Comparison of chapters

Comparison between:

Chapter 5,7 & 25

The Ibo Tribe and the Europeans

By comparing the two chapters, the viewers were positioned to see the Ibo tribe as a powerful and strong belief rulers of the indigenous forest. However, in chapter 25, they are seen as powerless and small in front of the Europeans.This is because the Ibo tribe has little saying or small voices in the chapter. The Europeans seems to have no respect of the tribe's belief and laws, looks down at the tribe because they are not civilised as them. They seem violent in their language in chapter 25, whereas in chapter 7, the Europeans were calming and peaceful, who doesn't like distracting other people.

• Seems powerless in front of the Europeans
• Obey the law/rules of the tribe
• Unable to express their feelings

Things Fall Apart - Positioning

Things Fall Apart

Positioning

1. 
   
   Narrative voice – what judgements does the narrator make about the events
2. 
   
   Implied audience – what role is assigned to the reader (insider/outsider)
3. 
   
   Whose voices/thoughts/opinions/culture are privileged
4. 
   
   Whose voices/thoughts/opinions/culture are silenced
5. 
   
   Binary oppositions or contrasts – do they work to represent some things as good, making the opposite bad?  Or do they increase the level of sophistication or complexity of the representation? (see next point)
6. 
   
   Level of complexity of the representation – the more complex and ambiguous, the less the reader is positioned to completely accept or reject a point of view or character
7. 
   
   Consequences of actions – how are the consequences represented (deserved? Tragic? Triumphant?)

Use quotes from your assigned section to answer:

• How is Okonkwo represented?
• How is the audience positioned to regard his behaviour? What techniques are being used to achieve this?
• Explain what elements of Ibo culture are revealed.
• How is the audience positioned to regard the culture?

Consider each of these events:

Chpt 2

• The argument with Mbaino P10
• Okonkwo’s treatment of his own son and relationship with his father p12

Okonkwo is seen as a violent and strict father in the family but is pretending to be one as he is fearing of becoming like his father in Chapter 2 of the book, 'Thing Fall Apart'. This is represented through the narrative voice used in the chapter as the author has described Okonkwo's weak spot, how Okonkwo rules his household and people's feelings in the household towards his way of controlling. Also the power hierarchy is emphasised in the text where men are over-ruled the women. It is quoted, 'his wives, especially the youngest lived, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children.'(p.12). Binary opposition is also embedded in the text, the comparison between Okonkwo and his father. The author has positioned Okonkwo as a better father and a ruler of the household and powerful as a man. In opposed to Okonkwo, his father Unoka is described as a person who had failed in life, weak, fearful and useless supporter of the family. 

Narrative voice – what judgements does the narrator make about the events?

The narrator has made judgements on a particular event  in chapter 2, which deals with Okonkwo's treatment of his son  and the relationship with his father. The narrator had made a judgement that the relationship between Okonkwo and his father is an important aspect that had influenced Okonkwo's way of living. Okonkwo is seen as heartless and a 'cruel man' towards his family but he pretends to be violent and strict towards his children because of his bad childhood relationship with his father. Okonkwo saw how his father had slowly failed his life by living in certain way, which influenced his entire life.

Implied audience – what role is assigned to the reader (insider/outsider)?

The reader is assigned to look at Okonkwo's father as a hopeless father and this has influenced greatly in Okonkwo's life.

Chpt 3:

• The oracle to Unoka, and Unoka’s death p.16
• Okonkwo’s struggles for wealth p.19

Chpt 4:

• Okonkwo’s treatment of others, and the arrival of  Ikemefuna P23

• Okonkwo’s mistreatment of his wife in the week of peace. P26

Chapter 5, 17 Questions

‘Things Fall Apart’

Chapter 5:

1.       How does the author position you to view the Ibo Tribe?

·         Environmental friendly

·         Strong belief towards the Earth / goddess of Earth Ani

·         Strict in their own laws/ rules

·         Communication between all the members in the tribe

·         Good team work/ tight relationships between all the members

·         No civilisation/ primitive tribe

·         Men are superior in the tribe

2.       How does the author position you to view the individual characters?

Okonkwo: 

·         Violent (beating his wife)

·         Not able to control his temper/ anger  (beating his wife)

·         Doesn’t care about feasts as he thinks that it is wasting time

·         Doesn’t enjoy socialising with people

·         Hard- Worker

·         Cares for the environment

·         Good eater and a drinker

Ekewfi (Second Wife):

·         Innocent/ naïve

·         House wife

·         Lives under the pressure of Okonkwo

·         Powerless

·         Ignored by her husband

Ezinma (Daughter of Ekewfi):

·         Boyish, tom-boy girl

·         Different from other kids (daughter) in her thoughts and actions

·         Playful and energetic

·         Beauty (from her mother)

·         Well-mannered

·         Wants to be recognised by her father

3.       How does the author position you to view the men?

·         Superior, dominant

·         The most important in the tribe

·         Men does all the hard work in order to support the family

4.       How does the author position you to view the women?

·         Powerless

·         All housework is done by women

·         Always behind men (in power)

·         Doesn’t have the right to stand up for herself

·         Men represents the women

·         Stereotypical women

5.       How does the author position you to view the Europeans?

·         N/A

Chapter 17:

1.       How does the author position you to view the Ibo Tribe?

·         Believes in myth, fear of evil spirits

·         Fear of foreigners/ Europeans

·         Believes that the white people are powerful

·         It is a sin to change their religion/ abandon the tribe’s belief

2.       How does the author position you to view the individual characters?

Okonkwo: 

·         Very violent

·         Problems with anger management

·         Scared of losing his son

·         Pride in his son

Nwoye (Son of Okonkwo):

·         Fear of his father

·         Wants to be educated

·         Doesn’t want to become like his father

·         Takes action of his thoughts and beliefs

·         Attracted to new faith, Christianity

3.       How does the author position you to view the men?

·         The ones who make the decisions

·         Strict and shows masculinity

4.       How does the author position you to view the women?

·         N/A

5.       How does the author position you to view the Europeans?

·         Different, rather strange

·         Strong belief in God

·         Wants to make the Ibo tribe civilised