Poetry - (Words?)

Simile
Metaphor
Rhyme
Hyperbole
Personification
Repetition

Onomonopia

Alliteration

Rhythm

Line

Stanza

Prose

Enjambment (line breaks)

Meter (Pace)

Haiku

Epic

Limerick

Sonnet

Villanelle

Sestina

Terzarina 

Ottararama

Humor

Satire

Irony

Parody

Voice

Tone

Mood

Poet/Speaker of Poem

Symbolism

Couplet

Verse (inc. under prose)

Connotation/Innotation

Ultimate/Penultimate

Foreshadowing

Oxymoron

Form/Content

 - Content - what is included in the poem and what it's about

 - Form - how the poem is structured

Grammar/Capitalization/Punctuation

Diction

Juxtaposition

Blog D12011

Little bit scared of the upcoming assignment
Not sure how to make a 'short' story long enough
Extend by adding (semi?) useless info?  (Similar to the cereal paragraph(s) in (one of?) the short stories we read.
   - Include lots of detailed background, but not fully explained - don't give the big picture
Thinking about the packet from the beginning of the year 'how to write about africa' - is this assignment almost an example of a revised set of those rules?
Worth looking at those rules again, seeing how our new rules differ
DIFFERENCE - AFRICAN SHORT STORIES/AFRICAN WRITING
 - Of these new rules, which apply just to short stories, or to short stories in general, and which apply more to the majority of African writing/literature
Want to include elements in story (top of the head)
 - Small detail
- Implied background
   - Implied relationships
- An example (microcosm) of something in the general culture (macrocosm)
-(Y/N?) Base story off of dialogue?
- Try to keep the majority of the story either in dialogue or reflection
-Reflection could be a good way to expand on minor subtopics: leave more questions but also give more answers when it comes to background (artistic?)
- Should a plot/moral/basic shape of relationships be copied/similar (example a dominant wife, meek and feeble father/male authority, and a rebellious daughter?)
- What sort of background should be used?
- Use an everyday story - few/no special events - the special part of the story should be artfully crafted relationship dynamics - twist should be a change in those

Styles in Short Stories

Build the story off of dialogue (real dialogue - actually grammar, how things would be said - don't directly define something that might be unknown to a reader, but imply its meaning with context

Have a moral - a message - something (knowledge) that is/can be gained by following the progression of the story or character(s)

Give context/setting with details of the culture - wars, types of food eaten, language spoken, important animals or symbols, traditions/the way things are done

Let the characters actions explain who they are/their importance relative to the other characters

Include examples of clashes of/conflicts between cultures (African/White/Christian)

Tell the story with continuous actions - avoid backtracking (for explanations) or skipping ahead to another day when possible

Keep in touch with the main characters thoughts and feelings - the things behind his decisions and his actions - throughout the story - use questions (internal) as necessary (rhetorical?)

Harkness Table Reflection

As in my last reflection, I believe that I talk quite a bit.  However, I do believe that I have slightly improved when it comes to policing myself and not over contributing, although I should continue to work on that. (Sometimes feel like I've contributed less than others while it may not be the case, and compensate by contributing more, which exacerbates the problem)  While I am still a 'primary contributor', I am on an equal level with at least 2 or 3 other people in the class in terms of speaking, and think that I have done a much better job in terms of listening since the last reflection as well.  However, I think that I've made very little improvement, or even taken steps backwards in staying engrossed in the text.  I often times notice, both in class and based on a few of the different Harkness charts, that although I often listen and am a part of the conversation, I rarely ever take notes or write on what is said, and have a problem with using the book to come up with textual evidence for my points in conversation.  ('I forgot where exactly it is' may have become too common a phrase).  Overall, I feel that I am about at an A- level for class participation around the Harkness table.  I definitely participate, but perhaps over actively, and while I may have valid and relevant points when I speak, I should work on textually supporting more of these points, and paying attention to both the book and the conversation.

