Journal+Entry+2+E.Flores

= Chapters 3 - 6 =


 * Text to Self Connection**

Chapters 3-6 of the story Things Fall Apart, shows action in the way Okonkwo, the main character, behaves. I can relate this to my own dad, who used a style he no longer really uses to teach my sister and I the right ways of doing things. Two parts that reminded me of being verbally disciplined from my dad like how Okonkwo disciplines his children would be when was pacing his home, angry over a so-called "broken" banana tree. When he demanded who broke it he demanded it in a rather harsh tone with harsh vocabulary, which to me would hurt my feelings. Also, when Okonkwo was finishing eating the meal his first wife made him and received his second dish, he scolded his eldest daughter to sit like a woman and said it strictly. As for me, whenever my sister or I do something wrong, our dad will correct us firmly and strictly but benefit us greatly. He would sometimes use harsh vocabulary, but now I understand that it was because of his former blood pressure and anger problems that he had a hard time taming. Although Okonkwo beats his children and wives out of anger, my dad never does that, however because that would be abuse. Our dad's style of teaching right from wrong is similar to Okonkwo's teaching, for example with the banana tree incident when Okonkwo demanded an answer to who "destroyed" the banana tree no one answered, so he irritably asked again and added if his family was deaf and dumb. As with my dad he would ask me or my sister "Are you stupid??" But he will only ask this whenever we don't use our brains and make careless decisions and wants to make a point. And it helped and made me a better person full of discipline.


 * Ibo Cultural Tradition!**

There are a few traditions mentioned in the book of Things Fall Apart, and those traditions are the "Week of Peace" and the "New Yam Festival". The Week of Peace is a week of no violence and consists of absolute peace. It is not allowed to beat anyone or especially kill them. The New Yam Festival is the celebration of the new coming yams. During this time there is no farming, so families get a vacation from that at this time. Everyone must dispose of the old ones they have, if they have any, and prepare for the first day of the celebration. On day one of the festival the hosting families must prepare enough food for the guests they will be having, specifically their relatives. On day two there is a wrestling competition between villages, which is the most exciting event of all during for the New Yam Festival.


 * Question**

For paragraph one, it reminds me of a question I've had for a while, come to think of it. Does Okonkwo realize that how he treats his family could actually hurt them in more than one way and could even cause them to develop hatred towards him? Okonkwo lives his life in a way to avoid turning into a man like his father. Although what he does is for the best and is out of love to make his family better people and his children grow up gracefully, he should at least teach his family the good aspects of what his father believed in, like gentleness and idleness. Although his father was a failure, there are good things about him that make him a good human being, and those aspects are the things that make him a good person.