The Handmaid's Tale: Trash or Treasure?

By Brittain B.

     Set in the future and under the rule of a totalitarian government, the unnamed narrator of The Handmaid’s Tale is faced with many trials and tribulations that push her into the safeguard of her mind. The dystopia she must endure puts her in the position of a surrogate mother for a commander and his wife. Children, in this future scenario, are highly valuable and the few women that remained fertile are treated as slaves. She must learn to cope with her new reality, either by facing it head on or by withdrawing to her thoughts. The story starts with the narrator in a large gym, and she is being held with many other women. The narrator begins to tell her story to us. She is one of the few fertile women left in the world due to the previous war, nuclear activity, and women ceasing to bare children and getting infected. The story continues through many trials and conflicts within the life of the narrator, such as dealing with loneliness and the heartbreak that came from being separated from her husband, and the humiliation of being forced to perform sexual rituals. The narrator struggles to find a true reality in her life, either in her past with her husband or in her present situation.
     The issues she is surrounded by continually have an affect on her and her thoughts. We are saddened each time the narrator brings up stories and memories of her husband, who the reader soon finds out, will never be with her again. The narrator remains nameless thought the entire book because names in her society have become worthless and she is assigned a new name in every new house she is placed. She tells us that she knows her real name, but does not reveal it for she finds no use in it anymore. This is just one of the disheartening parts of this story; though the author, Margaret Atwood, does make the plot interesting and is careful to add description for the readers to enjoy her book. However, we find that as we read we are stuck in a “gloomsville,” so to speak, and find ourselves depressed at most stages of the book—oftentimes even disgusted.

     I did not enjoy this book personally because it contained many vulgar scenes and language, and as a believer I felt that some of that content could have been taken out to broaden the book’s reading audience. I do not think that, as believers, we should fill our minds with unnecessary filth, and I think that this book is one of the examples that we should watch out for in literature. The images and thoughts remain in my head of certain chapters that were extremely awkward and needless. Some would argue that those chapters and instances are needed to have a sense of what the author was going though, and allow us to have a better understanding of how far society had gone away from morals and order and thus would realize what the narrator was going though. I would not fully agree with that, but would say that it is important to have a better understanding for a work of literature and its characters but as believers, we must be careful and prudent in our selections of reading material.

     The sexually explicit material within the majority of the chapters is an immediate turn off toward the book as a whole, as it distracts the reader from other beneficial material within the book. Explicit language is also used frequently, which can also distract readers, even up to the point where they do not wish to continue reading—I found myself in that category in several of the chapters. While this was an interesting book, I would not recommend it to a fellow believer, due to the vulgar material throughout the story.

The Bell Jar: Book Review

By Connor C.

     Sylvia Plath’s, The Bell Jar is a story about a small-town high school girl who travels to New York to become a writer. While there, Esther Greenwood, the main character of the book, encounters many experiences that enviably result in her mental breakdown, half way through the book. She returns home in hopes to attend therapy and eventually return to the brilliant writer she once was. Will Esther be able to recover from the negatively life-changing experience she had in New York? Will she be able to continue on her normal life like before she left? Or will her madness consume her and send her into a slow spiral into a fatal depression? By reading The Bell Jar, the reader will be held captive in Plath’s first-person narrative by her ability to make the mind of a mentally insane woman seem more rational than of the sane.

     Sylvia Plath is the testament to a great writer. She writes with a passion for change while on a level of a personal conversation. Plath starts the book with the reader immediately in the mind of Esther Greenwood and makes her irrational way of thinking seem normal and seamless. Plath does not process through Esther’s thoughts and ideas chronologically, which does make the book difficult to understand at times, however, Plath does not leave the reader confused for long. To catch the reader up to each sporadically told event in Esther’s life, Plath gives vivid imagery and includes almost too much detail; mainly crude and vulgar descriptions. When telling of Esther’s stories, Plath makes the words come to life through her descriptive words and imagery. The only major fault I noticed was Plath’s lack to have a clear transition from life before and after Esther’s mental breakdown. The reader had been in Esther’s mind the entire first half of the book so all of Esther’s thinking, rational or not, seemed normal. So when Esther started having disturbing thoughts, nothing seemed unusual. The only distinguishing factor was her transition from New York back to Minnesota. Plath uses sarcasm, bluntness, and Esther’s character and madness to express her negative feelings toward society; such as hypocrisy and sexism. Overall, The Bell Jar is a suspenseful read. The reader is never sure of the next scandal Esther will be involved in and of her future stability

     The Bell Jar seems to be saturated with Plath’s personal experiences and emotions. Esther starts off in the book as a young, naïve teenage girl who had been sheltered all her life. Once arriving in New York, she is overwhelmed with reality and the corrupt world around her. The struggles of the new city, relationships, and her confusion on her place in life, affected Esther forever. New York changed Esther’s perspective on life that eventually led to her madness. Esther’s struggle of breaking free from the typical mold of a woman in the 1950s is shown in The Bell Jar. Through Plath’s detail, the reader is able to relate and feel the pain of Esther and experience her slow spiral into suicidal depression. Every disturbing thought and suicide attempt makes Esther’s depravity more evident.

     Plath includes a prevalent theme throughout the book of feminism. Woman of the time were inferior to men and were expected to become housewives after attaining their college degree. Plath mocks the expected role of a woman throughout her entire book. She first does this by telling of Esther’s first-hand experience with a woman giving birth. She tells of the abnormal-like nature of the pregnancy by stating:

The woman’s stomach stuck up so high I could not see her face or the upper part of her body at all. She seemed to have nothing but an enormous spider-fat stomach and two little ugly spindly legs propped in the high stirrups and all the time the baby was being born she never stopped making this unhuman whooping noise. (120)

Esther not only mocks the idea of motherhood and pregnancy but also identifies the main male characters of the book as cowards and hypocrites. Plath successfully captures the struggles of the common 1950s woman and their confined role in society. Plath also identifies her main target of the book, feminism in society, and effectively uses her story to make a change.

