Why Fight For Russia?

Norman Angell (Author)

This is a leaflet by British Pacifist, Norman Angell in 1914 as it clearly states on the bottom right hand corner. It is also a leaflet because he is trying to get ‘members’ to partake in persuading the British government to stop them from getting involved in the war. The context as to why it was written was because Britain was just on the brink of a war (the first World War actually), thus seeing as how Norman Angell was a pacifist, he utilised his power in the media to get his ideology across of maintaining peace. Hence, is why he wrote this leaflet; to get his countrymen on the side of peace as well. This text is unique because it shows the evolution of what we know; how things were in the past to what we know them to be now, seeing as how eventually Britain did take part in the war, and actually fought on the same side as Russia. However, there was a time when this was not always the case and this leaflet is a testament to that.

The British public was the target audience for this leaflet and the reason being (as stated before) was to persuade and convince them to take part in his ideology, being a pacifist. An assumption could be made that there were already talks of Britain participating in the war, which is most likely why Normal Angell used his power of being in the media and wrote this leaflet. In addition why he sprung this ‘rebellious’ attitude in fight for peace, and for people to join that ideology.

The tone that is expressed by the author throughout the whole text is somewhat preachy. Starting with his use of diction and how the leaflet is set-up. His diction is very strong but short and brief; allowing his phrases and sentences to stick in the audience’s minds. In addition it was intended that the writing be basic and easy to follow, instead of using excess amounts of jargon. This was so that more people could understand and appreciate the overall message that was trying to be conveyed. For example: ‘Russia is the country to fight which we spent 50,000,000 (P) in the Crimea’. This example displays the strong phrasing, shortness of the sentence and the ‘easy/basic’ language that is used (relating back to his diction). The author also utilises statistics and vocabulary that all link back to the theme of being preachy. This tone leads to the left behind mood on the audience of feeling guilty, because since he is showing a very one-sided ideology people could be blinded to simply what and how he is saying rather than maybe looking at both sides.

There is a wide range of literary devices that were applied throughout the whole leaflet in order to help his argument and ideology. For example: the use of Logos in several places in the text like: “which we spent 50,000,000”. This can be considered logos due to the inclusion of statistics. And leaves the impact on the audience of just seeing a better well-rounded argument, and a more convincing one at that. In addition it sets the situation in the perspective that the author intended it, leaving a sense of shock in the reader’s minds. As well as the use of Pathos “Russia is the country to fight which we spent 50,000,000 in the Crimea. This is pathos since it is appealing to emotions and making the British feel bad for the Russian people. It basically pulls on the people’s heart strings, feeling for their country’s troubles. In addition Ethos as well, considering that Leaflet is written by a British Pacifist, which allows the audience (British people) to feel the reliability of what is being said in the text, and believing it.

In conclusion this leaflet by Norman Angel before the start of the first World War, was used to get new ‘members’ to join his ideology of pacifism. This was explained by how he used literary devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos to target the British public to join his movement of peace. In 1914. 

It is acceptable for a government to try to shape public opinion through information campaigns.

Firstly, public opinion is defined as a “citizens’ view on politics and government actions”. In the case of the documentary we watched in class yesterday (Control Room), I disagree with the statement that ‘It is acceptable for a government to try to shape public opinion through information campaigns.’, because the people of their nations have a right to know what’s going on in the world around them and what they are involved in. To fabricate lies like the Jessica Lynch example of her being a heroine, is a blatant lie and I believe it not only morally wrong to show the Iraqi state in a certain light, but it is morally wrong for the civilians of the United States as well.

               In addition for news stations of the United States and the Western world to be fabricating stories of what is ‘going on’ in Iraq, does not have benefit to anyone; because the American civilians are not only assured that everything is ‘under control’, but it builds more hate against their enemies hearing stories like the Pat Tillman case or the Jessica Lynch one as well. Thus it essentially doesn’t promote safety it makes people want the war more.

However in the case of Iraq, by them sharing footage of what happening in their own homeland, they are not only just telling them that this is what’s happening today but also warning their people about the situation. I feel like they should tell people what’s happening and let them decide what they want to do. As in nothing should be left hidden from the public, because they deserve to know what their country is involved in, in all cases not just this one.

Therefore, I do disagree however I do not strongly disagree, because in certain situations I believe it is okay to try and sway public opinion. For example: an election campaign, the candidates do have the right to be bias and try to get votes from their people. There is a flip-side to this though that correlates to what I was saying about the war because if there is a campaign the public should know everything about the situation. Because if they don’t that’s when it falls back onto the public negatively because they should have the right to decide for themselves. 

Bias Techniques Used in the Media.

