Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart'

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'The flaw in Achebes vision of the past is that his protagonist is too limited to arouse the readers concern. Discuss this view of Things Fall Apart.

Chinua Achebes 'Things Fall Apart achieves the paradoxical effect of enabling African tribal life to be accessible to western society while simultaneously excluding it. Brians (Washington State University, 00) states that 'its most striking feature is to create a complex and sympathetic portrait of a traditional village culture in Africa. To label the novel, or its protagonist as limited, would be to disregard the many levels on which the novel exists. On the contrary, Achebe aims to prove, among other things, that the inhabitants of Africa are not as limited as the stereotype constructed by European and other western societies. The protagonist of the story, Okonkwo, depicts the complexities and struggles that all humans must attempt to deal with, and provides a worthy and interesting account of the human psyche.

It is important to consider that 'the readers concern is too general; and that response to the story will be in each readers individual perspective. The way in which readers will view Okonkwo and his tribe will depend on what level they choose to read the story at, and how they 'read between the lines. An important aspect of the novel is what Achebe chooses not to say.

In 'Things fall apart Achebe aims to show that Africa is not the 'uncivilised, simple country that it may be portrayed as by other cultures. It aims to enable readers to understand the tribe and assists the reader to think about the reasoning behind the beliefs that may be viewed as odd or illogical. Okonkwo and the people of Obi are limited; but no more than the rest of the human population. We are all limited by what we know and what we perceive of everything else. What Achebe aims to do, though, is not to prove that African society makes sense and is 'right, but that it is not limited in its contemplation and reasoning. 'Achebe is trying… to remind his own people of their past and to assert that it had contained much of value. All too many Africans in his time were ready to accept the European judgment that Africa had no history or culture worth considering (Brians, 14). While Achebe is an example of a person who stood up for his countrys beliefs, he believed that many Africans were nevertheless persuaded that western values were still superior to their own. An example of the Africans struggle between their own culture and the European culture can be seen in examining Okonkwo, the main character. Help with essay on Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart'

'Things Fall Apart is not necessarily about the past. It is about the human struggle. Achebe tells the story in such a way that the time and place is very accessible to readers. Though his aim is to show that Africans are not the uncivilized people they were portrayed as, it can be said that this aspect of the story merely accompanies the true story, which is that of Okonkwos.

Okonkwo grasps the readers attention because Achebe has portrayed him as a real and complex person, rather than a limited stereotype of what may be considered to constitute a male member of an African tribe. Okonkwo struggles with his fears and often contradicts himself in his attitudes and behavior. He is a paradox because sometimes he will take risks in order to defend his beliefs, and other times he will not. For example, consider the time when the priestess took Ezinma to see Agbala, a God. Okonkwo defies the rules of his tribe to follow his daughter and his wife and ensure their safety, even though this is at direct odds with the wishes of Agbala and could result in a brutal punishment. However, he assists in the murder of Ikemefuna so the other tribe members will not think he is weak. It is odd that despite the Ibo peoples unimaginable fear of the Gods, Okonkwo seems more afraid of his fellow humans. It indicates how complex Okonkwo is. At the end of the story he is determined to defend the future of his tribe, but it could be considered that he does this in fear. Perhaps he fears what would have happened had he not committed suicide. The fact that he craves pride and acceptance more from his fellow humans than the Gods, who have far more power, shows that perhaps he was already wavering from the beliefs of the tribe. Killing the white man was a last, desperate attempt to gain this acceptance and persuade himself that he was still an important part of the tribe. Far from limited, Okonkwo displays the true paradoxical complexity of a human person. His psyche is intriguing because it has been opened up for readers to explore; something which cannot be done so honestly with any actual human being.

It is easy for a reader to observe that Okonkwo is often consumed by his fears, many of which are aimed towards himself. However; it is what Achebe does not say, that must be focused on. The fact that Okonkwo is so afraid implies in itself that there are a number of levels to his mentality; many of which he does not want to admit to himself. Okonkwo attempts to control his own actions, words and thoughts. By striving to 'be the best and trying to focus his thoughts on only this, we can see what he is pushing away- resistance. If his beliefs waver from that of his tribes, he may slant towards completely opposing views. It is his craving for acceptance from his peers that pushes him to block out these differing views, focusing and 'believing in what is 'right. Even if Achebe does not emphasize these deeper levels of his main character, the fact that he acknowledges Okonkwos efforts to eliminate them, shows that they exist.

