Paper 1 Intro

Comparing Two text types

The texts, "The Great White Fleet" and “Squatters take on developers" are two different text types with the intention to inform their audience on the general subject of tourism. The first text,  is an advertisement for the cruise company, “The Great White Fleet” published in the early 1900’s; post war years before WWII. This text's sensational tone and aesthetically appealing structure conforms to its informative nature.The audience of high class are  persuaded through the advert’s use of an exotic mood, superlative statements, and strategic structure of persuasive and appealing images. In addition to this, the second text, the article "Squatters take on developers" projects a rather moralistic and concerned tone as the article addresses corporate social injustice within the tourism industry. While both texts revolve around a central theme of expansion and development in South America, the value and style of each is grounded in the intended purpose, target audience and overall differing style found in both texts.

The common theme of tourism and expansion prominent in of both text A and text B is evident in their similar choice of target audience. The first text, “The Great White Fleet” is evidently aimed towards middle to high class aristocrats. This is evident in terms of the use of language used within the advertisement in order to convince the audience of the cruise’s benefits which carried “only first class passengers” to “resorts up north”, clearly identifying the target audience as particularly young and wealthy individuals. Likewise, text B “Squatters take on developers” is aimed towards large group of investors who are considering investing in property in the Caribbean due to their “tremendous lust for the coastline”.

Although there is a notable comparison between the two in terms of their target audience, the purpose of the two are entirely contrasted. In the advertisement “The Great White Fleet”, the intended purpose is to ultimately appeal to the higher standing social class through the use of the company’s new “reduced rates for summer cruises”. In comparison to the positive connotations presented in text 1, text 2 presents a rather negative purpose. While the text “Squatters take on developers” is targeted towards a higher social class similar to text 1, the writer’s purpose is to inform investors whom may not be aware of the impact of their actions within the tourism industry. Hence, in comparison to text 1, this text is rather negative and serves as a call for action instead of a call for tourism.

When analyzing both texts, it is important to consider the fact that they were both published during different time periods, evidently affecting the content. As previously mentioned, text 1 is an advertisement for the cruise company “The Great White Fleet” that travels around Central America and the Caribbean. The ad itself was published in 1922, the post war years prior to WWII. Essentially, the fact that the advertisement is aimed towards high class wealthy individuals further supports the fact that the text was published during a time of economic boom and surplus prior to the Great Depression, hence allowing people to travel. When comparing this content with text 2, it is a statement of corporate social injustice within the tourism industry in Panama published in 2007. As previously said, while both texts surround the same central theme of expansion within the Caribbean, they both present very different ideologies.

Conversely, both texts present contrasting tone and moods which aid in differing their content from another. Throughout the advertisement, “The Great White Fleet” the author presents a rather pretentious tone as a way of targeting the appropriate “first class” audience. In addition to this, the text is read in a very casual and comfortable tone allowing the audience to fully embrace themselves in the aim of the advertisement; appealing to their desires of an affordable cruise. This pretentious tone further supports the exotic mood that the text delivers. On the other hand in text 2, the tone and mood is rather moralistic and concerned as a means of presenting the seriousness of the content in the text. While the cruise is “much cooler than summer resorts” the fact that investors are thinking of spending their money on property in the Caribbean means that “developers have targeted an emerging demographic”.

Regardless of their similar theme, text A and text B are comparable in their style and structure that ultimately conform to their text type. In the advertisement (text A), the audience’s eye is particularly drawn to the descriptive graphics at the top and bottom of the page, drawing attention to the text at the center of the advertisement. Knowing that was published in the post WWI years, we can’t help but notice that the “WHITE” in the title is on a black background, used to emphasize the connection between race and social class. Furthermore, this caters to the mentality at the time of what was considered “high class”, white people being superior. To the contrary, while text A’s text is kept simple and concise, text B is composed of 9 short paragraphs, keeping the audience alert through the use of a traditional article style that captures the gist. There are no images presented, which contributes to the fact that the article takes on serious and concerned tone, further emphasizing its core purpose.

