Poetic Terms Brainstorm List

Light
Dark
Happy
Sad
Spontaneous
Boring
Slow
Fast
Intense
Light
Long
Short
Simple
Complex
Love
Hate
Layered
Concise
Abstract
Unique
Rhyme
Recurring ideas
Central theme/object
Religion
Secular
Personal
Intimate
Secretive
Ballad
Folk Tales
Iambic Pentameter
Classic
Modern
Elegy
Epic
Epitaphs
Free Verse
Haiku

Free Write

This morning I've been extremely tired. With five hours of sleep last night it's pretty easy to imagine why. The added stress of an AP econ. test I'm not ready for, tomorrow doesn't help that situation in any way at all. This class has generally been very good to me, there's been some entertaining times as well as one where I've not been very focused. AP physics on the other hand has been a breeze, as has pre calculus this year. I'm starting to run out of thing to write now so all I can say is senior year is progressing how I expected it to, some classes are fun, some classes are a drag, thankfully this isn't one of them. On the topic of this class there have been some entertaining books we've read this year namely "Things Fall Apart" while other have been plain awful such as "Nervous Conditions." I'm indifferent about this short story anthology as some stories have been well written and some have been horrendously boring. Like I said before, this class has its ups and downs. I would suggest eliminating "Nervous Conditions" from the future curriculum to make this class better in the future. I speak for everyone when I say that.

Religion in African Short Stories

When viewing all of the stories as a whole almost none of them share anything in common. In fact each story- despite some being from the same region in Africa- feel almost as if they are from a completely different place.Many stories- though not as much in the group of those set in North Africa- paint over religious themes. Some make it seemingly obvious while others may include a brief mention of it or none at all. The story "Papa Snake and I" is rather secular in nature, in the sense that it has little to not association with any religion whatsoever. These stories tend to be much more lighthearted in both tone and nature. They don't gloss over serious or pressing matters, in the case of "Papa Snake and I" the plot revolves around a snake that has been killing many chickens in the middle of the night. The same applies to a story much as "The Bridegroom". The plot itself associated with religion and isn't a heavy (more serious) topic than most of those that have a strong religious presence however despite that it still does have some heavy topics for the reader to think about. We see the protagonist of this story struggle to come to terms with the fact that he will soon have a family and how it will change his entire life, hardly a lighthearted topic however this is not the full story but instead only a snippet of it. The story itself is lighthearted in nature filled with vivid description of musical instruments and the starry night sky. When viewing the story such as "The False Prophet" because it so strongly based on religious themes it includes much more serious themes such as the folly of man. I've noticed that religious stories overall tend to be more dark and serious as a whole. An interesting and noticeable observation.

Creative Writing Exercise Nii Parkes

The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich in the World:

You remove the bread from the plastic bag taking care not to bend or tear any of the pieces, heat up a pan with a slither of butter in it prior to doing this. Once the butter is simmering nicely add both pieces of bread in and cook in the pan taking care to do this on both sides. Cook each side until a nice golden brown texture. Remove both hot pieces of bread and add the cheese in between them and throw onto the pan for a final round of frying. When the cheese is dripping off the sides you can remove the sandwich, let it cool down and enjoy.

Autumn Leaves:

You take a rake and go on yo tour lawn. You give a heavy and frustrated sigh before beginning to rake your leaves. When you are ready to your leaves pick up your rake and rake the leaves for an indefinite amount of time until they are all in one big pile, than you sit back and enjoy a clean lawn. There is not much else to be said about raking leaves other than it is extremely boring. Have fun.

Anowa: Male Dominance and Thought About Phase 2

Phase two further develops the story of Anowa. I was actually very surprised to find out that Kofi Ako would ever suggest purchasing men to help him out with labor. Anowa is also taken aback by the request. I believe the reason the parents had a strong dislike for him in phase one is because they know the kind of man he is. Phase two brings to light many fundamental flaws in his character:

What shall the gods of your fathers do for you? I know you think you are the wise one of the two of us. (90)

First of all his arrogance and superiority complex. He thinks he is better in every way than Anowa. Yes, it is understandable that this was a time period during which men had a much larger more dominant role in society, yet that being said he doesn't have the traits of a good future husband. Anowa's parents probably know this as well.

