"I Always Do"

Sorry there isn't much of a format here. This is Mgbafo speaking to her husband Uzowulu, two seasons after the trial.

I wish you would speak to me. If not for my sake, then do it for the children. They love you as their father, despite what they’ve seen you do. They confide in me their respect for you. And I respect you. I love you as my husband.

Oh, do not look at me that way. I did not leave you two seasons ago when you asked me to say. You may have been confident that I would choose you, but my heart was in dilemma. This whole union has been an effort on my behalf, but I expected that you would start to work as well. I believed your pleads, Uzowulu. Despite everything you did, I placed my trust in you. Please tell me I did the right thing. Please, convince me I made the correct choice.

These marks have been fading for many moons. I never forget what caused them, no matter how many I have to keep track of.  For example, where was it…. Somewhere here are scars from when I was ill. You were upset at me for bringing your supper late. And these here… they are yet fresh. But I am waiting for the pain to dull and disappear. Just as I will wait in vain for you to fulfill your promise.

Still… why, Uzowulu? Why did you stand before the egwuwu? Why did you give my brothers wine? Why did you stand before me and beg me to stay? For even now, if not for the children I would run. I would flee from this iron cage and from the wretched devil that you-

No! Stop! Please! Forgive me! I have outspoken and forgotten my place. I am confused and speaking nonsense! You are tired! You  do not want to hear of this matter...... And indeed, you work hard to earn the respect among Umuofia. Do not give this a second thought. I will speak to the children on your behalf. They are, after all, very concerned for you. And after that I will prepare your supper. If it is illness that is affecting you, please rest. I will come back shortly. I always do.

Characters Coming to Life

Initially, I was under the impression that Okonkwo was on the way to becoming a hero. In order to become a hero, you must pass an ordeal; I believed that the issue with his father provided something to be overcome. Upon completing the novel, although he chose to escape, my naive mind firmly believed Okonkwo's actions became a legacy outside of the fading black ink. Jumping out from the thin white pages, he became a hero.

That being said, perhaps this idea only proved my ignorance to the Igbo culture and the importance of cultural relativity. Even with the novel as a source of insight, perhaps I could not judge Okonkwo by Westernized measures. The Igbo people viewed all suicides as sins. In this light, the protagonist had the chance to be hero throughout; yet, by taking his own life, he failed. To contrast this, suicide in Western movies was considered a noble death if it was done for a cause. We labelled it as an honorable sacrifice when the captured secret agent or the star-crossed lovers cut their own life strings.

In the same perspective, without knowing what happened after the final chapter, I believed Okonkwo's death stood for something. His character became a hero by making such a bold statement that global readers would care. In international eyes, he may or may not have been a perfect protagonist, but we read the book from cover to cover. And as his body hung lifeless from that tree, we stopped to think. By committing suicide, he showed to the Western readers the very impact of their missionaries.   By doing something so unforgivable and shameful to his clan, he proved the desperation of the situation. Oftentimes, by the nature of biculturalism, the people spreading their religion believed they were doing a kind and compassionate duty. Okonkwo's tragic story, however, proved otherwise. And it was this that gave real, living people a perspective on the true impact of their actions.

What Defeats a Man

         The clear conflict in "The Road" is survival, under the man vs. environment category. When the world is at its end, history repeats itself and the man and his son act like nomadic cavemen. Every day, they must find food and shelter while hiding themselves from the other survivors. In multiple situations, the reader's grip on the book tightens as illness and inevitable death are foreshadowed.  In such a dark time, the cliche "every man for himself" becomes religiously practiced.
         The underlying conflict in this novel is between the protagonist and himself, following the criteria of man vs. self. Throughout the entire story, the character is in turmoil. He had to come to terms with his wife's suicide and desperately tries to carry all of the family's burdens. And whilst he strives to preserve his son's youth and innocence, he seems to be leaving himself in dark anxiety. He seems to try to protect the boy from the harsh realities surrounding them; consequently, there is no one he can speak truthfully of his own fears. His thoughts remain in his mind, which I suspect may be what leads to the end of the book. As I near the final page, I predict that what defeats him is not that which surrounds him, but that which is inside.  That being said, this is only a prediction.