In conclusion, both texts are comparable in the ideologies that they shape and express towards their audience regarding the central theme of expansion and “colonization” of exotic islands in the Caribbean. While both texts differ the most in their ultimate purpose, overall context and style, both bring attention to different subject matters. All in all, both texts are effective in pursuing their main purpose to their specific target audience through the use of stylistic elements, writing techniques, and clever use of tone and mood.

Be a Thinker!

The above is a propaganda poster targeted towards the general public as a means of delivering an empowering message about the power that true “thinkers” have over the world. Throughout the poster I have used several efficient propaganda techniques that further support my intended purpose. Firstly, to the far right of the poster an outstanding picture of Steve Jobs along with a quote alongside him. This effective use of a picture of someone that was influential in the world and well respected clearly displays this piece of propaganda as a testimonial. Ultimately, by displaying an image of an inspirational figure such as Jobs will further encourage people to perform in a particular fashion. In addition to this, I think that it is important to point out the strategic use of language used in this piece of propaganda along with it’s effect. By using inclusive language such as “We” and “together” evokes a sense of belonging to the audience, hence emphasizing the main message highlighted in the poster; founding a bandwagon effect. 

In terms of the style and structure of the poster, both the use of text and image is equally proportionate to one another. As seen above, the words highlighted in yellow are used to stand out to the audience. The display itself is minimalistic in terms of images used, in order to emphasize the text found on the poster such as the image of Steve Jobs. In addition to this, the words highlighted in yellow are also enlarged as a means of standing out to the audience; they have a deeper effect on them. 

Propaganda 4 Corner Reflection

The term propaganda always refers to a negative message.

The documentary Control Room is a film about Al Jazeera and their relations with the U.S. Central Command  as well as other news organizations that covered the Iraq war in 2003. Throughout the documentary, Rushing elaborates on Al Jazeera's bias perspective of the Iraq war, and comments on how no unsettling images of Iraqi military disasters and atrocities are often presented. While Al Jazeera's main goal is to show the costs of any war, certain developing news stories such as the situation in Iraq may promote bias in journalism. Considered to be one of the most controversial news channels in the Arab world, censorship in the media raised a considerable amount of questions. In response to negative attacks against the news channel's choice of graphic footage, they responded by saying that they owe it to their audience, and it was up to them to tell the truth and face that facts.

Al Jazeera who was constantly being accused of producing "American propaganda" against the proud nation, were simply displaying both sides of the story and presenting an unbiased view. At the time, President George Bush shared his thoughts and ideas on Al Jazeera's actions by bringing their "constant pattern of playing propaganda over and over again" to light. In this case, the term "propaganda" seems to be referred to as a negative message. There is a thin line drawn between propaganda and ideas of fact VS perfection when addressing possible signs of media bias in a news story. As a journalist, it is their responsibility to deliver the information to the public in a factual manner and distancing themselves from personal bias.

Overall, I disagree with the prompt to a certain extent.Yes, certain news stories will naturally trigger emotional reactions, but the information presented will aid those in need of facts, henceforth diverting from this idea of the use of propaganda as a defense mechanism. In addition to this, I think it is important to address the term "objectivity" as it is almost portrayed as a mirage and great illusion. By this I mean that if there was true neutrality in media and journalism, information would be welcomed from both sides of the story with open arms. 

Bias Techniques used in the Media

 Series of shootings at Parliament Hill leave 2 dead, 3 fatally injured

Tom Mulcair calls Ottawa gunman's attack a "criminal act"

Canadian Police Forces surrounding Parliament Hill, Ottawa Ontario

This past Wednesday, October 22^nd, 2014, a series of shootings occurred in and around the Canadian parliament complex. At the Canadian National War Memorial, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau fatally shot Corporal Nathan Cirillo, a Canadian solider on ceremonial sentry duty that morning. The motivation for the attacks remains unclear, but potential links to radical homicide and an act of terrorism remain very prevalent.

“I would put this immediately at the top of the white board back at headquarters: ‘Grass-roots jihadist activity,’ probably inspired by the Canadian government’s admission that they intend to assist in bombing ISIL targets,” says Fred Burton, a former U.S. Diplomatic Security special agent and deputy counterterrorism chief.

