Heroes

I think that to be an everyday hero you need to have a lot of courage. Standing up for someone who needs it is a huge act of empathy and kindness. Empathy is putting in someone else’s shoes and trying to understand their situation.  People that put their life in risk to help others are heroes. People have died to save others and this shows strength and courage from the person that is doing anything to save another person or more than one person. Even though people have lost their life’s to save others, there are people that help others in a long-term instead of saving them in the moment. The people that help others in long-term are the ones that do charity or any social service that will help the community and the people that’s need that help. The heroes that I admire the most are the ones that are not afraid and the ones that would do anything to save someone from something.. Those that make the difference.

“Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake Up and Live!”

- Bob Marley

This is personal in my life because it helps me to see that when something is wrong or things are going bad, it doesn’t mean that everything is not good. Life is about going on and learning from your mistakes and not getting attached to them. It’s better seeing and motivate from the one little thing that is in the bad things than only seeing the negative side of everything. “Life is one big road with lots of signs…” this means that everything happens for a reason and even if this things are right or wrong, in the end of the way they make you who you are and they also make you stronger. A strong person is the one that knows how to enjoy and be thankful for everything that they have and don’t burry themselves into their problems because that is not what life is about. In life we will have a lot of ups and downs and we need to learn how to control our emotions and how to fight our problems with the strength that we have developed. Everyone suffers from problems and its not easy to be happy when you are going through something difficult but we need to have the disposition of moving on and don’t let that our happiness depends on others. People change, things go wrong, just remember LIFE GOES ON.

Part III- Things Fall Apart

Okonkwo has everything planed when he returns to Umuofia, He have two more wives and two beautiful unmarried daughters.

He thought that he will caused an impact to the village, however this will not be possible because Umuofia change. The church had develop and grow in strength and the white men develop a juridical system to the village.

Okonkwo was very  mad because he couldn't believe that a strong people as Umuofia wouldn't exile the white men, but the event of Abame cause sadness and fear among the people. 

However, Akuna ( one of the clans leader) and Mr. Brown, the white missionary spend hours talking about religion, but the white missionary was a clever man because he began to learn about religion and who to manipulate the people of Umuofia. So he began to built schools and hospitals but Mr. Brown began to get ill so he was force to go away, and Mr Smith took his place.

Mr. Smith wasn't a clever man as Mr. Brown, he was very close minded and intolerant person, so he only knew one thing: black is bad and white is good. As time passed, more and more people began to convert, one of them was Enoch, he was an intolerant and selfish man who unmask an egwugwu during the annual ceremony to honor Mother Earth. The next day, egwugwu burn up the church.

Time passed and Mr. Smith talk to the District Commissioner; they

 talk to the clans leaders and Okonkwo was among them, the news 

was that they could allowed another violent crime as the egwugwu

 do, so they say that they had to pay two hundred fifty bags of cowries, if they didn't pay them, the leaders will be death.

The people of Umuofia decided to pay the fine.

After their release, the village began to get mad towards the white men, so they set up a meeting. The next morning, Okonkwo was enthusiastic and exited because he thought that his people finally will fight against the white men. He took out his war clothes and his machete, the began to remember his years of glory.

At the meeting, they were gather all the clan´s nine years; the first speaker began to lament about the damage caused by the church and the white men. He reminded the clan that is worth to fight against this injustice. In the middle of the speech, five court messengers were among the crowd so Okonkwo took his machete and kills one of them. The reaction of the crowd wasn't Okonkwo expectations, they allowed the messengers escaped and they began to question Okonkwo, why he killed a messenger? .

In that moment, Okonkwo understand that the people will never going to fight.

The District Commissioner began to search for Okonkwo, and the ones that didn't cooperate they will go to prision. Obierka and a group of men began to search for him and they found Okonkwo in a tree, he hanged himself.

Things Fall Apart

Achebe, C. (1958) Things Fall Apart. New York: Reed Consumer Books.