Real Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/11/international/11WIRE-U2.html 

Title: Iraqi fighter jets pressured and threatened two American planes, making them return and abort the United States of America’s mission.

Someone from the Pentagon stated that the decision to conclude the mission was taken due to the ‘interest of our countrymen’s safety’.

Our planes were flying over Iraqi soil to get to the UN weapons inspections in time. According to two of our men, that’s when the Iraqi fighter jets threatened our soldiers.

The problem with this act put on by the opposition is that, usually, a lot of flights are permitted to fly over countries under a UN Security Council rule. Thus, everyone at the UN was saying how shocked they were that this had happened.

The worst part is that the army had told us that they warned Iraqi prior to their launch that they were going to be flying over Iraqi soil.

This threat is not only a threat against the US, but is a testament to the weak relationship that Iraq has with the UN.

The two American planes were already in the air and approved by the UN council and was a unanimous vote, the US official said.

 However Iraq “had to start a problem with USA”, the official stated and the two planes were recalled back. America is complying and staying level-headed as always checking with the UN before recommencing the flights again.

Everyone in the UN backed America up as Iraq had no justification for what they had done obviously. This backup of the US was for a new resolution to use force against Iraq as a last resort.

These flights were going to investigate whether Saddam Hussein is storing chemical and biological weapons to use against the US in terrorist attacks.

 Furthermore, ideally our nation’s men should be allowed to do their duty. And people trying to stop and restrict that are just causing more issues for the patriots fighting for our country. We should not let this go on. God Bless the United States of America.  

Family Furnishings Practice IOC

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B5FDZWglXyzgQzFyYnhhY1AyWU0

Boys and Girls Practice IOC

May say that there was a problem, but if you download it it should work. :) 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B5FDZWglXyzgTkRWV2x0LThta1U

This is Water - David Foster Wallace

The below post discusses David Foster Wallace‘s grand commencement speech delivered in 2005. In this speech he explores the ideology of how education can coincide with one’s ability to be more sympathetic, conscious and more adjusted to everyday life. The speech is packed with life lessons and real life experiences from David Foster Wallace himself. His humble and modest approach during the speech is what caught the attention of the graduating class of college students at Kenyon University.

He develops this thesis that life after college is dreadful, because of the detailed analysis of the average person’s routine that many of the graduates will soon be acquainted with. However, throughout his speech it is evident to see that the main idea he wants the students to grasp is that it all comes down to choice, and their decision to either be cynical or make the best out of things.

This relates to the allegory he creates at the beginning of his speech, about the three fish in a fishbowl. Where an ‘older fish swimming the other way say “Morning, boys, how’s the water?” and the two young fish say to each other “What the hell is water?” This emblem of the speech could have many different interpretations (judging from how one looks at things), but I interpreted as; the water symbolising life, the two younger fish are just average people who have a very pessimistic way of looking at life due to not being able to change their default settings as a human, and actually understanding their surroundings. While the older fish represents someone who has been educated and is able to alter his default setting to be able to sympathise, be more conscious and better adjusted to everyday life.

To make this more relatable and actually put it in perspective for the students, David Foster Wallace uses a bit of Logos in the allegory; where he made the ‘cynical’ type of fish be two in numbers, while the ‘positive’ fish is only one. This portrays that in life there are more people that are programmed to their default setting than to a setting that is ideal (ie being sympathetic, empathetic and more conscious).  

This speech accords with our inquiry question ‘How can literature develop empathy and emotional intelligence?’ Considering how David Foster Wallace suggests that with education one is able to alter their ‘default setting’, literature is just another piece of that puzzle. Since we spend so much time in characters thoughts and we a direct link to their emotions, it helps us with empathy towards people, actually sympathising with others rather than being skeptical. In addition it aids people with the ability to change their overview on life in total by being more conscious and more aware of their surroundings. By understanding that although you might be having a bad day there is always someone out there who’s going through worse. And it is completely my choice to either look past that point and continue to have the world circulate around me, or understand that and keep on reminding myself ‘This is water, this is water’. 