Earlier this October, the Canadian parliament voted to contribute war planes to the US-led international coalition, who are currently conducting aerial attacks on Islamic State group positions on fighters in Syria and the Islamic State Group –also often referred to as ISIL, for the Islamic State group, often referred to as ISIL, specifically threatened Canada. They urged its followers to target Canadian citizens in a recording released this past September. Authorities along with the government are on high alert, the main priority is to protect their fellow Canadians.

“We are very aware of the large presence of military personnel in our community, and I want them to know we are committed to their safety,” said Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordereau, who spoke at an afternoon press conference alongside his officials.

The Police responded to reports at roughly 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning that a ceremonial-duty solider had been shot while standing guard at the Canadian war memorial across the street from the main parliament. Shortly after this, security officers inside the parliament complex got into a shootout with a gunman, eventually killing him.

At this point in time, it is important that all Canadian citizens remain highly vigilant and to report anything that they see as suspicious. At this point, authorities are not stating that the safety and security of Canadians is at risk, just that it is essential for everyone to remain calm and conscious.

Passage Analysis: Practice IOC

This is Water - David Foster Wallace

David Foster Wallace’s essay, “This is Water” explores the significant relationship between education and one’s ability to be sympathetic, conscious and adjusted in their everyday lives. This general thesis statement is supported and further developed throughout the essay as he describes the “day-to-day trenches of adult existence” that a couple of university students, to whom the essay is addressed to, will face as they enter new alternate realities. Foster suggests that us individuals, are naturally quite self centered as we consider ourselves to be the “center of the universe” and of the utmost importance in our everyday lives. In our everyday lives, we tend to ignore the people around us and fail to consider, understand, and empathize what they might be experiencing. To support this, Wallace implies that this is imply our “default setting”, allowing us to be “deeply and literally self-centered”. Although this “default setting” seems to be inevitable and is considered to be “well adjusted”, we do have the option to deviate from this setting and become conscious of our surroundings.

A very relevant example that David Foster Wallace uses to support his thesis, is an in depth description of one’s everyday life, as an adult of course. Wallace describes the supermarket, more specifically the line up to check out, and the annoying experience that we each go through as we await to leave the store after a long, tiring day at the office. This "stupid and infuriating" brings us back to our default setting. Now, being aware of this allows us to acknowledge the choices that we can make in that moment of anger; we can either view the world as self centered human being, susceptible by our emotions in the moment, or we can go on to be empathetic and open-minded. An interesting connection that Wallace makes to our "default setting", is one linked to religion and forms of worship. Similar to forms of worship in religion, we gradually slip into our default settings, getting more and more selective about what we see and we measure the value of things without ever really being fully aware that that's what were doing. This brings us to our enquiry question, "How can literature develop empathy and emotional intelligence?".

"How can literature develop empathy and emotional intelligence?".

"This is Water" and it's significant contents brings up many relatable links to this question. The essay itself brings up the question on how we, as individuals living amongst many other individuals, can find ways to be more empathetic. As Literature does, we become more open to being able to possibly relate or find empathy in the works of others. When learning how to empathize with others, we are developing our ability to open our minds to others who might be experiencing the world with a completely different vision than our own. In conclusion, a conscious decision must be made when pushing ourselves to look beyond our own little "bubble" and empathize with those around us.

Munro Literature Reflection

That's so Munro!

Literature is an expressive art form, allowing individuals from all areas of the world to share a common bond through the works of talented writers. Some may refer to literature as an alternative escape from the real world and into one with much more depth, and detail that permits the reader to dive into an ocean of experience, discovery, and evaluation. As literature for the most part has remained to be international, those with access to it are never short of an opportunity to analyze the world around them in broader, more universal terms. You could say that those that study literature, or for the least part are exposed to it, this serves as an advantage for one to understand the meaning of conflict, resolution, and various analytical skills allowing them to potentially gain a higher level of empathy.

In the world today, many types of literature are prominent in society; one of the most significant being women's literature. Women's literature is for the most part, written by women and tends to explore themes of oppression, first and second wave feminism, along with societal expectations and portrayed images of gender roles. Studying this particular kind of literature in depth allows us to gain a higher level of thinking and a more developed sense of understanding of society over the years. Successful authors such as Alice Munro clearly demonstrates women's literature's values and themes through the use of social realism. Bringing her own experience to the table, and allowing others to enter a new world of her own has served as an inspiration to many to breakthrough societal norms and constrictions. Although Munro does not identify herself as a feminist writer, her work contributes to the general idea of "gender equality" as most of her short stories are looked at and written from a feminist lens.

