Essay: Things Fall Apart / One Hundred Years of Solitude / Persepolis I

1. Things Fall Apart by Achebe
Ogbuefi Ezeudu, a greatly respected elder, is speaking to Okonkwo about Umuofia’s decision to kill Ikemefuna, a boy brought from another clan who has been living in Okonkwo’s household.
This passage is critical to the novel, as Ikemefuna’s killing is central to the story. It also reveals a lot about the culture and customs of the tribe. When Ezeudu tells Okonkwo that “Umuofia has decided to kill [Ikemefuna],” there is an inherent understanding that there is not necessarily a reason for this decision; it is simply “custom.” Okonkwo accepts without questioning the decision to kill a boy to whom he has become like a “father.” Moreover, because the decision is made by the “Oracle” and “Caves,” both considered to be part of the supernatural world beyond our world, we are given the idea that the decision to kill Ikemefuna is simply beyond our understanding. This recurs throughout the novel; another example is when a possessed Chielo takes Ezinma in the middle of the night because Agbala wanted to see her. Ezeudu comes in advance to warn Okonkwo not to participate in Ikemefuna’s killing because of Okonkwo’s tendency to express hyper-masculinity. Okonkwo’s views violence and the act of killing to be signs of manliness. Ezeudu’s warning is his way of conveying that because Ikemefuna is like a son to Okonkwo, it is appropriate to abstain from participating in the killing and that this abstinence will not be viewed by the clan as a sign of weakness. In the end, Okonkwo decides to overcompensate his expression of manliness anyway by giving the final blow that kills Ikemefuna. This decision will haunt him in the remainder part of the novel as well as cause irreparable rifts both in his relationship with his son, Nwoye, as well in Nwoye’s relationship with the tribe.
2. Things Fall Apart by Achebe
This passage is in the final scene of the novel when the District Commissioner contemplates Okonkwo’s suicide and decides to include it in his book about Africa.
Achebe wanted to challenge the view presented in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness that supports colonialism. The Commissioner in this passage holds the same view as Conrad that the people of the African tribes are primitive and cultureless. The Commissioner’s thought that Okonkwo’s suicide would be “interesting reading” depicts both his insensitivity to the tragic death as well as his belittlement of the African tribespeople. Additionally, his deliberation between writing “a whole chapter” or “a reasonable paragraph” further emphasizes the Commissioner’s view that Okonkwo and his culture are elemental and lack the enlightenment to deserve a larger portion of his book. It also provides a contrast to the novel itself, which is entirely devoted to illustrating Okonkwo’s life and culture as well as the civilization and integrity that is present despite the savageness that the colonists and much of the West saw at the time. The title that the Commissioner chooses for his book, “The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger,” confirms the racist, dehumanizing view that the Commissioner holds of the African tribespeople. This passage is extremely crucial to the novel because it elucidates Achebe’s ultimate goal, which is to debunk views such as those in Heart of Darkness and to illustrate the complexity and integrity of the Ibo culture that are eventually destroyed by colonialism.
3. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquez
Tortured by his obsession and attraction for young Remedios, Aureliano comes to Pilar Ternera in order to have sex with her, and she offers him comfort.
This passage reveals Pilar Ternera as a promiscuous yet sexually generous woman. Just as Jose Arcadio sees his mother when he has sex with Pilar, his brother Aureliano also experiences a “maternal tenderness” as Pilar comforts him by giving herself. This illustrates the similarity between Ursula and Pilar – both women are wise and selfless. Pilar patiently “[waits]” for Aureliano to “[unleash]” his sexual tension before asking Aureliano who was on his mind. Despite the fact that Pilar initially “[mocks]” him for lusting after such a young child, Aureliano finds a “reservoir of understanding.” Rather than writing Aureliano’s obsession off with disgust, Pilar accepts him and treats him with compassion, even offering to help him. The use of the word “reservoir” serves to underscore one of Pilar’s pivotal roles in this novel – as a source of comfort for the men in the Buendia family, due to the fact that she understands a variety of unique passions. This recurs in the novel, as even her son Arcadio later becomes obsessed with Pilar and goes to seek pleasure from her; however, even when faced with the prospect of incest, Pilar has a great desire to help him. She eventually refuses not out of disgust for Arcadio but due to the idea of incest.
4. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquez
Being the only survivor, Jose Arcadio Segundo is the only person who accurately remembers the banana company workers massacre and the “most lucid inhabitant of the house,” as everyone else in the town is convinced by the government’s official proclamation that the satisfied workers had all gone home. Jose Arcadio Segundo therefore retreats into Melquiades’ room and devotes himself to studying his manuscripts as well as preserving the memory of the massacre.
Fernanda and the rest of his family (with the exception of perhaps his twin Aureliano Segundo) see him as insane, even comparing him to Colonel Aureliano Buendia. This comparison, while preceding the passage, makes an allusion to the theme of this passage as well as an important theme of the novel, which is the cyclic and piecewise nature of time, as characters from different generations seem to inherit the same qualities, and history always repeats itself in the Buendia family. This is in fact the realization that Jose Arcadio Segundo and little Aureliano come to as they spend time together in Melquiades’ room, where they study his “parchments” and Jose Arcadio Segundo teaches Aureliano about the truth of the massacre. In this “small isolated room,” they discover that Jose Arcadio Buendia was not actually crazy when he said that it was “always Monday,” and that time “[left] an eternalized fragment in a room,” represented by the “parchments” written by Melquiades, the “old man…who spoke about the world many years before they had been born.” It was he who could foresee that the whole Buendia family was stuck in a never-ending cycle of decay and solitude. However, it is also this timelessness that allows for the possibility of redemption as well as give Jose Arcadio Segundo the opportunity to maintain the memory of the massacre.
5. OMIT
6. Persepolis I: The Story of a Childhood by Satrapi
Marji finds out that her Uncle Anoosh, who viewed as her role model, has just been executed, and she denounces her relationship with God. Then, the war between the new Islamic regime and the opposition begins.
This passage is significant because it is the last part of Marji’s relationship with God. Initially, Marji is a naïve young girl on a journey to find her identity and a sense of home in the world. She has a very intimate relationship with God, as she finds security and solace in God’s presence, and her faith is strong. However, as the revolution continues and more tragic events occur, such as the death of Mohsen, the execution of Siamek’s sister, and finally the arrest and execution of her “beloved Anoosh,” Marji becomes more jaded and her faith in God wanes. When God comes to visit, she tells him to “shut up” and “get out of [her] life.” Indeed, God does not return again as a character in the novel after Marji exiles him from her life. This represents Marji’s disconnect with religion as a source of security and faith. The new regime and the cruelties that it is inflicting causes Marji to feel confused, “lost,” and “without any bearings.” As a young girl who has yet to find her place in the world, Marji cannot make sense of it. To Marji, nothing “could be worse” than feeling even further away from finding her sense of individuality and being even more lost.