Part II- Things Fall Apart

Okonkwo is working really hard on his new farm that was built with the help of his uncle called Uchendu. Okonkwo has been feeling disappointed because he has worked all his life just because he wants to become one of the lords of the clan, but now he knows and accepts that this possibility is gone.

The next day Uchendu gathered all Okonkwo´s family including him. Uchendu says to Okonkwo that one of the most common names they give in the tribe of Mbanta is Nneka, that its meaning is “Mother is Supreme”, this means that a man belongs to his fatherland and stays there when life is good, but he seeks refuge in his motherland when life is bitter and harsh, Uchendu also advises Okonkwo to receive the comfort of the motherland gratefully. He reminds Okonkwo that many have been worse than him.

Uchendu life is worst thanOkoknkwo´s life because he has lost all but one of his six wives and buried twenty-two children and even though in his life had appeared bad obstacles his attitude is positive, because life goes on and we have to go with it, so Uchendu tells Okonkwo a really motivate phrase that surprised Okonkwo this one is: “I did not hang myself, and I am still alive.”

His friends Obierika visited Okonkwo the second day oh his exile, he arrived with two men beside him carrying heavy bags in their head. Okonkwo presented Obierika to Uchendu and his family as his best friend.

Obierika arrived to Mbanta to tell Okonkwo that when Abame was on the market three white men (powerful people whom create poerful guns, strong drinks and take slaves away across the sea)sorrounded him and killed him. Uchendu heard all the story of how Abame was killed and for that motive Uchendu told that: "Never kill a man who says nothing" so he started to talk about the story of mother kite ans his son the young kite. Okonkwo remembered that all the time he lived in Umofia the peple have paid for Abame foolishness.

Obierika gaves Okonkwo the heavy bags and this ones were all the money of the yams of Okonwo, that Obierika selled when Okonkwo left the tribe.

The missionaries have arrived to Umofia, they had built a christian church there, won a handful of converts and were already sending evangelists to the sorroundin town and villages.

When Obierika arrived to Umofia he found out that Nwoye was part of the new faith called "Christianity".

The missionaries have also caused a considerable stir in the village of Mbanta. There were 6 men and one of them was a white man, this white man spoke to the village as an interpreter, but the problems was that Mbanta people started to laugh at him because he had a different dialect, this missionaries started to talk about the new religion called "Christianity" and of their Gods. At one moment and interpreter told the white man: "All gods that you have named are not gods at all, they are gods od deceit who tell you to kill you fellows and destroy children there is only one god that has all". The white man replied, "Your god are not alive and cannot do any harm".

There was a young lad who have been captivated by the new faith this boy is called Nwoye, that is the first son of Okonwko. Nwoye decided to enter to Christianity religion because he felt a relief on the hymn that poured into his parched soul. The words of the hymn were like the drops of frozen rain, melting on the dry palate of the panting earth.

The villagers pointed out that sometimes their ancestral spirits will allow an offending man a grace period of twenty-eight days before they punish his sins, but they are completely astounded when nothing happened after twenty-eight days. The church thus wins more converted, including a pregnant woman, Nneka, a women that with four previous pregnancies produced twins, and her husband and his family are not sorry to see her go.

When Nwoye returned to Umofia, Okonkwo as a worried father choked him by the neck, demanding to know where he has been. Uchendu orders him to let go of the boy. Nwoye leaves his father’s compound and travels to a school in Umuofia to learn reading and writing. Okonkwo wonders how he could ever have fathered such an effeminate, weak son.