Munro Literature Reflection

Apart from enlightenment, wisdom, a boost to imagination, intellectual fulfillment and understanding of cultural diversity through creativity, there is also the mere and simple fact that this is the basis of the world we live in. Any piece of literature is a version of our society that we see every day. Such as: love, betrayal, dislike, death etc. It is real, and I believe that is the joy about reading literature. Since it that real, we tend to experience the characters emotions and actually understand how they feel at that moment. We can relate to literature since it’s not that fake, as is popular fiction books. Since literature is based so much and in depth about the characters involved, we start to be more aware of the people around us, their body language, facial expression, etc. Thus making us more socially and culturally conscious. It is important to study women’s literature because for the longest time now it has been a minority group and in the dark. Minority group means "singled out for unequal treatment." So with that being said, the more dominant group, men, would be the majority group because men have "greater power, privileges and social status." We have had so many literature pieces from the male perspective that the women’s perspective got shunned. We would get a better understanding of how our world works if we all listened and accepted what everyone had to say, and voice their own opinions through creative outlets, such as writing. The aspect of Alice Munro’s work that I enjoy the most when reading is that she really tries bringing every one of her characters to life. Not making them so far-fetched that people snap out of their zone of reading, but somehow made it really relatable at the same time. And for literature I’m glad that I noticed more on the character than the actual plot because that’s what literature is, a portrayal of our society and the people in it, at least, this is the case with Alice Munro's pieces of work. 

Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5vz6iwV38U

·        Michael Jackson. A world renowned performer and will go down in the history books as one of the best musical artists that ever lived. One of the most substantial artists of the 20^th century with works not comparable  by others. Born in a time of discrimination (regardless of the adversities he had to encounter throughout his life), he still managed to make something of himself and actually make a change in society, and how people see the world. With songs like ‘Black or White’, which displayed an outlandish statement at the time (because of all the discrimination towards skin colour) which was that ‘it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white’, we’re all human. His main goal whilst on his journey to ‘idol’ status was to make an impact on his audience, and actually try and use his platform as a performer to better the world.

·        The narrator in this song is inevitably Michael Jackson considering he is talking to and about the ‘Man in the Mirror’, so unescapably he is talking about making a change within himself. And that he wants to make a difference, but not in a way where he wants to change the world first, in the way where he wants to change himself and then alter the way he wants the world to be, but as stated in the song he has to start with himself. The very attention grabbing convention of this song is that it was written in a way where the “narrator” from the story can be anyone who finds themselves wanting to make a change in their lives. Change isn't easy, so when I look in the mirror and see my reflection looking back at me, that is who I have to start with first. Every day we make differences in the lives of the people around us, and it is our choice whether those differences better or worse their lives. And that’s the essential gist of the song; that if you want to make change, start with yourself first.

·        In the first verse, the writer begins by creating a winter setting by using visual imagery. The writer first wears his “favourite winter coat”, turning “up the collar” as he leaves his home. The writer then uses personification in “This wind is blowing my mind” – given the wind a humanlike quality because of the word “blowing” and also serves as an image to portray his state of mind by telling the audience that in the chilly weather is not affecting him physically, but mentally because he is greeted by the sight of “kids in the street, with not enough to eat”. This juxtaposition of the writer’s wealth and the children’s poverty shows that they are from different classes; while the writer has the luxury of choosing coats, the children are not even able to get sufficient food. The writer then rhetorically questions himself “who am I, to be blind?” Firstly, this is a metaphor and hence an instance of figurative language as though the author might not be physically blind, he compares himself to one that is blind. This shows that it is probably not the first time the writer has seen the poor children outside on the streets however; he has always been oblivious and too carried away by his own personal life to “see their needs”. Hence, it is only on that day that that he realized that he has been very selfish as he kept all his money for himself.  

 The writer continues by using imagery in “A summer’s disregard, A broken bottle top, And one man’s soul/ They follow each other on the wind ya’ know” to convey his feelings to the audience. In the image of “A summer’s disregard”, as summer is usually a time when people are carefree and on vacation, and disregard means “to pay no attention to, to ignore” it might be the writer trying to portray those times of loneliness and depression he suffered because of his problems. The image of “A broken bottle top” hints that he may have had emotional issues and therefore he resorts to drinking away his sorrows or venting out on items. Besides, as a broken bottle top implies that there will be something leaking out of the bottle as the top is spoilt, the writer could also be trying to say that (given the theme of the song) he felt hope and happiness was leaking out, not only from him but from the people who were suffering physically. Also, in “they follow each other on the wind ya’know” – as the wind is very inconsistent and moves around aimlessly, he tells the audience that he was a man who was lost in his problems, but now he has found light and wants to start by changing himself to help others.  

  Lastly, in “a widow deeply scarred, someone’s broken heart, and a washed out dream, they follow the pattern of the wind ya’ see” the writer once again uses imagery to further highlight the plight of many of the people. “A widow deeply scarred” brings to mind the image of physical scars, hurt and abuse, but we understand that the writer is more so speaking about the emotional and mental hurt the widow might be going through, the stress, the pain of perhaps losing her husband, and hence financial stability. “Someone’s broken heart” – we know that technically one’s heart cannot be broken, but the author uses this painful image to bring across one’s anguish and despair – perhaps, given the theme of the song, it could be referring to the broken heart of a mother when she sees her children having not enough money to survive, or a broken heart of a child not able to pursue his ambitions due to financial constraints. Lastly, in “a washed out dream” – we think of many clothes being washed again and again till they are faded, and likewise the writer uses this effective image to bring across how an individual’s dream is faded. It evokes a sense of sympathy for the poor people out there who are unable to live normally and healthily. Rather they are swamped by such problems and it results in them being broken individuals.