Dichotomies 'Tail of the Blue Bird'

Perhaps the most important dichotomy in TotBB (in terms of 'moving' the story along) was the internal struggle of many of the characters between their ambitions and their internal need to 'do the right thing'.  At the start of the book, Kayo dreams of being a forensic analyst for the Ghana Police - to have the opportunity to BE corrupt, and to be on the other side.  He wants monetary success, to drive a Range Rover instead of his old Golf, to rake in massive paychecks,  but when given the opportunity to achieve all of his ambitions, Kayo's dream becomes less and less straightforward.  While before he had KNOWN how corrupt the police and the government was and never had a problem with it in general, Kayo is unsure for a long period of time whether to write a false report that would further his career, or tell the truth - that he couldn't actually solve the mystery.  Kayo eventually decides on furthering his career, but is overcome with regret about his decision, and takes it back on the ride out of the village with Donkor, nearly getting himself executed.

We don't know as much of Donkor's story, but what we do know is this - he started at the bottom of the chain, and through dishonesty, corruption, and efficiency through cutting corners, he rises to nearly the top of the police ladder, achieving his long time dream, with apparently few regrets.

Tail of the Blue Bird 36-80 Theme : Corruption

As I said in my previous entry, Tail of the Blue Bird seems to be a more modern/relatable (to a modern western reader) story than the previous books we have read, and seems to include at least one of today's more common stereotypes about Africa : Corruption.   While it is barely talked about, if at all, in the small village narratives, corruption seems to be a rampant problem from Kayo's narration.  In the beginning of the book, there is some brief talk of bribing the police, but it is towards page 30 and beyond that the constant presence of corruption begins to become more evident.  I personally found the whole situation where Kayo gets a job working for the police to be a prime example.  To start, the police force badgered his boss, Acquah, and ended up blackmailing him for various small offenses he had committed in order to persuade him to release Kayo from his contract, while of course implying that they would need to be frequently paid off in the future if Mr. Acquah wanted to avoid prison.  Further complicating/corrupting the situation was how exactly the police got in contact with Kayo.  It seems to me had they simply asked, and told him that his boss now approved, Kayo would have jumped at the chance to work for them - something that he states earlier is something he aspires to.  However, instead, the police draw up an entirely false and ridiculous charge to take Kayo into custody, hold him overnight in a cell, and then  offer him a job.  This second part may not be corruption in it's typical sense, but it still feels to me like things just aren't being done right.

Other examples :
"You bribed someone, got what you wanted, and moved on.  That was the system Kayo understood; the system that allows his father to persuade a clerk to add a year to Kayo's age so he could qualify for a government scholarship when he was still sixteen."  P. 18

"The Ghana Police had a ninety-nine percent record in solving crimes through 'specialised' interrogation" p. 21

"It is not even a case we would have bothered with, but the minster for roads and highways is sleeping with a girl from Tafo.  She discovered some human matter and the minister himself called me that day to ask me to deploy some men" p. 54

"A free Mr. Acquah would pay his tax arrears, but he would also be forever grateful to Sergeant Mintah for not putting him in jail.  He would express that gratitude in regular gifts, cash gifts at christmas and easter, and other favours when needed" p. 59

Reflections on Harkness Table Talk

1 - Made a fair number of points.  Talked a lot, but seemed to be having back-and-forths as well, so I think I was listening and paying attention

2 - Did an ok job policing myself, spoke 4 times - not more than anyone else, 3 or 4 way tie for most points.  Don't remember my eye contact/attention that day.

3 - Spoke a lot.  Definetly too much, but all of the lines seem to be back-and-forth conversations, so I think I was listening as well.

4 - Shikar seemed to make more points, but I still dominated the conversation a little bit too much.  Not sure of how well I listened that day.

5 - Spoke way too much.  A lot of points seem to be clustered around me.  Should've let more people speak.  I think there was a good amount of back-and-forth conversation and that I was listening and paying attention that day, but not 100% sure.

6- Made quite a few points, but not drastically more than any other highly involved person. I feel I probably had a good balance of listening and paying attention and speaking

7- Spoke a lot, but made the same number of points as Ms. Tally and Shikar, less than Sophia, and only a few more than Jordan.  Again, I think I did well policing myself and not dominating the conversation too much.  Can't remember if I did a good job listening or not.

