Tribes and Trials

Whew.  We're just about done with Okonkwo and his tribe.  I must say, its a bit of a dry book but this year I tried to connect it more to our world and I think it worked a little.  Through class discussions about themes - hospitality, kingship, courage, and achievements - we were able to see how the Ibo people value these elements as do Americans.  We analyzed Okonkwo's faults - and they found several - and then I challenged the kids to turn those faults to virtues.  Good stuff came out of that discussion too.  So I don't know that they are loving this book, but I hope it is decent anyway.  And little do my students know that all of this is priming them for the next round of work:  masks, building villages, culture research, and analytical paper to name a few!  Stay tuned for those assignments and photos.

Click here for a link to novel resources.

Culture Clash

We've begun Achebe's novel "Things Fall Apart." Okonkwo and his world are beginning to take shape for us.  What is interesting for me as an instructor is to watch my students' reactions to a culture that is so vastly different from ours.  We had a great discussion yesterday about gender roles in our society and in the Ibo tribe.  Maybe it's not such a bad thing that parents monitor their children's activities and are involved in their lives...And the support system around us needs to be strong - neighbors, friends, grandparents - in order to thrive and find our place in this world.

Okonkwo rules his family with an iron fist and no one is sheltered from his wrath.  His wives carry out the daily chores as do his children and Okonkwo tends his large farm, making sure the staple crop of yams thrives.  Whether you believe he is run by his vices (abusive, selfish, arrogant, short-tempered, macho, cold-hearted) or his virtues (respected, successful, confident, manly, unemotional) there is no doubt his is an impressive figure.

Don't forget to keep up with the reading schedule and take note of those proverbs.