What I like about Osam, is that despite the fact that he doesn't approve of Kofi Ako, he is a man that wishes to let his daughter lead her life how she pleases. The mother Badua on the other hand seems rather intrusive with her daughters life. The father perhaps is more willing to let his daughter stay with Kofi is because, despite the fact that he doesn't like him, he shares a similar view of women. This is evident because one can see how Osam has manipulated his own wife into an obedient and submissive woman, he has even brainwashed her the point where she herself says things such as:

A good woman does not have a brain or mouth (93)

Overall, Anowa continues to be a good read. It is not my favorite book nor is it the worst, I still look forward to continue reading it, just not as eagerly as other books. I don't have any future predictions about the play, but I am hoping that she does not marry Kofi Ako as I dislike him strongly as a character.

Anowa: Similarities to Other African Novels

So far Anowa is a great book, it reminds me a lot of Things Fall Apart in many ways as well. The time period and dowry system are the two things that immediately come to mind. However it is completely different from what else we have read in the sense that it is a play rather than a novel. There are many aspects of this play that I find strange, yet very interesting as well and as a result I have many questions that have yet to be answered. Who are the old man and old woman? Are they married? Why are they lumped together as a character called The Mouth that Eats Salt and Pepper. I cannot even come up with any possible reason for why they are referred to as something else, when they are together, it is something that is ultimately very strange for me. The plot of the story involving marriage and a girl facing disapproval from her parents seems very common from other books we have read. Specifically the idea of parents not approving of their daughters actions reminds me a lot of Nyasha from Nervous Conditions. I look forward to continue reading the play and wait eagerly in anticipation to find out why the parents disapprove of the man that Anowa wants to marry. Great story so far, can't wait to see how it progresses.

Class Participation Check

Grade: 17/20

There are days where I feel that I greatly contribute to a discussion and offer some insight on interesting topics that are present in the novel. That being said there are a few days where I speak very little or practically not at all. On the days I do speak I feel like I do so a lot. That being said what I can work on is paying greater attention in class and the discussion at hand, and if I zone out to focus and get back into the discussion of the group. Morning classes are particularly difficult especially with only a few hours of sleep, so coffee is probably the best solution to that. With that said I feel like I deserved the grade I've given myself but nothing can stop me from doing even better. I will apply myself harder for the rest of the semester and nothing more can really be said about that. I don't dominate conversations and make sure to give everyone a chance to speak and likewise I don't usually let everyone speak and I remain silent.

Tail of the Blue Bird: Ending Reflection

The last fifteen to twenty pages of the novel are so surprising. My initial reaction to the ending was that it was a great way to wrap up the story, however that being said it still leaves a lot of details about the case missing/unsolved so the reader never really gets a full sense of closure. The case aside, I found it very dramatic though not fully plausible that Kayo would so willingly accept death rather than work for a corrupt police chief:

Kayo held the inspector's piercing gaze, knowing that, contrary to the training he had received, he was acting on instinct over logic. 'You might as well shoot me then.' He turned and walked towards the dark mass of the forest beyond the clearing. The last thing he saw as he turned was Inspector Donkor raising his pistol to take aim. (168)

 Not only would he being doing the thing he loves (forensic science) but he would also be making great money. As mentioned in the novel, for him to make a decision like this he would have to do so by weighing his instinct much more heavily than his logic (which is unlike Kayo). This brings me to my next point though. In light of Kayo "acting on instinct over logic" (168) this shows that he has undergone an immense change since the beginning of the novel. As someone who initially made cold, calculated decisions- or at least took that approach towards many things in his life- for him to choose instinct over logic means that he has truly changed the kind of character he is for good. Whether this transformation is for good or bad is a matter of opinion, the point is somehow within this past of week of trying to solve this case he has changed for good. A very satisfying thing about the ending is how we see Kayo defy authority. Earlier in the novel, when he was being pulled over and forcibly made to cooperate with the police force he chose not to fully challenge his arrest. Here, at the end of the novel before he is about to be shot he challenges Inspector Donkor's authority and ultimately shows that he has not fallen victim to the power structure of the law.

Overall a great finish, though it still leaves bits of the case unanswered.

Tail of the Blue Bird: Breaking the Norm

I'm starting to really like Kayo as a character in the novel. I suppose the only way to explain it is that he's a very different type of character from the rest of the books we have read. He embodies a much more contemporary African man. I also like how he is a character that many people can relate to especially in terms of his dull, dreary working life. That being said the author throws in little quotes and details that the reader find interesting:

...he slipped Stevie Wonder's Innervisions CD into his computer and began to tidy his desk. He clicked his fingers to 'Too High'.

