Mythology of Hinduism # 3

Wow, I am not meant to sit through a lecture class. This was a very intense lesson, and I'm sure to even come close to grasping what Watts was saying I'd have to listen to him speech several times. He used many analogies and comparisons, only a few of which i could even attempt to contemplate. I know at the beginning he was talking about dreams, but how they related to Hinduism I'm not quite sure. He then went on to explain how the western world's and eastern world's religious views differed. It is the view of those living in the west that the world was constructed a long time ago by one God, and that is how we came to be. The east thinks more along the lines of that God is still toying with us, and his creation is still happening and will always be happening. I like Alaina's comparison to As You Like It by William Shakespeare. That actually helped me understand better what Watts was saying. In all reality, though, I've learned a lot more in class from the notes we've been taking than from this lecture.

Common Theme

From story to story, I picked up on one very obvious reoccurring theme. That theme is being self-centered. In each novel, one of the main characters acts on a selfish impulse, and it always ends up hurting another character. In The Life You Save May Be Your Own, Mr. Shiftlet sees an opportunity to gain himself a car. In the process, though, he hurts both Mrs. Lucynell and her daughter. Likewise, in Rules of the Game, Meimei's mother tries to use her daughter to raise her social status. When Meimei confronted her about this, Meimei's mother became angry and Meimei was obviously hurt that her mother would simply use her daughter's talents for her own gain. Like in Rules of the Game, in Book of the Dead a parent hurts their child. However, in this case it is a father hurting his daughter. He did this in two ways. One, he had lied to her about his past. Secondly, he destroyed something she had created. Lastly, in Teenage Wasteland, Donny hurt his mother by doing several things. He did not trust his parents, he did not try and school, and above all else, he ran away. This theme seemed the most obvious to me, probably because I really do not like it when people act solely for themselves.

Teenage Wasteland

Finally, the last of the short stories (just kidding Mrs. Fox). Teenage Wasteland seemed to be like a lot of other stories we have read in the past, Catcher in the Rye being one of them. Again, like several other characters from the other short stories, I felt no pity for Donny. He was what the story implies, a teenage waste. Daisy, his mother tried doing just about everything she could. However, nothing worked. It all came down to Donny. Life may not always be fair, but that does not mean we have to hate everyone and should not try to be someone in the world. Sure, he may have had some troubles. But honestly, who doesn't? It is how we choose to react to these situations that defines us. Donny obviously did not care. I clearly dislike Donny, but Cal, Donny's tutor, did not help the situation any. He first seemed to be a positive influence, but his true character was shown later on in the story. Cal basically tried to step in and assume the role of being the parent, when he had no right to and most importantly no knowledge. Like Donny, he always tried to put the blame on someone else. In the end Donny runs away. I do not think life will ever get any better for him, and I do not really feel sorry for him either. I do feel sorry for Daisy, though. She truly tried, and it just did not work.

Book of the Dead

Between Book of the Dead and the story Rules of the Game, I have started to feel a sense of hostility towards parents. In Book of the Dead, Ms. Bienaime has created a statue of how she has always pictured her father. To Ms. Bienaime's amazement, someone has actually shown interest in purchasing it, and her and her father travel quite a distance to take it to their buyer. To this point, everything seemed to be quite normal. However, Ms. Bienaime's father, who she calls Papi, disappears one morning before the sale along with the statue. This is when I start to get disgusted with him. Upon his return, he reveals his reasons for taking the statue. Ms. Bienaime was shocked to discover that her father had not been brutally tortured in prison, but he had been a guard doing the torturing. He had never wanted to tell his daughter, but it had finally come to a point where he had to. That was his reason for throwing away the statue. However, I do not think that it was his choice whether or not the statue would still be sold. It was a creation Ms. Bienaime had worked very hard on, and though it may have meant little to him it still had a lot of value to the buyers. I feel sorry for Ms. Bienaime and the buyers. However, I have absolutely no pity for her Papi. He acted selfishly, and hurt his daughter very badly.

Rules of the Game

Rules of the Game was a very fun novel for me to read. In a way, I felt as if I could relate to the main character Waverly Place Jong. Her nickname Meimei is much easier to remember, though. As a young girl, Meimei began playing chess with her older brothers. It seemed that she almost instantaneously feel in love with the game, and would play and study it nonstop. This is sort of how my experience with soccer began. When I was young, I would watch my sister play and eventually became so involved with soccer it seemed as if my whole world revolved around it. For Meimei, she practically lived and slept chess. She had gotten very good, too. Much better than I will ever be at soccer. I was amazed that someone so young could have such an intimidating presence on the international level of a competition. I personally did not like the mother. As Meimei pointed out in the end, her mother was using her to make herself seem higher in society. Meimei was just a little girl, and all she wanted to do was play chess. It seemed to me her mother was the only thing that ever kept that from happening. All throughout Meimei's competitions, her mother would always be harassing her and trying to tell her how she should be playing. I may have overreacted to her behavior, but she just really seemed to play the spoiler role in the story. I didn't exactly understand the ending either. It seemed as though it was just left hanging. That may of been how it was supposed to be, though.