Personally, one of the elements of Munro's work that I enjoyed the most was her ability to really connect with the reader on an emotional and intellectual level through her writing. Her realistic characters, themes, and general plots are relevant to many, allowing readers to interpret her stories in whichever way they want.

"I wanna sing, I wanna shout"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaAVByGaON0

Nowadays, a lot of us seem to be supposedly defined by what society makes of us. The rules are basically set for every human being that comes into the world; what they should say, what they should look like, how they should behave, and who we are. These societal ideals can either make you or break you; tear you apart or move you forward, it’s all up to you. Emeli Sandés “Read All About It” aims towards breaking through those societal norms and boundaries that constrict those from being who they really are.

The didactic narration carried out by Sandé throughout the song suggests that the readers are suppose to learn a specific heartfelt message or lesson about what it means to be an individual constricted by society. Recurring themes that drive the song forward  are those of internal conflict between man and everyday societal norms along with breaking boundaries. Sandé sings to the audience, “You’ve got the words to change a nation, but you’re biting your tongue”, suggesting that Sandé views an individual from an outside perspective and is internally speaking to them, encouraging them to speak their thoughts. Following this, a hyperbole is used to dramatize the effects of an  idealistic society, supposedly the antagonist leaving some with “ a lifetime stuck in silence, afraid you’ll say something wrong.” Finishing up the first verse, Sandé asks an open question to the audience, asking them “If no one ever hears it how we gonna learn your song?” . This use of an allegory further emphasizes the main symbolic narrative of the song; speaking up for yourself and not being afraid of societal judgement. In a sense, Emeli Sandé leads the reader to believe that everyone has a song of their own that needs to be shared with others.

The use of several metaphors are used to create an significant image of the haunting lyrics. When Sandé sings, “You’ve got a heart as loud as lions” she quickly responds with a question, “So why let your voice be tamed?”. This use of an antithesis manages to further enhance the meaning of this metaphor as these two contrasting ideas of boldness and timidness are deliberately used, creating effective imagery. Emeli Sandé chants, “Come on Come On” consecutively throughout the song, as a means of encouraging people to stand up and be who they truly are, thus supporting themes of power and confidence.

The overall tone of the song is set during the chorus as Emeli Sandé delivers short but simply statements. Sandé sings, “I wanna sing, I wanna shout, I wanna scream till the words dry out” as a means of empowering the audience, hence presenting a compassionate tone accompanying the lyrics through the use of anaphora. She states, “So put it in all the papers, I’m not afraid, they can read all about it.” suggesting that once one’s story is “sold to the public, you are delivering confidence and standing strong against oppression. The lyrics in the chorus deliver a compassionate, yet strong tone as Sandé defines what it means to be yourself through her sensational and emotional lyrics.

Literary devices that contribute to the success of Emeli Sandé’s work is her repeated use of allegory, used to convey messages of freedom and strength. The entire song itself surrounds itself around this idea of freedom of criticism and getting one’s voice out there (i.e.: “making sure that we’re remembered, yeah cause we all matter too.”).

While Emeli Sandé presents an individual’s struggle to breakthrough social norms, the problems are thoroughly recognized throughout the song leading up to the rising action when she sings, “Yeah, we’re all wonderful wonderful people. So when did we all get so fearful?”. At this point in the plot of the song itself, Emeli Sandé presents a solution/resolution and the true morals of the song. In addition to this, Sandé’s powerful words (i.e. : “So take a chance, come help me sing this”) encourage people to join together and sing their hearts out.

In conclusion, Emeli Sandé’s “Read all about it” defines what it means to be human and presents one’s worst fear, vulnerability to change and perfection. Many of the literary devices used enhance her powerful lyrics, thus supporting hidden moral lessons delivered within the track itself. Sandé’s words are enjoyable, painful, and heartbreakingly true.

How to Write About IB Students

A Literature Speech by X to Y: How to Write about IB students.