Book Review for Things Fall Apart

By Matthew F.

            Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, begins with the story of Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a wealthy and well respected warrior for the Umuofia clan. Okonkwo does not want to be view by the clan as his father was viewed-- soft-hearted, effeminate, and most importantly weak. Nwoye, Okonkwo’s son, is view by his father as idle and negligent. The problems start when Okonkwo acquires a young boy from nearby village. The young boy, Ikemefuna, is the ideal son for Okonkwo. They begin to grow fond of each other and Ikemefuna eventually begins to call Okonkwo “father”. During the locust invasion three years later, the Oracle says that Ikemefuna has to be sacrificed, but Ogbuefi Ezeudu warns Okonkwo not to take part in the murder of the boy. Against the advice of the village elder, Okonkwo does help in the murder of Ikemefuna. Later, at the funeral of Ogbuefi Ezeudu, Okonkwo’s gun misfires and kills Ezeudu’s son. Due to the strict laws of the clan, Okonkwo and his family are exiled for 7 years. During the exile, Okonkwo settles in to his new life in Mbanta, his mother’s village. While there, missionaries began to move in and they convert some of the locals. Nwoye becomes a Christian, much to his father’s displeasure. After the exile, Okonkwo returns to his village and finds that the missionaries have already begun to convert most of the locals there. When Reverend Smith takes the place of the peaceful leader Mr. Brown, the methods of conversion change. When Enoch – one of the new converts – interrupts a sacred ceremony, the clan responds by killing him and burning the new Christian church. In response, the District Commissioner orders that all the leaders of the clan be arrested. After their release, the leaders hold a meeting to decide whether or not to go to war against the Christians. I will let you read the end of the book for yourself and figure out what happens next.

            Overall, Things Fall Apart was not the best book I ever read, but it was also not the worst. There were a few points that I did find interesting. The first is how far Okonkwo would go to keep his masculinity. Achebe made this Okonkwo’s first priority. He jeopardized his, family, his clan, and even himself all in an effort to be seen as a strong leader. Okonkwo even took it as far as murdering his adoptive son whom came to him and begged for help. There was one thing I was sure of as I read this book – absolutely nothing would stand between Okonkwo and his desire to be seen as strong. I also found the character of Nwoye interesting. He begins the book with a fear of his father. When Ikemefuna arrives and they become closer, he does not seem to fear his father as much as he once did. After Ikemefuna’s death, Nwoye again begin to fear his father. Once Nwoye is converted to Christianity, he becomes too much for his father to handle. I found Nwoye as a child in need of proper guidance. He was willing to follow Ikemefuna and the Christians because both of them were able to show Nwoye compassion. Nwoye saw the way that his father behaved and did not want to be like him.

            There were also a few things about the book that I did not like. For example, the way that Achebe depicted the Christians made them look like bad people. He does not depict the Christians as people who are genuine in their faith, but he depicts them as people who will do anything to convert the locals. The most prominent example of this would be Reverend Smith. When Reverend Smith takes control of the missionaries, he changes to more hostile methods. I did not enjoy the way that Achebe depicted the Christians.

            All in all, Things Fall Apart was a moderate book for me. I defiantly think that there are better book options out there for those looking for a good read.

An insight into immigrant life: Monica Ali's Brick Lane

By Michael K.

            Brick Lane by Monica Ali is a historical fiction story about the transition from native life to immigrant life for a Bangladeshi family as told through the main character. The opening scene of the novel is set in Pakistan during the late 1960’s when Chanu and Nazneen first move from Bangladesh. It seems that life is okay for the couple, but they decide to move to London where Nazneen starts a small business. While in London, the family experiences several positive and negative aspects of being an immigrant family. For instance, a negative aspect can be noted when Chanu and Nazneen first arrive in London and are confronted with the issue of alienation. Their native Bangladeshi and Muslim values are being challenged by the society of Western Civilization and their constant struggle to retain native values while shying away from western influence often separate them from the rest of London. Some other characters in the novel that support Chanu and Nazneen during these times are Dr. Azad, the village’s local physician, and his wife. Positively speaking, the family is middle class only because Chanu and Nazneen both work decent paying jobs, so for an immigrant family in London during the 70’s it appears they are doing well. As time progresses, Nazneen grows more accustomed to western life although she retains her native values, and a new conflict arises: to leave her old life behind her and continue her business in London or move back to Bangladesh with Chanu.

            After reading this novel, I have discovered three things that make this novel worth reading: the historical context on which the novel was written, the author’s writing style and the different themes that present themselves through the different characters of the story.

            I believe Monica Ali presents a clear picture of what immigrant life is like for anyone during the 1970’s. Traditional values and customs come into opposition with outside influences and the struggle to maintain oneself in a new country becomes the most difficult task any immigrant can face. Throughout the story, Chanu and Nazneen are pressured by western culture and all the things that their native Bangladeshi values are against such as the plastering of nude pictures of women on the tavern windows and playing “chance” games. As the story progresses, the couple begins to include Christianity and Judaism along with a few other religions in their home life and lifestyle altogether. This shows that although the couple remains loyal to their native religion, they are allowing other religions to help influence their overall character. In addition to the struggle of trying to prevent oneself from being taken over by a new society, immigrants also face the challenge of making enough money to support their family in a new country. When Chanu and Nazneen first arrive in London, they appear to have sufficient wealth to take care of their children. However, economic times become more difficult than the couple expected and as a result Chanu takes a second job as a cab driver and Nazneen works even harder in her business to make more money so that their children would live sufficiently. All in all, I believe that anyone who is genuinely interested in learning about a novel’s historical background should really consider reading this particular work because I think Ali presents the novel’s historical backdrop in an intriguing and fascinating way.

