1- To what extent has an awareness of context enriched or enhanced your understanding of Things Fall Apart?
There are many things in this world that I don't understand. There are multiple cultural or religious acts that I may find ethically incorrect that others of different cultural values may see as completely normal. But, if one understands the depth of the culture and context, then perhaps these strange things begin to make more sense in the mind of an outsider. This is the case for Things Fall Apart. Particular moments within the text stood out to me is seemingly odd, or even disturbing at times. Such moments I had accepted due to my knowledge of the context at hand, whether the context is the culture of the people, or the characteristics of the person. This awareness of context has allowed me to realise why actions that seemed unethical to me were actually carried out.
The first example is an obvious one, which is arguably the turning point of the text. It was the moment when Ikemefuna was murdered in the Evil Forest. Ikemefuna, until this point in the text, was a beloved member of Okonkwo's family for three years. That chapter in Okonkwo's life came to a close as the elderly members of the community had ordered the death of Ikemefuna. At the expense of absolutely no wrong doings, he, in all his innocence, was taken to the Forest for an undeserved execution. This moment in the story was a shock to me at first. It is worthy to note how Achebe, through the loving connection between the boy and the family, creates within the reader a positive attachment with Ikemefuna. This does, however, make the murder all the more shocking and saddening. Although it remains a shock to me as the reader, my initial confusion as to why this had even happened was gone when I had read about the context surrounding the situation. The murder had been ordered as part of a spiritual ritual that had to be performed. One thing we learn about the Ibo people is that often, they don't know why. Yet, the do not question the Oracle. The fate of the boy was also very uncertain. Another aspect of the murder that stood out as a shock was the fact that Okonkwo participated in the ritual. I gained understanding through my awareness of the context, which in this case was the never ending motivation that Okonkwo had to become everything his father wasn't. Okonkwo tried his best to achieve and become as masculine is possible. However, this motivation became a negative force when the ritual had to be performed. At first, he was asked not to participate, but his motivation to appear manly and strong, physically and mentally, was what drove him to accept. As unethical as this scene as a whole had seemed, the awareness of context did open my mind in order to understand the reason for such actions.
One additional moment in the text that stood out was when Okonkwo had physically abused his wife after she had failed to get his meal ready when and how he wanted it. This is, again, ethically wrong on all levels, especially when it is viewed upon from a perspective of our generation. The context however, which is particularly time and culture, can help us see this as a more likely event to have occurred. At the time, men were seen as far more superior than women. This is just an aspect of their cultural views. Although the abuse was unnecessary, what this does depict is the male domination of the time, which is the contextual knowledge that helped me understand why such unethical actions would be carried out.
Overall, the awareness of context has enriched my understanding to the extent that I can accept the unusual happenings within the text with a little more ease. Even though these moments are still disturbing, the context of it all, whether it is the culture, religion, time, or motivation, has put all of these moments into perspective.
There are many things in this world that I don't understand. There are multiple cultural or religious acts that I may find ethically incorrect that others of different cultural values may see as completely normal. But, if one understands the depth of the culture and context, then perhaps these strange things begin to make more sense in the mind of an outsider. This is the case for Things Fall Apart. Particular moments within the text stood out to me is seemingly odd, or even disturbing at times. Such moments I had accepted due to my knowledge of the context at hand, whether the context is the culture of the people, or the characteristics of the person. This awareness of context has allowed me to realise why actions that seemed unethical to me were actually carried out.
The first example is an obvious one, which is arguably the turning point of the text. It was the moment when Ikemefuna was murdered in the Evil Forest. Ikemefuna, until this point in the text, was a beloved member of Okonkwo's family for three years. That chapter in Okonkwo's life came to a close as the elderly members of the community had ordered the death of Ikemefuna. At the expense of absolutely no wrong doings, he, in all his innocence, was taken to the Forest for an undeserved execution. This moment in the story was a shock to me at first. It is worthy to note how Achebe, through the loving connection between the boy and the family, creates within the reader a positive attachment with Ikemefuna. This does, however, make the murder all the more shocking and saddening. Although it remains a shock to me as the reader, my initial confusion as to why this had even happened was gone when I had read about the context surrounding the situation. The murder had been ordered as part of a spiritual ritual that had to be performed. One thing we learn about the Ibo people is that often, they don't know why. Yet, the do not question the Oracle. The fate of the boy was also very uncertain. Another aspect of the murder that stood out as a shock was the fact that Okonkwo participated in the ritual. I gained understanding through my awareness of the context, which in this case was the never ending motivation that Okonkwo had to become everything his father wasn't. Okonkwo tried his best to achieve and become as masculine is possible. However, this motivation became a negative force when the ritual had to be performed. At first, he was asked not to participate, but his motivation to appear manly and strong, physically and mentally, was what drove him to accept. As unethical as this scene as a whole had seemed, the awareness of context did open my mind in order to understand the reason for such actions.
One additional moment in the text that stood out was when Okonkwo had physically abused his wife after she had failed to get his meal ready when and how he wanted it. This is, again, ethically wrong on all levels, especially when it is viewed upon from a perspective of our generation. The context however, which is particularly time and culture, can help us see this as a more likely event to have occurred. At the time, men were seen as far more superior than women. This is just an aspect of their cultural views. Although the abuse was unnecessary, what this does depict is the male domination of the time, which is the contextual knowledge that helped me understand why such unethical actions would be carried out.
Overall, the awareness of context has enriched my understanding to the extent that I can accept the unusual happenings within the text with a little more ease. Even though these moments are still disturbing, the context of it all, whether it is the culture, religion, time, or motivation, has put all of these moments into perspective.
