Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Okonkwo cannot deal with conflict in an effective manner, despite his military prowess and level-headedness regarding his economic affairs. Instead of protesting the murder of his adopted son, he goes along with the crowd to avoid looking weak. This action permanently alienates Nwoye from his father's influence. Okonkwo can only relate to his children with violent words and actions. He cannot see the value of an alternative point-of-view or way of life, like the gentler ways of his wife's tribe. Ironically, because of his assumption of singular, masculine patriarchal domination over all of his family members, another totally enclosed system of violence and intellectual domination takes hold of the heart of his son -- British Christianity. Christianity seems weak on the surface, but because of Okonkwo's unbalanced persona and view of his own culture, it triumphs. Okonkwo cannot deal with conflicting values, and admit that all elements of African culture, masculine and feminine alike have their merits, so he loses everything.
Response 2
To continue the debate as to what is more dangerously persuasive -- reflect upon this fact in our own society. What types of pharmaceutical ads have proven to be more persuasive to the public? Traditional, in-your-face advertising for routine over-the-counter pills, or the new, more subtle ads for prescription drugs that masquerade as information? What the new technique of fast food companies, of subtly giving money to school teams in exchange for exclusive rights to sell their product, instead of using loud and catchy jingles? Some corporations even make educational materials using their product, like learning to count with Cheerios or M&Ms. All of these are examples of the more dangerous and insidious effects of subtle, hidden persuasion. Yes, the Brown approach is to merely offer his product, but the product has many hidden side effects, such as the need to give up one's native gods. These effects are not immediately obvious to the unwitting consumer. At least Smith is honest about the lack of respect shown by Christian society to native faiths.
This poses a question of my own: are missionaries ever ethical, if they require a society to give up its native gods? Is missionary behavior unethical only when it is used as a tool of colonialism? Should persuasive advertising or missionary behavior in a free market or free society always be permissible?
Okonkwo and Gilgamesh Comparison of Okonkwo and Gilgamesh According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a hero is defined as a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability. Keeping this definition in mind, Gilgamesh is reflected as a hero since he was two-third god and one-third man having supernatural strength. Furthermore he was destined to die and spent his entire life in quest for immortality. The
In times of trouble and cultural breakdown dominant figures often seek out the most vulnerable of members to rail against and yet Achebe does not give evidence to this effect. He does not depict women or other marginalized members of the society as receiving punishment or objectification, outside ordinary levels, and yet the objectification and violence is extreme. If this inclusion had been made the filter of the work
Exile Literary Characters in Exile Exile can be the self-imposed banishment from one's home or given as a form of punishment. The end result of exile is solitude. Exile affords those in it for infinite reflection of themselves, their choices, and their lives in general. Three prominent literary characters experience exile as part of the overall narrative and in that, reveal a great deal about themselves to themselves as well as to
Our Lord Himself stressed the importance of fewness...Our Lord used the whip only once in His life -- to drive the crowd away from the Church."(Achebe, 169) On the other hand, Mr. Brown seems to have an overall positive contribution to the African community. Nevertheless, the author ironically implies that there is indeed only a difference in method between the two missionaries, and the decline of the Igbo culture already
Even when studying stories that seem to be about good and evil, there are nuances. For example, in Shakespeare's Hamlet, although Hamlet's mother commits a terrible action -- marrying the murderer of her husband -- she seems to do so only half-knowingly. Surely Gertrude has a right to find her own sense of happiness after her husband dies, even though Hamlet only sees her as a mother. Also, Hamlet is
Masculinity in Things Fall Apart In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, the character Okonkwo struggles with differing notions of masculinity just as his country is struggling to adapt to colonial influence. At first glance, Okonkwo appears something like a tragic hero, striving towards an ideal but failing due to his inability to overcome his insecurity about his masculinity, and ultimately dying in a symbolic fight against colonial invaders. However, to treat