            Another thing that I discovered about this novel that I believe makes it a worthwhile read is the language and writing techniques employed by the author. First, I must admit that one particular aspect of Ali’s writing that I do not enjoy is the fact that she uses long pages to get her ideas across to the readers. Apart from that, I think Ali uses very dynamic sentence structure and includes a fair mix of character dialogue and narration so that the story does not become dry and readers will not be bored. Another aspect of Ali’s writing that I am fond of is her ability to convey her personal testimony of growing up as a Bangladeshi immigrant in a thought provoking and clever manner through the numerous characters in the story. I believe that this novel contains writing techniques that appeal to everyone and as one reads and comprehends the story, a very descriptive picture of Ali’s personal experiences as an immigrant is painted in the reader’s mind.

            Finally, the part I most enjoyed about Ali’s novel is the way she was able to present different historical themes and keep the reader fascinated. Some of the themes that are presented in the novel include: wealth and poverty, alienation, and clashes between religions in a new society. Overall, this novel would be excellent for any reader that wishes to be intellectually stimulated, entertained by unique writing skills, and experience what a first-hand account of life in a new country would be like.

Things Fall Apart Book Review

By Rebecca D.

          Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe follows the life of Umuofian tribal leader, Okonkwo. Although not having had the privilege of being born into a wealthy family, Okonkwo learns at a young age the importance of hard work. Because of this; he becomes one of the wealthiest, strongest, and most powerful men in the Igbo society. Due to his high place in their civilization, Okonkwo becomes the guardian of Ikemefuna, a boy taken captive as a peace offering by Okonkwo’s tribe. Despite knowing the fate of the boy’s life, both Okonkwo and Ikemefuna grow fond of each other; and eventually come to see each other as father and son. After three years, the elders of Okonkwo’s tribe determine Ikemefuna’s fate; deciding that the boy must be killed. In spite of being encouraged to not contribute to Ikemefuna’s death, Okonkwo is the one to give the final blow that kills the boy. It is after Ikemefuna’s death that Okonkwo’s life is thrown into chaos and “things fall apart.” After an incident during the traditional Week of Peace that results in another person’s death, Okonkwo and his family are exiled. It is during this time that the white colonists appear and share their Christian faith with the Umuofians. At first, the Umuofians and the colonists are able to live peacefully with one another, due to the kind-hearted missionary, Mr. Brown. However, when Mr. Brown leaves and the strict Reverend James Smith replaces him, Okonkwo and the other tribal leaders attempt to take control back. After this attempt, the colonists respond harshly and all peace between the colonists and the Umuofians end; eventually leading to Okonkwo’s ultimate demise

           Chinua Achebe’s novel helps readers understand the African culture better by giving us insight into the mind of a typical African male, Okonkwo. Through Okonkwo, we see that becoming a valiant warrior in one’s tribe was a thing to be proud of; while those who sought pleasure through music and more peaceful means were a disgrace to the society. Achebe allows the reader to understand why many Africans behaved the way that they did; such as not being permitted to be loud at night because of their fear of the dark and belief that ghosts would kidnap them. As well as, explaining why the African people would abandon twins and leave them to die in the forest. In addition, Achebe allows us to see the harm that one causes when they force their beliefs upon one another; violence only came about between the two societies after the colonists began to force their beliefs upon the Umuofians.

          Although Things Fall Apart can be difficult to understand at times, due to Achebe’s frequent use of African vocabulary, it is an enjoyable read. Achebe does bounce around quite a bit in the story and refers to several different events that may make it difficult to follow; however, this does not detract from the overall purpose of the story, which is to show the clashing of the two societies and the harm in not attempting to understand one other. Some Christians might have difficulty when reading this novel, partly due to Achebe portraying the Christian missionaries harshly. However, I believe that it is because he is harsh on the Christians that Christians should read it. It reminds us that we are representatives of Christ and that we should represent Him accurately. Mr. Brown led many Umuofians to Christianity because of his Christ-like nature and loving manner in which he presented the gospel. He gave the Umuofians the truth, but was not forceful in the way he did so; allowing the Umuofians to choose to follow Christ for themselves. Reverend James Smith; however, was harsh and cruel and showed no compassion towards the Umuofians, causing them to retaliate with anger and to refuse the truth. Jesus in John 13:15 said, “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” He calls us to be like Him in every way. In John 4, we see Jesus interacting with a Samaritan woman. Like the Umuofians and the white colonists, Jesus’ culture was highly different from the woman’s; however, we see that Jesus, in spite of their differences, was kind and loving towards her. If we, as Christians, are prideful and harsh like Reverend James Smith instead of being like Christ, kind and loving, why would others ever want to become a Christian?

          Although I think Achebe could have done a better job in writing Things Fall Apart and could have made the book easier to understand, I truly believe that it is a novel worth reading. The overall plot is well done and is somewhat enjoyable. In addition, I believe that Chinua Achebe’s harsh representation of Christians will enlighten any Christian and will serve as a reminder of our call to love others as Christ does.



The Woman Warrior Book Review

By Brittany P.

