SITI AMIRA BINTI SALLEHUDIN

Week 4

In the novel Animal Farm, the hope for a better world remains unattainable. Even with the change of governance, the animals are eventually mistreated. How is it possible that the longing for good can turn awry when the person is in power for long?

In the case of Okonkwo, he is not painted as someone who is without fault. In fact, he is in many ways a tragic hero. Neither is he a person who is evil despite his part in killing Ikemefuna. Based on your understanding of him in the novel, reflect on the following questions:

• How has Okonkwo been a figure of inspiration and disappointment to his people? 
• What are the characteristics of Okonkwo that you can find in your nation’s leader?

                Okonkwo is the main role in Things Fall Apart. He is known as a tragic hero because at first he displayed as a tough who represent strength. It is because when he was 18 years old, he had won a fight over Amalinze the cat. It considered as a big achievement of him because Amalinze had never been defeated for 7 years. Besides that, he had no patience with unsuccessful man especially towards his father – Unoka. Therefore, he determined to gain his own wealth since his father doesn’t have anything to be inherited to him. Those are the examples why Okonkwo has been a figure of inspiration.

                Aside from that, Okonkwo has been a disappointment to his people because of his impatient. He tends to decide on his own about attacking the colonist for coming to his place. The people of the Igbo didn’t join him as they know that they would get punished if they did it. Consequently, he had been punished by stay alone in the Evil Forest. It can be conclude that if you object good thing others give you, there I consequences for the objection.

                Despite that Okonkwo is an impatient man, he is a brave man too. It shows that when no one supports him to go against the colonist, he still go against. Even though it is a bad example to do so but it shows that he is determined on what he is will. When Sabah been attacked by the Sulu when they claimed that Sabah is theirs’, our nation’s leader determined that he will never give Sabah to the Sulu.

WEEK 3

Karl Marx once commented that 'religion is the opium of the people'. Do you agree with him? In the case of Umuofia, do you think their native religion stunts their development? Is the 'new' religion seen as a way of bringing development to Umuofia?

Apart from religion, superstitions play an important part in the Ibo culture. Do you have your own sets of superstitions which you find difficult to discard?

The following points can help you as you write your reflective post on the role of religion and superstition in the novel and in your life:

• Analyse how superstitions and religions play in the life described in the novel. 
• Do superstitious beliefs and religion affect the development of a country? How?
• How does one's beliefs affect the nation in terms of politics and culture?

                In Things Fall Apart, superstition like twins bring bad luck is very unacceptable culture for me. Babies are like a white cloth. They are pure and innocent as they know nothing about anything and yet they’re being sacrifice since it has been the culture for the Igbo’s people. Other than that, the killing of Ikemefuna is another Igbo’s culture that does not make sense for me. It is because Ikemefuna is being sacrifice because of his father’s fault. It is unfair for the person who receives the punishments instead of the person who did the crime. Since Ikemefuna knows nothing, he just follows Okonkwo back to his house. Besides that, it is the Igbo’s culture for having the women stay at home and do the house chores and obey the husbands only. For example, Okonkwo’s wives have to serve him and obey him. Any activities that do not have any approval from Okonkwo, he will be furious about it and acts violent towards the wives.

                In my opinion, superstitious beliefs and religion do affect the development of the country. For example, before the colonisation happens, the Igbo’s people seem to live in the dark with unacceptable superstitions and culture. When the colonisation happened, the White people gave preach about Christianity to the Igbo’s people. Moreover, they provided some proper education to the villagers which they never had before the colonisation. After that, we could see that there were some changes in the villagers such as they attend the classes provided by the colonist to improve their life. For example, Nwoye attended the classes because he can’t stand his own culture’s beliefs. As conclusion, superstitious beliefs and religion do affect the mind of the people which eventually affect the development of the country.



BY : SITI AMIRA BT SALLEHUDIN

TFA WEEK 2

1. How are the women treated in the novel? Do all members in the community agree with the status quo? Why?

The women in Igbo community have been treated unfairly in this story. The women in this community have no authority to speak their mind and do things they like. For example, one day, when Okonkwo’ youngest wife was not home in time to cook for him lunch, he beat her severely when she reached home. He didn’t listen to his wife explanation before he beat her since she has no right to talk back to her husband. Moreover, Okonkwo once thought about Ezinma, his daughter that, “She should have been a boy.” Okonkwo thought made me realized that the women’s ability in Igbo community has been underestimated. The women only do things if their men allowed them to. As example, Ezinma can only be married when they reached Okonkwo’s motherland since her father said so. Not all of the members of the community seem to be fine with this status quo since they did advised Okonkwo to stop when he beat his wife. It shows that they concern on the status quo but they literally could do nothing to change it because it was one of their cultures.

2. What contributions are made by the Igbo women to the survival of their culture?

The Igbo women contribution for the survival was big even though they had been considered as the weak and low-class. The Igbo women cook for their family, take care of them, tell stories to their children, serve their husband, and do the housework. Each of the elements stated portrayed in Okonkwo’s wives. For example, Okonkwo wives would cook for him and their children each meal. Besides that, Nwoye’s mother told him a story which has moral values and so did Ekwefi to Ezinma.  

3. What are the changes in women’s roles in this present world?

Nowadays women are different from the Igbo’s women. Not totally different but there are some parts that change. It is because nowadays women are no longer considered as weak and low-class. Nowadays, women have their own job for themselves. Moreover, they can speak out their opinions and ideas and they can do things that they want without being restricted unlike the Igbo’s women. Aside from that, nowadays women can choose their own future. They can future their studies and have career. Since I mentioned that nowadays and before women are not totally different, it is because nowadays women do take care of their family and cook for them. Even though they have career, they do things that requires them to like do the housework and else. It just that they have more freedom than the women before. 

By: SITI AMIRA SALLEHUDIN

Reflection on Things Fall Apart

Siti Amira Bt Sallehudin

• Based on your reading of “Things Fall Apart”, what aspects of the Igbo culture allow the British to take over? 

Based on my reading, I think the important aspect is the Igbo people can't accept fully their culture since their culture seems to be overboard. For example, the killing of the twins in the Evil Forest. One of the Igbo people that converted to Christianity is Nwoye - Okonkwo's son.

• Since Sarawak has also undergone colonisation, how has this affected aspects of culture in our society?

The colonisation has affected some aspects in the Sarawak's society. For example, the language they used. My friend told me that instead using 'bola' for ball, the Sarawak people use 'bol'. Besides that, during marriage ceremony, the bride will use dress and the groom will use coat instead using the traditional wedding attire.

• Are there any changes brought about in the lives of the indigenous tribes in Africa and Sarawak? 

There are changes in the lives of the indigeous in Africa and Sarawak after the colonisation. For example, they manage to improve their lifestyle since they have been colonised. For example, the Igbo feel at peace after converted to Christianity. Moreover, they feel that their previous custom were unreasonable. Besides that, the people acknowledge the colonisation as the steppingstone for them to modernise themselves.