·        Although the tone of the poem starts off self-reflective, and also with a hint of despair and gloom, yet all the more it inspires one to work towards being a better individual especially when we are much better off and more privileged than most. It is peppered with imagery – even “Man in the Mirror” is an image and a figurative language of speech to indirectly refer or show us that the “man in the mirror” is not anyone else, but ourselves

Boys and Girls by Alice Munro

From the short stories that I have read from Alice Munro has to be Boys and Girls. We read it before in class, maybe around last year, but when I read it again over the summer it really sunk in and I enjoyed it quite a lot. For those of you who don't know, Boys and Girls tells a coming of age story from a young barn girl's perspective. 

·        She has a little brother name Laird, and it was evident to see that in story that he would be the one to help his father in the business when he was more grown up and able to.

·        The narrator on the other hand never liked to do ‘female’ work, like: cooking, cleaning and house work.  I feel like she always thought she had something to prove to her father, that even though she was a girl she could still ‘man up’ and do her duty in the family. 

It is a coming of age short story because she starts off having this idea of who she wants to be, which is like a boy. But as the story goes on there are signs where it is more clear as to who she is becoming…a girl. For example: When she thinks of stories at night. At first, she thought about being a hero and more courageous, but as she was getting older it went more about what she was wearing, how her hair looked, if she was attractive etc. 

So to me, it already had a very interesting and intriguing plot to it, but what really got me was the subplot that the story offered. The subplot was that in the story was the story of the two horses Flora and Mack. Where I believe the narrator sees herself in Flora, or can relate with her in a way. Considering how Flora used to run, and prance etc. Until the men in the truck caught up with her and shot her down. This can be related back to the narrator because she starts off wanting to be like a boy, not tucking her knees when she sat down, working with her father. Until society caught up with her and her dreams of being a boy came shattering down. 


My final thoughts is that this story made me realize that no matter how you start off in your life, society always plays a role in defining who you are. Maybe that’s not what we want, but it happens a lot. For example: Homosexuals. Up until recently they were always frowned upon and looked down on because of society.

My Summer!

My summer so far has been amazing! Directly after school ended I hopped on a plane and headed back to Lebanon, and it was so exciting. When I landed I had a feeling of nostalgia come over me probably because I haven't been there in almost two years. Everything was coming back to me though, such as: how Lebanese Liras look like, the horrible driving, the different language etc. It was an amazing experience now reminiscing over it. Since having sold our old house there, it gave me a chance to live with my best friend since we were three years old, Elie. Every time we meet it's like nothing ever changed, it all goes back like I had never left in the first place. 

I stayed there roughly a month before having to come back and in that time I did a lot. I saw some of my family that still lives there, old friends, and I had a great time. And I think the reason for that is because no matter where I go Lebanon will always be home to me. My friends and I went to the beach, go-karting, malls, cafes etc. All in all great experience in Lebanon.

However it had to be cut short because I had to come back and see my brother who was leaving for University at the time. So I came back and had about two weeks of just plain family time before he had to leave. It was kind of sad to see him leave but I knew this was coming, and I’ll see him again roughly in four months for when he comes back to AD in Christmas break.

Other than that (and for the remainder of my vacation), I have been and will continue to just do more school work. And if I have free time meet up with friends from school who are still here. Excited and motivated for the upcoming year. 

How to write about Arabs

Always and this is a must when writing about Arabs, in your title do NOT ever have any other name than Ahmad, Mahmoud, or Mohammed in the title, and make sure you mention something either about their struggles, or them being in sand, doesn't matter where they are actually from. To be honest you know what would be better? Don’t mention where he’s from, generalize him as Arab, because you and I both know they are all exactly alike; they’re all towel heads, and terrorists, so just by saying the word Arab you gave off the connotation of that’s who he is. 

Also, if you want to put a picture of who your character is and his culture, put a picture of an Arab holding a stick with one hand and him being on the side of a sand dune with a camel leash in his other.

