Dialectical Journals- Things Fall Apart

Dialectical Journals

1. “His fame rested on solid personal achievements.”

Pg. 3 paragraph 1

All fame begins when you do something noticeable. For example, actors and actresses build upon their careers and reputations by achieving excellence in their personal goals, as well as perfecting their public performance.

2. “…It was said that when he slept, his wives and children in his houses could hear him breathe.”

Pg. 4 paragraph 1

One question that comes to mind when I read this is if he alternates between homes on certain days or months. From what I understand, it used to be socially acceptable to have many wives and children, but they all lived together in one home, scattered among different chambers within the house. The use of the word “homes” is what made me wonder.

3. “He always said that whenever he saw a dead man’s mouth he saw the folly of not eating what one had in one’s lifetime.”

Pg. 4 paragraph 2

I think that what the author was trying to imply in this passage was that in his personal experience, he has noticed that many people take many things for granted and that they don’t live their lives according to what they want and need to do. So much is wasted during one’s lifetime, and people just allow their lives to pass them by.

4. “As he broke the kola, Unoka prayed to their ancestors for life and health, and for protection against their enemies.”

Pg. 6 paragraph 5

The impression that I got was that Okoye just came over on a whim. Is it customary to honor and pray to the ancestors whenever you have company; expected or unexpected? This seems awkward.

5. “Okoye was also a musician. He played on the ogene. But he was not a failure like Unoka.”

Pg. 7 paragraph 6

I can compare this selection to my personal life in both the resent and the past. Even though I have many things in common with my friends, I often feel like a failure in comparison to them, as if they are better than I am at things that we do regularly, much like Unoka in comparison to Okoye.

6. “A snake was never called by its name at night, because it would hear.”

Pg. 9 paragraph 2

The act of fear is much more common in the dark. In the dark, people expect things to be lurking around the bend, waiting for someone to summon it. I can relate this selection to my past experiences with my friends. When we were in elementary school, we would go into a dark bathroom and say the name, ...

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...hy, disgusting insects. If the villagers knew what the small, disaster-riddled pests were capable of doing, then they would fear the swarm’s return instead of praising and rejoicing it.

25. “My daughter’s suitor is coming today.”

Pg. 65 paragraph 7

Why is a ten-year-old child getting married? Is the “man” also ten years old? Why would an adult want to marry someone who hasn’t even reached adolescence yet? It made sense to them to sell their daughters for marriage once they started menstruating, but why would they sell off a child who probably wouldn’t start to do that for up to two years after the marriage.

26. “You might as well say that the woman lies on top of the man when they are making the children.”

Pg. 74 paragraph 3

This shows that in the days of this book, sex was just for making children; not for fun. Now a day, men like sex in a variety of positions. They often like domineering women who are on the top rather than the bottom. I suppose that back then, the men had little respect for the women so they felt that they should be below them. If they were on top during sex, then the men may feel intimidated by the woman’s strength and be disgusted that they have no shame.