One day, several osu, or outcasts, went to the Christianity church. Many of the converts moved away from them, though they don´t leaved the service. Afterward, there is an uproar, but Mr. Kiaga firmly refused to deny the outcasts membership to the church. He argues that they will not die if they cut their hair or break any of the other taboos that have been imposed upon them. Mr. Kiaga’s steadfast conviction persuaded most of the other converts not to rejected their new faith simply because the outcasts have joined them. The osu soon become the most zealous members of the church. To the clan’s disbelief, one boasts that he killed the sacred royal python. Okonkwo urges Mbanta to drive the Christians out with violence, but the rulers and elders decide to ostracize them instead. Okonkwo bitterly remarks that this is a “womanly”clan. After announcing the new policy of ostracism, the elders learn that the man who boasted of killing the snake has died of an illness. The villagers’ trust in their gods is thereby reaffirmed, and they cease to ostracize the converts.

It was going to be Okonkwo´s largest harvest in Mbanta. Aulthou he has propered in his motherland he knew that he would have prospered more in Umofia, because is a land where man were bold and warlike.

As soon as Okonkwo entered to his last year of exile, he sented money to Obierika to built him 2 hut in his old compound where he and his family will live.

Okonkwo has prepared his entire thing to return to Umofia, but before this happens he wanted to prepare a beautiful feast with the help of his 3 wives for his mother that received him in Mbanta with so much love and support. All the tribe was invited to the feat, because they all helped Okonkwo and his famility to improve their life and Uchendu prayed for Okonkwo and his family.

Things Fall Apart

Achebe, C. (1958) Things Fall Apart. New York: Reed Consumer Books.

Mother Kite

On chapter fifteen of the book called "Things fall apart” there´s a story told by Chendu to Okonkwo, the story is told by the next way:

Mother kite once sent her daughter to bring food. She went and brought back a duckling. "You have done very well" said mother kite to her daughter "but tell me, what did the mother of the duckling said when you swooped and carried it´s child away?" "it said nothing" replied the young kite. "It just walked away". "You must return the duckling" said mother kite. "There is something ominous behind the silence". And so daughter kite returned the duckling and took a chick instead. "What did the mother of the chick do?"  asked the old kite. " It cried and raved and cursed me" said the young kite. "Then we can eat the chick" said her mother. "There is nothing to fear from someone who shouts". "Those men of Abame were fools".

This fable may be is a little bit exaggerated by the way things are told or explained, but at the end this fable give us a big message, a message that when you read it you just opened your eyes and see that this situation appears every day in our life’s.

By reading this story we just analyze that there is nothing to fear from someone who shouts, hits or do bad things to yourself, because they are not superior to you, they are as you, human beings with feelings, just remember that you know yourself, you known what you deserve, just as you know how you deserve to be treated, but I think that no one deserves to be treated like that and less being treated bad by a persons that is the same like you a human being with feelings and right, and remember that one right that human beings have is: Being treated by the way you deserve and that no one can discriminate you by that way. And if one day you are treated that way, remember that another right is the freedom of speech, you have the right to express what you feel because sometimes keeping secrets in a silence can be worst.

Sometimes the people that are in silence and don´t express what they feel are the persons that suffer the most or are the persons that keep the worst things or secrets in the world, but just remember there exists human being rights.

Things Fall Apart

Achebe, C. (1958) Things Fall Apart. New York: Reed Consumer Books.

Summary of Chapters 6-13: Thing Fall Apart

The wrestling began with matches between boys with the ages of fifteen and sixteen. Maduka the son of Okonkwo won one match in seconds. Chielo, the oracle of the hills and caves call Enzima, "My daughter", because she reached the age of ten.

Ikemefuna lived with Okonkwos family about three years, and Okonkwo knew that his son Nwoye development was because of Ikemefunas influence.

Okonkwo visited Ogbuefi Ezeudu, whom told in private that the Oracle has ordered that Ikemefuna must be killed.

During a long walk home with Umuofia, Ikemefuna thought about seeing his mother. After hours of walking, a man attacks him with a machete, Ikemefuna cries to Okonkwo for help, but Okonkwo left him down.When Okonkwo arrived home, he felt into a depression where he couldn´t slept or ate.