First things first...Remember this: IB Students DO NOT have a summer. If you don’t make this point clear, you might as well be talking about human beings, and we wouldn’t want that.

Remember that these are eating, sleeping, breathing success individuals. Who needs sleep? Sleep is for the weak. To highlight this point, your setting will most likely be set in either a classroom, a library, or the positive isolation of the student’s bedroom with a constant flow of hot coffee. Whatever happens, they must never leave their books, laptop, planning itinerary, etc. One night stands are prominent in an IB student’s life; partying it up with their textbooks is the most fun they need and will ever had. Come to think of it, IB students are quite fascinating. Make sure you highlight the fact that your character is basically robot with no emotions. Their family might be human, but it won’t be until their child hits 11th grade that they realize that their bodies run on hot coffee and success.

One of the most important points to emphasize about your character is that they are work driven- and by work driven I mean that the only direction they will be following is...WELL the right direction obviously! It is crucial that you frequently mention how your character is constantly working. They have a non-stop flow of ideas for all the IAs, IOPs, FOAs, EE, and many other acronyms! In order to get the work done, it might be a good idea to have them hooked to an IV of “positive learning” half the time...no wait scratch that...all the time.. And no, they don’t need to move. I know what you’re all thinking, bathroom break? No they will carry a porter potty. As long as your character doesn’t leave the books, their brains will be in tact GUARANTEED.

Now, let’s get to your character’s personality shall we. Very studious, organized (and I mean really organized) and driven by ambition! If success isn’t on their mind, then your readers simply will never know what is. Yes your character CAN have friends, but they will not socialize with them. The relationship is strictly professional and school related. Asking for a pen, or some help on that challenging math problem might be okay...but anything else is strictly forbidden for this type of piece of writing.

Assuming that your character is a teenager in high school, they will live the normal life of any high school IB student. You’re probably thinking, “hmm okay some parties, nice diners, fun in the sun” kind of thing. Let me bring you to an absolute no. SNAP OUT OF IT. Weren’t you listening to anything I just said? Your character basically doesn’t have a social life. The only proper relationship that they will most likely encounter is one with their Math HL textbook or what not. This way, they will not have clean up the mess of their teenage desires. At the end of the day, if you’ve got the brains and the books, they will be fine.

To all the aspiring writers that came today, good luck. The ideal image of an IB student is hard to produce, but I'm sure you can make it work.

Summer Blog Post #1

Part 2 : Language and Mass Communication

Learning Outcomes:

• Examine different forms of communication within the media
• Show an awareness of the potential for educational, political, or ideological influence of the media
• Show the way mass media use language and image to inform, persuade, or entertain

Thesis statement: As a means of living abroad, most of our knowledge is limited to our surroundings and where we live. As a result of our limited access to discover the world around us, most of our knowledge on other countries is founded by the current events and latest news stories that we hear about through the media. Last summer and specifically more this summer, I have come to realize that last statement is very much true.

As an expat kid, I have definitely been given this amazing opportunity in life to travel and be exposed to so many other cultures. Over the course of my 17 years on this earth (so far), I have been privileged to have access to an incredible education overseas in both Singapore and Abu Dhabi, leaving my senses and open mindedness exposed to the world around me, trying to grasp onto each and every experience and encounter. I am an international thinker and traveler, meaning that I really do have an interesting and different perspective on the world...it is my oyster.

Living overseas, I have realized one thing, most of the knowledge that we gather about the world around us is acquired through the media, news, etc. This can both be a limitation as well as an advantage. Nowadays, the media has a way of changing people and their perspectives on the world. For example, someone who might have only lived in Canada all their life, they depend on people, the media, etc. to inform them about what’s “over the fence” or just a plane ride away. Naturally, as individuals we depend on what people tell us, hence, the news. In addition to this, people will only be ‘truly’ informed about where they live, naturally developing a prejudice mindset towards this “outside world” that lies beyond us.