Overall in the class, I think that I may be talking a little bit too much, but have done an ok job policing myself and not over-contributing, especially compared to last year.  I think I've done a decent job when it comes to listening to others, but can't easily reflect based on the trackers. I typically do have a problem with eye contact, and I don't believe it's something I've been good about so far this year and is something that I should work on.

Last Time I Felt Like Tambu

Ironically, (after our class discussion today) the last time I felt like Tambu was over this past summer after my return from Peru.  Just like how we discussed (and downed) in class, I went to Peru, and camped on top of a 13,000 ft mountain for two weeks to build houses.  While the program I was doing this project through is known as being slightly posh and being very comfortable, this trip was an exception.  Although called ‘The Sacred Valley Project’, as I said above, we weren’t in comfortable huts in a valley with running water and electricity as the name of the project and experiences of previous year’s alumni implied – we were 7,000 feet higher.  In tents.  With snow.

Like Tambu, over two weeks, I started to become accustomed to working in the snow in the T-Shirts and light sweaters I had brought, the grossly high altitude, and the very different living conditions (meals consisted of near soley potatoes for example) than I was used to.

And like Tambu, I experienced the same rush of (relief?  relaxation?  happiness?) upon returning/coming into a developed society.   Even though I had grown up and spent my entire life around such things as showers, clean tap water, foods other than potatoes, coming back to them, they seemed almost foreign.  And wonderful. 

TED TALK Reflection

In general, it is hard to not take interest in a TED Talk.  All of them are incredibly informative.  However I found this TED Talk particularly interesting.  Not because of any new things that I learned (of which there were many) but because of how obvious and right everything that Chimamanda Adiche said was.  Unlike other speakers who fight a battle against stereotyping, Adiche doesn't deny where our views come from.  What she does do, which truly just 'strikes a chord' in how perfectly accurate it is, is acknowledge that while stereotypes are rooted in truth, there is always more to the story.  When Adiche talks about her trip to Mexico, she admits how easily she fell into the single-story trap that America lays when it comes to Mexicans and Mexican immigrants, and how inaccurate a view one can gain from a single viewpoint.  I know that I laughed with Adiche when she brought up how surprised her roommate was that she didn't know tribal african music and was more interested in Mariah Carey and Jay-Z.  But looking back - I would likely have made the same mistake.  After hearing Adiche speak, it seems so obvious how skewed and perverted our viewpoints are of places that we know only from our societies own biased view on those places.  Initially, I was very disappointed in myself for not fully realizing this earlier, as I have been lucky enough to travel to many different places, including sub-saharan africa.  But like Adiche said, when I went there, my focus wasn't on how similar they were to me and the society I am used to, but how different.  I never thought about what kinds of music people there liked to listen to - what interests we may have had in common. While I did talk to and get to know some of the people there, and see some similarities, with the 'single story' I had been fed for my entire life about what Africa was like, I was far more focused on the differences of the people there and the similarities to to the story than the uniqueness of each individual person and their situation.
Magnifying my disappointment in myself is the fact that I'm jewish.  And the fact that there have been many times when I have traveled where people don't realize until I tell them or they see my last name.  I don't wear a yamacha, and I (tend to) shave my beard.  I'm definetly not scrawny and nerdy.  I don't fit that 'single story'

Impact of the cover

Cover 2 - the black and red face/writing with white background

I can't count how many times I've been told "don't judge a book by its cover".  However each of the different covers for Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart' add individual meaning, or confirm a suspicion in one way or another.

In class, we've talked a lot about whether Okonkwo is 'good' or 'bad'.  What his intentions are.  His goals.  His sentiments for his family.  And while we seemed to have come closer to a conclusion on these issues now that we're nearing the end of the book, many of these issues are still at least somewhat unclear.

