The Struggles of Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath was born in Boston on October 27th, 1932. Plath is a well-known, celebrated American poet. She was bound for glory, as since a very young age she found success, already publishing poems at the age of only eleven. Plath had also received scholarships as a result of her exceeding intelligence, and entered the best universities, where her career would only flourish. However, her personal life is not anywhere near as radiant and delightful as the side of her life the world knew best.

Part of the darkness in her life was in the form of her father. Her mother worked at the University of Boston, where she met Plath's father, Otto Plath. He was a strict man. When Plath was only eight years of age, she lost her father to complications involving diabetes. This lead her and her family into a period of economic turmoil. It also lowered Plath into a state of depression. 

Furthermore, her husband, Ted Hughes, who she married in 1956, had left her for another woman in 1962. Their children were left in her hands. This only worsened her depression.

On this ever darkening road to self-destruction, she was motivated, through the loss of her husband and father, and her relationship with both men, to write a collection of poems, collectively named 'Ariel.' It consists of some of her most infamous works. One of them, perhaps the most famous, is 'Daddy,' a poem which describes her strange relationship with her father through a mouthful of figurative speech and metaphorical language. The opening lines depicts Sylvia Plath's life around her father. 

You do not do, you do not do

Any more, black shoe

In which I have lived like a foot

For thirty years, poor and white,

Barely daring to breathe or Achoo.

The poem has been described as a confrontation between the father, taking the part of a giant and evil Nazi, and Plath herself, taking the part of a Jew and a victim. However, through this poem, it is as if she gets revenge. She claimed that she's killed both her father and the model of her father - her husband. This poem shows her struggle to declare that, no matter how terrible her father was, she is now through with him, as the last line so clearly illustrates.

Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through.

This poem, among many others, are perfect depictions of the struggles that plagued  Sylvia Plath's life, and ultimately lead her to end it by her own will.

Paper #1 Practice

The text that will be analysed is an article titled 'The Language of African Literature,' focusing on the life of an African village child, who treasured the value of his language, which was only destroyed by the imperialism of the English language.

The article, through various indications, suggests the intended audience, which in this case, is most likely those who have control over the education in his country. He identifies all of the issues that imperialism has brought upon his future, and the significant negativity of this is emphasized by the mentioning of the value that the langue possesses. This is the first of the evidence. "English became the language of my formal education. In Kenya, English became more than a language: it was the language, and all others had to bow before it in deference." He indirectly calls for the helping of his generation, and for all those who will lose their mothertongue to the imperialism of the English language. The purpose of the article is to educate the audience of the problems that the English language has caused to the cultural and educational aspects of peoples lives. It also is an indirect call for help.

Within in the text, the author plays on two different views of language. On one side, you have the mother tongue of the community. He identifies all the values that lie deep within the language itself, and how it can be used as a tool to unite individuals as one people. "It had a suggestive power well beyond the immediate and lexical meaning. Our appreciation of the suggestive magical power of language was reinforced by the games we played with words through riddles, proverbs, transpositions of syllables, or through nonsensical but musically arranged words." The author ultimately views langue gas a powerful and valuable aspect of life. On the other hand, there is the English language. Based on the context of this text, the author and the community alike view language as well as a powerful tool to colonize and create a hopeless future for those who don't speak it. This was the case for Ngũgĩ.

A few aspects of the text stand out in terms of its contribution to setting the mood. We can firstly denote from the text that there is a sense of helplessness. Through the way that the author brings across the information, he leaves the reader with a negative feeling. The last sentence of the text depicts this. "English became the language of my formal education. In Kenya, English became more than a language: it was the language, and all others had to bow before it in deference." The audience feels that there is no hope for the language, and therefore no bright future for those who speak it. "All others had to bow before it." This line specifically extracts from the reader some extent of emotion. 

The structure of the article itself allows for more pathos within the reader. The author first mentions the connection that the language brought amongst the people of their culture. Afterwards, the author highlights the issues, which creates a more depressing mental picture of the situation.

In conclusion, the main purpose of the text is to educate those who have control about the issues of language imperialism and the negative effects it has on minorities. All the aspects of the article wish to achieve this purpose, whether through theme, stylistic features, tone and mood, or structure.

Paper #2 Response

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.

Okonkwo (the tragic hero)

The themes of the text 'Things Fall Apart' are developed by the author through the use of his characters. Okonkwo, the protagonist, is a prime example. Achebe himself articulates that Okonkwo was a tool of developing the themes of the text.