Adding onto this idea of  having an  ‘international mindset’, living in a place such as the Middle East really puts the rest of the world  in perspective. As a child and up until this day, I would watch the news and be exposed to many stories portraying this part of the world as one to be “dangerous” and “inhumane”. All in all, the media presented a very biased and one-sided view on the Arab World. According to many news stories, Islam is portrayed as a ‘violent religion’, constantly involved in terrorism and other extremist acts. This constant flow of negative energy has resulted in this specific “violent” image on the Middle East. I will be honest, living abroad in a small city like Singapore, I as well over the years had developed this one sided mindset on the Middle East, but when I heard we were moving here, I was willing to expose my senses and my mind. This is my second year in Abu Dhabi and I am loving it! I have met so many new people, been exposed to such a fascinating culture that I feel privileged to be apart of.

Last summer, my family and I travelled to Canada for the summer along with this summer. While we were in Kingston, Ontario, we went to many of my grandparent’s parties and met so many nice people. It was interesting and quite funny; every time I talked to someone, one of the first questions they would ask me is “How are you liking life in Middle East? Are you okay?”. I had to stop myself for a second and really think about what they were saying. “Of course, I love it there.” would always be my answer, because it really was true. Most of the conversations that I had with people would revolve around life in the Middle East, mostly regarding their perspective. Don’t get me wrong, these were lovely people, but they all had one perspective on where my family and I were living, as i described above. I had to tell myself that this wasn’t their fault, but we can’t blame it on the media either. Their knowledge on the “outside world” was limited to a TV screen or a couple pages on a newspaper, whereas I was living as an open-minded international student.

How to Write ABOOT Canadians

Canadian Eh? 

^ This is the perfect title for your story as it's original and has never been used before. 

Before you start talking about how nice and free spirited Canadians are, make sure you mention how selfless and understanding they are. If one of your character’s friends ever encounters a dramatic issue, they must always come back to your character as they will listen to them with a kind, open-heart and not let their issues affect them in anyway. Highlighting the fact that they are pushovers and doormats is essential in delivering an accurate piece of work.

Lets face it, pretty much your entire piece of writing will include the word “eh” at the end of every sentence. If a certain character in your story threatens or hurts your main character, MAKE SURE that your character apologizes non-stop, offering themselves as sacrifice because that is their nature. If your character does NOT apologize constantly for potentially almost being killed, your character will automatically be seen in a very negative light; a bad representation of Canadians.

In terms of hobbies and interests, make sure you emphasize how much your character adores Justin Bieber! No one has ever heard of anyone other than the Canadian heartthrob that absolutely adores his fans. Shania Twain? Avril Lavigne? Who?

Due to the fact that Canadians are such selfless people with no personality, polluting the environment would be terribly awful for your story. Your character will ride his/her polar bear to work everyday in the cold yearlong snow.

Make a note that your character’s only friends consist of beavers and moose that they love to constantly ride and complement as if they were human. In terms of your character’s costume, they should always be dressed as either a lumberjack or an eskimo. Also, your character should live in a igloo throughout the year as in Canada, there is no chance of hot summer days. It’s important to know what the weather is like over there!

Your character must only speak English as French Is not accepted in Canada. Canada is a English speaking country no matter what any outside source says. The idea of “French Canadians” is irrelevant to the French Language. As the French are mostly loud and angry half the time, when your character feels the need to express themselves, use expressions such as “Holy Smokes” or “Sugar Plums”. That’s as ‘vulgar’ it will get in your story if you character even DREAMS of expressing anger.

Your character speaks in English, thinks in English, and what not. Your character must use expressions such as “Goodheavens, No” as he/she will identify themselves as being either British or Irish.

One of the most important elements of your character that must be highlighted is their diet. No matter where your character is, he or she should always carry a bottle of maple syrup in their ROOTS backpack. In addition to this, bacon and beaver tales should be available 24/7. Every meal that your character sits down for will consist of bacon and maple syrup. Heck! (Canadians should never swear). Why not throw in a couple maple trees in their backyard?

To finish off, maybe throw in a quote about kindness and caring for others.

Paper 2 Practice X2

Blog Prompt: Show how and to what effect Achebe makes use of myth,legend or other stories and tales.

Chinua Achebe is a world renowned African author who is known for his best selling novel Things Fall, one that has been translated in over fifty languages and has sold more than 20 million copies around the globe. The central aim of the novel is to bring light to the situations and problems that are associated with the colonization of Africa and the direct impact of the colonizers on African culture and society itself. More importantly, Achebe’s novel is a vivid and enlightening illustration of the African culture to Western readers, presenting a good sense of African language and providing them with a cultural experience through Chinua Achebe’s non-fiction world.