One day Ekwefi told Okonkwo that Enzima was dying with fever. Ekwefi’s nine other children died because of fever. She developed the activity of curing with simbolic phrases such as:  “Onwumbiko,” which means, “Death, I implore you,” and “Ozoemena,” which means, “May it not happen again.” Then Okonkwo got a medicine man who told him that ogbanje (a  child who continually re-enters its mother’s womb only to die again and again, causing its parents grief).

A Justice ceremony started with the Egwuwus (mens that used masks about spiritual ancestors), this ceremony was about a divorce, where Uzowulu was angry because one day the brothers of his wife came one day they hit him and took his wife without telling something, then the brothers and the wife told that she lived with Ozowulu 9 years where she was hit by him and one day he made her miscarried.

 

Ekwefi tells Ezinma a story about a greedy tortoise, Tortoise that was so cunning was invited to the bird’s party, where she ate all the delicious food and left the birds without it, but suddenly it learnt about its error when at the end of the part it felt down and broke all.

Chielo, as a priestess, informed Ekwefi that Agbala, wished to saw Ezinma. Chielo took Ezinma on her back and forbid anyone to follow.

Okonkwos family started to prepare all the things for the event, the people of the village got goats to sacrified for food and 50 pots of wine. Obierika looked amazing and beautiful; there was a beautiful dance.

During the ceremony Okonkwo shooted the son Ogbuefi, killing a clansman is a crime, that’s why Okonkwo gathered his most valuable things and took his family to his mother’s village called Mbanta.

Things Fall Apart

Achebe, C. (1958) Things Fall Apart. New York: Reed Consumer Books.

Summary of Chapters 1-6: Things Fall Apart

In this story we learn about the Ibo tribe. The main character, Okonkwo is a tall, huge and famous man. He is known throughout the nine villages. He has a lot of power, everyone respects him; he is a wealthy farmer and has 3 wives. He supports his three wives and eight children; each wife has her own hut.

 

But his father, Unoka, who died ten years ago, was a thin and a debtor man. Everyone laugh at him. He was very poor and had lots of debts. 

Unoka once visited an Oracle and the Oracle told him that he failed because of his laziness. Unoka died of a shameful illness. Those suffering from swelling stomachs and limbs are left in the Evil Forest to die.

Okonkwo hated everything that Unoka had loved; his had a lot of fear of being like his father, fear of failure and weakness.

Okonkwo did not have the start in life that others had; Unoka was never able to have a successful harvest. Okonkwo asked wealthy clansman, Nwakibie, to give him 400 seed yams to start a farm, and he gave him eight hundred. Later, a friend of his father gave him another four hundred. Unfortunately Okonkwo just kept one third of the harvest. That year’s devastating harvest left a profound mark on Okonkwo.  

During the Week of Peace, Okonkwo sees that his youngest wife is not in the house and she did not prepare the afternoon meal. When she came back he beats her. The priest says to Okonkwo that he has to sacrifice a nanny goat and a hen and pay a fine.

After the Week of Peace, the villagers begin to clear the land in preparation for planting their farms.

Okonkwo becomes angry, and he beat his second wife, Ekwefi. Then he decides to go hunting, he is not a good hunter, and so Ekwefi says something about guns that never shot. He gets angry, he shoots with the gun but he did not hurt her.

Here we can see how all the wives take care of each other.

The day after the feast is the annual wrestling contest; Ekwefi, in particular, enjoys the contest because Okonkwo won her heart when he defeated the Cat. Ezinma, Ekwefi’s only child, is Okonkwo´s favorite but rarely demonstrates his affection.

The wrestling match takes place on the village ilo. It was the first time people saw such a large crowd. The wrestling begins between boys of 15 or 16 years old. Maduka, wins one match. As the wrestling continues, Ekwefi speaks with Chielo, the priestess of Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and Caves.  The last match was between the leaders of the teams: Okafo wins.

Things Fall Apart

Achebe, C. (1958) Things Fall Apart. New York: Reed Consumer Books.