Finals update

powerpoints for Lit terms review and scenic elements is on this site. A gentle reminder to also post five responses total to guest blogs.

AP lit essay

In 250 - 300 words (feel free to type!) describe how the oral elements support Achebe's purpose in Things Fall Apart.

Good luck!

Guest Blogger: Megan S.

Over this winter break the class has been reading Things Fall Apart. This engaging novel is written by Chinua Achebe. This novel is about a young man, named Okonkwo, who succedded in most of his life without the help of his father. Okonkwo shows great power and leadership in this novel, but he is so afraid of showing weaknesses that he acts rash which causes him problems internally. From the beginning of the novel the reader sees why Okonkwo does not want to show emotion. He believed that emotion was for the weak. His father liked to show emotion. So Okonkwo had to be the opposite of his father.. When Nwoye, Okonwo’s eldest son, started to show signs of weakness Okonkwo could not rationally handle it.

It is ironic that Nwoye shows characteristics of his grandfather. It seems as if it is almost a test for Okonkwo. Can he deal with his son if he reminds him of his father. I think that the author purposly shows that the characterics just skipped a generation. It makes me wonder about Unoka’s father’s personality. If he was a strong leader and a hero in war, much like Okonkwo, then the skip in generations would make sense. When the father is not succesful, reflecting Unoka, their son will be succesful because of the drive he has to be opposite from his father. However, in Okonkwo’s case this drive for success and a better life has its consequences. These consequences are obvious at the end of the novel was caused by the change in the village and an unfullfilled life. The consequence was sadly Okonkwo’s life. But all things aside, it is no doubt that Chinua Achebe wanted us to see the similar traits of Nwoye and Unoka. These two characters changed the character of Okonkwo. If they were not lazy and unsuccessful ,then Okonkwo would never have motivation and he would not have been driven into rage.These two supporting characters helped develop the novel.