The Life You Save May Be Your Own

I did not particularly enjoy reading the short story The Life You Save May Be Your Own. There were several reasons for this. The main reason I did not like the story, was that I knew the man was going to hurt the old woman and Lucynell from the very beginning. I do not know how or why, but when those types of characters come along in a story they are relatively easy to pick out. From the moment he first showed up, though, it was clear his only interest was in the car. I thought of that as a great useage of foreshadowing in the story. However, it did not make it any more enjoyable to read. Whenever I read a story such as this one, I tend to actually get mad at the character doing the wrong. If we were to discuss this in class, I could almost guarentee I would speak out quite harshly against the man and his actions. I was very disappointed that the man took advantage of the two women the way he did. Not only were they nice people who worked for everything they had, but Lucynell, the daughter, was deaf. The old woman, who repeatedly kept mentioning the fact that she would not trust any man. However, she did trust the man. The thing that makes me madest about this is the man new this, and he still took advantage of them. To make it even worse, the man did not stop once he got his hands on the car. He actually married Lucynell, drove away with her, and left her at a diner far away from her home. All along, the man was only looking out for himself, which is where I think the title ties into the story. The life you save may be your own . . . seems fitting for a character like him.

Things Fall Apart: Recap

Soo... the epic novel has finally come to an end. Looking back on it, I guess if I really thought about it, I probably could have guessed the ending. Not the exact events that happened, but the fact that he killed himself. All the way throughout the novel, Okonkwo was just too angry. He was never able to let go of what had happened with his father, and it just kept building and building. I think he could have chosen to follow a different path, but in the end I do feel sorry for him. No one was ever really able to understand or relate, so even though there were people there, he was still alone in a sense. Unfortunately, in the end, it seemed that the world and everything that was going against him was too much, and he just couldn't bear it anymore. Personally, I don't like novels that build up to nothing, even if they are very informative. Just my opinion, though.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 25

Wow... did not see it coming. Okonkwo, the great warrior who defeated a champion, who had gained countless honors in his tribe, and who had taught himself to never quit... hung himself. To me, this is a great disappointment. They say it is a horrible sin to take your own life, but a great honor to die in battle. I would have much rather seen Okonkwo die in a courageous last stand than simply hang himself. It was by far the most out of character thing for him to do in the entire novel. The commissioner is also very snobby towards the tribesmen, showing almost a sense of pride in what he had indirectly caused to happen. In my opinion, a disappointing ending all around.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 24

The leaders are released. That is enough for Okonkwo. Anyone has read the rest of the book up to this point can guess his next course of action. Obviously, he is out for revenge. When the clan meets, he is ready to go to war, with or without them. Part way through the meeting, white messengers arrive and told the gatherers to disperse. Okonkwo kills one, and surprisingly, the others are let go. Okonkwo automatically takes this as the clan will not go to war with the white men and departs quite angrily. To some extent, I found this amusing. On the other hand, now the tribe members are confusing me. One minute it seems like they are on one side, the next minute they are on the other side. One chapter left, guess I'm goning to find out soon.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 23

Now we start to see the tricks of the white man and the easy trust of the villagers come in to play. The District Commissioner asks to meet with the leaders of Umuofia. After the leaders unarm themselves, they are surprised by a number of soldiers. I believe that the events that followed may not be an actual account of an event that happened, but could very well describe the types of things that happened to Africans when they were captured by whites. The whites beat them, and them set a bail for them. The tribe must come up with a sum of two hundred fifty cowries to pay for their leaders safe return, or they will be hung. As I said, this may not be how things actually happened, but it could be a very good description.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 22

...I take back what I said in my last blog about Okonkwo never getting to relive his glory era. With the arrival of Reverend Smith, many changes take place in the tribe. Mr. Smith allows the Christians to be more free in the clan, and a man named Enoch decides to accept and use his new freedom. During the ceremonies in which "the dead come back to judge," Enoch unmasks one of the egwugwu. In response to this act, the next day, Enoch's compound is burnt. The tribe is obviously holding strong to their religion and beliefs. I believe this would have been true in real life as well. There would have obviously been converts, but I think for the most part tribe members tried to stand with what they new. Unfortunately for Mr. Smith, the tribe also decides to burn the church to cleanse the village.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 21

