Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Blog 2

Overall, I think The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a unique book that does not really pertain to a specific age or demographic.  The book is written from the perspective of a 14-year-old with an young writing style, but does not really suit middle school or early-teen aged readers for it focuses on mature topics like masturbation, alcoholism, and bulimia.  Nor does it suit college students or young adults who might feel that it's cartoons and Junior's immaturity are below their reading level.

The book also shows that the only way the Indians can escape their horrible lives and alcoholic tendencies is to leave the reservation or return to the nomadic lifestyle.  Junior's grandmother, who had never had a drink in her life, was killed from a consequence of the reservation's alcoholism.  This shows that even those who live healthy lifestyles are doomed as long as they stay on the reservation.

On another note, I found Penelope's bulimia to be very ironic.  Junior's family can barely provide food for their children, and when they can, it's cheap, unhealthy food like Kentucky Fried Chicken.  While Junior goes hungry, Penelope essentially wastes food by throwing it up in order to lose weight.

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

After reading the beginning of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, the thing that struck me the most was the alcohol abuse on the reservation.  Junior's family, as well as all the other families on the reservation, is very poor.  Junior's family sometimes goes without a meal for 18 hours, yet his parents manage to be alcoholics.  Alcohol is way more expensive and way less necessary than food, but most of the adult Indians would rather go without food than alcohol.  Many of the Indians become violent when they drink, like Rowdy and his father, creating further damage and pain.

Villains in The Bluest Eye

In The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison goes into great detail about the lives and childhoods of three major villains: Cholly Breedlove, Geraldine, and Soaphead Church.  This choice of detail humanizes the villains making the reader excuse some, not all, of their behaviors and connects their wrongdoings to previous experiences.  However, the villains do not learn from their past and, instad, they cycle of abuse for the next generation.  Cholly Breedlove's view of sex was corrupted by the humiliation of  white men interrupting him losing his virginity.  Cholly passes on this sexual humiliation by raping and impregnating his daughter, Pecola.  Geraldine lives without experiencing real feeling and love.  She continues this coldness to her son, Junior, by tending only to his physical needs and only showing love to her cat.  Soaphead Church is a phony religious leader, who continues this falsity by telling Pecola that he has given her blue eyes.  While Morrison first allows for sympathy with the villains from painful past events, their continuation of the pain reinforces their role as villains and antagonists.

The Bluest Eye

As a blonde-haired blue-eyed white girl, who lives in a nice house, attends private school, and has never had to worry about having food on the table, I am reading this from the perspective of someone living the life that Pecola and MacTeer daughters consider perfect.  However, appearance alone (blonde hair and blue eyes) will not get someone a perfect life, so I find Pecola's obsession with Sheiley Temple and Mary Jane to be somewhat naive and superficial.  However, this naïveté makes her a better narrator for it reenforces that her voice and opinions are from a young girl.  I also find it strange that the girls resent white people, but at the same time, wish they were white.  The children do not like how their parents act, especially in terms of violent fighting and creating drama, the girls do not stray from these actions when they argue with each other and beat up other children. This makes them less likable to the reader, for it's hard to pity those who hurt others.  Overall, I like the book so far but I do not really like any of the characters.

Purple Hibiscus—Aunty Ifeoma's House

At this part of Purple Hibiscus, Kambili enters her aunt and cousins' home of "sin".  Although her cousins live a fairly average life, many of the things they do would be cause for violent punishment in  Kambili and Jaja's house.  Although Amaka often mocks Kambili for being rich, Kambili's life in many ways is much worse than Amaka's despite her family's excessive wealth.  At Aunty Ifeoma's, the children can watch TV, sing in Igbo, and laugh, whereas there is no time scheduled for leisure or fun at Kambili's father's house.  Amaka is also allowed to say what she thinks and is not abused regularly.  Although Kambili feels uncomfortable and out-of-place at her aunt's house, she is beginning to find her voice and realize that Papa's religious views are extreme.

Purple Hibiscus First Impressions

From the first few pages of Purple Hibiscus, it is clear that Eugene takes Catholicism to a whole new level of radical.  Eugene has completely discarded all aspects of African culture and requires that his family do so too and is completely intolerant of any religion or belief that differs from his own.  However, there is one concept of Catholicism that Eugene seems to have forgotten: mercy.  Even small mistakes in his family cause him to punish or shame them with belt beatings, which hardly seems Christian to me.

As for the main character, Kambili, it is hard to tell by this point in my reading whether or not she realizes the extremity of her father's beliefs and whether she shares the same beliefs. Her brother Jaja has begun to reject some Catholic practices and rebel against their father.  Kambili, overall, seems very unsure of who she is and struggles to find a place, socially, in her class and extended family.  I am interested to see what type of person she will become once she is away from her father's judgemental and controlling presence.

Purple Hibiscus and Things Fall Apart

I think that Purple Hibiscus is a really good book to read after Things Fall Apart.  The two books are written from completely different points of view which show both sides of African Colonization and Christianization in Nigeria.  I find it very interesting to read Purple Hibiscus from the perspective of Kambili, a young Catholic girl from a modern wealthy family, after reading Things Fall Apart from Okonkwo's perspective of a traditional African clansmen resisting conversion.  Kambili desperately wants her father's approval and pride while Okonkwo strove to be the total opposite of his father.  In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo hates women and often beats his wives and daughters, and Kambili shows the side of the young girl who is beaten by her father.  The pairing of Things Fall Apart and Purple Hibiscis reveals that neither religion or side is ideal in African Colonization and Christionization.

Things Fall Apart—Part Three

I found the end of Things Fall Apart and Okonkwo's suicide to be very ironic. Since suicide is considered a sin in Igbo culture, Okonkwo's body is deemed evil so his clansmen refuse to touch it and will not grant him a true burial.  Okonkwo's father, who died of a shameful illness, also did not receive a proper burial and the villagers left his body in the Evil Forest.  So, even though he did everything possible to avoid weakness and be different from his father, Okonkwo, ended up exactly like his father.  

Things Fall Apart—Part One

After reading part one of Things Fall Apart by Achebe, I find it very strange that, even though he has lost many children and family to disease, Okonkwo does not seem to value his children and wives that have survived.  In the beginning, Okonkwo beats and tries to shoot one of his wives, which shows that he clearly has no concern for her health and existence.  By beating his oldest son, Nwoye, Okonkwo causes him of feel inferior and weak which are the exact characteristics of his son that Okonkwo wishes to change. When women and children are healthy (not bruised and beaten), they are stronger and can be more helpful and productive in harvest and domestic duties. So, by beating and weakening his family, Okonkwo actually weakens his household unit and therefore his own success.

It can be very difficult for cultures to understand each other, especially if they are very different.  European and American culture probably seem as savage and alien to tribal Africans as their culture seems to us. Although I agree with most of Achebe's essay, I feel it has a slight aloofness or "holier than thou" tone.  The lack of knowledge of other cultures I sap often seen as ignorance, however, it may be very difficult for those who without large financial support to travel to, read about, and learn about other cultures. I also think it is less important to understand a culture than it is to merely respect or even just not to criticize the other culture.

Things Fall Apart—Blog 1

1. From the very beginning, Okonkwo is established as a successful and respected man even though he is cruel and violent.  Although he is a great warrior and has proven his strength many times, he beats his wife and children regularly, even during the week of peace.  His fear of weakness is understandable since his father lived without strength and dignity, however it is no excuse for his treatment of others.  Yes, sometimes tough love should be practiced in raising children, but it should at least be paired with support and occasional praise.  Overall, Okonkwo seems like a terrible person and I find it very hard as a reader to identify or empathize with him.