One of the themes that Achebe is able to develop through the character of Okonkwo is the idea of change, or the struggle between change and tradition. Most, who are loyal to their culture, would not have the desire to drastically change their cultural and religious values. Okonkwo, for example, rejects the opportunity for change. Joining another religious group, or conforming to a new political system, was, for Okonkwo, not a manly act. Doing so would be against his values, as he all but looked down upon the ways of his father, and thus swore to never follow in his footsteps. He resisted change in fear of becoming his father. This struggle between change and tradition, and the resistance of change is seen clearly through the character of Okonkwo in the text.

Destiny is another theme that could connect with the resistance of change. The destiny, or fate, of a character can be determined by the flexibility of their nature, or any willingness of change. In this regard, Okonkwo was of a completely inflexible nature. With the arrival of the Europeans, and all the cultural values that they brought with, it is inevitable that Okonkwo's destiny with be cursed with negativity. Fate was to bring his own self destruction, thus he is considered a tragic hero, with a tragic flaw. The theme of destiny is an obvious reflection of Okonkwo's character. Achebe successfully uses him for the purpose of developing his main themes.

There may have been a purpose supporting Achebe's decision to choose a tragic hero as his main character. It connects to one tradition proverb. "Wherever something stands, something else will stand beside it." Achebe's own interpretation of this proverb is the idea that the Igbo people do not believe in an absolute. There is no one side of any situation. For any good, there will be bad. Such is the case for Okonkwo. As a tragic hero, he achieves greatness, yet also brings about his own self destruction, all through the motivation of not being a coward like his father. This does support the proverb and could suggest the purpose of choosing Okonkwo to be a tragic hero.

Igbo Background Assignment.

Various traditional cultural rituals and practices are carried out by the Igbo people. A fair amount see large similarities, among many differences, in comparison to the mainstream cultural practices our modern society is still doing today. There are a few specific examples where both similarities and differences can be seen.

Traditional marriage (Igbankwu) is certainly a great example. Marriage in Igboland is not just an affair between the future husband and wife, but also involves the parents, the extended family and villages. There is a large progression of events leading up to the eventual ceremony. First the groom asks his potential partner to marry him. If it's a yes, the groom will visit the bride’s residence accompanied by his father. The groom’s father will introduce himself and his son and explain the purpose of his visit. The bride’s father welcomes the guests, invites his daughter to come and asks her if she knows the groom. Her confirmation shows that she agrees. Then the bride’s price settlement (Ika-Akalika) starts with the groom accompanied by his father and elders visiting the bride’s compound on another evening. They bring wine and kola nuts with them, which are presented to the bride’s father. After they have been served with a meal, the bride’s price is being negotiated between the fathers. In most cases there is only a symbolic price to be paid for the bride, but in addition, other prerequisites, such as kola nuts, goats, chicken and wine, are listed as well. Usually it takes more than one evening before the final bride’s price is settled, offering guests from both sides a glamorous feast. Once the price is settled, the wedding day is planned. It would normally turn out to be a joyful ceremony with singing and traditional dancing. On the day, the bride goes around selling boilt eggs to the guests, in order to prove to both families she has the potential and the capability to open a shop and make money. Then, the father of the bride fills a wooden cup (Iko) with palm wine and passes it to her daughter, whilst groom finds a place among the guests. Only after she has found the groom, offered the cup to him and he sipped the wine, is the couple is married traditionally. This is in much contrast to modern day celebrations. Today, church wedding follows traditional marriage . During this ceremony, the bride’s train, made up of the bride followed by her single female friends, enters the church dancing on the music, while the guests bless the bride’s train by throwing money over the bride and her entourage. The groom receives the bride at the altar for the final church blessing by the priest. This is often followed by a reception, which, in terms of celebration, is a similarity between the two cultures.

An Egwugwu Ceremony is a judgment ceremony in which the town is called to the "Egwugwu house" to settle a dispute between two families/parties by waiting for  the gong to sound. The elders of the village sit in the front rows of stools with a row of nine seats in front of them. The plaintiff and the defendant gather in two groups in front of the crowd. When the gong is heard, the nine "spirits" (representing the nine founders of each village) come out of the hut, each wearing a mask. The leader Egwugwu, named Evil Forest, addresses both groups and receives their sides of the conflict. Then, the nine Egwugwu spirits consult in the hut and then come out and give the verdict to the crowd. This is how many family disputes are solved amongst the Ibo people. This ceremony is similar to our present day court trials, as the Egwugwu, or the judge, is analyzing the crime or dispute being focused on, determining the guilty party, and setting consequences that the guilty will have to give in to.