The second cover, I believe, gives a unique, author/educated illustrator's view on the subject.  The mix of both black and red - two colors that seem intimidating and evil by themselves, give one immediate perspective that Okonkwo is 'all bad'.  However, the fact that these colors alternate - that they are mixed equally amongst the things on the cover (the different parts of the face and the text)  I believe represents how Okonkwo is a mix of both 'good and evil' and neither one part is entirely dominant.  Stretching it, the placement of the text and images on a white background, and that the face is split up into multiple, clear cut sections may imply that something/ numerous things MADE Okonkwo that way (i.e. how he was raised/growing up around his father) and that while he may seem bad on the outside, the white background symbolizes the good that is underneath the rough exterior.

Okonkwo's Relationships with his children

As we have talked about in class, the quality of Okonkwo's relationships with his various children is not very cut and dry/simple, and the selected parts of the story that we obtain through reading the book often raise questions about how good these relationships are.  Based on what we had learned prior to the last reading, it seemed like Okonkwo's daughter, Enzima, was his favorite child.  However, when the priestess, Chielo, comes to Okonkwo's house and demands that she be taken away, Okonkwo's reaction - if it can even be called that - is severely repressed.  Although he does argue with the priestess that his daughter is not well enough to make any kind of a journey after just recovering from an illness, he does give in, and seems to flip his opinion on the matter, later asking his wife "Why do you stand there as though she had been kidnapped".  Looking back a day after reading the passage, I can see why he may have done this to seem more manly and strong, but his sudden change of heart in this situation is still somewhat confusing.  A few pages later, the situation is made even more confusing when his wife, after silently following the priestess and her daughter all through the night on their journey, turns around and finds Okonkwo behind her?  Again, while his exact feelings may be hard to determine, the fact that Okonkwo hiked through the night, broke clan tradition, and put himself at great personal risk to make sure his child was safe leads me to conclude that no matter what he says or does daily, Okonkwo must have a deeper love for at least some of his children

Parent/Child Theme

Throughout the opening chapters of "Things Fall Apart", Achebe tries to make clear a number of important themes vital to understanding the book.  Perhaps the most obvious and important of these themes that Achebe is trying to stress is that of the parent/child relationship.
In the opening chapters of the book, the narrator, Okonkwo, describes his childhood and his father - known in his village for being a lazy, failed musician with many debts.  From early childhood Okonkwo despised his father's management of money and failure to even try to make something of his life.  As he despised his fathers way of life, Okonkwo works exceptionally hard, even as a child, to become successful and make something of him self.
tl;dr - Okonkwo has severe issues with his father
Unfortunately for his family later in life, these issues, particularly Okonkwo's desire for 'manliness' are often expressed quite violently, and tend to be taken out on them.  (Example - the large number of physical beatings Okonkwo dishes out to his wives and children for the smallest of mistakes)  However, Achebe does also try to stress that Okonkwo, no matter how despicable he may seem to the reader at times, and however cruel he may be, does have some essence of kindness in him, and does love his children even if that love is often shown through a lens distorted by his own poor upbringing.
One of the best examples I found of this was at the beginning of chapter 7, on pages 49 and 50, where Okonkwo has a 'fatherly moment' with his son(s)  (Ikemefuma = (s) ).  In this moment, Okonkwo talks about how proud he is of his sons and the development of their manliness, and tells them local folk stories.  While this is all well and good, there is one line in this that stands out in the passage -  "No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and children (and especially his women) he was not really a man" - Achebe, 50.
While this is not the only place in the book that this belief is implied, it is here that one must come to realize that likely due to his poor relationship with his father, his beliefs on how children should grow up severely askew.  While at the time parents did expect more discipline and respect than parents of today, as made clear by the villagers opinion, to rule ones children, and to expect the things that Okonkwo did, were not quite normal, even in that setting.

On page 21, when Okonkwo first visits Nwakabie to ask for yam seeds, he is told by Nwakabie that his generation, exception of him, has grown soft and lazy.  Okonkwo takes this view to heart, and at numerous points in the book, tries to disprove the theory with his own children.  While not a hypocrite, Okonkwo does have much higher standards than the average Umofia parent (example when he tells his children they should already know how to plant yams b/c he was at their age) which must put a