Throughout the novel, many oral traditions are presented, as Achebe frequently uses proverbs, songs and folk tales to accurately illustrate the Igbo tradition. Understanding the Igbo African culture to some extent is essential as it allows the reader to embrace and understanding the potential significance of  the various folk tales and myths presented throughout the novel. As we go through this blog post, I will essentially explore different examples that I feel clearly demonstrate Achebe’s significance in using myths, folktales and legends to provide and strong foundation of the Igbo African culture.

To begin, we will look at the use of proverbs in Chapter One when the art and tradition of passing the kola nut for alliance is addressed. Okonkwo says, “He who brings kola brings life”, which would not make very much sense if one was to view it as a general proverb, but in the context of the text, this is a popular oral saying as the kola nut can be used for many things. Strategically, Achebe’s use of provers throughout the novel are well placed, for instance, the Ibo saying, “When a man says yes, his chi says yes also”, furthermore prevailing the importance of spirituality in the Ibo culture. The use of proverbs, to a certain extent, presents a clear and culturally significant foundation to the Igbo African culture, providing the reader with further insight on the culture itself.

In addition to the use of proverbs, Achebe makes use of the effect of folk tradition and myths in his novel. In Things Fall Apart , an unforgettable folktale told by Ekwefi is told to her daughter Ezinma, about a tortoise and birds. It is the story of the birds and the tortoise who accompanied the birds to a great feast in the sky. The simple tale of the birds and the Tortoise presents itself as a following trend for the entire novel, surrounding the theme of imperialism and the loss of power. We must keep in mind that this story is told between chapters ten, where it is revealed to us that Okonkwo has just obtained the second highest position of importance in Umuofia, next to the leader Evil Forest. During the story, the birds lent Tortoise their feathers in order for him to eventually accompany them to the sky, further symbolizing the support given to Okonkwo by his people that empowered him and allowed him to be Umuofia's proud and reigning champion on a mission of war to Mbaino where he was treated with a high level of respect. This rides side by side with the Tortoise being elevated to the highest place in the sky, where is eventually exiled and abandoned by all the birds who used to be his friends. In addition to this, after Okonkwo’s elevation in social status and power, he is exiled to Mbanta after committing a “woman’s crime” and abandoned by his closest friends. Eventually, when the Tortoise falls to the ground, his shell breaks and he is broken into pieces. This demonstrates a paradigm with Okonkwo as when he eventually returns to Umuofia after 7 years of exile, he is torn apart by the loss of his culture and once tradition, eventually committing suicide. This specific folk tale essentially presents Okonkwo as a tragic hero who has fallen to his descent, as well as some multivocality as to whether or not he truly is the protagonist and not the antagonist of the novel.

Another prominent folktale that must be  approached is the quarrel between Earth and Sky. As all of Achebe’s use of folk tradition and proverbs have a solemn purpose in the novel, the quarrel between Earth and Sky identify a direct significance with the nature of Nwoye, and how it worries his father Okonkwo. Achebe does make it clear that the young boy prefers his mother’s story of a Vulture who was sent to illuminate and soften the heart of the sky with song than his father’s gory story of shed blood and war. As Nwoye is illustrated as a more gentle and kind hearted character, this counters with Okonkwo’s bias belief that Nwoye is more or less to be associated with a “femininity” and “weakness”. Now, this is questionable as to whether or not this has been ingrained in Igbo belief or simply part of Okonkwo’s moral compass of traditional beliefs.

Finally, a memorable instance of a song occurs in Chapter 7 with Ikemefuna and Okonkwo, as they march out to the forest before Okonkwo and his men eventually kill the young boy. This song is directly correlated with Igbo tradition, providing the audience with a truly cultural African experience as there is no context towards the song itself.

In conclusion, Chinua Achebe’s use of several myths, songs, and folktales throughout the novel demonstrate the rich context and essence of the African culture throughout the novel, as it allows the reader to truly embrace the Igbo culture during the intriguing narrative. Many of these provide the reader with an understanding of structural importance within the context of the novel, and add more depth to the storyline itself.