Funerals are an example as well. If someone of the Ibo village has passed, then a funeral will be held for that person. Traditional funerals of the Igbo people are very much different to present day funerals, as Ibo funerals are centred around the idea of celebration and honour towards the one who has passed, instead of mourning over their passing. During the funeral ancient drums of death are beaten and even guns and canons are shot off. Many of the attendees wear smoked raffia skirts and have their bodies painted with charcoal. Occasionally, a godly egwugwu may pay a visit to honour the deceased. At the end of it all the spirit of the departed is asked to move on peacefully. This ceremony is similar to present day funerals in some ways as well, in that they both deal with the putting to rest of a deceased individual. Even though Igbo funeral ceremonies are much more energetic and positive, they are both meant to give us closure and to make sure that it is acknowledged that those who pass are in a better place.

Most meaningful takeaway...

In this discussion, we focused on an interview of Chinua Achebe, called 'An African Voice,' where they discussed the content, background and meaning of his book 'All things fall apart,' which expresses the effect and disruption that british colonialism had on their culture.

The most meaningful takeaway from this discussion was the topic of how media tends to bend the truth, through relatively false representations of a country, and everything about it. In most cases, when a person thinks about Nigeria, he knows it's a nation in Africa, and immediately has mental pictures of a poverty stricken nation, with roads an pavements of dirt, infested with starving children covered in a swarm of flies. I'm from Africa, and even I can relate to it.

The way the media portrays Africa, through means of mass communication, is the reason that most people don't know any better. They don't know that Africa is rich in minerals and is considered a mining paradise. That don't know that Africa has roads with cars on it, amongst brick houses that have water and electricity, and aren't guarded by lions.

But we suggested that this could be the media's strategy of calling for action. If it is portrayed ad a good, attractive place, then there might not be as much of a motivation to help those in need. I hope that strategy works...

FOA Reflection

Further Oral Activity Reflection

The further oral activity was centred around the question "how is language and it's use affected by lower social class?" I answered the question through analysis of a rap song and a poem, and the aspects of each that help support my argument. In my case, I had wished to evoke the idea that lower social class can affect language in a negative and positive way. When growing up in environments typical of the lower class, education is a risk, and therefore language skills are risked as well. Through the chosen texts, one could see the relationship between the background described, and the resulting outcome of their language use. I showed several examples of this in the texts, as the lower class shone through the language, majorly AAVE.

Overall, I do feel that the actual presentation went quite well. I was successful in bringing across all of the ideas and all of the lines I planned to say initially. This was easier than in the last FOA, as the audio was rehearsed, recorded, and edited. I am also relatively confident that the analysis was enough to support the claims I made in my introduction and conclusion. One of the learning outcomes of the further oral activity was "how language and meaning are shaped by culture and context." I do feel as if I achieved this outcome to the greatest extent. I explored how the context, being lower social class, can actually affect the language being used, and the skill with which it is used.

Considering the criterion, in hindsight, I believe that I was strongest in my language and register, having used many more appropriate words, only possible because it was done in the form of a recorded PowerPoint. This outcome was what I hoped for. When I chose the presentation type, my initial intention was to deliver more depth and detail than possible when presenting live. The analysis, again, I fell was adequate in its aims to support my arguments. I hope, in terms of detail, that it surpassed the level of analysis of the previous FOA, which slightly lacked the detail that I was capable of presenting. Another improvement was the timing of the presentation. I made sure that I was within above the minimum boundary, though a little over the time limit this time.

My main focus was how growing up in a lower social class affects language. When giving though to my choice of texts, I realised that rap music and poetry would best reflect my argument, as a large amount of both text types consist of artists describing the struggles of their past. Often this message is conveyed through the language they most identify with. In the case of my chosen text, that language is AAVE, a language critiqued for its lack of 'properness'. Evidence is present, through the content of the text, suggesting that the informal language being used is a result of their past. This answers how context shapes language, as well as the focus question.

Out of this FOA, I have learnt the depths of my topic. I have learnt about how context can shape language and meaning. As for the next time, I hope to stay closer to the time limit. I will also look towards achieving further depth in the analysis of texts. There is always room for improvement in that department. But above all, I will, once again, take confidence with me for the next FOA, because despite whatever my mark will be, I feel that I did quite well for my second FOA.