It is plausible that if a reader was to find the Ibo society a 'limited society; they would in turn believe Okonkwo is limited, despite this being at direct odds with Achebes aim. It is because of this that he has attempted to show some of the similarities between Ibo culture and western society; so readers are more likely to understand the method behind the actions.

The beliefs and opinions that everyone forms are influenced by their surroundings; and people often see their own 'way of life as the right way. Humanity is not known for being particularly open-minded. We are all limited by our own beliefs and ideas.

A Christian who is a strong believer in Jesus might find the notion of reincarnation ridiculous, because they 'know that God is real. 'You carve a piece of wood… and call it a God. But it is still a piece of wood (Achebe 158 17). This is a reasonable point, and emphasizes the argument that may possibly be in many readers minds at this point. In Christianity it is forbidden to worship material things; and 'Mr. Brown makes the point that by carving the piece of wood from the tree, they are literally creating a 'God, rather than worshipping one that 'already existed. It is a point that could be used as evidence towards the limitations of the tribe. However; Achebe defends the tribes beliefs, and illustrates a convincing argument.

The Obi people argue that the wood came from the tree that was made by 'Chukwu, their main God, who is similar to the Christian God. They explain that the people contact 'Chukwu through his minor Gods. The point is made that the Christian God also has his 'messengers on Earth- such as those people considered a Christian authority, such as the Pope. Achebe discusses that this religion is very similar to Christianity. By discussing the similarities between the Obi religion and Christianity, readers are likely to be less skeptical and relate more to the beliefs of the Obi people, or at least understand the logic behind them.

While the story may be considered to be a 'timeless story; in that it is one depicting the human struggle, western society may also view the Ibo culture as limited because it is set in the past. Because the people of Umuofia do not understand 'bloating, they simply take people suffering with it to the evil forest and leave them for dead. To them, this may seem perfectly logical. But because of todays increasing knowledge of medicine and illness, people of western society know that this is unnecessary and curable.

It cannot be denied that western society has progressed technologically far more than an African tribe. However, while this may be true, it can be considered that they are more advanced in other areas. When a tribe member dies, the Ibo people have two funerals. The first funeral is at the time the person initially dies, and the second is when others have had time to emotionally deal with the death, and can perform an honourable funeral. This is a logical system, as it considers those loved ones left behind and also the worth of the dead person. However, the idea of two funerals in western society would be considered ludicrous and perhaps grief-prolonging, although it seems both reasonable and sensible to all concerned. At points in the novel it seems that Achebe stresses this aspect of the western and European society.

Achebe wrote the story in order to discourage the white and western population from being racist and prejudiced towards Africans. However, he seems to show these characteristics towards the European population, and often portray them as limited; as a type of reverse discrimination. He parodies 'pidgeon-english in the speech of the white Europeans, who cant speak the native language, claiming that it is an answer to the way Africans are often portrayed in their speech of the English language. The tribe also sends up the English language, describing it as 'noise. Though Achebe does attempt to show some level of objectivity, his attitude towards the European culture can be said to undermine the true meaning of his novel and may border on hypocrisy.

To read 'Things Fall Apart at a surface level would be to determine that Okonkwo and his tribe were both limited and simple. However; an examination of Okonkwos character shows that his 'limitations actually indicate that he is both complex and fearful, and that there is more depth to his words, actions and thoughts than written in the novel. It is this aspect of the novels protagonist that indicate how truly intriguing a character he is. While the beliefs of Okonkwo and his tribe differ very much to that of western culture, Achebe portrays them in a way that assists the readers in understanding the reasoning behind them. It could be said that Ibo society and western society surpass each other in various areas; and this fact must be recognized- that the Ibo culture is at an equal level with western culture, and not the inferior society it has been portrayed to be in the past. Achebe did not simply want to tell a story- he wanted to make a statement.

