Prompt - Control Room

Prompt : It is ok for the government to mislead in order to promote security. I do not necessarily agree with this statement, however, I do not disagree with it either. For the purpose of this task, I would agree to the statement in regard to the aftermath of watching the documentary : The Control Room. Firstly it is worth noting that this documentary is by Al Jazeera, a media outlet in that focuses and is based largely within the Arab/ Middle Eastern community. Although it is described as being objective, no amount of pure objectivity can be measured and thus subjectivity is present.

The statement just contradicts the position and role of the government. Although some may see it as ok to mislead to promote security , it falsifies claims of governments misleading in general. Furthermore, equating this, proves that not only would people be upset, but it would start to question the integrity of the government and position in general. In a Democratic system, one would elect a candidate based on policy,social agenda and attitudes. It isn't till however, action is put into place and real work is actually done. The way governments handle and manipulate within society such as media, is a prevalent factor in asking "Why did we even elect him/her if all they say is lies". This ties into international disputes as seen through propaganda/media manipulation in the Control Room and reaction to people/public to solidify false reasoning on entering the Iraqi War.

One perspective one can look at this is : It is illegal for Advertisers to mislead/change info of their product or what happens with the product in relation to consumers. Isn't Propaganda by the government just in fact, false advertising, yet somehow legal? How do we know that the product we consume(media, speeches, propaganda) is right from both internal and external sources?

Prompt - Control Room

Prompt : It is ok for the government to mislead in order to promote security. I do not necessarily agree with this statement, however, I do not disagree with it either. For the purpose of this task, I would agree to the statement in regard to the aftermath of watching the documentary : The Control Room. Firstly it is worth noting that this documentary is by Al Jazeera, a media outlet in that focuses and is based largely within the Arab/ Middle Eastern community. Although it is described as being objective, no amount of pure objectivity can be measured and thus subjectivity is present.

The statement just contradicts the position and role of the government. Although some may see it as ok to mislead to promote security , it falsifies claims of governments misleading in general. Furthermore, equating this, proves that not only would people be upset, but it would start to question the integrity of the government and position in general. In a Democratic system, one would elect a candidate based on policy,social agenda and attitudes. It isn't till however, action is put into place and real work is actually done. The way governments handle and manipulate within society such as media, is a prevalent factor in asking "Why did we even elect him/her if all they say is lies". This ties into international disputes as seen through propaganda/media manipulation in the Control Room and reaction to people/public to solidify false reasoning on entering the Iraqi War.

One perspective one can look at this is : It is illegal for Advertisers to mislead/change info of their product or what happens with the product in relation to consumers. Isn't Propaganda by the government just in fact, false advertising, yet somehow legal? How do we know that the product we consume(media, speeches, propaganda) is right from both internal and external sources?

'Don't be Afraid' - Trump (Parody Post)

YOU Aren't Safe - Trump states after Presidential Win in his luxurious palace in New York

"Of Course, if I tell them, everything will be alright I would be lying. Indeed I would. People in this country aren't safe and that's the truth. Us, we, real American people are in danger and I will take action" said Trump after an interview on CBS News. 

The interview took place in the Trump Tower Penthouse and marked Trump's first televised sit-down since his brilliant and no contest win over Hillary Clinton. Topics were talked about, but what caught many eyes, is President Trumps focus on social divisions and global independence for the United States. Social divisions were controlled by Trump and part of his thought out campaign promises in his steamroll at winning the White House. 

Trump admitted that despite his election day highs, he is focused on being our president and an amazing one at that. Trump also talked about policies such as a wall which would separate Mexico and USA and raised a question for our people: "Are you safe?" in which he backed up by saying that our country is filled with Mexican rapists and terrorists. Supporters from all over the east and west coast spoke about their joy and one was quoted saying 'Get them out of OUR country!'. 

It's excellent to see such patriotism from Donald and his loyal supporters and us Americans. This country is going places and needs Trump to stay afloat. The only problem we face is "Can anybody be better than Trump"? To which many Americans don't need to say a word.

