Message vs. Style in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe Essay Example for Free

Message vs. Style in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe Essay The message is more important than the style. I totally disagree with this statement in the context of Things Fall Apart as I believe that in this particular work, the message is of equivalent importance to the style; to have a particular writing style whose sole purpose is found in informing readers as to the purpose to the message, and then to NOT have a message, would be useless, whereas having a message to tell readers, WITHOUT such a writing style as is necessary to allow them to absorb the purpose, would again be useless- therefore the message and writing styles are equally important in this story, as one cannot do without the other. In this case, the central message of Things Fall Apart, that African culture is complex, can only be absorbed by readers if Achebes writing style, which incorporates the use of dialogue, conflict, proverbs, diction and setting, allows them to develop such recognition of cultural complexity- the author cannot merely instruct the reader to believe that the culture is indeed complex, and still expect the reader to believe as such without question. Firstly, Achebe makes ample use of dialogue as a component of his writing style to carry forth the message of a culturally complex society. For example, Okonkwos conversation with Obierika as to the Oracles desires in Chapter Eight introduces significant cultural elements to the readers. Okonkwo argues that his participation in the murder of Ikemefuna was justified, but Obierika contends otherwise, declaring that Okonkwos actions are of the kind for which the earth goddess, Ani, wipes out whole families. In the conflict between their different views we see the strong influence exerted by their religion on each person, and also acquire recognition of significant religious elements, namely the Oracle and the earth goddess. That Okonkwo and Obierika should have differing opinions about the Oracles religious intentions indicates the presence of complex perceptions of the same religion. This complexity in religious perceptions then implicitly suggests to readers an inherent complexity in the religion itself, for without such complexity differing religious perceptions would not occur. Religion is a core component of culture, as clearly the culture of a society must not contradict the religious views held by that same society, and having a complex religion as a component of culture in turn suggests that the culture of the society must be complex as well. Dialogue thus serves to carry forth Achebes message that African culture is complex. At the same time, in the suggestions of complex culture found in dialogue, we see how Achebes style of writing encourages readers to gradually reach a perception of his central message on their own, which is important in that the readers must themselves perceive such cultural complexity through development of their own thoughts on the issue- exactly as Achebe intended. To have a dialogue without any inherent message would also make such dialogue purposeless, as Achebe could not possibly describe an overarching purpose to that conversation. This shows how dialogue as a component of the writing style gives such a writing style an importance equal to that of the message; without dialogue being employed as such, readers cannot acquire knowledge of the message, whereas if there was no message, then dialogue would have no purpose. Dialogue as a component of the writing style thus creates a situation where the style is of equal importance to the message. Secondly, traditional African proverbs, a significant element of Achebes writing style, are used to highlight cultural complexity. An example would be Okonkwos declaring that a childs fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which its mother puts into its palm in defence of his participating in the murder of Ikemefuna. He argues that he did as such due to the Oracle declaring that Ikemefuna would have to be killed. That proverbs can be casually used in dialogue to illustrate various points, such as the above proverb serving as a defence for ones actions, is an indication of a highly-developed language. A societys culture is based upon its language, for language serves as the primary medium of communication between humans in a society, and as such readers recognize that language is an important component of culture, therefore having a highly-developed language would thus suggest that society is culturally complex. Proverbs being thus used in Achebes writing style have therefore led to the subtle formation of such a suggestion to readers, which in turn allows readers to follow through on that suggestion, and thereby reach the conclusion that African culture is complex is nature- this being the exact message which Achebe is trying to bring across to readers. Proverbs being a component of Achebes writing style, we can see how they contribute to the carrying the message of cultural complexity across. However, such a writing style also finds its primary purpose in carrying a message; therefore without such a message of cultural complexity, the proverbs would lose their meaning. In this sense, we can safely state that the writing style, through its encompassing the use of proverbs, is of equal importance to the message. Thirdly, Achebes choice of diction also plays a very large role in his writing style. Throughout the story, the narrator refers to the housing for Okonkwos wives as Obi, court messengers as Kotma, and characters use traditional welcomes such as Nno. That such traditional African words should appear throughout the story, interspersed with all the English words, gives readers the impression that such words cannot be simply translated into English. This then suggests to us that language in the society must be very highly developed, for such words do not have a counterpart in the English language, despite the vast vocabulary of the latter. Indeed, I had to refer to the glossary in the book for the English translations of such words. When readers make such inferences, they cannot help but come to the conclusion that the Africans cannot be culturally primitive- to have such a highly-developed language must in turn suggest a highly developed culture, which is exactly the message Achebe is trying to bring across. Thus Achebes choice of diction greatly aids his writing style in carrying the message across to readers, who realize from such implicit suggestions the central message of this work. Indeed, if Achebe did not wish to have a message of cultural complexity, it is plausible that such traditional African words would not appear. Thus we can see how the success in carrying the message across is highly dependent on the writing style, and the shaping of the writing style itself is highly dependent on the type of message being carried across; the message and the style are equally important. Lastly, Achebes description of the various settings in which events take place play a part in shaping his particular writing style. The setting of Ezeudus funeral in Chapter Thirteen is an example of how the setting as a component of Achebes writing style serves to carry forth the message of cultural complexity. Ezeudus funeral was a warriors funeral, and now and then an ancestral spirit, or egwugwu, would appear from the underworld. From the description of this setting, readers are able to more readily appreciate the complexities of traditional African culture; that their culture incorporates a strong, pagan belief in the existence of supernatural beings, the egwugwu, and a similar belief in the existence of an underworld. This places emphasis on a major religious component in their culture. Ezeudus funeral being considered as a warriors funeral also allows us to acquire insights into the importance of a particular social class, the warrior class, in their society. The setting has thus contributed to readers being able to recognize two major components in African culture, the former being religion, the latter being a social component. That these two different components should become so elaborately intertwined in this one ceremony is evidence of a complex culture. The reader, in reviewing the description of the setting, thereby acquires knowledge of the central message of cultural complexity which Achebe is trying to bring across, without Achebe having to explicitly declare as such; this clearly shows how Achebes writing style of placing information from which readers have to make their own inferences has led to our understanding the message of the novel. Without such a description of the setting, readers might not have been able to absorb this message. On the other hand, without a message, the description of the setting would be useless, as the purpose of such a writing style would be to enlighten readers as to a particular message the author wishes to convey. Therefore I believe that writing style and the message are of equal importance. In conclusion, I believe that the writing style and the message are of equal importance, as the former serves as the vehicle for the latter, whereas the latter exists to give the former purpose. Neither can do without the other, and therefore their interdependence lends them equal importance.