Twists, twists, twists... Not only is Okonkwo full of them, but so are his tribal members. At the beginning of the novel, they seemed as solid in their beliefs as the rock under their feet. However, it is revealed now that some of them are actually accepting the Christians with open arms. Mr. Brown is providing them with things such as a trading post, a school, and a hospital. All of these accomodations are mainly welcomed by the tribe, being that the hospital has helped numerous, the school is allowing them to learn to read and write, and the trading post has proven to be a good source of income. Okonkwo, however, is still very displeased with the situation. It is obvious that he preferred things the way the tribe used to be, but I don't think he will have the chance to live in such an era again.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 20

Upon his return to Umuofia, Okonkwo has a great number of things he wishes to get done. One of these plans is to rebuild his compound, even larger. Another is to marry two more women. However, whenever he returns, his heart is quickly saddened to see how much the village has changed. Not only had the white men effected his uncle's village, but Umuofia had been greatly changed as well. The book goes on to describe a great deal about how African culture had been changed by the arrival of white settlers/missionaries. White people had brought many things with them, both tangible and not. Some of these things were: religion, rules of government, and judicial systems. An example used in the book was when a man from the tribe had been hung for killing someone after a dispute. Although we may see this as resonable for the time period, it was very odd for Okonkwo because he had never been exposed to anything like it before. It seems to me that his life is steadily heading downhill at a rapid rate.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 19

It appears we are in for yet another twist, as Okonkwo prepares to leave his uncle's tribe and return to Umuofia. It is also quite evident that Okonkwo cannot wait to return home. He has definitely felt a great deal of uncomfortableness among these people. They are not "masculine" enough for him. He also regrets a great deal that he was not able to increase his status in his own tribe over the course of his banishment. Okonkwo as a character really makes me just... dislike him. I mean, starting the book, I thought he was cool... then I hated him... then I felt sorry for him... and now, after everything he's been through, he's still the same. He still only cares about himself. It's simply amazing that someone could be so self-absorbed. I somewhat think that even in preparing a gigantic feast for the tribe before he leaves, he was only trying to make himself seem all the better. Something... is going to happen.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 18

The book seems to be heading away from talking so much about African culture as it was and heading in a completely different direction. The same with Okonkwo's family. Now, we are understanding more about the spread of Christianity through the country. Most of the upper class from the tribe hold to their beliefs. However, many of the titleless men quickly converted to Christianity and began attending church quite regularly. Soon after, the outcasts start attending church, too. At first they are not welcome. However, they soon bond together in their new religion. Sadly, at the end, one of the new Christians died after killing the "sacred python" of the tribe. This only makes their belief in their own gods stronger, and sort of sets back some of the work the missionaries had done.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 17

The missionaries are working harder and harder to gain the faith of those in the village. They are given a plot of land to build a church... in the Evil Forest. The villagers are absolutely amazed when nothing bad happens to the Christians. Again and again, they try and come up with excuses for the good luck the missionaries are having. However, again and again the excuses fail. With all their good fortune, the Christian missionaries are able to convert more and more villagers to Christianity. Okonkwo faces Nwoye when he returns to the compound, and chokes him by the neck. It seems that once again his heart has hardened, and with this I predict there will be more trouble for him. Anyways, Okonkwo's uncle stops him, and Nwoye leaves. This is very easy to understand. I know when I fight with my parents sometimes all I want to be is someplace far away. Every child feels this at some time or another. Okonkwo can't believe that he has raised a son to be like Nwoye. Everything he didn't want him to be, he is...

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 16

Chapter 16 brings yet another twist to the novel. Now, they're dealing with missonaries. Okonkwo, along with most of the Africans won't come to believe what the newcomers are saying. There is just way too much in the Christian religion for them to believe. Things such as: the holy trinity being three in one, and god having a son but no wife. Many of them find it funny and walk away laughing. However, some, like Nwoye, find the new religion captivating. For Nwoye, it held all the answers he has been searching for his entire life. What happened to Ikemefuna... what happened to the little baby twins... he found all his answers in this new religion. I'm not sure what kind of trouble this may cause further into the novel, but it definitely can't have a good outcome. These men are more poetic and there is no way Okonkwo will let something like this detour his son from becoming a good hard worker.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 15

During the second year of Okonkwo's exile, he was brought news that the village of Abame had been destroyed. This destruction was due to their killing a white man who had visited them. These villagers displayed a great deal of intimidation towards the white man, which shows that even though they are warring tribes, they still fear many things. I also found it quite odd that they seemed to ignore the warnings of their oracle. She said trouble would came, yet they didn't sound very prepared. This village seemed to be different than the one Okonkwo came from. They were not exactly the most religious or ferrocious of the tribes.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 14