SOURCE : http://nation.foxnews.com/2016/11/13/trump-divided-america-dont-be-afraid

NOTE* THIS IS A PARODY POST.

Plath IOC - Daddy

https://soundcloud.com/owais-tuba-jadwat/daddy-slyvia-plath-ioc

Another One - IOC Outline for Coriolanus

A: Contextualize

-Act 1 Scene III
-Our first Introduction to significant secondary characters in Volumnia and Virgilia(Mother and Wife of Martius) in a domestic setting
-Shortly after Coriolanus/Martius returns from the victory at Corioli 

B: Overview

-The Passage is a conversation between Virgilia and Volumnia. 
-It involves both women who are close to Coriolanus and have a significant relationship

C: Purpose
-To indirecytly characterize coriolanus from his mother's perspective(secondary characters).

D: Structure
- Linear structure in sequential pattern
- This passage is a represented with two dialogue characters
-Passage situated in a calm setting(household/domestic) contrary to the tone of the previous scene
-Small Soliloquy by Volumnia expressing her opinions clearly, establishing some authority over Virgilia
-Out

E: Main idea
- Purpose and significance were to express how two secondary characters of close relations can help characterize Coriolanus, but more important the indirect characterization of Coriolanus through Volumnia(the mother's) perspective. It is worth mentioning that is very obvious to the audience where Coriolanus gets his attitude/values from based on the soliloquy which contributes to the mood and tone of the passage.



Comment on Shakespeare's Characterization of Volumnia
What is significant about Shakespeare's  use of imagery in this passage?

1. In the following passage, Shakespeare's intentions are clear and simple with the characterization of Volumnia. It is worth noting that this scene takes place in Act 1 Scene 3, therefore this is the first time the audience is exposed to both Virgilia and Volumnia. Contrary to the previous scene of which Coriolanus returns as a hero from a blood bath in Corioli, the setting of the domestic(sewing in household) provides a calmness at first glance however, in regard to the first guiding question we can see this is not the case through Volumnia's speech. In Lines 1-5, Volumnia expresses how if Coriolanus was not her son, she would restrain him, but in lines 20-14, this can be argued against as Volumnia makes it clear about her values and attitudes towards Rome saying " I had rather had eleven die nobly for their country than one voluptuously surfeit out of action", which means she is proud of Coriolanus willing to fight and would rather lose him than essentially lose Rome. In retrospective we can see that this could foreshadow the conclusion of the plot, as volumnia is declared the hero of Rome toward the end of the story. Throughout the passage she is referred to using very aggressive vocabulary supporting her son's bloodlust and hunger to fight. Shakespeare does this intentionally to possibly contrast her to Coriolanus' wife Virgilia who is in fact the opposite.

2. Shakespeare makes significant use of imagery throughout the passage, describing bloody brows, vicious bears , and honorable men. Each of these are significant to Volumnia's speech of which she is describing her son and the valor of Rome. This is to display and characterize Coriolanus as a honorable and brave hero as well as an exaggeration to her values and morals toward Rome being superior to those such as Aufidius or previously independent Corioli.

Practice IOC Outline : Royal Beatings

A : Contextualise - 

-Royal Beatings was published later in Munro's career in the collection ' Who do you think you are'.

-A unifying feature in Royal Beatings, is the tight,claustrophobic and mundane setting of the  shack that is set during the depression.

B: Overview -

-This passage is set shortly after the exposition and presents a scene of the narrator describing the shed and her father.

C: Narrator - 

-The narrator used in this passage is first person narrative and the readers receive insights into the protagonist’s thoughts and feelings.

-The tone used in this passage is one that is reflective and evaluative of her surroundings and setting.

D: Structure - 

-Since the protagonist is describing her environment, she is also reflecting on memories that relate within it which changes structure  but the story generally follows a chronological order.

-A mix of exposition and dialogue but there is more exposition. This is to highlight the narrator’s position in her setting. She describes each area in vivid fashion.