How does Priestly keep the attention of the audience in Act 1? :: English Literature

How does Priestly keep the attention of the audience in Act 1? Inspector calls was set in 1912, it was written in 1945, and was performed in 1946. Priestly wanted to show his views, so he created a performance called ‘Inspector Calls’ to show that he cares for others, so Priestly maintains interest by using various different devices, and that’s what my essay will be about, the various devices that Priestly used the keep the attention of the audience. Firstly, the play has got a pace, which is fast, the evidence of this is that the Inspector doesn’t keep talking to the same person for five minutes, he asks one person one question and then he goes onto the next person. The point of this is Priestly doesn’t bore the audience he keeps everyone’s attention by going thought the scenes. In Inspector calls the characters were each revealed step by step, and eventually they all revealed properly at the end of the play. At the end of act 1 the only characters that have been revealed is Mr Birling, because they found out that he had sacked Daisy Retton just for asking if she could have abit more money, Gerald was also revealed but not much, because Shelia knew that Gerald new something when the Inspector said the name Daisy Retton because his face gave the impression. The point of this is that they have only revealed two characters in act 1 so that the audience will want to keep watching, because they would like to know where the other characters come in the mystery. Secondly, the play refers to the political climate of time, the evidence of this is that once he has asked someone a question, they answer it, then the person he had asked a question to before he asks them i.e. ‘did you know anything about that’. The point of this is, if any one out of the audience has misunderstood a little bit of a sentence then he goes back over it but in a different way of saying it later on, so then that person has understood the whole storyline so far. Also the storyline is slowly unravelling of the plot, but by the end of act 1 the audience is completely drawn in. The evidence of this is, the stage directions in the book, the font is different and it says ‘ she looks at him in triumph. He looks crushed. The door slowly opens and the inspector appears, looking steadily and searchingly at them,’ so if you were watching the play, then the Inspector will open