             I can still remember things my parents or friends said or did from the time I was a young child. And now I can tell how some of these actions have shaped who I am today. Likewise, author Maxine Hong Kingston reminisces and describes her youthful days and the process it took to figure out who she was. Kingston was told stories frequently by her mother, Brave Orchid, as she was growing up. The influence those “talk-stories” had on Kingston made her realize how powerful the tool of storytelling was. She could control what her audience’s sense of reality by what she said. Having gone through a period of silence in her childhood, Kingston is now eager to freely express herself and she does so in her unique arrangement of stories. This is the purpose of Maxine Kingston’s The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts—to summarize the path of her past that led her to her future.

            Being the first generation to be born in America from her Chinese family, Maxine Hong Kingston struggles with balancing her family’s heritage and culture against American expectations—she feels pressure from all sides. Not only does she feel her race defines her, but she also feels oppressed due to the fact that she is a woman. Maxine wrote: "I’m not a bad girl,' I would scream. 'I'm not a bad girl. I'm not a bad girl.' I might as well have said, 'I'm not a girl"' (46). Sadly, Kingston felt like she was born with an unfair set back. When she was young she hoped and dreamed of overcoming the disadvantages of being female, and as she grew older she became even more determined to do so. At first, however, she was unsure about her true identity, and Maxine Kingston reveals in her collection of stories what has made her and we are allowed to see the effects of events during and even before her lifetime. Full of endearing anecdotes and intensely personal thoughts and elements, The Woman Warrior spares no details. Maxine Kingston is willing to share everything from musings about her physical deformities and the short comings of her personality to heated conflicts within her own family. Kingston even incorporates myth to represent the influence her background had on her. Maxine’s childhood fantasies of greatness let us see into her inner thoughts and wishes.

This composition promotes self confidence and independence. In the end Maxine Kingston had decided she never wanted to have to rely on a husband but instead would always remain self-sufficient. Fighting the natural assumption that she would inevitably become a submissive wife, Kingston is horrified to find out her parents are trying to marry her off to shady characters. She then promptly makes it clear to her family that she is a driven woman who is determined to make a place for herself through her career and leaves their household in order to avoid being married off. The Woman Warrior derives its title from Kingston’s desire to stand up for herself and do noble deeds on her own. She finds inspiration all around her: in the legends of Fa Mu Lan, her mother’s bravery, and her own personal strengths.

Her style is unique and therefore can be hard to follow at times, but is good for broadening your horizons with literature. Because she uses her personal experiences, stories about her family both past and present, as well as mythological tales it can be difficult for the reader to distinguish between what truly happened and her imagination. Maxine Kingston also uses some unusual terms in The Woman Warrior. For example, she uses the term “ghost” to mean restless spirits like we normally would, but Kingston also uses the word to refer to any non-Chinese American she encounters in her neighborhood. The Woman Warrior reads well as a novel and its assortment of short stories keep the reader well entertained. Though some of the material can be unpleasant, it is not graphic and is comparatively cleaner than other books in the senior compilation. I would recommend The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts to anyone interested in feminism, racial and cultural differences, unusual writing techniques, or the discovery of one’s individuality.

Loyalty and Ambition

By Andrew G.  

          Things Fall Apart begins and ends with its protagonist Okonkwo. Set in a fictional town called Umuofia in Nigeria, the novel begins with a description of Okonkwo. He is prominent, powerful, and praised for his wrestling ability, having defeated the famous Amalyse the Cat in a wrestling bout. Considered a fast riser in social prestige, Okonkwo seems to be on the fast track for success. The novel goes at length to describe Okonkwo's motivation for his “status seeking,” starting with his father Unoka. Unoka was a lazy man who owed many Umuofians money yet was content to wallow in his debt and relative poverty. Vowing to never be like his father, Okonkwo works hard from his youth to become wealthy and becomes successful, owning three houses and having a large family of three wives and eight children. He also has an obsession with being manly to the point of being cruel—this is in response to his father's gentle personality. The book starts rolling when Okonkwo is forced to adopt a hostage from another village named Ikemefuna. Eventually Okonkwo comes to love Ikemefuna, but he struggles to demonstrate his feelings because of his desire to be manly. After three years of being Ikemefuna's father essentially, Okonkwo is approached by Umuofian elders, demanding the death of Ikemefuna. Okonkwo accompanies and actually unintentionally takes part in the murder of his adopted son in order to save his image of machismo. Okonkwo is torn apart by guilt inside yet shows no outward feelings. From that point, Okonkwo's life begins to decline. Attending a friend's funeral, Okonkwo accidentally shoots a boy and is exiled from Umuofia for seven years. He goes to live in the nearby town of Mbanta and learns of the intrusions of the white people in their region there. The white men establish a government in the area, making many of their African customs irrelevant; moreover, white missionaries bring Christianity to the tribes and win over many converts, including Okonkwo's first son Nwoye. Enraged by his son's conversion and disregard for tribal customs and religion, Okonkwo becomes bitter, realizing that all he has worked for his entire life is quickly becoming meaningless. Okonkwo moves back to Umuofia—his seven years are done—and quickly becomes embroiled in the mounting tension between the tribe and the Christian converts. After the church is burned down, Okonkwo and other insurrectionist ringleaders are rounded up and imprisoned for a short time. Upon their release, Umuofia holds a meeting to decide on a plan of action—Okonkwo is one of the strongest advocates for violence. A court messenger interrupts the meeting, ordering its ending, and Okonkwo promptly beheads him. Realizing that Umuofian people are not going to rebel based upon their reaction to the messenger's death, Okonkwo hangs himself in exasperation.
           Family plays a pivotal role in Things Fall Apart as Okonkwo continued to place social obligations over his family. From the very outset of the novel, Okonkwo places his dreams of social prominence over the lifestyle of his father, completely undervaluing and disrespecting the merits of his father. His disregard for his father gives him initial success yet sets him up for failure later in the novel—his worldview is so narrow minded that he is unable to adapt to change. The most obvious of Okonkwo's family fiascoes, Ikemefuna's murder, is the most straightforward example of Okonkwo placing social acceptance over family in the whole book. He kills his adopted son because he did not want his fellow tribesmen to think him “weak.” His actions are heartless even in the eyes of some of his tribesmen, let alone readers of the novel. Faced with the choice between the life a family member and the demands of the rest of the tribe, Okonkwo unequivocally puts his desires over his duty to protect his loved ones. He does not even show outward grief at the murder of his son because he is afraid of the opinions of his peers and obsessed with his own social advancement. Despite murdering his son for social prestige, Okonkwo's efforts are in vain; he is thwarted by the conversion of his eldest son and heir—Nwoye. Nwoye, who becomes a Christian, enrages Okonkwo so much with his decision that Okonkwo disowns him. This is just another case of Okonkwo placing his obsession before the obligations he has to his family. He knows that he cannot embrace or tolerate Christianity and also gain tribal power, and Okonkwo is so set on his worldview that there is no room for family or cultural change for that matter. Fittingly, Okonkwo commits suicide when he learns that his own people have abandoned the customs he lived his life for because of the impact of white civilization. Not only did his whole lifestyle of power-seeking become meaningless, but his family sacrifices were for nothing. It would have been better for him to accept Nwoye's decision, and perhaps he would have found his place in the rapidly changing Umuofian society. Nwoye's disinheritance was for nothing. Ikemefuna's death was for nothing. And ultimately his rejection of his father's gentle mannerisms for the harsh idiosyncrasies of masculinity left him with nothing.  
          Things Fall Apart is a frustrating story where at times the choices of the protagonist make readers want to scream in exasperation. However, the novel teaches a worthwhile message on the dangers of ambition, and the bad choices of Okonkwo help readers to find worth in overlooked values such as family commitment and love.