In your text treat the Arab culture as one country. It is a hot and dusty wasteland where everyone is under the rule of some dictator J. In that ‘country’ every person has their own farm, with goats and camels only, be sure to state no other animal but those two. Oh and something you should already know, but I put it in a fun way to remember which is that ‘all Arabs are Muslims and all Muslims are terrorists’, or in a simpler nice little anagram ‘AAMMT’. For those of you reading this and wanting to write a text about Arabs and do not know what I mean, look up 9/11 and do not let anyone reading your pieces of work forget it.

 Obviously (and this goes without saying) BLAME THE WHOLE RELIGION. Not the 19 hijackers that actually did it, no, blame all Arabs and therefore all Muslims (referencing back to the fun anagram). So therefore label any Arab you see, make sure to push the idea that they all are terrorists, and that they should go back to their tepees and 4 wives.  

To be honest what else is there to write about? I feel like I’m missing something, let’s go through the checklist;

1.       I mentioned that they are all terrorists

2.       I mentioned that all Arabs come from one country

3.       AAMMT

4.       9/11

5.       Towel heads

Oh that’s right just to top everything off and show that there is a little good in having Arabs around, mention that the only use they have is that they can supply oil. Don’t mention that Russia, or China supplies a lot of oil as well just so you don’t come off as too offensiveJ.  If you use what I have taught you in this article, you will have the most factual piece of work about Arabs ever. You’re welcome! 

Language and Style Blog Post

‘A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.’  This quote by Mahatma Ghandi is the quote that resides with me when I look back at the novel of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. For the sole reason that I believe what Achebe was trying to do, was to portray his culture in a more realistic and less ‘ideal’ way. He wanted to stay true to his culture, traditions and nations beliefs. Even though the novel was originally written in English he uses poems, myths and stories to really display to the reader’s what the Igbo culture was really all about. For people from other parts of the world, where they might not have heard of the Igbo culture, they need tools for help in which they can further comprehend what is trying to be portrayed. Which is where Achebe’s unique style of writing with myths, traditions and stories come in to action.

The ‘oral tradition’ as it is called, is manifested in this novel through many aspects. For example: Song use. Achebe includes traditional songs in his novel. These songs are distributed throughout and give the novel a much more traditional African feel. Achebe uses both translated and un-translated songs in the novel which is quite compelling and interesting in the eyes of the reader considering that the entire novel was written originally in English. Therefore to have that mix between both languages shows the differentiation and diversity that Achebe has and uses in his writing. The first song that comes up in the novel is a children’s song: “The rain is falling, the sun is shining, / Alone Nnadi is cooking and eating”. The song combines cultural themes and traditions with imagery that helps the reader picture the story. The context of the song is “Gradually the rains became lighter and less frequent, and earth and sky once again became separate. The rain fell in thin, slanting showers through sunshine and quiet breeze”. There are other songs which are sung by people in the village and they have something to do with village traditions of wrestling, marriage, work, and even death.

Lastly, Achebe uses many folk tales in his novel to mainly exemplify the personality traits of the different characters. There are instances where folk tales are used to give complexity to certain characters’ inner thought process and psyche. In chapter seven, Okonkwo is defined as telling stories to his sons. He told them stories of the land—masculine stories for that matter, of violence and bloodshed. This is another example of how traditions are so highly worshipped in the Igbo culture, because this is clear evidence showing how stories were being passed down from generation to generation. Nwoye knew that it was right to be masculine and to be violent, but somehow he still preferred the stories his mother used to tell, and which she no doubt still told to her younger children (here we see again the story telling through generations). This tales show both the traits of Okonkwo and Nwoye, and sets them up for the rest of the story, and supports the differences that these two main characters had.

In conclusion these are just a few samples of how Achebe makes use of myth, legend or other stories and tales, in the novel Things Fall Apart.

Obierika Memoir

I was so stupid, so ignorant and so blind, to not have been able to see what was happening to our culture, traditions, and land. I let the curious side of me explore, and adapt to the changes that were taking place because of the white men. Where did that get me? The one man that challenged these men is now dead hanging from a tree. And I am still alive, the roles should be reversed. I let this happen, while Okonkwo was the only one who questioned what was happening, and he did this rightfully so.  Okonkwo came to me wanting to start a rebellion against them, but I rejected his idea. He was my best friend, and I could not stand by him when he needed me the most, what does that make me? They distracted us with their religion, new ideas, their new culture, and new traditions, but for what price? To scavenge and take our resources from our land, to destroy our culture, our traditions, our religion and again who was the only one able to see this and want to do something about it…Okonkwo. You should be ashamed of yourself letting your best friend go like that. You’re a coward. Where do my Igbo people go from here? Well, they don’t. Younger generations will grow up learning in the education systems of the white men, learning their traditions, their cultures, and their religion. Unless we rise together and take back our land that is rightfully ours. This is for you Okonkwo, sorry I didn't help. R.I.P. 

