Journal Entries

16 June 2007
Entry Number 1
Pages 1-18

There seem to be a compare and contrast thing going on with Okonkwo and his father Unoka. It seems as if Okonkwo has been influencedby his father in a way that Okonkwo knows he does not want to turn out. Okonkwo's father seems like what we would consider a 'dead-beat' father.

Unoka seems as if he didn't even want childeren and that the only reason he had themwas because of the cultural influences he must have had the feeling that if he didn't have kids the villiage would judge him. Although the people disliked him when he would not pay any debts. For some reason it seems like the only way Unoka has ever found slace from these people was by playing his flute. Music was his get away.

People of the villiages percieve Okonkwo's a strong man. This is because personal achievments were highly liked in the Igbo society. Unoka had no personal achievments, except for music so therefore he was frowned upon.

17 June 2007
Entry Number 2
Pages 28-29

Okonkwo beat his wife. It's funny because it was the Week Of Peace and since they are extrememly superstituos, if there is any violence during that week, it is like an omen. Okonkwo's anger had gotten the best of him. In this culture it seems like violence is the more manly approach. It shows that if one does not impress others with physical strength, they are prone to be made a negative spectacle of themselves to the villiage.

19 June 2007
Entry Number 3
Quote: 'And when she returned he beat her very heavily'(29).

Okonokwo beat his wife because she wasn't attending to his manly needs. It shows that in his culture it was tolerated to beat women. I think it's stupid. Men show up to be selfish and sexist in the Igbo culture.

21 June 2007
Entry Number 4
Pages: 37-45

It seems as if wrestling is a way to prove your social status in this culture. Considering it is ones personal achievment. I find it ridiculous. People have to pound others in the ground to prove something of themselves. Whether it is strength, wit, or talent. Wrestling and winning proves how well they are percieved in the society. That leaves the women of the culture to prove themselves how? They cannot really prove themselves, all they can do is to do as they are told without question. It's horrible.

24 June 2007
Entry Number 5
Pages 46-48

Wrestling matches are about to start. They really do go all out for the wrestling matches with the decorations and all. A while bunch of people seem to show up for them. The Igbo people seemed to be entertained by two men tearing eachother up. Violence seems to be a way to show your personal achievement. One must physically prove themselves in the Igbo culture. It's ridiculous.

25 June 2007
Entry Number 6
Pages 53-62

Okonkwo had seemed to develop a meaningful relationship with Ikemefuna. Everything seemed okay, until 'spirit's had wanted Ikemefuna dead. Okonkwo did not have to witness Ikemefuna's death, but he did anyways because he feared the spirits. Okonkwo seems to be selfish and care for himself more than he cares for a boy he could call his son. Even though Okonkwo seemed close to Ikemefuna, he had never called him son. He was very much detached, I am thinking he knew to keep his distance just incase there was a time like this.

26 June 2007
Entry Number 7
Page 66

Okonkwo asks Obierika why he did not come with them to kill Ikemefuna. Obierika says that it would displease the Earth God. Okonkwo happend to go because he did not want to anger the spirits. I owuld have thought that these two men would have argued over who was right and who was wrong, but they did not. Secretly I bet that they truly believed they were right.

27 June 2007
Entry Number 8
Page 78

Igbo people are very supersituos. They believe that the reason Ekwefi's baby kept dieing was of an Obanje. I think that's insane. Normally we would just assume it was due to misscarriages because of the lack of medical help. Living in a thrid world country, you have to assume that people are not going to have many of the advantages as they do.

28 June 2007
Entry Number 9
Page 96

In this section Ekwefi tells a story to Enzima. For the to be sharing stories with eachother is a great bonding method. The Author's discripotions of Ekwefi and Enzima seem to emulate that they are very close, especially since he [Achebe] does not mention much of the other mothers and their childeren's relationship. I feel that their relationship is more profound than the others.

29 June 2007
Entry Number 10
Page 70

There is a section on this page that mentions arranged marriage, it seems although Igbo cultures and traditions may differ drastically, they also sometimes compare with our society today.

30 June 2007
Entry Number 11
Page 76

Okonkwo was informed that Enzima is in danger if dieing. He was very alrarmed, his emotions and actions showed his deep love for the child. What I was wondering was, what if it was another one of his childeren? Would he have reacted to them in the way he did towards Enzima? I think his obvious love for Enzima overshadowed his care for his other childered.

1 July 2007
Entry 12
Pages 79-80

As I have been readin about Ekwefi it is obvious how important Enzima is to her.I think that the relationship with Enzima is so pure that of a mother and daughter. Ekwefi is afraid of lever losing Enzima becuase of all the other children she had lost. Enzima seems to be the only person she cares about in the world.

2 July 2007
Entry 13
Quote

'Okonkwo's wives, and perhaps other women as well, might have noticed that the second egwugwu had the springy walk of Okonkwo. And they migh have also noticed that Okonkwo was not among the titled men and elders who sat behind the row of egugwu. But if they thought these things they kept it within themselves" (90).

This passage shows to me how surpressed not only women felt, but men too. I am concludung that many Igbo people have questioned their religion, but did not have the courage to speak out so do to consequences, so when the white men came, it gave them a chance to experience diversity and the feeling that they weren't the only ones that though differently.