Bibliography

Achebe, C (158) Things Fall Apart, Heinemann Educational Books Ltd, London

Brians, P (updated Dec , 00) 'Things Fall Apart Study Guide-Notes, Department of English, Washington State University

http//www.wsu.edu8000/~brians/anglophone/achebe.html

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The Jewish Christian Debate

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The Jewish Christian Debate

Christian and Judaic theologies are both structured in the practices of knowing God, having faith in God and living life according to Gods will. Christians and Jews both agree in the opinion that Gods proclamations are documented in both the Hebrew scriptures of ancient Israel, the Old Testament or the Written Torah and the Bible. These texts both record how humanity came to know God. They are based on traditions, morality and ethics, and are used as mediums to express Gods will. However, there has been an ongoing battle. By the Jewish people disclaiming that Jesus exists as God, the basis for the Christian religion is senseless, and in contrast, by replacing Jewish laws with Jesus Christ the Jewish religion is dishonored. Basically,one faith believes the other is misguided about God.

It all started with Jesus Christ. He was a Jew that disagreed with the laws of the Judaic Written Torah. Many people followed Jesus and when he died, his followers replaced Jewish laws with his doctrine or Christianity. Most of the discrepancies between Judaism and Christianity center on the interpretation of God, Jesus, original sin, death, and the afterlife. A careful examination will show this.Custom writing service can write essays on The Jewish Christian Debate

Judaism and Christianity both share the notion that God exists. Nevertheless, the differences are in how they both see Gods existence. For example, the Jewish faith believes God exists as one entity. On the contrary, Christians believe that God is a combination of three in one or God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Christians see Jesus Christ as the embodiment of these three entities.

Jews, revere Jesus as a brilliant storyteller and teacher, but not the Messiah or Son of God. In the Jewish view, the Messiah is a human being who will direct people toward peace. Jewish people believe that one can recognize the messiah when the world is tranquil or reflective of his arrival. Jews feel this did not happen when Jesus was on earth or following his death. Therefore, he could not have been the Messiah.

Judaism says that only God can save souls, not Jesus. Because of their disbelief in the miracle that Jesus rose from the dead, Jews feel that He could not have absorbed the sins of people because he was not of divine entity. Furthermore, they believe that sins could only be removed by seeking forgiveness. In seeking forgiveness, Jews pray to God and search their souls for redemption. Additionally, they believe that seeking forgiveness requires repenting or confronting their remorse with people directly. Alternatively, Christians believe forgiveness is absolved only from God. It is believed that Jesus came to earth to absorb the sins of people and absolve them of all sin. Christian theology says God is the Trinity. They believe Jesus is not only God as the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit but is the messiah and that He was put on this earth in the form of Gods son. Christian thinking is that if you accept His divinity you will be spiritually saved and welcomed by God. Because Jesus performed miracles, he was seen as the Messiah or savior of humankind.

According to the Book of Matthew, He had the ability to cure the sick. It says " And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people" (New Testament, 4. ). Christian theory explaining why one must follow Jesus and the Christian word, rests on the fact that if you live honestly, help others, and without malice, there gives little room for anguish, hate and evil. Therefore, following Jesus and his righteousness will set you free.

The idea of original sin is another difference separating Judaism and Christianity. Christians say that one is born into sin. This concept goes back to the Old Testament which presents the situation in which humanity adopts the sins of Adam, the first man on earth. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines original sin as, [T]he sin of Adam, by which all humankind fell from divine grace" (Britannica online).

Judaists do not accept this version of original sin. They believe that people are born naturally good or bad. They say that the ability to choose how one will behave morally and ethically belongs to the individual. Additionally, free will is more powerful than a predestined will of evil or good. Jewish ethics preaches that humans hold the power of their destinies.

For Christians, God did not originally create Adam and Eve (his female counterpart) as sinners. He created them good and without malice, however Adam and Eve sinned by their own choice, thus paving the way for all to be born in sin. Without original sin, there was no need to follow Jesus. Christians deem that if people were born morally good, there would have been societies developed as such from the beginning. They feel that there are no other forms of salvation than through Jesus and that one can get a repaired innocence by being baptized in His name. Baptism washes away original sin and conditions the individual in an innocent state. The ceremony represents what one was and who they have become. This gives them the opportunity to set things right in the eyes of the Lord. They are washed of sin and have entered communion with God.

