All (21561)
Flashcards (9886)
flashcards
Okonkwo is a wealthy and respected warrior of the Umuofia clan, a lower Nigerian tribe that is part of a consortium of nine connected villages. He is haunted by the actions of Unoka, his cowardly and spendthrift father, who died in disrepute, leaving many village debts unsettled. In response, Okonkwo became a clansman, warrior, farmer, and family provider extraordinaire. He has a twelve-year-old son named Nwoye whom he finds lazy; Okonkwo worries that Nwoye will end up a failure like Unoka. In a settlement with a neighboring tribe, Umuofia wins a virgin and a fifteen-year-old boy. Okonkwo takes charge of the boy, Ikemefuna, and finds an ideal son in him. Nwoye likewise forms a strong attachment to the newcomer. Despite his fondness for Ikemefuna and despite the fact that the boy begins to call him “father,” Okonkwo does not let himself show any affection for him. During the Week of Peace, Okonkwo accuses his youngest wife, Ojiugo, of negligence. He severely beats her, breaking the peace of the sacred week. He makes some sacrifices to show his repentance, but he has shocked his community irreparably. Ikemefuna stays with Okonkwo’s family for three years. Nwoye looks up to him as an older brother and, much to Okonkwo’s pleasure, develops a more masculine attitude. One day, the locusts come to Umuofia—they will come every year for seven years before disappearing for another generation. The village excitedly collects them because they are good to eat when cooked. Ogbuefi Ezeudu, a respected village elder, informs Okonkwo in private that the Oracle has said that Ikemefuna must be killed. He tells Okonkwo that because Ikemefuna calls him “father,” Okonkwo should not take part in the boy’s death. Okonkwo lies to Ikemefuna, telling him that they must return him to his home village. Nwoye bursts into tears. As he walks with the men of Umuofia, Ikemefuna thinks about seeing his mother. After several hours of walking, some of Okonkwo’s clansmen attack the boy with machetes. Ikemefuna runs to Okonkwo for help. But Okonkwo, who doesn’t wish to look weak in front of his fellow tribesmen, cuts the boy down despite the Oracle’s admonishment. When Okonkwo returns home, Nwoye deduces that his friend is dead. Okonkwo sinks into a depression, neither able to sleep nor eat. He visits his friend Obierika and begins to feel revived a bit. Okonkwo’s daughter Ezinma falls ill, but she recovers after Okonkwo gathers leaves for her medicine. The death of Ogbuefi Ezeudu is announced to the surrounding villages by means of the ekwe, a musical instrument. Okonkwo feels guilty because the last time Ezeudu visited him was to warn him against taking part in Ikemefuna’s death. At Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s large and elaborate funeral, the men beat drums and fire their guns. Tragedy compounds upon itself when Okonkwo’s gun explodes and kills Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s sixteen-year-old son. Because killing a clansman is a crime against the earth goddess, Okonkwo must take his family into exile for seven years in order to atone. He gathers his most valuable belongings and takes his family to his mother’s natal village, Mbanta. The men from Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s quarter burn Okonkwo’s buildings and kill his animals to cleanse the village of his sin. Okonkwo’s kinsmen, especially his uncle, Uchendu, receive him warmly. They help him build a new compound of huts and lend him yam seeds to start a farm. Although he is bitterly disappointed at his misfortune, Okonkwo reconciles himself to life in his motherland. During the second year of Okonkwo’s exile, Obierika brings several bags of cowries (shells used as currency) that he has made by selling Okonkwo’s yams. Obierika plans to continue to do so until Okonkwo returns to the village. Obierika also brings the bad news that Abame, another village, has been destroyed by the white man. Soon afterward, six missionaries travel to Mbanta. Through an interpreter named Mr. Kiaga, the missionaries’ leader, Mr. Brown, speaks to the villagers. He tells them that their gods are false and that worshipping more than one God is idolatrous. But the villagers do not understand how the Holy Trinity can be accepted as one God. Although his aim is to convert the residents of Umuofia to Christianity, Mr. Brown does not allow his followers to antagonize the clan. Mr. Brown grows ill and is soon replaced by Reverend James Smith, an intolerant and strict man. The more zealous converts are relieved to be free of Mr. Brown’s policy of restraint. One such convert, Enoch, dares to unmask an egwugwu during the annual ceremony to honor the earth deity, an act equivalent to killing an ancestral spirit. The next day, the egwugwu burn Enoch’s compound and Reverend Smith’s church to the ground. The District Commissioner is upset by the burning of the church and requests that the leaders of Umuofia meet with him. Once they are gathered, however, the leaders are handcuffed and thrown in jail, where they suffer insults and physical abuse. After the prisoners are released, the clansmen hold a meeting, during which five court messengers approach and order the clansmen to desist. Expecting his fellow clan members to join him in uprising, Okonkwo kills their leader with his machete. When the crowd allows the other messengers to escape, Okonkwo realizes that his clan is not willing to go to war. When the District Commissioner arrives at Okonkwo’s compound, he finds that Okonkwo has hanged himself. Obierika and his friends lead the commissioner to the body. Obierika explains that suicide is a grave sin; thus, according to custom, none of Okonkwo’s clansmen may touch his body. The commissioner, who is writing a book about Africa, believes that the story of Okonkwo’s rebellion and death will make for an interesting paragraph or two. He has already chosen the book’s title: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger
10
Updated 4h ago
0.0(0)
flashcards
A* level stuarts evidence
52
Updated 15h ago
0.0(0)
flashcards
sources of evidence
5
Updated 19h ago
0.0(0)
flashcards
Evidence for Plate Tectonics
20
Updated 21h ago
0.0(0)
flashcards
Evidence Practice Flashcards
17
Updated 1d ago
0.0(0)
flashcards
What are the two religions born in the 5th century BCE? / Jainism and Buddhism What was the Vedic Era known for? / The beginning of Vedic religious beliefs and rituals recorded in the Vedas What were the Vedas? / Sacred Sanskrit scriptures and collections of hymns considered sources of knowledge Who were the Vedic people? / Pastoral people living in the Punjab region What materials did Vedic people mainly use? / Wood, clay, bamboo, and other temporary materials What was yajna? / A fire sacrifice ritual performed to please natural deities Did Vedic religion require temples or idols? / No, rituals were performed without temples or iconography What type of religion was early Vedic faith? / A naturalistic polytheistic religion Why were there many gods in Vedic religion? / Because each natural phenomenon had its own deity Who performed yajna rituals? / Priests called yajaka Who was the yajmana? / The patron or benefactor for whom the yajna was performed What was Varna? / The caste system in Vedic society What does Varna mean? / Color or kind Why is Vedic religion also called Brahmanism? / Because Brahmin priests held great importance What is Hinduism described as in the notes? / A broad term covering many religious systems, sects, and cults Which Veda is considered the oldest? / Rig Veda How were the Vedas passed down originally? / Through oral tradition What problem occurred because of oral transmission of the Vedas? / Chronological and dating errors What did the later Vedas mainly contain? / Sacrificial instructions, magic formulas, and spells What was the Shramanic tradition? / A movement opposing Vedic beliefs and Brahmanism Who were the Shramanas? / Ascetics and wanderers searching for ultimate truth What does Shramana mean? / Striving and working hard through austerity Why did Shramanas leave their homes? / To search for truth about life and the universe Which Shramanic traditions survived into modern times? / Buddhism and Jainism What does Jainism believe in? / Eternal souls and extreme austerities for liberation What does Buddhism believe in? / Impermanence, nonexistence of soul, and the middle path What is the Buddhist middle path? / A moderate path avoiding extremes to achieve Nirvana Why did Buddhism spread more widely than Jainism? / Buddhism became missionary and spread across Asia Why did Jainism remain limited mainly to India? / Because it lacked missionary expansion What political factor helped Buddhism rise? / Changing political conditions in South Asia What material change occurred during the Mauryan period? / A shift from perishable materials to stone and durable materials How did Alexander’s invasion affect South Asia? / It introduced foreign artistic and cultural influences Who founded the Maurya Empire? / Chandragupta Maurya Who was Seleucus Nicator? / A Greek general of Alexander the Great Who was Megasthenes? / A Greek ambassador to the Mauryan court Who expanded the Mauryan Empire into the Deccan? / Bindusara Who was Ashoka? / The grandson of Chandragupta Maurya and a major Buddhist ruler What event changed Ashoka’s attitude toward violence? / The War of Kalinga How did Ashoka react after the Kalinga War? / He felt deep regret for violence What did Ashoka reportedly build after embracing Buddhism? / Thousands of stupas What were Ashoka’s edicts? / Inscriptions spread across his empire promoting moral teachings What is the Lion Capital of Sarnath? / A famous Mauryan sculpture and symbol of authority Which foreign styles influenced Mauryan art? / Achaemenid Persian and Greek styles What is Mauryan polish? / A smooth, shiny finish used on Mauryan sculptures and pillars Why do some Mauryan sculptures appear highly developed? / Because Persian or Persian-trained craftsmen likely worked on them What medium remained continuously used in South Asia since Harappan times? / Terracotta What kinds of objects were commonly made from terracotta? / Sculpture, pottery, toys, and ornaments What are Yakshas and Yakshis? / Nature spirits associated with fertility and prosperity What issue exists with dating Mauryan sculptures? / Many sculptures are difficult to date accurately What do Mauryan male statues resemble stylistically? / Wood carving traditions What architectural tradition began with rock-cut caves? / The long tradition of rock-cut architecture in South Asia What inspired early rock-cut caves? / Persian cave traditions and wooden architecture What was special about the Sanchi Stupa during the Shunga period? / Decorative yakshi carvings and mature relief work were added What were yakshis associated with? / Fertility and nature worship What artistic style characterized Shunga reliefs? / Shallow relief inspired by wood carving What are Jataka tales? / Stories about the previous lives of the Buddha What symbols represented Buddha before his human image appeared? / Wheels, Bodhi trees, footprints, and empty thrones What does the term “Early Classic” describe? / The artistic maturity of Shunga and Andh
88
Updated 1d ago
0.0(0)
Users (1675)