3 July 2007
Entry 14
Quote:

The night was impenterably dark. The moon was rising later and later every night until now it was seen only at dawn. And whenever the noon forsook and rose at cock-crow the nigths were black as charcoal.

I like how descriptive the author was being about what we would consider daylight savings time. He used words such as 'impenetertably' and ;clack as charcoal' to describe the change of the year.

4 July 2007
Entry 15
Page 96

I thought it was very modern the way mothers bonded with their childeren. They would sit around and tell stories to eachother. Ekwefi bonded with Enzoma that way, this showed me that no matter how many cultural differences there are, that there are also a few simliarites.

6 July 2007
Entry 16
Page 104

I admired that Ekwefi followed Enzima to the Preistess's. It showed how much Ewkefi really cared for her daughter's well being. Although it does lead me to believe that all of Ekwefi's misscarriages has tramatized her, and any time away from Enzima is painful to bare for her. Enzima seems like a very smart child and she can be capable on her own and Ekwefi knows this, but the thought of losing another child to Ekewefi is misery at it's best.

8 July 2007
Entry 17
Page 109

Ekwefi has seemed to sacrifice alot when she married Anene. She ad tp giv eup her love Okonkwo because he could not support her. I think it was dumb that she had left him once Okonkwo earned money.

10 July 2007
Entry 18
Page 113

I find it odd that they have sacrifices to honor their Gods, whether it is humans or animals. They seem to be very intouch with their spirituality and love of all Gods. It seems to me that they most likely fear their Gods, for they have the ultimate power in giving bad omens.

12 July 2007
Entry 19
Page 114

The women went frantic after hearing how a cow had gotten loose. It makes me think that the women are put in fear and that if they make a mistake they have to face consequences that are severe.

16 July 2007
Entry 20
Page 120

When there is a death in the villiage the entire villiage is notified. I think it is amazing people have this sense of communication with eachother. Especially with deaths. They play a certain beat on an instrument and right away people know what it means. Communication and worship is very important to these people.

17 July 2007
Entry 21
Page 121

People in the community run wild and reak havoc after a death. They go about and cut down trees and hurt animals. These people seem as if they are taking out their sorrow on on the earth and it's creatures. This seems barbaric and it contradicts their belief.

20 July 2007
Entry 22
Page 129-130

Given Okonkwo's attitude towards being independant and how he feels, I do not know how he is going to deal with having to live with his mother's family. After commiting a sensless act of violence, he was sent off to live with his mother. That was it! That is insane, that is not even much of a punishment. Ofcourse it is to them because reputation seems to be a very important thing to them, so it would make sense how embarrassing this much be for Okonkow. It shows how much we differ from their culture.

21 July 2007
Entry 23
Page 128-130

Given Okonkwo's attitude towards being independant and how he feels the need to show he is a true man I do not know how he is going to deal with having to live wit his mother's family. After committing what we would call accidental manslaughter he had to leach which tells me that this is very damaging to his reputation, which seems to by very important.

23 July 2007
Entry 24
Pages 132-133

I though it was very admirable that Uchenda preached to Okonkwo, It is netter Oknokwo know that is is okay to except help from others, especially his family.

25 July 2007
Entry 25
Page 135

They seem to sing songs for many occasions such as a woman's death. I think that is a bit too much.

27 July 2007
Entry 26
Page 145

I think it is a swell idea that Nwoye happens to have about joining the Christian religion. It shows that he was one of many that was not limited by the Igbo culture. I was very interested in Nwoye's journey of becoming his own person and sacrificing his family so that he could, experience more for himself. Although at times, to me it does seem that Nwoye's curiousity is surpressed by his father, I admire that Nwyoe does his best to not let it get in the way of many new experiences.

28 July 2007
Entry 27
Page 146

I get annoyed with these evangelists from time to time. The keep forcing their beliefs on the Igbo culture, and all the Ibo peopel want to do is live in peace and follow their own God. These evangelical people drive me insane. They happen to be very narrowminded.

30 July 2007
Entry 28
Page 148

These evangelists seem to think that the Igbo people are unethical in their beliefs. I will never grasp the thought process of people who cannot seem to be more opened to other cultures and beliefs.

31 July 2007
Entry 29
Page 150

Nwoye's interest has sparked even more and Okonkwo cannot seem to handle it. I find it funny because the evangelists and Okonkwo happen to have the similar distaste in diversity.

1 August 2007
Entry 30
Page 157

I can tell Nwoye is having an interest in Chirstianity U wouldn't blame him . All he has ever known was what he was taught by the Igbo society. I think it is very brave of him to go out and experience knew things for himself.

2 August 2007
Entry 31
Page 152

I think it is horrible how Okonkwo cannot seem to accept that Nwoye is branching out to new things in his life. I guess Okonkwo thinks that Nwoye is being disloyal to his heritage, but that is not true, the way I see it is that Nwoye is just making his life more meaningful because he realizes that the Igbo life might not be what he wants.

3 August 2007
Entry 32
Page 172

Okonkwo seems to indirectly say that Nwoye is not a man for not honoring his Heritage and being like his father. I think by standnig up to Oknowo Nwyoe was very manly.

4 August 20007
Entry 33
Page 173

It really annoys me that Okonkwo regrets Enzoma being a girl. Women can do things just as well as men can.