Paper 2 Practice

1- To what extent has an awareness of context enriched or enhanced your understanding of Things Fall Apart?

Achebe’s first novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ is a novel that may stir up several reactions. What is meant by this is that due to people’s cultures and traditions, they will react to other people’s cultures in different ways. For example: In class we read this article that showed how a western girl viewed things fall apart, which was that she said it was ‘sexist’ due to the fact that in the novel there is a lot of domestic violence against women in the Igbo culture. However, in that same article a girl from Nigeria said that it is part of her culture. Which is where I stand due to the fact of the deeper understanding of the text that I have, as a result it is clear to see why things are the way they are in the novel.

               The novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ revolves around the character ‘Okonkwo’. Throughout his life Okonkwo has strived to be compared to anything but a woman. This is because of the influence his father ‘Unoka’ left on him. Which was that he was: lazy, poor, and a thief. This left the impression on Okonkwo that his father was very feminine. Consequently Okonkwo worked hard to be the complete opposite of his father, because to him Unoka was represented as a coward that couldn’t fend for himself.

               Coming from an international school where viewing different cultures is vital, I didn’t judge what was happening in the book as a ‘bad’ thing. Just because from the get go it was clear to see that what they were doing and what was happening was enriched in their culture. I also understood that this book was not up to date with where their society could be now, because the novel is set in the 1890’s. A lot could have changed from that time to this day and age, and even if it hasn’t in my perception what they believe in and what they do is part of their culture, and shouldn’t be for others to judge. Since the Igbo culture is a very strong believer (as a community) in their religion, I do not believe they should be judged for following it. For example: With killing the twins in the evil forest, it might not seem normal to westernized people, however to them it is very much like a law. It’s embedded in their culture, tradition, ways and life for that matter. I do see and understand here the European and Western side are coming from because to them killing children is barbaric and not allowed to say the last, but I do also understand the Igbo side which is that it is part of their culture.

               To truly grasp why Okonkwo beat women though, we have to remind ourselves of his father Unoka. Unoka being portrayed as gentle and feminine, he was evidently nice and respectful to women and other beings. Therefore Okonkwo (as mentioned before), saw everything his father did as feminine. Which is why he did everything vice versa of what his father did, in this case if his father was nice to women he decided to be mean, if his father was weak he would be strong etc.

               In conclusion by fully understanding things fall apart it has changed my view on how I see the Igbo people. Considering that it has opened me up to the understanding, that they do everything based off what their traditions, culture, ancestors, and religion has taught them. That is very relatable to me because same like them we learn a lot form our culture, traditions, ancestors and our chosen religions.

Thank you for reading! 

Chinua Achebe: Okonkwo Cahracterization

One of the reasons why the novel Things Fall Apart is a tragedy and can be related to so many other tragic works is because the main character, Okonkwo, fits the classic example of a tragic hero. A tragic hero is, by short definition, is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.One of the major themes that develops throughout the story because Okonkwo is a tragic hero is the theme of ‘Culture vs Tradition’. This theme focuses on the clashing of the traditions that Okonkwo wants to uphold by the Igbo people, with the culture and religion of the colonists. Since Okonkwo goes against everything he considers to be weak and feminine, he decides to retaliate against the ‘white man’ because he does not want to seem girly. To some extent Okonkwo’s defiance of cultural change is also appointed to his fear of losing societal position and rank. Because his sense of self-respect is reliant upon the traditional criteria by which society judges him. He develops this theme as a tragic hero because if he were to adjust his ways and find compromise with the missionaries, it would not have led to his decision to commit suicide. I believe the reason Chinua Achebe chose a tragic hero as a protagonist is because he wanted to impact his readers by not making it the typical fairy tale ending, but where it ended with Okonkwo’s death in the end. To show that colonizers really affected people, and to basically give a voice to everyone that went through the same situation. Chinua Achebe wanted people to feel for Okonkwo in the end, since throughout the entire novel he was the focus for nearly the whole book. Therefore he wanted the reader to get attached and then snap them out of reality by showing it did not end well, and there really were no winners. 

Abraham Lincoln: Gettysburg Adress

In a speech that was comprised of only 10 sentences and 272 words, Abraham Lincoln was able to shine light on something that would resonate not only with his audience, but one that would echo through time. Why is this short speech so notable?