E: Main Idea - 

-The purpose of this passage is to exaggerate the effect of setting and character development in the short story.

Munro's uses direct comparison of Rose's father to the setting. This also intends to play a massive role in character development. It's dreary domestic setting, adds to significance of title, and Rose's attitudes toward her current situation and her father. Munro's purposefully uses this domestic setting to allow expression of the narrator, making it clear how she has been 'changed' and how life has affected her and her father.

 

                       

PRACTICE IOC ALICE MUNRO

SoundCloud link : https://soundcloud.com/owais-tuba-jadwat/alice-munro-iochttps://soundcloud.com/owais-tuba-jadwat/alice-munro-ioc

Wallace's Theory applied to Literary pieces created by Alice Munro

In his essay 'This is Water' David Foster Wallace suggeststhat true freedom acquired through education is the ability to be adjusted, conscious, and sympathetic. 
How does he develop this thesis? What examples or evidence does he use? 
How does this theory extend or relate to our inquiry question? How can literature develop empathy and emotional intelligence?

TASK: Considering the above, in what ways could Wallace’s theory about education be applicable to the writing of Alice Munro? Justify your conclusion.

David Foster Wallace explores both the reality of everyday life and our awareness to others whether that be a reaction, general consciousness or experiencing something such as a feeling. In his Essay 'This is Water', Wallace delves into the depths of hidden truths that society has chosen not to reveal, but explains that one can only learn of these through self awareness and realization. After touching up on emotional intelligence and empathy, Wallace develops his thesis by subtly using these concepts in his literary piece, provoking a typical reaction such as "Oh yeah I didn't realize that" or "That is so true". Whilst elaborating on empathy , he explains that this emotion and feeling is hard to trigger within someone and to true understand someone in the different aspects he had previously mentioned(conscious,sympathetic,adjusted) you must have this experience of feeling empathetic.

In regard to how literature can develop empathy and emotional intelligence he vaguely crosses this border allowing for the audience to figure it out for themselves after reading his essay. Literature can capture the essence of empathy and emotional intelligence through speech,actors and descriptive words that may or may not develop ones emotional intelligence or trigger an empathetic reaction. For example, a sense in ones facial expression,speech and tone could mean a change in feeling that person(or character in literature) or provoke a reaction from a previous remark or statement. Being able to recognize this through literature can vastly develops ones emotional intelligence(realization and reaction to ones change in emotion). 

With Empathy, the author generally tries to trigger emotions in the plot of the story and usually tries to relate their audience to a likable character(whether good or bad) that appeals to the reader. This creates a form of intimacy of which the reader feels as if they are not reading about x character's life or experiences, but rather sharing them with them, which can trigger an emotional reaction and therefore developing empathy in someone.

As I said earlier, Wallace stated that "Empathy is hard to create and feel" and specifically relating to Alice  Munro and her short stories, she wants to achieve this. She wants to trigger empathy to her target audience of which is prevalent to be the female gender, whether that be a younger girl or older woman. The specific appeal is how her  short stories are seemingly based off her real life experiences which relates back to how the author generally wants the reader to have a connection with a character. In every one of her short stories she creates a character to which women can relate to, creating and developing empathy out of the story. Expanding further, Munro looks to scope into another's life through experiences that people may or may have not experienced, educating them with insights while keeping the style and norm of literature allowing for education, developing of ones self(EI and empathy) and a good read. 

Quick Note : I felt very satisfied and quite enjoyed reading 'This is Water' and saw a huge connection after learning the purpose of why we studied Alice Munro and why we had been asked to read 'This is Water'. Hoped you gained insight and understood what I was trying to communicate!

The First Day - Summer Blog Post 2

I am surprised. The only word I can describe it. For 8 years in Raha this was the first that truly impressed me, just a little though. I'm not going to ramble about my opinions of the school before and  in its current state but I truly was surprised by the addressing of student feedback and its role in changing the school for the better. Although I do not enjoy school that much,  I do feel better about this year with excitement. Whether that be new facilities that may help us manage our time more efficiently or just that I am relishing the final year of studies, that is simply beyond me to answer.

