Let's build our MWDS by providing items for the blocks. Remember that you may or may not agree with other submitted items. Feel welcome to refute another's item but be sure to support your comment with evidence from the text. Also some blocks of the MWDS are things that will need to be researched. (Note: I read cliff notes before assigning a book, do not copy these notes, but if you are struggling you may use as a resource.)
Here is a character:
Unoka, Initial Antagonist, Although Unoka does not actually appear in the book as a major character, as Okonkwo's father he presents the initial conflict by not providing for his family and helps begin the explanation to the reader about Okonkwo's attitudes toward laziness and manliness.
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Possible Themes:
ReplyDelete"Showing affection makes a man weak." Okonkwo never showed his emotions, he believed that showing affection was a sign of weakness,the only thing worth demonstrating was strength. Okonkwo's father was an unsuccessful man who never got a title, but showed his emotions. Okonkwo was afraid of being like his father, weak, so he never showed his emotions. His whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure, and of weakness. It was the fear of himself, that he should be found to resemble his father. That was why Okonkwo treated his family with a heavy hand, and didn't show affection.
Silvia Guzman
Here is a character:
ReplyDeleteObierika, Loyal Friend, Obierika has an open mind to change, during Okonkwo's exile, Obierika sells Okonkwo's crops and seeds and gives the profits to Obonkwo while he is gone. Even though he respects the clan's traditions he also questions many of thier ways and is open to change in a new world and is sad to see his friend end his own life.
Possible Symbol:
ReplyDeleteThe locusts. They are a large part of a section in the novel. The swarms of locusts descend upon the clan and villiage, pointing to the coming of the white missionaries. The members also feast on these insects, perhaps showing they believe there is no real threat to come. Of course Okonkwo witnesses something quite opposite.
Amanda Fryar
Main character: Okonkwo- Protagonist.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo is a man that shows strength. He despises and rejects anything that his father did and motivats himself to do the complete opposite. He refuses to be poor, weak, and gentle like his father. Okonkwo achieves lots of financial and social success in his tribe by being nothing like his father. His hardwork makes him very successful and he marries three wives and has several children. However, his desire to be violent and show no emotion brings his own destruction.
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ReplyDeleteAnother importannt character is Eznima, Okonkwo's only daugther with his second wife.Her father, Okonkwo wishes she would of been a boy.He says she has the right spirit compared to her step-brother Nwoye.Very intelligent girl,obidient,and close to her mother. A miracle to her mother after she had lost many children she has survived for the longest time. She is an ojbanje and survived thanks to her finding her iyi-uwa and destroying it.
ReplyDeleteItzel Ortiz
Possible theme:
ReplyDeleteContrasting religions and struggles for dominance. When two religions collide there's going to be fights about what's right and what's wrong, and what's real and what's not, and it leads to destruction when they try to convert each other and come out on top. It caused Nwoye's alienation from his father and Okonkwo's suicide.
Possible symbol:
Yams. They're known as a man's crop in the book and are used to feed and support the family, so they symbolize masculinity and the man's ability to provide.
Jennifer Thompson
Possible theme: The fear to fail
ReplyDeleteThrough out the whole book, Okonkwo feared to become a failure like his father. "It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father." When his father was still alive he was in huge debt, he was lazy and never thought about the future. Okonkwo didn't want to be like his father he wanted to become sombody, so he got an important position in the village and became really wealthy. The fear to fail helped him become great and to be successful.
An important character : Nwoye
ReplyDeleteNwoye is the first son of Okonkwo & his senior wife. Nwoye was nothing like Okonkwo & Okonkwo took notice in that. Okonkwo was a man who did not want to demonstrate fear or any emotion that was very gentle. Nwoye on the other hand was the total opposite of his father.He was causing his father great anxiety for his developing laziness. Because Okonknwo did not like how Nwoye was starting out he corrected him by constant nagging and beatings.Nwoye always perferred his mothers stories to masculine pursuits. A father is supposed to be a romodel for their children but Okonkwo was not wanting to show any feminine like gestures. So Nwoye would never be like his father or take his steps. Nwoye was also very close to Ikemefuna, they were like real brothers. When Nwoye knew his father was going to kill him he was very sad.
Veronica Mena
A important character: Ekwefi
ReplyDeleteShe is Okonkwo second wife who had a hard time with having children. Ezinma is her only surviving child. Many years ago she was the village beauty when she falls in love with Okonkwo. But she didn’t marry him because he was to poor to pay her bride-price. Later she ran away from her husband and came to live with Okonkwo.
Vy Le
A importance character: Ikemefuna.
ReplyDeleteHis father was accuse of killing the member of Umuofia village . Members of the village came to take him and a virgin back to their village. Ikemefuna was given to Okonkwo. Oknonkwo ask his first wife to take care of Ikemefuna. Nwoye became close friends who were always together. After three year the village clad wanted him as a sacrifice. As they walk along the path he kept thinking about his mom and sister. He has a happy personality and always thinking of positive things instead of negative ones. Okonkwo have no choice but to kill Ikemefuna. After everything happened Okonkwo isolated himself from everyone for a sort while. He drank palm wine to excapt the thoughts of Ikemefuna.