These small details to me at least make the story all the more interesting, they help develop the character even further and just give him an interesting personality. Unlike other novels we read such as "Things Fall Apart"the character here is not a hardened warrior and a tribal figure but rather he is a modern working man with a dull work life. It seems as if the author Nii Ayikwei Parkes is trying to break the norm with traditional African stories and wants to make a new leap in African literature. Another interesting subject I observed while reading was the corruption of the law. Nii Ayikwei Parkes does not seem to be the most fond person of the police as he goes out of his way to make the majority of them look corrupt and abusive with power especially Sergeant Ofosu as shown with his encounter with Kayo:

'Sergeant, you still haven't told me why I've been stopped.' Sergeant Ofosu rapped hard on Kayo's door. 'My friend, do you want me to break your legs or something? I said get out.'

In terms of what we have read so far the novel seems to be taking an interesting direction. I'm looking forward to reading further.

Nervous Conditions Ending

The last chapter of Nervous Condition was by far the most intense, that crammed as much stuff as possible within the last few pages of the novel. Nyasha's bulimia/anorexia as a result of her fathers attitude towards her (her father not understanding her and forcing her to eat) came as a huge surprise to me but then again was also hinted at prior to this. It was hinted when she was smoking cigarettes before and that showed how these eating disorders are much more of a Western concept in the sense that many people suffer from these to try and improve their image or because they have emotional problems. Tambu leaving and going to study at the other school was interesting as well. I was surprised that Babamukuru actually beat Tambu for her not going to the wedding because he is not her father and I am also surprised that he did not send her home like he said he would. In addition to Tambu's mom getting married I also found Maiguru leaving very interesting. Her brief time of leave only to come back very quickly shows that she cannot be self sufficient or that she loves Babamukuru too much, but I thought she would never go through with it even it was for such a short period of time. There is not much else to say other then so much happened in these last few chapters of the book and in such a short amount of time it really felt like there was a sense of urgency and tension within the last few pages. Finishing the books makes me wonder what the title of the book really means, what does "Nervous Conditions" mean. Is it referring to the nervous vibes and tense atmosphere given off from the last few pages of the book. Could it be something that happened earlier in the novel, or could the title be addressing a concept as a whole? It is something that I do not fully understand and can only speculate.

Harkness Reflection

1) I spoke twice
2) Did not speak at all
3) Talking a lot, evenly distributed to peers across the class
4) Talking a lot + text references

At first I felt like I had the problem of listening too much and not speaking enough and now I feel like I am an active participant at the harkness table. I speak only when no one else is speaking and actively listen as much as I possibly can. I do also contribute textual references from time to time and offer my analysis and viewpoints on certain topics. I feel like from time to time I may dominate and speak too much and not give others a chance to speak as much so I need to work on policing my frequency of talking. This is definitely an issue I am in the process of resolving.

Nervous Conditions Entry One: Westernisation and Education

Perhaps one of the most prevalent themes in Nervous Conditions is the theme of westernisation.

Tambu mentions: "Then when Nhamo came home at the end of his first year with Babamukuru, you could see he too was no longer the same person... there was one terrible change. He had forgotten how to speak Shona." (53)

This quote in its entirety describes how Nhamo was become more westernized. Tambu describes him as having looked healthier and fuller but more importantly he lost touch with his "cultural roots" his once primary language Shona becomes dominated by his English. This  idea of speaking English best shows westernisation because Nhamo's family more specifically his father believes that his English speaking skills are necessary for the families survival.

"The more time Nhamo spent at Babamukuru's, the more aphasic he became and the more my father was convinced that he was being educated." (53)

Again this quote reenforces the effect of westernisation on Nhamo from Tambu's point of view. The authors idea of westernisation goes hand in hand with education, in fact this is more or less what her definition is, becoming educated. Babamukuru's arrival from England is perhaps the best example of westernisation:

 "Babamukuru was concerned about the way in which the family was developing, pointing out that as an individual he had done what he could for the family's status by obtaining a Master's Degree; that he hoped his children would do as much again, if not more; that he was pleased that he was iin a position to provide his children with a fine start in that direction." (44)

Babamukuru having returned from England believes that the key to his families success lies in a good education. These ideas undoubtedly stem from his stay in his England, and this further proves the effect of westernisation on him. Babamukuru's westernisation goes further than just his education it has a large influence on his home as well as his family. Tambu describes her uncles westernisation through the details she has noticed at his house, the ammonia cleaner, tea strainers a large assortment of English tea etc. She describes her uncles house as being "decorated with the sort of accessories that the local interpretations of British interior-decor magazines were describing as standard" (70).