Things Fall Apart: A Book Review

By Chase M.

     Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart relates the story of Okonkwo, a self-made man of high standing within his clan. Okonkwo’s father was lazy, an abhorred trait in Umuofian society. Because of this, Okonkwo had to start from scratch to build up his reputation, begging for seeds to plant when others used seeds their fathers had given them. After building up his reputation as a warrior and wrestler, tragedy struck Okonkwo. He accidentally shot a village boy and, according to clan law, was exiled from his village for seven years. He traveled to Mbanta, a nearby village, to live with his mother’s family, seeking shelter and a new start for his life. While living in Mbanta, he had to rebuild all that he had lost and remain isolated from his clan. After the seven years were over, Okonkwo traveled back to Umuofia to start anew again, but something was amiss. White men had arrived in his city. Missionaries had come to convert the Ibo people to Christianity, the white man’s religion. Okonkwo, an angry man, failed his clan once again during the missionaries’ time in Umuofia. He killed a messenger, getting thrown in jail in the process. After this came Okonkwo’s ultimate demise. With everything having fallen apart around him, Okonkwo committed suicide, hanging himself outside his hut.

     Things Fall Apart was a decent novel that had a disjointed storyline but retained enough action to keep my interest. Achebe’s writing style is comprised of short sentences that are easy to understand in themselves, but difficult to decipher when put together. The story does not flow very well, remaining choppy throughout the novel. I think part of the brokenness stems from the translation of the novel from Achebe’s native African. The words have the feel of translation, and some African words are left in place. This made the story difficult to understand because I did not realize the cultural significance of some events and people. Achebe writes as though the reader already knows the basics of Ibo culture and mentions such things as the kola nut and obi without explaining what they actually are. Together, the awkwardness of translation and the assumption that I already knew anything about the Umuofian society made the book difficult to grasp at points. Another thing that lent to the books choppiness was Achebe’s timeline. This is another item that he failed to detail most of the time. Much of the book left me wondering when events happened in relation to each other, becoming more of a collection of short stories than a full novel. Mostly occurring near the beginning of the book, this phenomenon became less frequent later. Things Fall Apart’s storyline is broken at best, leaving the reader wondering what actually happened much of the time.

     One of the most positive elements of Things Fall Apart is Okonkwo himself. Regardless of whether he is a likeable character or not, he is consistently entertaining. He continuously puts himself in perilous or action-packed situations, from accidentally shooting people to burning down the missionaries’ church. Wanting to know what he would do next kept me reading long enough to find his next big event. The book, centralizing on Okonkwo, the protagonist, is full of his blunders and shows of masculinity. He consistently puts himself in bad situations because he is afraid other clan members will think he is weak, even killing his own adopted son against clan law. This series of bad decisions and violence was enough to keep me reading and created some genuinely enjoyable parts of the book. Okonkwo’s tendency to land in unpleasant situations keeps the novel intriguing.

     Overall, Things Fall Apart is a decent book that I would recommend as a worthy read. It taught me much about African culture and told a fresh tale of missionaries coming to a remote village. As often as I read a tale written from the missionaries’ point of view, it was nice to see the other side of the coin. Achebe’s storytelling is not the best, and he forgets to mention a timeline to events, but much of the story’s awkwardness can be attributed to its translation. Okonkwo kept my interest throughout the novel, making me wait for his next mishap or outburst. He is the person that keeps the story from getting boring. Achebe’s novel does not tell of adventure, nor is it overly exciting, but it remains fairly consistent throughout, telling of the destruction of Okonkwo’s way of life. Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is a recommended read that, while having its faults, keeps a reader’s interest.