With this I will say, I was happy to see my friends, most of my teachers and to be greeted with a new food provider. Since this is an English blog, I thought I would touch up on the end of last year and the start of the new year. Last year I would say was a success for me during the course as I established my knowledge whilst applying it toward assessments and the mock exams. My consolidation of ACTS skills and identifying themes,meaning and context has improved massively helping me for the mock exam and this coming year. One of the texts we all know we had studied had been Things Fall Apart, which I did not enjoy in terms of enjoyment and style of writing. The analysis was fine and all that but simply as a casual reader, it was terrible. On the other hand I am excited to read this Texts in Translations book called 'The Thief and the Dog' which will be interesting I bet. I am also excited in starting some poetry(surprised myself I know) mainly to helping my skills involving underlying themes and for the mock exams. I don't think poetry was my strong suit and this poetry unit should help with a previous text we had studied, Coriolanus.

School has started pretty well, for now at least! Until next time!

Time Flies - Summer Blog Post 1

So I sit here thinking, what a boring summer I've had. Firstly I have travelled over 34 hours this summer, including car trips from the airport to accommodation and of course flights. I'm sitting here, still exhausted and fatigued, while school begins just around the corner, pleasantly greeting me with my final year of IB. Oh how wonderful!

On a serious note, there were some positives to my summer which included staying in Mauritius and exploring the island. The hospitality on offer by the people we met exceeded my expectations and I was shocked at the copious amounts of people that spoke fluent French. I then forgot that Mauritius was a french colony alongside its neighboring island yet every day it surprised me. That one week  I spent there felt  very long, but I was enjoying myself so I guess time doesn't a fly when you are having fun!

Interestingly enough news scandals such as continued terror attacks in France and the Oscar Pistorius case had continued throughout the summer which didn't come as a shock toward me. During my trip to South Africa I felt very strongly about the Oscar Pistorius case of which was going in his decision until he walked on his limp legs in court as a pity plea which seemed to enrage me. Eventually however he was thrown into jail as lawful justice yet his jail sentence had decreased massively.

Another year at Raha, Another year in Abu Dhabi. My last and final year begins and presents numerous amounts of obstacles and challenges that I must overcome to finish the final stint of my schooling years. 

Here's hoping all goes well.

EDIT :Next Blog Post will be my first day back

Personal History - Thesis #2

The personal history of an author can have a significant influence on the way meaning is constructed in his/her writing. Comment on specific instances of such influence in Things Fall Apart.


In Chinua Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart, there are multiple instances where Achebe's personal history has a significant influence on the way meaning is constructed in the novel.  Achebe's personal faith, along with his extended knowledge on african history, all combine to forge meaning that contributes towards the overwhelming theme of duality in the novel

TS1: Achebe's purposefully uses the character of Obereika to communicate the rich and principled African culture .He uses this character to compound the essence that the culture holds whilst communicating a larger reasoning for the locals being able to hold an open-minded outlook on religion.Achebe uses his Christian upbringing to provide two perspectives in the novel.

TS2: Achebe uses the character Mr.Brown for religious duality whilst also helping with the cultural context of the novel. This character is used to reinforce the significance of the Igbo society or "centre" in the novel.

TS3: In the poem titled "Second Coming", Achebe uses a significant chunk of this poem to articulate the duality will lead to the crumble of breaking society and "Things Fall(ing) Apart". This is further recognized through Okonkwo's downfall and role as tragic hero.

Paper 2 Thesis Practice

With reference to "Things Fall Apart", discuss how an understanding of gender influences how the text may be understood: 

Understanding of the theme gender in the novel "Things Fall Apart" is crucial in understanding roles of women and men in Igbo society and the perspective of the protagonist Okonkwo on these roles. Thus, understanding of gender can be crucial in aiding the development in cultural context and more importantly helping in the characterization of Okonkwo, by exposing his tragic flaw, harmatia.