Post-Colonialism to My Ears

Recently, the post-colonialism studies in our class have centered around that of countries in Africa. This is perhaps due to the fact that the most prominent pieces of evidence come from Caucasian views on this continent. However, post-colonialism refers to the aftermath of the subjugation of one group of people; it does not always allude to Africa. A pattern I've noticed is a lack of independency after a country releases the assimilated population. Oftentimes, although society modernizes with time, traces of a colonized nation remain. This can be observed in both distinct and subtle examples. 

Great Britain brought Hong Kong under its wing in 1841. It declared the island as part of its empire until giving it to China during the next century. Yet, even as the British dismissed them, pieces of post-colonialism still linger. The instance this post will focus on is on the unstated, indirect effect on Canto-pop, or HK-pop. 

Oftentimes to find what a society finds hip, looking at the trendsetters themselves is a good start. In researching various artists, I was interested to find many popular, familiar English names. Some of the band names were also words from our language; this includes Purple Nine, Twins, and Shine. The attached picture is a list of the top album sellers in 2009 for Canto-pop in Hong Kong. I was surprised to know all of the bands listed had English names and English song titles. Here, the only Chinese words were the last names of certain individuals. 

2009 IFPS Sales Chart, Hong Kong

Additionally, in searching the individual artists, some also supported appearances of Caucasian people.  

Shine

To conclude, post-colonization happens worldwide despite the number of generations passed. Sometimes, it is as unnoticeable and subtle as the people who fill our music players. It isn't a clear insult of one party versus another, but the fundamentals of post-colonization are still present. 

Steveston Cares

I know this has nothing to do with English and it has nothing to do with any literature I've read recently. I should have posted this much earlier, but I only thought of it now.

If you have time, please come down to Fisherman's Park (just outside of Georgia Cannery in Steveston, at the end of Moncton Street)! We are having a Japan earthquake and tsunami relief walk. You can come any time from 10am onwards, keeping in mind that it ends at 2pm. It's only a kilometre walk to No. 1 Road and back, but please come if you can! And bring a couple of dollars to donate, if you can spare. Funds go to rebuild a fisherman's village in Japan.

look for the crazy person wearing this on the front

look for the crazy person wearing this on the back

thank you!

Baby Steps of a Beginning Criminal

          The modern day teenagers may be enthusiastic and friendly, but society often forgets they are also young thieves. A common pastime of theirs is finding websites to download their favourite songs for free. This is incontrovertibly illegal, as the act of taking objects without a form of payment is against the law. Stealing music is a prominent issue that everyone labels as immoral. Generations before us have lived without illegal downloading; therefore, modern society should be no different. The only excuse today's teenagers have is that they are too cheap to pay cash. Yet, they're simultaneously setting themselves up for prison; furthermore, they are manipulating the leniency of the British Columbia Youth Justice Act. Perhaps the only solution is to teach them that downloading music is no different from stealing equipment in a recording studio. Once this message is conveyed, adolescents will understand they have the power to refuse illegal activity or face a life as a criminal.

"In what direction [do] lost men veer?" (116)

The protagonist in Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" is the man. He is a father and a widower, after his wife committed suicide. I would imagine his physical appearance to be worn and weary, a reflection on what he has gone through and is going through. The circumstances that characterize this novel, revolve around the fall of humanity and the world. Due to this, the man is dedicated to protecting his son and surviving each day. His motivation is his boy, a sole theme in the novel. This child is the last remainder of all that is dear to him, as they live a nomadically in a game of sustainability.  His devotion is reflected throughout the novel, highlighted explicitly in dialogue:

[His] job is to take care of [the boy]. [The man] was appointed to do that by God. [He would] kill anyone who touches [his son] (77).

Besides the explicit physical conflict, the man must also maintain a positive and protective role. Naturally, his boy poses many paranoid questions, the most common being "Are we going to die?" (10). Despite the circumstances, he comforts the child and attempts to restore the boy's fallen hopes. Yet, this proves to be a struggle on himself as he occasionally finds himself irritated by such inevitable and pessimistic speech.

An unconditionally devoted protagonist is, in my opinion, a common character used in multiple works of art. To me, the man is a less dramatic rendition on Albus Dumbledore of my childhood favourite "Harry Potter" series. Dumbledore saw Harry as a son, coming to his aid and protection even past his death. This being said, I am almost positive there are many other people reminiscent to that of the man. This, perhaps, is how Cormac McCarthy made a story about the end of life relatable to people today.