Exploring a Culture: Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart [Book Review]

By Hunter E.

          Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is a story of community, manhood, and transformation. The novel’s narrative focuses on the life of Okonkwo, a tribal leader in the Nigerian Igbo tribe of Umuofia; the first half of the novel centers on Okonkwo’s interaction with his surrounding countrymen, and the second half treats his reaction to the invasion of foreign missionaries into his locale. Okonkwo’s foremost goal in life, and the center of his existence, is the pursuit of titles of nobility within the tribe. He achieves these goals through aggressive displays of bravado and violence, using his conquests in battle and physical competitions to achieve rank in his community. He rules his household with sternness that borders on cruelty because he fears that his children will grow up to be like his father, who was notoriously lazy and died with no property to his name. The primary recipient of Okonkwo’s severity is his eldest son Nwoye, about whom Okonkwo demonstrates the greatest concern about work ethic.

            The first event in Things Fall Apart that significantly alters the narrative’s status quo is the murder of an unnamed “daughter of Umuofia” in the marketplace of the nearby village of Mbaino. The elders of Umuofia demand recompense in the form of a virgin girl and young man, and the young man, Ikemefuna, falls under Okonkwo’s care. Ikemefuna quickly gains the favor of his new household, even secretly in the eyes of his new adopted father. Ikemefuna’s three-year stay in Okonkwo’s household is brought to an abrupt halt, however, when the oracle of the Igbo earth goddess demands that Ikemefuna be killed. Okonkwo is encouraged not to participate in the exercise, as is would be unfavorable in the eyes of the gods to kill one so much like a son. Okonkwo ignores this advice, and ultimately he is the primary instrument in the brutal murder of Ikemefuna.

            The novel continues with vivid descriptions of the spiritual and societal practices of Umuofia, demonstrating the tribe’s unswerving reliance on oracles, medicine men, and general superstition in order to make major decisions. Achebe juxtaposes accounts of the “medicinal” mutilation of infant corpses and the midnight kidnappings of children with joyous depictions of Igbo nuptial rites and communal meetings in order to paint a clear picture of every aspect of tribal life. Achebe’s involved account of Umuofian culture comes to a close when Okonkwo accidentally shoots and kills a young man in the frenzy of a funeral ceremony. Okonkwo and his family are forced to flee from the tribe for seven years and live with his maternal relatives as refugees.

            With the flight of Okonkwo and his family, the second half of the narrative of Things Fall Apart begins. While in exile, Okonkwo’s close friend Obierka brings news of a massacre in a nearby village by mysterious white men. These white men, British missionaries, eventually make themselves known in Okonkwo’s new home of Mbanta in the form of a white man and his interpreter Mr. Kiaga, who quickly enrage Okonkwo by converting his son Nwoye to Christianity. The missionaries have limited success in Mbanta, with most of their operations being based in Umuofia, but their denial of many of the foundational Igbo religious tenets and perplexing accounts of theological concepts quickly make them targets of the tribe’s collective frustration. Okonkwo hopes to escape the madness of Christianity as his exile comes to a close, but upon his return to Umuofia, he finds the village subject to the same religious oppression as Mbanta. The tension between the tribe and the missionaries escalates when an overzealous convert unmasks a sacred ancestral spirit or egwugwu. Okonkwo and others retaliate by setting the Umuofian church building ablaze, only to be incarcerated and abused by the local British District Commissioner’s Office. Soon after his release, Umuofia holds a community meeting to discuss this outrage. During the meeting, Okonkwo attempts to incite a war between the village and its invaders by murdering a messenger for the District Commissioner. His effort fails, and he ignobly hangs himself in defeat.

                Through Things Fall Apart, Achebe paints a vivid picture of Igbo culture, outlining many of its customs and characteristics. He does so by being thorough, not failing to include the negative aspects of the culture as well. Ultimately, Achebe’s goal with Things Fall Apart is to portray the Igbo people as human beings with real hopes, fears, and aspirations. As a part of this discourse, Achebe also demonstrates the fracturing of Igbo culture as a result of the introduction of Christianity into the society. He captures the multifaceted nature of cultural misunderstandings and demonstrates how this confusion can quickly escalate to conflict. By doing so, however, Achebe often portrays the British missionaries in a harsh light and tends the favor the pagan Umuofian way of life. This bias makes it difficult for some readers, especially those with a Christian background, to give much weight to the novel as a whole. Other factors that detract from the reading experience include the simple use of language that often results in blandness, as well as the disjointed manner in which the narrative is presented. In spite of its shortcomings, Things Fall Apart helps to expand the Western reader’s worldview, and it also allows the him or her to examine a strongly-voiced perspective on post-colonialism and the underlying cause-and-effect relationship that brings it about.

A Closer Look at Things Fall Apart

By Alex M.

Throughout his novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe’s main character, Okonkwo, deals with internal strife as he struggles to become a respectable man in the traditional African Igbo culture. Okonkwo strives throughout the novel to become everything that his lazy, drunken father was not: respected, hardworking, and wealthy. For the duration of the novel, Okonkwo attempts to prove himself—he grows yams, the masculine crop, retains complete control over his wives and children, and is careful to show no emotion, for fear that the tribe will look on him as weak. Okonkwo works hard for respect, and in his own eyes and in the eyes of his fellow tribesmen, he eventually succeeds. Achebe writes, “Okonkwo was clearly cut out for great things. He was still young but had won fame….He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife. To crown it all he had taken two titles and shown incredible prowess in two wars. And so although Okonkwo was still young, he was already one of the greatest men of his time.” By Igbo standards, Okonkwo was a great man. However, when Christian missionaries arrive from Europe and begin to infiltrate Okonkwo’s community and threaten the traditional Igbo values, Okonkwo finds himself at a loss. The identity that he strove for so long to find in the Igbo culture begins to dissolve before his very eyes, as even his eldest son betrays him and turns to the Christian missionaries for help. Horrified by the changes taking place outside his control, Okonkwo takes matters into his own hands, rashly ending things before they can further Fall Apart.