Chapter 14 is sort of a recovery period for Okonkwo. He has taken his family and gone to stay with his uncle Uchendu. His uncle helps him start his own farm again, but Okonkwo's driving spirit seems to have greatly dwindled. Awkwardly enough, as I read through this chapter, after having so much dislike for him thus far throughout the novel, I found myself feeling sorry for him. However, Uchendu tries very hard to make Okonkwo feel better. He tells him a story, which seems to be quite the tradition in Africa, about how men always return to their motherland when life is hard. I actually think this is true, not just in the story, but quite often in our everyday lives as well. Anyways, Uchendu finishes up his speech by telling Okonkwo about his own troubles, and saying that he did not hang himself and that he was still alive. This very well could be some foreshadowing for events that will happen later in the novel.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 13

All I can say after reading this chapter is wow. The funeral, like the wedding party, is a lot like what we do in America. Ezeudu was a warrior, therefore they beat the drums and fire off guns. However, Okonkwo's gun accidently explodes and kills Ezeudu's son. I really can't say I didn't see what happens next coming. It finally happens. Karma has finally caught up with him. After living such a hard-hearted life, he finally seemed to be softening up a little. But with this unfortunate death, everything he worked for, all his material possessions, are gone in an instant. He is banned from the tribe for seven years to pay for his actions. Ezeudu's family burns all his buildings and animals, and just like that Okonkwo has nothing to show for all his hard work. Even though I'd really like to say I told you so to him, I do have a slight feeling of remorse for Okonkwo.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 12

At the beginning of the chapter, it actually tells us how worried Okonkwo was worried. Again, I was amazed. Everytime he does something like this it amazes me. However, it seemed he actually had nothing to worry about. The chapter goes on to describe something which actually sort of relates to things we do in America. The whole village is preparing for Obierika's daughter's uri, which is sort of like an engagement party. Besides the brief dispute of some cows getting loose, the whole thing was a lot like what we do. Everyone brought some food, Obierika got a large goat, and the in-laws brought a very large amount of wine for the party. Although I enjoy reading about all the different things that they do in their culture, I thought it was really interesting that they did some of the same things we still do in America today.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 11

What a chapter. I quite enjoyed the story about the birds and the tortoise. I'm actually a little mad at the birds in the end, because technically the tortoise didn't do anything wrong. However, that isn't really what the chapter seems to be about. When the oracle's helper comes to take Ezinma to the oracle, I was quite surprised and pleased to see Okonkwo try and have them wait. Maybe the death of Ikemefuna has had an affect on him, and even if he still has a hard heart, he seems to care more for his family. Ezinma did go however, but when Ekwefi followed them to the oracles cave, her husband came, too. To me, this was just like... wow. I still can barely grasp it... he actually cares. For Ekwefi, for some reason this brings up the memory of when she first came to be with Okonkwo. I think right now they are getting closer as a family, which is a really good thing. However, in the past chapters, bad things often follow good things, so I guess we shall have to wait and see.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 10

Chapter 10, like chapter 9, is very rich in their culture. The village is now having a ceremony in which the dead spirits (egwugwu) come back. I'm not sure, but I sort of associate this with the Mexican "Day of the Dead"? That's my closest way of understanding it. These spirits also seem to play a role in their justice system? A case was brought before them where a man was beat by his wife's brothers, and then they took her and her children away from him. Their reasoning was he was beating her. Is this not what Okonkwo is doing the entire way through the novel? And if this other man did so as well, is it possibly a common thing in the community for the men to punish their wives? I don't really understand why these brothers felt they had the right to single out this one man. And in the end, the egwugwu don't even think it is something that should be settled in the community. I enjoyed reading about how they do their punishing, but I still don't really understand the case itself. To me, it just seemed sort of lame.

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 9

I believe this chapter is one of the richest when it comes to details about the beliefs of the tribe. Okonkwo's wife Ekwefi's daughter Ezinma has become very sick (this is not the first time). Okonkwo shows concern in the situation, by searching quite desperately to find a way to save her. Finally, he goes and visits a medicine man. This is when many of the beliefs of the locals are revealed. The medicine man believes it is an ogbanje that is hurting their daughter. An ogbanje is an "evil" child that keeps entering its mother's womb and keeps dieing to hurt the family emotionally. To try and destory the ogbanje, a medicine man actually mutilated the body of one of their previous children that had died. I found this quite disturbing, and very unnecessary for what they were trying to accomplish. A iyi-uwa is also mentioned, I guess it is the ogbanje's physical presence that they found on Ezinma. Again, this is just something about their beliefs that I can't really understand. To me, it's just like... why? I don't know, maybe it will be explained more later.