TFA+(9-11)+Youjin+(Jenny)+J.

Assignment: a) Paragraph of Text-to-Text/Self/World Connection b) An interpretive or evaluative question stemming from the first paragraph of your journal. c) Respond to someone else's question on his/her journal page. Then write a line on your own page saying, "I responded to _'s question" so I will know where to find your response.

__Text-to-Text/Self/World Connection w/Questions__

Chapters 9 to 12 seem to be focus mainly on Ibo traditional culture and religion. In chapter 9, we read about aspects of traditional thoughts on birth (and cursed children, or obganjes, like Ezinma and all of Ekwefi's previous children). In the next chapter, the narrator describes in detail the justice/trial system used in the clan. In the final chapter, chapter 11, the incident of Chielo's call for Ezinma portrays the significance of godly spirits and the fear people have towards such mystical powers. Several portions of the chapter also introduced Ibo superstition, in addition to oral folklore/stories.

One thing that amazed me while reading this section was the extremely rich culture the Ibo people behold. Just like the shariah of Islam governs every aspect of life, and qadi and ulama act as scholars/judges who make verdicts in certain circumstances, the Ibo people seem to have their own, carefully-and-closely-knit religion. Their religion is such a big part of their life that it almost seems impossible. Things that would be considered severe violation of rights (and would probably be taken to court under Korea's justice system) are solved by simple judgments of "the spirits," and people would obey without resistance. It is unimaginable to those today, and perhaps to some people, "illogical" or "unfair" that they explain every situation in relation to something as intangible as a "spirit."

As various intellectual revolutions, such as the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, emerged and changed the face of society, traditional culture and religion such as the Ibo's own seem to be considered more and more "illogical," if not, in the extreme sense, "barbaric." Some in the world today may even laugh off at people's beliefs in concepts such as "cursed children," especially because of the exponential gain in biological knowledge over the past century. Those who retain those beliefs today may be considered "native" or "uncivilized." However, is it really right to name our own ideas "intellectual" and the others' "uncivilized"? Is there really no wisdom in what these people have piled up for decades and centuries of their own clan history? After all, all of our ancient civilizations have gone through phases as these...Are there not things we can learn from them that we are missing now...? I am sure there are things we have forgotten or have left behind as we went through our evolution in thought, which we had first thought was progressive but perhaps is not.

Whether it's because we've recently been exposed to concepts such as imperialism, or whether it's due to the increasingly evident signs of negative human impact on nature, these conscientious questions rise and linger.

I responded to Jane's question.