While this book is a quick and easy read, Okonkwo’s incredibly harsh treatment of his wives and children initially made it difficult for me to sympathize with him as the protagonist. Okonkwo irrationally beats his wives for little to no reason at all, and kills one of his own children to demonstrate his masculinity—scenes which may have been normal to the Igbo people, but are difficult to comprehend in a modern context. However, Achebe uses Okonkwo’s cruelty in order to demonstrate the culture, which he re-created in the novel quite well. Achebe aptly portrays the day-to-day life of the Igbo people, from the crops they grew to the huts they lived in. Achebe also digs deeper into the hearts of the people, giving his readers a glimpse of their mystical belief system: ancestors take on a divine nature, the earth goddess is to be revered, and when a woman gives birth to twins, they must be discarded, because they are evil beings. The Igbo people are so enslaved to their gods that they live in perpetual fear of the anger of the gods—everything must be in accordance with the gods wishes. For Christians, this is a foreign principle: that God is not a loving, caring, benevolent creator; but rather a cold, demanding, vindictive being is something that we are not familiar with. Ultimately, Achebe uses the Igbo gods to further highlight the differences between Christians and the Igbo, showing his readers why Okonkwo and his people were so distraught at the appearance of the Europeans.

Although Okonkwo’s character at first seemed unrelatable, the conflicts that Achebe develops within his character are ones with which we can all relate: at some point, we’ve all wanted to correct situations that were out of our control, we’ve all hoped for approval, we’ve all desired to be liked and respected by our peers, and we’ve all desired to do something differently than our parents. Despite the extreme difference in beliefs and cultures, Achebe artfully creates a character in Okonkwo that we can all identify with—and that’s the beauty of Achebe’s work. Achebe is able to take a subject as foreign to modern-day readers as that of the Igbo people, and draw out basic truths within human nature that we can all relate to. Achebe creates a bridge in order for his readers to cross the gap from present to past, from modern day America to pre-colonial Africa. Ironically, Achebe’s greatest feat in Things Fall Apart is creating a way for multiple cultures to come together.

Uncomfortable: A Review of Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar

By Brad B.

The book, The Bell Jar, opens in the time recently after the execution of the Rosenbergs, in New York City during the summer time. In the opening the book is being narrated by an unnamed narrator who is obviously the main character. After a few chapters we learn that her name is Esther Greenwood. Esther is in New York City for a trip that she earned while in college, to work for a fashion magazine and experience new fashion, and fashion shows. The book seems that it will be focused on the narrator’s life while in New York City but instead the venue shifts back to the narrator’s home town nearly a quarter of the way through the book. The shift in location is accompanied by the change in the book’s plot and makeup. Originally starting as a book about the struggles of the women at the fashion shows and in the big city, the book turns into a book all about the emotional stress of one woman and her fight with her self and those around her.

Sylvia Plath depicts her main character as a strong woman, a theme which seems to preside throughout the entire novel. Esther Greenwood finds herself in many situations she does not wish to be in, but she handles herself with great self will. While in New York City Esther goes on multiple dates, all of which end poorly for her—particularly the last date in which her date attempts to either beat her or rape her. While on these dates Esther battles the social expectations of a woman to be sexually active, and submit to the idea of becoming a wife and eventually just a child bearing device. When Esther goes home to her small town in suburban Massachusetts, she begins having emotional set backs which spark remembrance of other emotional tragedies which lead her to where she is in life. Upon returning home she finds that she has not been accepted into any of the schools for writing she had applied to before she had left for New York City. The climax of Esther’s emotional roller-coaster is marked by her multiple attempts at suicide, leading to her eventual placement in a mental hospital. The breaking point for Esther was her recount of the time in which her steady boyfriend admitted to having sexual relations with a random girl multiple times while Esther and he were becoming acquainted. This flashback sparks Esther’s new behavior in which she searches for a man to give her virginity to, which in turn leads to some very uncomfortable scenes for the reader.

From the viewpoint of a senior boy in high school, I would tell anyone not to read this book. The book has value in that it gives an interesting look into the mind of a young woman living in a society which has pressured her to be promiscuous and loose in her sexual morality. However, the book is uncomfortable for that very reason; sex is very prevalent throughout the book. Plath did have validity in her presentation of some of the ways men have come to treat women, but overall her bias was near unbearable and downright annoying to a male. Her depiction of dating was skewed, the man purpose of relationships was plainly sex, with the ultimate goal for a male to marry this woman and control her. This idea of dating seems to be accurate from the examples Plath gives, but in reality her examples were incredibly biased and inaccurate in most regards. The most asinine aspect of the book was Plath’s representation of marriage. Marriage to Plath consisted of males essentially capturing women with which to breed with, and after the capture through romantic enticement, romance would then die. Women seemed to dread this idea of marriage, which seemed to be a greatly exaggerated and off base idea of what marriage truly is. In the same theme as marriage, the author goes to another level when she describes being a mother as something repulsive and impersonal. The author tells the reader that women are just tools to push babies out for men and that’s it.