Book Cover

The current book cover we have for "Things Fall Apart" was my absolute favourite over all the other ones. I feel like it's the most powerful and effective cover for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the biggest reason is it is a great representation of the book. I believe the cracked dirt on the cover is there as a representation of the "things falling apart" so to speak. The face is also powerful, undoubtedly it must be Okonkwo's judging from his description in the book, and it gives the reader an interesting idea of what an Okonkwo type male figure would look like. This cover is perhaps the most simple of all, yet the most moving of them all and it undoubtedly makes the best book cover of them all.

Chimamanda Adichie Ted Talk Response

Adichie's TED talk discussed the very interesting concept of how one cannot describe a group of people just with a story. I found her point how this is often the case very interesting. She brought up some great points and examples during her discussion, one of my favourite being about her ignorant roommate. Her roommate had this preconceived notion that Adichie was an uneducated tribal figure, however as she soon found out this was not the case. Ideas and perceptions of an individual or society as a whole are a result of the single stories which is why they are so dangerous. Perhaps one of the most interesting points of her presentation was her view on stereotypes:

"The Problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make on story become the only story."

This is more or less the core of her presentation, that one story can be dangerous. Using Adichie's definition of a story, stereotypes themselves are "stories" to a certain extent. I do agree that a single story can have a damaging impact on the reputation of a group of individuals yet this goes two ways. On one hand you do have the damaging "stereotypes" however stories can also place a group of people in a positive light as well as a negative one. This point was best conveyed through her discussion at the beginning of the American and British books she had read as a child. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed her discussion, it was insightful and brought up a lot of great points some of which were very interesting, and others I had never even thought of before.

Things Fall Apart Entry Two: The Justice System

After our class discussion today I realised that the justice system in Umofia has a very backward way of running. What I mean to say is, it needs a lot of work and it is obviously very unfair. The first and most straightforward example would have to be the trial that goes on about the man that beats his wife.

"We have heard both sides of the case.' said Evil Forest. 'Our duty is not to blame this man or to praise that, but to settle the dispute...Go to your in-laws with a pot of wine and beg your wife to return to you. It is not bravery when a man fights with a woman.' (pg. 88-89)

This passage shows that the punishment for the man beating his wife over a period of many years is that he simply brings a pot of wine and begs for forgiveness. It is a very backwards system, unjust and unfair. It also is a very much male dominated justice system seeing that the panel is all men.

Things Fall Apart Entry One: Cultural Differences

One of the first things I took notice of when I started reading "Things Fall Apart" is that it is very much a patriarchal society that is displayed in this book. There is a strong separation between men and women, especially shown through the treatment of wives. This separation is not only evident between men and women but also between men and children. Okonkwo best displays this relationship with his three wives and many children. Obviously our culture and society runs in a much more different manner, and while I found some difference very interesting, I found others pretty shocking. A prime example being how people blindly follow what the oracles say, as it can lead to gruesome outcomes best shown when Okonkwo kills Ikefuma because it was prophesied. While I don't necessarily agree with some of the cultural beliefs it's important to still be tolerant, which leads to me my next point, Diana Aker Rhoads essay. She mentioned that the Umofian people being tolerant of other cultures is prevalent throughout the book, the following passage displays it very well.

Passage Analysis:

"But what is good in one place is bad in another place"

This very short spoken passage by Obierikas elder brother displays that while the people of Umofia can be critical of other clans and their traditions, they are still tolerant of their cultures though they might not be the same as theirs. This directly relates to the point in Diana Aker Rhoads essay, that the Umofian's are tolerant of other cultures.

First Glance:

Overall, the book is pretty good, at least so far. I've already managed to learn a lot about the Umofian people as details about their culture, society and economy have developed greatly of the course of the book. To say the least, their culture and belief system is vastly different from ours, which can be a good and bad thing at the same time.