TS1:  After his exile to Mbanta, Okonkwo reconvenes with his uncle Uchendu,who is shocked by Okonkwo's ignorance toward women inferior power in society, comparing him to a child. This underlines the extent of Okonkwo's ignorance and delusional state of mind in understanding the true roles of women. Using the juxtaposition of women and men in the novel, Achebe's comparison can further help with decontextualization of the text and understanding cultural context.

TS2: Okonkwo's daughter Enzima is a woman of manly qualities and traits, of which Okonkwo cannot resist, yet the idea of her gender, completely transforms his emotions and affection into pity. This shows how Okonkwo is unable to mesh masculine gender characteristics with the "inferior" gender due to his tragic flaw.

TS3: Okonkwo's dear friend Oberika, of who holds a different arsenal of traits in his locker, generally contradicts Okonkwo's opinions and thoughts. When interacting with him, Okonkwo is persistent with his incomprehension of women in Igbo society, which is further recognized through these conversations with his intelligent friend.

Okonkwo - Tragic Hero Archetype

It is obvious that in the novel Things Fall Apart, the protagonist is characterized as a tragic hero in one of the most common techniques of past and modern literature. The extent of its effectiveness and detail that it embodies very much exceeds the classical linguistic convention.

The novel entails of the reader witnessing a competitive Igbo society that is being destroyed, of which holds a tragic story from the exposition of the book toward its tragic demise.  We, the audience, are presented with a bold and upfront man who possesses traits of overwhelming success and power in a small village of Umofia. With only one view in the beginning, Okonkwo holds strong values of which he follows closely and had to work tirelessly throughout his life to overcome the adversities to lead him to his current success. It is only when exposed to society and different interactions and relationship we learn the true Okonkwo, thus leading us to predict and observe his inevitable downfall. This is due entirely to the audience, overlooking the novel, and quite truly understanding its meaning and Okonkwo's characterization in Igboland, whilst only realizing this upon later review. The treatment and attitudes of the people in Igboland can correlate with European culture, with disruptions in peace and never being able to co-exist successfully or for a long period of time.

With Okonkwo's masculine and anti-feministic values, contributes toward his attitude of having these values not co-exist with non physical confrontation or any other feminine way of sorting things out. Not only does this contribute to the loss of culture in Umofia, but Okonkwo is a key product of society as Achebe not only characterizes Okonkwo as a tragic hero, but rather the whole of Igboland. Okonkwo embodies true tragic hero concepts and characteristics such as Harmartia(Tragic Flaw), Hubris(Extreme Pride and Arrogance) and Peripeteia(reversal of circumstance). Furthermore these systems fail, and Okonkwo's flaws are not recognized truly of which creates the classical archetype of the tragic hero in Things fall Apart.

Achebe wants readers to understand the struggles of holding ones culture when faced with colonial powers. He wants readers to see how colonization has affected many cultures and wants them to understand a broader knowledge of how Okonkwo's tragic ending was suffered by the ignorance of his own culture and exhaustful hubris.

Okonkwo: Analysis

Throughout Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo displays a variety of characteristics and traits that either accommodate or disregard traditional Igbo culture and values.

In the exposition and throughout the novel, Okonkwo makes it very clear that he expresses dislike for his father and forces himself to be active and decisive. He uses the cultivation and harvesting of his yams to show his extremely autonomous side of his character. He uses this to show his success and his attitude and work ethic is very much a desired and important trait in the Igbo Culture. This enabled Okonkwo to embrace his wealth and attain much respect through buying titles and trying to reach ozo. This of course gave Okonkwo a higher status among the Igbo people through his hard work and personal achievements such as wrestling Amalize The Cat. With this image of himself, Okonkwo presents himself as an intimidating person of which is needed to survive in a very much competitive society."He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had no patience with his father"(p.1)This makes him inflict these values of hard work on his child Nwoye and follows this path strictly to attain high respect from others and to maintain self respect of himself. We can contradict this statement toward the end however, as he starts to become doubtful and inevitably commits suicide of which is shameful sin in the Igbo society. Okonkwo contradicts his values of respect by fighting for pride amongst others, but ultimately when in need, asks for help from a wealthier man whilst doing so respectfully, both contributing to the Okonkwo's human nature and verisimilitude.

