH 23-25)

To answer the question, "Why did Okonkwo do that?" I have to know what was important to Okonkwo. Okonkwo believes that people should kick out the Christian missionaries. He believes that manliness and self-pride is important. I think that Okonkwo committed suicide because of all of the things he believed. He dies before the missionaries accuse him for the murder. Thus, saving his self-pride. He shows his manliness and kills the man at the market place and saves his self-pride. This was what Okonkwo thought was honorable. However, I believe that he is a coward. If he was a real man like he always said he wanted to be, he would have not committed suicide. He should have faced the consequences of his actions. However, he was a chicken and wimped out. He did something that he thought was the worst. He acted like his father.

Journal #6 (CH 15-19)

1. This section felt very familiar to me. The part about the missionaries coming and forcing the people to convert their religion can be related to the Japanese occupation in Korea. In the book, the missionaries reminded me of when I was learning about the Japanese occupation. The missionaries came and started telling stories about God and his son Jesus Christ (Page 144). Nwoye actually becomes one of the followers after he listens to these stories. This reminded me of the Japanese because the Japanese did the same thing. Japanese people suddenly came and started controlling Koreans. Koreans lost all the things they liked. They could not play like they used to. They could not use the language they used to. When Nwoye becomes one of the missionaries, he becomes like that. He loses how he used to live and starts a new life under another power.

2. I think that Okonkwo is not changing at all. In part one, he is a man of courage and action. He often abuses people and is not a coward. He is a man of war and pledges to not be like his father. In part two, he stays the same. For example, he is still offensive to his son Nwoye (page 151-152). He also calls himself "Flaming Fire," which symbolizes Okonkwo's personality of action first (page 153). Another trait that stays the same is the fact that Okonkwo does not want to be like his father. On page 153, Okonkwo says, "But Nwoye resembled his grandfather, Unoka, who was Okonkwo's father. He pushed the thought out of his mind." **This proves that Okonkwo thinks his father is a useless man, too useless to be loved as a father.** Thus, I believe that Okonkwo has not changed.

3. How is Uchendu's story on page 140 related to the killing of the white man on page 139? After all, the white man did murmur something.

Journal #5 (CH 12-14)

1. I can relate this section to my life very easily. One time, when I was in middle school, I ran around the house and accidently bumped my toe into the wall. I was in so much pain and could not do anything because it was an accident. I went to the hospital and they said my toe was fractured. Thus, I had to have a cast on for like a week. This is related to the death of Ezeudu's son. Okonkwo kills the son on accident and has to get a punishment: exiled for 7 years. I had to pay the price: cast for a week.

2. I cannot make a prediction because I have read the book.

3. Why is the punishment for ACCIDENTLY killing someone so harsh?

Journal #4 (CH 9-11)

1. I cannot find many parents that hate their child. In this section, Ekwefi shows passionate love towards her daughter. When Ezinma was born, Ekwefi accepted her, but thought the child would die. As the prediction goes wrong, Ekwefi raises Ezinma carefully and treats her and herself as friends. This shows love. My parents often get angry at me. However, the truth is that they love me and that is why they get angry and scold me.

2. What would have happened if Ezinma had died and Ekwefi could not have more children?

3. I responded to Minae's question.

Journal #3 (CH 7-8)

1. I can relate this section to myself. In life I make many choices. For example, I decide whether or not to eat. I sometimes make the right choices, but also make bad ones. Okonkwo makes a bad choice when he goes to where the people kill the boy. I feel that Okonkwo had a hard time forgetting about it because he actually cared about the boy and he saw the boy die. I think I agree with Obierika. I agree that even if the oracle said to kill the boy, it did not tell Okonkwo to do it. So, Okonkwo should not have been at the killing scene. Loved your close reading technique. Nice connections overall. For every entry you leave me wanting 1 or 2 lines more of analysis. For example, "so Okonkwo should not have been at the killing scene. -- He was more concerned with his pride, but obviously, not everyone approves, so we get to see Okonkwo through other's eyes." --Do you see what I mean, Austin? If not, ask. -- Ms. Porter

2. [|Close Reading of page 66- Austin Yoo]

3. What would have been different if Okonkwo had not gone to the killing?

Journal #2 (CH 3-6)

1. I thought of one thing throughout the whole section: the old ways of Korea. In the book, on page 20, the first wife must drink before the other wifes. In Korea, the idea of "first" is very important. The first son receives all of the family's money from the father. The first son continues on the family. When a Korean family eats, they have a specific order. The grandfather eats, then the first son, then the first grandson, uncles and then the younger ones. It is senior priority. The two stories seem to be related.

2. I learned a lot about Ibo culture. First, I learned that you could have many wives. Second, I learned that Ibo also treats order very importantly. I also learned that kola nut is very precious and means a lot to the Ibo people.

3. Why was Okonkwo not in the wrestling match?

Journal #1 (1 - 2)

Below is an excerpt from the text. What does this passage reveal to you about what may be some issues that will arise throughout the book? "Is Anasi not in?" he asked them. They said she was coming. Anasi was the first wife and the others could not drink before her, and so they stood waiting.

Anasi was a middle-aged woman, tall and strongly built. There was authority in her bearing and she looked very inch the ruler of the womenfolk in a large and prosperous family. She wore the anklet of her husband's titles, which the first wife alone could wear.

She walked up to her husband and accepted the horn from him. She then went down on one knee, drank a little and handed back the horn. She rose, called him by his name and went back to her hut. The other wives drank in the same way, in their proper order, and went away.

The men then continued their drinking and talking. Ogbuefi Idigo was talking about the palm-wine tapper, Obiako, who suddenly gave up his trade.

"There must be something behind it," he said, wiping the foam of wine form his mustache with the back of his left hand. "There must be a reason for it. A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing."

"Some people say the Oracle warned him that he would fall off a palm tee and kill himself," said Akukalia.

"Obiako has always been a strange one," said Nwakibie. "I have heard that many years ago, when his father had not beed dead very long, he had gone to consult the Oracle. The Oracle said to him, 'Your dead father wants you to sacrifice a goat to him.' Do you know what he told the Oracle? He said, 'Ask my dead father if he ever had a fowl when he was alive,'" Everybody laughed heartily except Okonkwo, who laughed uneasily because, as the saying goes, an old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb. Okonkwo remembered his own father.

- pg 20-21

I have read this book in the near past. I remember most of the issues deal with women. In this passage the book explains about the importance of order. The author describes how the lower wives are not allowed to do anything before the first wife does. The issues that pop up in this book revolve around religion and women.