I submit that the worst part about this book is the explicit descriptions of sexual related aspects and sex itself. Homosexuality is introduced in this book, which had no place in the book other than to lead to presumably give the reader a look into Plath’s frustration with women’s sexual activities in society—essentially pointless. The loss of Esther’s virginity gets extremely graphic and detailed when she begins hemorrhaging and must be rushed to the Emergency Room. So overall I would never recommend this book to anyone who finds marriage and child bearing as beautiful and respectable things, but if someone finds women’s promiscuity as something that should be promoted, then they should read this very uncomfortable book.

The Portrayal of La Esmerelda

By Trenton W. 

“She seemed to be some sort of supernatural creature, with her billowy, multicolored dress, her bare shoulders, her shapely legs, which her skirt revealed from time to time, her jet black hair and her fiery eyes.” (2:2) This artfully crafted passage aided La Esmeralda, the heroine of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, in becoming almost palpable through the vivid description. The book was set amid the ferment of fifteenth-century Paris. Throughout the book Esmeralda’s three foremost aspects of character carried plot: her physical attributes, her emotional range, and the emotions she produces in other characters.

One of the most prevalent aspects of Esmeralda was her physical appearance. When Hugo first introduced her in the book, she was dancing around a fire, with a great crowd surrounding her, sending the men in the crowd into a trance while watching her. In contrast to the male characters, Esmeralda possessed a swarthy complexion, similar to someone of Roman descent (2:2). Another physical trait attributed to her was she looked as if she belonged to the group of people called gypsies, because of her colorful attire and bawdy jewelry (2:2). Gypsy was a derogatory term used to refer anyone who held a nomadic, destitute lifestyle. People of this descent were often perceived negatively (2:2). The bigoted view of Esmeralda and her social class was first intimated by the reclusive ascetic Sister Gudule who believed gypsies been abducted and cannibalized her only child, and was a theme through the rest of the book (4:3). Although the book took place over a short duration of time Esmeralda’s appearance evolved, as did the plot. For example, after the court atrociously tortured her until she falsely confessed to crimes she did not commit, Hugo painted a picture of her “pale and limping.” (6:2) Similarly, when she was being tortured, the members of the court threatened to damager her beautiful, lithe legs, highlighting the significance of her appearance (6:3). Therefore, Esmeralda’s appearance served not only to provide loquacious description, but as a tool to indicate emotion and a plot device.

Another area where Esmeralda exhibited characterization was in the emotions she expressed. One emotion Esmeralda showed repeatedly was compassion. Her compassion for others was acutely illustrated in two instances in the book, one involving Pierre Gringoire and the other Quasimodo. The first occurred during Gringoire’s accidental trip into The Court of Miracles, the area in Paris where the gypsies took up residence. Upon trespassing in the gypsies’ land Gringoire should have been hung, according to tradition; yet Esmeralda was willing to wed him in order to save him from the cold grasp of the noose (2:5). The latter act of kindness occurred when Quasimodo was condemned to the stocks. While the rest of the crowd was jeering at Quasimodo and treating him with opprobrium, the gypsy girl mercifully offered him water (4:4). Infatuation occupied Esmeralda’s emotional palette for the majority of the story. The object of her child-like adoration was Phoebus de Chateaupers, a captain in the French army (2:5). Sadly, the girl’s unrestrained passion for the scoundrel continued unnoticed. However, what remained quite predominant was how Esmeralda demeanor soured from mirth and bursts of merry song into vehement anger whenever she encountered the perverted priest Claude Frollo. “She snatched the cutlass from Quasimodo’s hands and burst into furious laughter.” (7:6) Undeterred by the lecherous priest’s attempted molestation, Esmeralda gave way to her fury and annihilated any vestige of joy in her body. In contrast with her overt characteristics, was Esmeralda’s embodiment of paradox, conflicted inwardly Esmeralda struggled with instinctual physical repulsion and recognition of inward beauty in deformed Quasimodo (7:4). The turmoil was perhaps foreshadowing the stage she was at her in life: young enough in age and comport to live as an adolescent, yet possessing a precociousness born from a lack of parents. Ergo, Esmeralda’s vast range of emotion pervaded the book, providing some of the most substantially entrancing moments in the story.

Ultimately, the driving force of the tragedy was the emotional effect Esmeralda produced in the other characters. One emotion incurred by the dancer juxtaposed through the book. That is the subsequent antipathy and affection of Sister Gudule. The hatred consumed Gudule’s emotions for most of the book, because she was extremely prejudiced against gypsies for committing supposed transgressions in the past (4:4). The curses of asperity miraculously transformed into caresses of love when she discovered Esmeralda was her abducted daughter (9:1). Sadly, not all of the results were pleasant. Such as, Dom Frollo’s obsessive love towards her, which originated toward the start of the book. Escalated from mere affection to a demented lust at the finish, the love progressed the story quite effectively. The priest’s feelings culminated in an attempted sexual assault of Esmeralda (7:6). A more tender effect Esmeralda produced was Quasimodo and his hesitant love for her. This unrequited love was most poignantly illuminated in the macabre scene where Quasimodo’s disfigured skeleton was found embracing the skeleton of Esmeralda, loving her even with his dying breath (9:4). So, Esmeralda’s profound effect on others was the foundation of this inspired piece of literature.

In conclusion, without Esmeralda present in this book, it would be a hollow, unenthused book. She was the element that allowed the book to thrive. Ironically, Esmeralda serves as both a source of light in a city filled with darkness and the cause of the immorality that grips the story Moreover, she provides the intrinsic spark of entrancement, emotion, and drama to the book.