First, it is vital to recall the context. America was in the middle of a bloody civil war. Union troops had only four months earlier defeated Confederate troops at the Battle of Gettysburg (which is widely recognized as the turning point in the war). Thus, I believe the stated purpose of Lincoln’s speech was to bestow a plot of land that would become Soldier’s National Cemetery to honour the deceased. However, the Civil War still raged on and Lincoln comprehended that he also had to encourage and inspire the people to continue the fight. Therefore the speech is mainly a mix between motivating people to keep fighting and also honouring the fallen. I believe that Lincoln had one main audience which was the country in general, however he had a bigger purpose with this speech. I believe he made it short and easy to follow so that it could impact future generation, a speech to resonate in the ears and minds of generations to come.

(In italics and bold are going to be the words of Abraham Lincoln during the speech and under them are going to be my thoughts and views on the speech itself.)

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

§  “Four score and seven” is much more poetic, much more elegant, and noble than “Eighty-seven”. This is appropriate, because 87 years prior, the United States had won its freedom from Britain and thus embarked on the “Great Experiment”.

§  Lincoln reminisces to the audience about the basis on which the country was founded: liberty and equality. This is a perfect set up to the next sentence.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.

§  Here, Lincoln signals the task. The values on which the nation was founded are under attack.

§  He encompasses the importance of the fight beyond the borders of the United States. It is not just a question of whether America could survive, but instead a question of whether any nation established on the same principles could live. Thus does the war — and the significance of winning it — take on an even greater importance.

We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

§  Lincoln turns to distinguish those who have fallen for their country.

§  He uses contrast well. By stating “those who here gave their lives that this nation might live” Lincoln makes what is possibly the ultimate contrast: life vs death. This has an immediate impact on the audience because the use of contrast is persuasive in a speech because it directly proves the persons point, showing the good that come out of their side.

§  He uses consonance — the repetition of the same consonant in short sequence — through words with the letter “f”: battlefield; field; final; for; fitting. This has an effect on the audience because it makes the speech seem more impressive and appealing and add certain amount of intensity and beauty to them.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground.

§  Notice the use of a “triple” sort of repetition: “can not dedicate … can not consecrate … can not hallow”. Triples are a influential public speaking technique that can add authority to your words and make them notable.

§  Say the sentence out loud and hear the powerful cadence and rhythm.

The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

§  This sentence is full of sincere respect for those who fought. It is an expressive way of saying that their actions speak much greater value than Lincoln’s words. This pulls on the audiences pathos and really put the situation in perspective.

§  There is an alliteration as well: “poor power”. The function of alliteration in speeches is to be both attention getting and memorable.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

§  There is a double contrast here, in this sentence: “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here” / “but it can never forget what they did here.”

§  Note the appeal to something greater. It is not the United States that will never forget, but the whole world.

§  Ironically, Lincoln was wrong with this statement. Not only have his words been remembered to this day, they will carry on to continue to be remembered in the future. Which as stated before was the reason I believe he made his speech this way, for it to be remembered later on.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

§  The final two sentences of the address signal a call to action, a resolution to complete “the unfinished work”.

§  They are packed with inspiring words such as “dedicated”, “nobly”, “great”, “honoured”, “devotion”, “highly resolve”, “God”, “birth” and “freedom”. To inspire the audience to do the great task he asks of them.

§  There are a couple of contrasts here: “the living” with “the honoured dead”; and “these dead shall not have died in vain” with “this nation … shall have a new birth of freedom”.

§  Prior to this, Lincoln said that, in a sense, they could not bestow the ground. Here, he tells the audience that to which they must be dedicated: “the unfinished work” and “the great task remaining before us”.

§  He finishes with a powerful triple repetition (as mentioned before) that has become famous throughout the world: “of the people, by the people, for the people”. This repetition displays authority when being said. 

The Most Meaningful Takeaway: How to Tame a Wild Tongue

In class today we were asked to get in groups and discuss what we read (in depth) over the winter break. It was asked of us to read “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” and “Woman Warrior”. After reading them both and having the group discussion in class, there was a question that Mohammad asked that really stuck with me; ‘does using multiple languages in the author’s writing exclude or include other people who do not speak the languages written?’  

In my opinion it includes people more than excludes people. What I mean by this is that people who speak Chicano Spanish can read this as well as people who speak English. Thus it can relate to both English and Spanish speakers. However I believe that the author didn’t really care about everyone else who was reading this. This was for her, who she was, and how she’s able to show herself through her writing. And people who do not speak any of the languages that were written should not feel excluded because they do not know the language. For instance: I do not feel excluded that I cannot read the Spanish parts of the text because I understand that this is for the author and how she wants to use writing as a creative outlet to express herself. Much like I do not feel excluded that I can’t read texts in Swedish or French, because I do not know the language. 