Okonkwo does have periods in the novel of which he loses self control such as the ending of peace week where he attacks one of his wife. This for the Igbo people was seen as disrespectful as the culture values love and marriage as an important thing in society, especially treating ones wife with respect and dignity. This portrays a lack of emotion if Okonkwo and it is shown throughout the novel the lack of compassion and respect for some of his family other than Ikemefuma and his daughter Enzima who yields the greatest influence on him. This love is shadowed by his personality creating a cloud of self image that looms upon his very shoulders . Despite not being directly instructed by the oracle and spirits, Okonkwo kills Ikemefuma to retain his self image, opposing the advice not to. "That boy calls you father, Do not bear hand in his death".Indeed this selfish, cold hearted, hard working man named Okonkwo possesses numerous traits that define him in Things Fall Apart, all of which portray him in the most humanistic manner possible whilst leading to his incredible downfall of suicide which abolishes some of the very core values that helped him thrive in the first place.

Memoir - Igbo Background

Intrigued by Igbo Culture? Indeed I was. Now 67, I can almost recall my days in old Nigeria, in the town of Mbanta. My first experience as a missionary was an eye opener indeed. I was only 19 at the time, to reside in a new environment for a 5-year tenure quite frightened me. I had never heard about the new place I was going to travel to, until the stories and rumors had circulated around. Almost everyone in my team was talking about the horrid smells, savage black people, and false gods and ideologies. It sounded like hell to me, at least at that time.

They called me Rory. When I met the Igbo people I was fascinated with their way of life and embraced it rather than destroy it. I tried to interact with everyone I met and learn as much as I could despite the language barrier. I came to terms that this so called hell was a lie, a farce. It was a beautiful landscape, rich in culture and blossoming into buds of excitement and diversity. The village of Mbanta was nothing like Britain, it was lush, smelled of nature (and excrete!) but most pleasantly of all, it was honest and genuine. From Swamplands to Grasslands to Tropical Forests in was what I had only dreamed of. To me it was like taking a vacation around the world, but to one destination. During the 67 years of my life, I have travelled from the west to the Far East, but never did I experience anything similar to Nigeria.  

Their history is what fascinated me the most. They had a supreme god named Chukwu that had given the Igbo people a blessing. He had created a family that lived in Nigeria and had nothing to eat. Eze Nri and his children were hungry and so he gave them yams to eat, but, much to their discomfort they were hungry the next day. Chukwu gave Eze Nri yam seeds, but could not plant them as the land was filled with water. Chukwu ordered his blacksmiths to smash the land so the water would escape created a barren dry land. He then ordered Eze Nri to plant yam seeds on his children’s grave of which he obeyed to. Then blossomed a yam tree, two huge ones with an abundance of food of which Igbo people embraced as their savior. After learning about this story, I understood why yams are so common and are so popular here, I thought it was just because it was natural, but their belief is what drives their hunger. Indeed food for thought for anyone interested.

Its systems were intriguing and confusing to me. I never quite fully understood how everything worked, but for the most part it did make some sense. Its political structures and systems revolved around crosscutting ties. There were 5 major political groups, The Council of elders (of which I frequently visited), Age groups, council of chiefs, women’s associations and secret societies.

Matters that affected lineage went to the Council of Elders or as I called them ndisi. They had one authoritative member who had his position from being the eldest and therefore had the most respect to own that position. He would make the decision but, it had to be consulted by the rest of the Council who had to all agree before a final decision was made, and essentially achieve a general consensus before matters were decided upon. Very similar to modern day democracy, but they acted with much more respect than what I have seen over the span of my life.