Important Character: Ogbuefi Ezeudu
ReplyDeleteEzeudu was the oldest man in Umuofia. He has a lot of respect within the clan. He was a great warrior and orator. He was very wise. Ezeudu told him not to take part in Ikemefuna's death. Okonkwo didn't listen, and that is why everything fell apart.
Lindsay Davis
Possible Theme: You must always appear strong.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo thinks that to be man, the only emotion you can show is anger,he also thinks the way his father acted and did things was effeminate and weak, so he aims to rise above him. He beats his wives and threatens to kill them in order to not appear weak. He also volunteers to kill Ikemefuna along with stabbing him all to not appear weak and lose social staus.
Possible Symobol: Kola nut
ReplyDeleteKola nuts were taken out whenever anyone had a guest.It was an honor to break the kola nut. "He who brings kola brings life" as was said by Okoye after visiting Unoka. When the kola nuts were broken they often prayed to their ancestors for things like health and life.
Throughtout the book they used the kola nut as a symbol of respect to their guests. It was a ritual done when guests arrived.
Jannette Guerrrero
"power"
ReplyDeletethe possesion of power is a dominant theme throughout this novel.Every man must have an iron grip on all that he has come to aquire. All in his home must respect hi , even if it be through fear. Any signs of compassion is a sign of weakness.
A Character
ReplyDeleteNwoye is the first son of Okonkwo. He is 2 yrs. younger than Ikemefuna. After Ikemefuna is given to Okonkwo as a peace settlement Nwoye and Ikemefuna become very attatched. Okonkwo wishes for Nwoye to become a great farmer and a great man. Okonkwo believed a child could not start too early to prepare seed yams. Yams stood for manliness, and Okonkwo could already see laziness in Nwoye. Nwoye is part of the Ibo Tribe, but later on some white missionaries come and convert him.Okonkwo becomes very upset and wishes to never see him again.
Erica Ochoa
Significance of the ending
ReplyDeleteOnkonkwo a man of strength and a fear of weakness had his world come crash down around him. The village, his son, everything was changing and when he didn't understand these changes he feared it. Afraid of being seen as weak Onkonkwo took it upon himself to drive the missionaries out the village. Never wanting his world to change he tried to gather his fellow men to aid in the war to take back the Umuofia he's always known. During a meeting when the court's messengers come to end the meeting Onkonkwo kills the head messenger. When he see's the other men panic rather than jump into action he knows they will not fight. In the wake of his failed attempt, Onkonkwo takes the only way out he sees fit. When the commisioner and his men search for Onkonkwo at Obierika's he tells them he's not there. When they find Onkonkwo's body hanging from the tree Obierika asks the commisioner if his men would cut him down and bury him for it is against thier beliefs to touch a man who commits such an abomination against the earth. Disgusted with anger Obierika tells the commisioner "This was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill hilself, and now he will be buried like a dog...". Feeling no sympathy or regret the commisioner orders his men to do so and retreats thinking of how he can use this as material for his book he plans to write and see's it as nothing more.
Erika Onarsee
Theme: "A Loyal Friendship"
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo was banished for seven from the clan for killing the son of Ezeudu during Ezeudu's funeral for poluting the blood of the clansman. Obierika was a loyal friend of Okonkwo during his time of banishment. Obierika told Okonkwo he would take care of Okonkwo's crops, sell Okonkwo's yams and seeds, and visit Okonkwo during Okonkwo's banishment until Okonkwo returns to the clan. Obierika showed loyalty to Okonkwo even during the darkest of times.
Holly Hibdon
An Important Character: Ikemefuna.
ReplyDeleteIkemefuna is from a neighboring clan. His father was accused of killing a daughter from the Umuofia Clan and was traded for compensation for the murder. He was sent to live under Okonkwo's home. He gradually learned to love Umuofia and his new home and likewise, Oknonkwo learned to love him as his own. He bonded very closely with Nwoye and instilled a new found courage within him. 3 years after he first came to Umuofia, the clan elders ordered him to death. Okonkwo was to take no part in his slaughter, but out of fear of weakness, he helped kill Ikemefuna. Ikemefuna is important because he represents a weakness in Okonkwo and he serves to show that Okonkwo is not the fearless and guilt-free man that he makes himself out to be.
Michael Herndon.
Significance of opening scene:
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, the reader is introduced to an immediate compare and contrast of Unoka and Okonkwo.
Unoka was Okonkwo's father and was very undetermined and succeed at very little in his lifetime. On the other hand, Okonkwo was very skilled and wanted nothing more than to prove he was nothing like his lazy father.
By overthrowing the Cat, the reader automatically senses an aggressive vibe of masculinity in Okonkwo. This is significant because it forshadows the events to come.
Perla Carreon
An important character: Ezinma
ReplyDeleteEzinma has a certain charm about her and whenever she sees her father he is delighted to see her but never shows it. Later on he has thoughts that Ezinma should have been a boy because she had so of those qualities that he wanted his other male children to have. When Ezinma’s mother came pounding at his door Okonkwo hears the news of his dying child and rush out and does all he can to help in the most simplest way he shows the caring side of himself even if just for a little while.
Cheyanne Hall