Another difference in the Christian and Judaic interpretation, occurs in the view both religions have on the afterlife. A basic conceptual understanding is that if you are good on earth you will end up in a perfect heaven and that if you are evil you will end up dammed where sin and anguish will exist for your eternity.

Jewish thinkers do not concern themselves with death until the appropriate time. Since God is seen as ultimately fair, they believe that the earthly injustices that have taken place will be reflected upon in the afterlife. In other words, the role of death gives life meaning. Traditional thinkers have considered how individuals would be rewarded or punished after their deaths. The Conversion to Judaism Resource Center, describes a place where souls are to be punished or accepted after they leave this earth. They call this Gehenna. It is described as the following

There are, similarly, many varying conceptions of paradise, such as that paradise is the place where we finally understand the true concept of God. It is also possible that there is no separate Heaven and Hell, only lesser or greater distance from God after death. In addition, punishment might be self-determined based on suffering in kind the suffering the person brought about. (par 14)

Judaism does not define Heaven and Hell, or describe different places to which someone goes for the ultimate salvation, but they do feel that God uses the afterlife to provide people an opportunity to reflect on their lives. In this notion, they will experience peace or an anguished time reliving their sins.

Alternatively, good Christians believe that they will go to a place where God embraces them after death. Christians believe that a faithful Christian or one who believes that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior will be glorified in heaven. On the other hand, one who does not accept Jesus will go to hell. They believe that in heaven everything that is deemed wrong on earth will not exist there, such as sexual immorality, theft, greed, and hatred. Thus, if you accept Jesus and do as he does, living an honest and compassionate life, you will end up in heaven. Also, that if you reach heaven you will not reflect on any personal wrongdoing or evil that was brought on by humanity, because by doing so the idea of a perfect place and a tranquil mind could not exist.

Though both religions express that the good you do on earth will be redeemed in the after- life, they view the function of the afterlife differently. Jews believe that good and bad will be acknowledged by reflecting ones actions and ultimately understanding lifes meaning. Christians believe that in heaven, they will be rewarded for their behavior and be freed from all thoughts of evil on earth, and that Hell will reflect evil and belong to those who are damned.

In summary, there are many reasons as to why bitterness exists between these two religions. For Judaists, the Christians replacement of the Torah with Christ as a trinity undermines Judaic laws. Jacob Neuse and Bruce Chiltons book, Jewish-Christian Debates God, Kingdom, Messiah, speaks about the Jewish perspective. They explain,

" 'God the Creator reveals Gods will for creation through the torah, given to Israel, Gods people. The Torah contains the 'laws of life " (5). The Jewish world views that when Christians refrained from obeying the Torahs scroll, Judaism was dishonored. According to Jews, the Christian perspective, starting with Jesus, shames the Jewish peoples entire inner framework. In opposition, according to Christians, Jews are saying that the Christian trinity, crucifixion and resurrection are mute, so they feel that Jews are desecrating their complete central belief system. Therefore, without Jesus as God, as Gods son and as the messiah, Christianity would be meaningless.

In the case of Judaism versus Christianity, religious animosity stems from the context by which things allegedly happen, so consequently Judaists and Christians end up completely closing an eye to the others principles. As a result, both religions may miss important lessons that could otherwise enhance a better quality of life. Judaists believe that the torah has a broad range of life- positive messages and Christians feel that Jesus does the same. It would be a shame if self-empowerment was sacrificed by stubborn pride or having to choose one way of thinking over the other.

It is probable that what we do on earth, and how we end up hereafter, will hold true as each beholder sees it and not be one sided. Although, both religions depict the afterlife differently, in essence it is dually believed that it is a time that will reflect how we behaved and what we believed on earth.

Works Cited

Columbia Encyclopedia. Baptism. elibrary. 00. Encyclopedia.com. Alacritude. 8 October 00. http//encyclopedia.com/html/b1/baptism.asp.

Conversion to Judaism Resource Center. The differences between Judaism and Christianity. elibrary. 00. Shamash The Jewish Internet Consortium. 8 October 00. http//www.convert.org/differ.htm.