Age groups or ogbu were the groups that consisted of many women or men that resided within the same town and the same age group. Essentially this was a town council or like a job center for modern day. The men and women were separated and had 3-5 year intervals between their ages. The ogbu used this system to record past events and events of their life, but more importantly assigned tasks for people to complete in the community. Younger ages from 15 and up had to perform minor tasks such as helping simply with crops and food management. The young adults such as myself at the time, had to train for battle and protection when they got older as the adults were in charge of the “government” for each village. The elders had the task of the judicial system, as their life experiences would help in making wise decisions. This was an easy system that worked effectively to my surprise, and made the most sense as I reflect on it. If only it was that simple now.

Men of Igbo culture were proud of achievements and titles such as entering the Council of Chiefs. It was very hard to be part of this selected group of people, and I have had a ceremony inducting me as a chief. That experience I will never forget. It was like it was yesterday, many different young men queued up hoping they would get their chance and they chose me. I never really knew why, but I guess that’s just how it played out. Although it was a title I received, to fully become a chief, a young boy must accompany his father and offer assistance throughout his life, before gaining enough experience to become a chief himself. With titles and experiences it allowed many individuals to advance socially thus explaining the high demand of people wanting to join. Titles were expensive and many of the wealthy bought as many as they could, having more titles of course meant you had more power, and achieving only the junior titles in Igbo culture meant that you were nothing to them. The highest title ozo was the hardest to attain and required ones chi to be used in battle to attain it. Spiritually and socially it was very important to everyone in the Igbo culture.

The women’s associations and secret society had very much to do with their spiritual beliefs. The women were responsible for taking care of shrines of which I saw frequently, and the secret societies were masked spirits called egwugwu but I could never find anything else about them. They were very interesting to say the least; I can’t help but regret I couldn’t understand more about them. Lastly the marriage customs were the most important social tie for the Igbo people. It brought families and towns together for these occasions and had to have consent with the groom’s lineage. They had to build their house together and if they struggled, his wife could bring additional wives to him, especially if the household was large. With an increase in wives, it contributed to a man's prestige. Wealthy women also had prestige with trading and weaving and could marry other women to “father” their children.

An unforgettable experience that will reside in my forever. I could never describe its lush landscapes, diverse systems and kind, generous and respectful people to you. They take everything seriously, but enjoy the beauties of life through food, family and religion. No distractions and no limitations, I urge anyone to visit the village of Mbanta, where they welcomed foreigners like me with open arms. Those 5 years were the best 5 years of my life.

Most Meaningful Takeaway - Chinua Achebe

Before I begin with my explanation of my "most meaningful takeaway" I would like to highlight the importance of this novel to me. In the beginning, I really did not enjoy the novel and found it hard to read, but after studying it further in class, I have come to take a liking to its meaning and hidden context. As a black african, I can understand the themes and concepts Chinua Achebe discusses in the interview and "Things Fall Apart", and commend him for writing an important counter-narrative piece of literature for both Africa and the World.


In his interview with 'The Atlantic', Chinua Achebe provided a plethora of opinions and ideas on topics that range from his novels to the state of African countries and its politics.

“The people who consume the news that comes back from the rest of the world are probably not really interested in hearing about something that is working”

The following quote in the interview mentioned, undoubtedly resonated with me the most. The quote explains how the 'common people' in most typically western cultures consume only the news that revolves around controversy and hardship. Chinua talks about how Africa has been portrayed as a whole in bad light surrounding the media with walls of pictures and articles revolving some of their issues such as poverty and corruption. The following statement just proves the ignorance that is embedded into a majority of Westerners. With that, I can say that this ignorance is purely disgusting toward the human race and cannot be tolerated. 

The creators of this media and news are Westerners and have quite literally viewed Africa in one light and essentially are 'Tunnel Visioning'. The feeling of supremacy of white westerners resonates not only within them, but within these people as they are felt as if they are being mistreated and discriminated. This quote is an eye-opener and really DOES show that the majority of the world are exactly what Chinua Achebe described. One opinion, One view, One perspective, but not One Unified World.