Logical Fallacy

One of the main problems with Michael Moore’s IDIOT NATION (and much of Moore’s work in general) is the fact that Moore begins with a conclusion and works backwards in an attempt to prove his argument. That is, he has already made up his mind on a subject and then â€Å"cherry picks† facts and arguments to prove his point. Unfortunately, his proof collapses upon careful examination of the logic flaws in his arguments. This will be proven by selecting several examples of flawed logic in the work and defining it. Consider the follow excerpt by Moore condemns private education and promotes public education by way of personal attacks: â€Å"Hunt these little pricks down like dogs and then cage them until we can break their will†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (138) Moore is referring to here is the elitist attitude of the clergy and he points it out in a thoroughly pandering manner. He presents a supremely sweeping generality of nuns as totalitarian dictators. This demonizes the nuns is done to disparage the educational system they represent so as to prop up the other institution. This method hopes to gain sympathy for a cause through the cheap use of personal attacks. Similarly, Moore attacks the military and lays the blame on defense spending as the reason why there is much failure in the public schools: â€Å"[political leaders and voters] have decided it is a bigger priority to build another bomber than to educate our children.† (135) In other words, because tax dollars are being funneled needlessly to the military our schools are in bad shape. Hence, cut military spending because there is no need for it and pump more money into schools and the schools will automatically improve. This is a thoroughly false analogy as it infers there are no security threats to the United States and that military build up is arbitrary and aggressive and that schools are under-funded, both of which are complete inaccuracies. First, the public education system in the United States is no where near as bad as alarmists like Moore contend. Public schools has produces many excellent students over the years, but let’s center on the worst case scenarios†¦after all, that is what Moore does. If millions of dollars were pumped into the school system, how would this alter the attitudes of areas of contention such as poor quality teachers who are not doing their jobs or students who cut class? What about the millions of dollars of already spent on public education that has produced little results? Why should it be increased? And why cut military spending? Why not cut agriculture subsidies? Because Moore personally doesn’t like the military and that is the bidget cut he is after. Moore is also opposed to measures of discipline in public schools and uses an argument rooted in pandering to gain support. Consider the following: â€Å"kids learn to submerge personal expression. They learn that it is better to go along so that you get along.† (147) Moore is referring to dress codes that have been instituted in some public schools. Moore’s statement panders to those who would sympathize with an anti-authoritarian statement and may be willing to align with his anarchist sentiment. The reality of this sentiment is that no one is trying to submerge personal expression as much as the schools are attempting to reduce violence. Many dress codes were designed as a way of reducing gang violence. Moore does not address this and opts to pander to those who see such actions by the school as an attack on rugged individualism. Pandering may draw support, but it can not make an untrue argument about conspiracies to subvert individualism. Moore is not an unintelligent man and has been known to make clear and intelligent points. Unfortunately, his desire to be a populist has led to such flawed logical treatises such as IDIOT NATION and this is unfortunate as he could do much better.                                 

Mary Daly Quotes From a Controversial Theologian

Mary Daly, a feminist theologian, was noted for her strong critique of patriarchy and of traditional religion, especially the Roman Catholic church.  She was fired from Boston College (or involuntarily retired) after a lawsuit challenged her exclusion of men from classrooms. Selected Mary Daly Quotations If God is male, then male is God. The divine patriarch castrates women as long as he is allowed to live on in the human imagination.What Im trying to do right now is wake women and others up to the right-wing backlash -- the converging of conservative Catholicism and fundamentalism and all the rest, together with biotechnology, nectech [cloning, genetic manipulation, biological warfare]. All of that is stifling diversity and integrity, and so what Im really working for is critical mass, a critical mass of feminists, ecologists.  .  . rebels.  .  . so there can be a survival of consciousness, a survival of biological and spiritual integrity, intellectual integrity.Courage to be is the key to the revelatory power of the feminist revolution.Courage is like -- its a habitus, a habit, a virtue: you get it by courageous acts. Its like you learn to swim by swimming. You learn courage by couraging.You guard against decay, in general, and stagnation, by moving, by continuing to move.I f theres an insight, Ill take  it.Tokenism does not change stereotypes of social systems but works to preserve them, since it dulls the revolutionary impulse.Women have had the power of naming stolen from us.Gods plan is often a front for mens plans and a cover for inadequacy, ignorance, and evil.It is the creative potential itself in human beings that is the image of God.Why indeed must God be a noun? Why not a verb - the most active and dynamic of all.We will look upon the earth and her sister planets as being with us, not for us. One does not rape a sister.Work is a substitute religious experience for many workaholics.I had explained that a womans asking for equality in the church would be comparable to a black persons demanding equality in the Ku Klux Klan.Patriarchy is the homeland of males; it is Father Land; and men are its agents.Women who are Pirates in a phallocentric society are involved in a complex operation. First, it is necessary to Plunder -- that is, righteously r ip off -- gems of knowledge that the patriarchs have stolen from us. Second, we must Smuggle back to other women our Plundered treasures. In order to invert strategies that will be big and bold enough for the next millennium, it is crucial that women share our experiences: the chances we have taken and the choices that have kept us alive. They are my Pirates battle cry and a wake-up call for women who I want to hear.The fact is that we live in a profoundly anti-female society, a misogynistic civilization in which men collectively victimize women, attacking us as personifications of their own paranoid fears, as The Enemy. Within this society, it is men who rape, who sap womens energy, who deny women economic and political power.Males do indeed deeply identify with unwanted fetal tissue, for they sense as their own condition the role of controller, possessor, inhibitor of women. Draining female energy, they feel fetal. Since this perpetual fetal state is fatal to the Self of the etern al mother (Hostess), males fear womens recognition of this real condition, which would render them infinitely unwanted. For this attraction/need of males for female energy, seen for what it is, is necrophilia -- not in the sense of love for actual corpses, but of love for those victimized into a state of living death.Since women on average survive men by a significant number of years, it should not be surprising that gynecology is functioning to remedy this unacceptable situation.The gynecological profession and the popularizing media have combined their efforts to make the poisoning of women appear acceptable. Just as popping The Pill is both normal and normative for younger women, so is estrogen replacement therapy for their mothers and older sisters. About These Quotes Quote collection assembled by Jone Johnson Lewis. Each quotation page in this collection and the entire collection  © Jone Johnson Lewis. This is an informal collection assembled over many years. I regret that I am not able to provide the original source if it is not listed with the quote.