Imperial Federation Map
How Britian Once Viewed the World
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Living in Exile/Okonkwo Flees to Mbanta
After being forced to leave Umuofia, Okonkwo takes his family to live in the village of Mbanta with his mother's people. There Okonkwo is welcomed by his cousins and his mother's brother Uchendu. It is Uchendu who helps Okonkwo accept the circumstances of his exile and to find the strength he needs to support and protect his family. It is Uchendu who also provides the wisdom and experience both Okonkwo and Obierika need to understand the difficulties the clan will face as they confront the coming of the European missionaries and colonists. Think about some of the stories and observations Uchendu shares with the men. Consider what he tells them about how the men of their generation no longer know their neighbors, his use of the story of Mother Kite, Daughter Kite, and the duckling, and even his saying, "There is no story that is not true." You may even consider how it is Uchendu who stops Okonkwo from killing Nwoye after he learns about his involvement with the white church. Obviously, the foundation for the coming cultural conflict is established in Part Two. Based on what you've read, what potential cultural conflict do you see and why will it not be easily/responsibly resolved? Please support what you say with evidence from the text.
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In Part Two, the foundation for the coming cultural conflict is established. The potential cultural conflict that I see based on what I’ve read is that a father gets mad at his own son for having his opinion. For instance, when Okonkwo found out that Nwoye was interested in the Christian church he was very upset and didn’t want to talk about it. He even attempted to kill Nwoye, his own son, by holding him by the neck and beating him with a stick, but was stopped by his Uncle Uchendu. This conflict will not be easily/ responsibly resolved because Okonkwo wants his son to be like himself, but he realizes that he actually is like his dad, Unoka. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was in really bad debt and he is a despicable man and Okonkwo feels Nwoye is turning out the same way.
ReplyDeleteThe cultural conflict in Part Two is the language barrier the two religions/ cultures have. The fact that the missionaries don't speak the same language as the African people, that they tend to take over, shows that a huge misinterpretation from either culture will occur. This instance has already taken place when the missionaries came to Mbanta to tell the people that their gods didn't exist and only one god did, "Him." The interpreter used the words "your buttocks" instead of the word "yourself," which came to great humor amongst the village people who witnessed these mistakes of their language but angered the missionaries. So, the result will soon be that when the missionaries try to communicate the actions they are taking in these villages and the people find amusement in what they are saying, there will be much anger and fighting to stop the laughter from happening.
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