#FeelTheBern

The text presented is Bernie Sanders’s address to the nation following his political campaign victory in the state of New Hampshire in 2016. Throughout the text, it is seen that Sanders employs several rhetorical devices and techniques such as but not limited to metaphors and personal pronouns in order to emphasize the dangers of competitors and unite the American public. Furthermore, Sanders looks to persuade his audience with a variety of encouraging and sophisticated yet down to earth vocabulary.

Sanders consistently refers to America and the American people throughout his speech, therefore it can be concluded that they are the target audience. This can be further supported through the diction he utilizes being very simple, hence allowing common people to understand him and allowing him to reach a broader audience. Sanders explicitly state that the “poor Americans”, “victims” and “average middle class American” is the focus of his audience and speeches. Sanders apply negative connotations to associate them as victims to empower the American people and effectively earn the vote. As   aforementioned, this speech effectively targets a broad audience through the language used, and also through the subtle references made within. He also intends to inspire hope within the people through frequently using language such as “we will” and “we go forward”, as well as show respect to the lives lost, despite secondary intentions involving possible diplomatic relations and highly controversial topics. He hopes to weave this extensive vocabulary into the content of the speech to truly spark persuasion and thought.

The content of this speech itself begins with Sanders appreciating the American public by thanking them repetitively. He then describes how crucial this victory was for him and the people of the United States. This supports the discussed purpose of unity, as his description including phrases such as, “Us”,” we are the victims”, we should be in control” reminds the audience of their power but only if they act together, seen especially through his wording as he refers to people as one. He continues similarly throughout, hence delineating the theme of strength in numbers and as a nation, as he describes what the authorities are doing, but also frequently refers to the actions of the American people as if he relied on them. He also evokes the theme of combatting the rich and greedy through his descriptive language used to reinforce their suggested antagonism such as, “We will make sure they are taxed and they pay for their crimes and legal theft”, almost acting as an indirect warning to the culprits of the American economy. In this way, Sanders uses varying content and themes to instill certain emotions within the wide audience, assisted by his tone and the corresponding mood. Using his mood, Sanders uses a certain tone toward different groups to display his hatred toward certain topics and instill a sense of power.

Sanders deliver this speech with numerous different tones, however the one that seems to overrule the others is that of anger, clearly towards the perpetrators of this “legal theft”. As previously mentioned, Sanders expresses this anger, and to an extent disgust (at humanity), through his descriptive language. He uses slang and words such as “Screw them “and “Baloney” to express his discontent with his and America’s opponents. With those Sanders repeatedly mentions his current position in the US as Ethos or credibility. “As Senator”, “We Senators”, “That’s why I’m Senator of Vermont “claiming how his position is enough for people to vote for him and backs up his political ideologies and proves his political correctness. With such a futuristic and optimistic view as displayed by words such as “will” and “forward”, Sanders evokes a sense of togetherness and a desire to improve. This is further enhanced, as are all the emotions and tones throughout the speech, through Sanders utilization of personal pronouns; he frequently uses “we” and “our” as to make the reader believe that they share the same emotions and perspectives as the speaker, hence making the transition from his tone to the audience’s mood more natural and effective.  This could be an effective method of Pathos, by not only turning the people against the perpetrators but to make them feel as they can combat it with togetherness but by persuading his audience that they will thrive under him and claim bigger returns.  

Combined with structured rhetoric, Sen. Bernie Sanders uses countless different rhetorical and literary devices and techniques to persuade his audience to vote for him and rise together. Using effective techniques such as Ethos and Pathos, Sanders can unite his voters and people to ultimately persuade them in voting for him in both the Democratic elections and the election for President of the United States. A confident and effective measure, Sanders successfully uses the right balance of both sophisticated and down to earth vocabulary whilst constantly changing his tone of voice to ultimately deliver a perfect political piece of persuasion.

This should(hopefully) be the right transcript for his speech in new hampshire - Bernie Sanders Text Speech

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/02/10/the-transcript-of-bernie-sanderss-victory-speech/