Encyclopedia Britannica "Original Sin. 00. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. October 00. http//www.britannica.com/search?query=original.sin&ctN.

Nuesner, Jacob and Chilton, Bruce. _Jewish-Christian Debates God, Kingdom Messiah_. 5. Minneapolis Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 18.

Schoeps, Joachim Hans. _The Jewish Christian Argument_. David E. Green. Germany Holt, reinhart and Winston, Inc., 161

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Effects of a Bad Marriage In Ibsens A Doll House

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Ibsens Drama, A Doll House, upset many preexisting ideas about the roles of men and women in an European household, although it was written in only eighteen-seventy-nine, its main ideas and themes are closely associated with womens suffrage movements nearly thirty years later. Because this is a play and not a novel, Ibsens use of lighting and stage direction play a significant role conveying Ibsens poetic themes and ideas. Also, like most modern plays, Ibsens minor characters serve major roles as foils or catalysts for the main characters to interact with. The play also contains more props, and realist values than a traditional play. Plot development in a traditional play occurs as exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Ibsens climax takes place at the end of the play. Ibsens A Doll House is a realist, naturalists symbol of a door slamming on the twentieth century, and depicts the effects that a bad marriage has on people.

Act one describes a comfortable middle class home. The home is a symbol of the plays title, A Doll House. It is a box with four doors and four walls. Two of these doors play significant roles in the play. Torvalds door into the study allows him to escape from his wife and children, leaving his family in the "toy box" outside. It allows him to keep a distance from what Nora really feels. The entryway functions as a door for visitors, and plays a dramatic role in the climax it contains Krogstads letter of forgery and Ranks letter of his immanent death. The statement of this play is that door slamming. Only in the climax are the realist views shown. Noras suppression becomes evident, and the effects of the marriage ring clear with the door.

The story begins at Christmas, a time of change establishing the mood. It is the end of old things and the beginning of new. There is a Christmas tree and gifts described as Nora is eating a forbidden Macaroon. Torvald enters and interrogates her while shaking his finger at her like she is a child, "Surely my sweet tooth hasnt been running riot in town today, has she? … didnt make a little detour through the confectioners? … not even munched a macaroon or two?". This type of treatment towards a woman is common in Europe at this time. The wife, Nora is portrayed more like a daughter than wife. The houses mood is meritorious and gaudy; in fact Torvald almost never calls her by her own name until the very end. He only calls her by her name if he is doing it in a condescending way. Her name always is depicted as a small fury animal performing useless activities, while ironically she saved his life on their vacation in Italy.

When a visitor enters the house the mood of the story always changes. When Krogstads and Linde visit Nora plays with the fire. The house is suddenly chilled by their corruptive presence almost a precognition of what things they will cause at the end. When Krogstad threatens Nora that he will tell Torvald that she had forged her fathers name the Christmas tree is stripped of its ornaments and its candles are burnt out. This symbolizes the end of family happiness. The minor characters act with symbols to threaten the Helmers already unrealistic marriage.

Naturalism is writing that depicts events rigidly determined by the forces of heredity and the environment. Torvald constantly tells Nora that she contains the same negative traits that her father did. "youre an odd little one. Exactly the way your father was. Youre never at a loss for scaring up money but the moment you have it, it runs right out through your fingers; you never know what youve done with it… its deep in your blood. Yes, these things are heredity, Nora." His belittling words are an expression of his dominance, and his claims on heredity do not allow her to be an individual rather just an extension of her fathers nature.

All these things lead to the effects of a bad marriage. Women and men have predetermined places in the household and it only leads to suffering. Mothers leave, Fathers have affairs, Children suffer, suicides are attempted and families are irreparably destroyed. Ibsen is calling for a re- evaluation of Victorian values. Ibsen understands that a marriage must be based on equality. Must contain a blending of both male and female ideas and support. Above all a marriage must be based on love that is both emotional and rational Kristine and Krogstad show that they should have married because they loved each other not make the mistake of doing it for money or security.

Please note that this sample paper on Effects of a Bad Marriage In Ibsens A Doll House is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Effects of a Bad Marriage In Ibsens A Doll House, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on Effects of a Bad Marriage In Ibsens A Doll House will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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