However I understand why this question could be asked often, and that’s brings us to language and power. Because English is such a world renowned language nowadays, I understand why people might feel excluded that they can’t speak or understand it. Because in reality English is one of the most spoken languages in the world right now and it is only progressing in terms of it growing. 

Another way that this text shows language and power in my opinion, if she truly wants to show that she is a proud Chicano Spanish speaker and “she really is her language”, why is she writing most of text in English? This is definitely a form of linguistic imperialism. This is because it shows the author’s language as being dominated by a more powerful one (Chicano being dominated by English). This is an utter portrayal of aspects of the dominant language being transferred along with the culture that the person(s) are in. For the reason that since the author is living in the United States it appears to be that the culture and language have rubbed off on her. Not saying that she doesn’t relate back to her culture, and language but more of the fact that she could be drifting away from it due to the location she is in. 

In conclusion in How to Tame a Wild Tongue the relationship between language and power is portrayed through the author’s writing (whilst writing mostly in English), and how since English is so popular nowadays people might feel excluded or discriminated against in places where this aspect of the country’s culture is shown (displaying linguistic imperialism). 

Food Crisis in Sahel

 “The Food Crisis in Sahel” is an article made by “Oxfam International”. Oxfam is an international confederation of 17 organizations working together with partners and local communities in more than 90 countries, with the sole purpose of ending hunger and poverty. The main aim for this organisation is to persuade people to join it and contribute to help these people in need. Where it is very noticeable “Oxfam is targeting to reach one million people across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and  Senegal with humanitarian aid”. The article simply starts off with the logistics aspect of the cause, by giving the audience factual numbers of what’s happening in terms of the food crisis and the aftermath (to capture the audience’s attention). And this idea of using logos to attract people’s attention and thus turning into pathos as well (because it would affect people’s emotions to see the ones more needy suffering), is shown throughout the entire  article.

As said earlier this article is to persuade people to join the cause of helping the people in need in Sahel. However it’s more than that as well, it is also to inform and educate people about the problems there. More than that the clear target audience is anybody who is interested and willing to help the ones in need and the ones that are less fortunate. By (as said before) their use of continuous data of numbers in their writing, to affect people’s emotions (turning logos into pathos). This article also outlines what Oxfam is doing to try and stop this crisis, and what they as an organisation and community intend to do as well. Furthermore the author tries to convey the message that these people in Sahel need help, and it is in Oxfam’s interest to do so. Thus I believe the way that the author tried targeting their audience is by making the readers feel sad and bad about the people in Sahel, so that they can get more people to join the cause and jump on the bandwagon. To do this the author uses mainly logos to attract the people’s attention. Such as where it states: “Recent evaluations suggest 12 million people across West and Central Africa are facing a food crisis”. Or when it claims that: “Recent reports said over 5.4 million people in (35% of the population in Niger, some 1.7 million people in Mali, 1.67 million in Burkina Faso and 700,000 people (over one-quarter of the population) in Mauritania are estimated to be vulnerable to food insecurity.” This makes the reader’s think and realize how good they have it compared to others, hence, making them feel bad about these people and hopefully join the organisation.   

The tone of this article is very eye catching and serious, considering that just by looking at the title there’s already a situations “Food Crises in Sahel”. In addition their use of vocabulary, how they do not sugar coat it they go straight to the point which is: There is a food crisis in Sahel and people are going to die if we do not help them. They are able to say these things and really catch the audience’s attention through the use of statistics and numbers of causalities and people in need of food etc. For example: “In Chad 13 out of 22 regions could be affected by this food crisis: some 2.4 million don’t have always enough to eat. There are key words in there that also make set the tone of seriousness such as: ‘serious’, ‘crisis’, ‘causing serious problems’ etc. This makes people really feel for the people in Sahel and in Africa in general, thus altering the mood to a sad one (as said before).

In this article although it is discussing a serious matter it uses the informal approach of using pronouns. But why? As said before since Oxfam is trying to persuade people to join their organisation (as this is their clear goal), I assume that they use pronouns to try to already convince the reader that they are part of this action taking society, by including them. They do this by using words such as: ‘We’re’, or ‘we’ etc. The whole article engages the reader because it portrays a problem and includes the reader to find a way to solve it. As well as that the main sentence structure is for the whole article is declarative, because it declares that ‘there is a food crisis in Sahel’, it declares the number of people who are suffering from this crisis etc.

In conclusion this article was created to get people more aware of the situation happening in Sahel and what Oxfam is trying to do to help. It is also there to inform and educate the people that do not know what’s happening in Sahel, thus meaning to raise awareness to this serious cause. This has been explained in the text, by explaining how they use the vocabulary, who their target audience is, how they use statistics to attract people’s attention and what tone and mood they try to give off with the article itself.