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In “Chronicle of a Death Foretold”, the murder of Santiago Nasar occurs due to many people not doing what should have been done. Because the novel begins with Pablo and Pedro Vicario having already committed the murder of Santiago, the author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, must have another idea in mind. The novel focuses on what people could have done to prevent the murder, and also what people thought while doing nothing.

There are many characters in the novel that could have influenced the outcome of Santiago, but they did not have much momentum to stop it. Victoria Guzman is one of them. She was the cook in Santiago Nasar’s home. When Victoria was a teenager, she had had an affair with Santiago’s father causing a slight hatred of the family. Also, Victoria has a daughter named Divina Flor. Santiago is very sexual with her but in an inappropriate manner. Santiago believes that because Divina is poor and works for him, that he can do anything he wants with her. Having these two as enemies was not the greatest idea for Santiago. Later on in the novel, we find out that Divina and Victoria both new that Santiago was going to be murdered but they chose not to say anything. Showing the reasons that they had not said anything because, “hadn’t said anything to Santiago Nasar because in the depths of her heart she wanted them to kill him. Divina on the other hand, didn’t warn him because she was nothing but frightened child at the time.”

Clothilde Armenta is the owner and proprietress of the “milk shop” in which the Vicarios brothers are before they go out to kill Santiago. Clothilde gives the boys more alcohol than they probably need, trying to prevent them from been physically able o walk out of the shop to find Santiago. Also, she took their knives away from them thinking it would stop them. But the brothers return home to get different sharpened knives. This attempt by Clothilde obviously fails.

Two others fail in warning Santiago about the attempt to murder him, but these are for slightly less excusable reasons. Father Amador is told to warn Santiago but he forgets to do so because of no real reason at all. Colonel Lazaro Aponte forgets to do the same as Father Amador, but not only does he forget, he does not tell him because he became distracted with the games of dominoes he had been previously in. Many people in the novel had the full opportunity to save Santiago’s life but it does not seem as if they wanted to. After reading the novel, it does not seem as if many of the characters really liked Santiago besides his sister, Margot.

Honor is a key fact in the novel because it is pretty much the reason for Santiago’s death. Angela Vicario was a dishonorable bride because of the fact that she was not a virgin. When Pablo and Pedro received word of this, they commanded her to tell her who was the man. She soon after replied, “Santiago Nasar,” and that was it. Realizing that they must kill Santiago in order to restore their family’s honor, they quickly find knives in order to do so. Prudencia Cotes, Pedro’s fiancé, said about the murder, “I knew what they were up to…and I didn’t only agree, I never would have married him if he hadn’t done what a man should do.” This shows the value of honor within the Columbian culture. Even the priest agreed that the two brothers were innocent before god and before men because it was a matter of honor, which applies before all else.

Igbo Tribe

Culture/History
The protagonist in Things Fall Apart, Okonwko, is a member of the Igbo tribe. The Igbo tribe, or called Ibo tribe, is located in Southeastern Nigeria with a population of eight million. Their land is divided into two unequal parts; the larger eastern region, and the western region. Though it may seem like a division of the tribe, it is actually an easy source of communication between distant villages.

The first contact between Igboland and Europe, started with the Portuguese in the mid-fifteenth century. Soon after, the Dutch and the English soon found Igboland. These three countries began to take the Igbo people as slaves and then used them in the slave trades. Eventually in 1807, slave trade was abolished, so Igboland became important, not for the people, but because of the goods that could be taken from it. Elephant tusks, spices, timbers, and palm products all became massively popular within the trade across Europe.

In 1929, due to the rumor that Igbo women would receive assessed taxation the Aba riots began. It was a short-lived riot, the first in Igbo history. But the power of the imperials could not be stopped, leaving Igboland changed forever.

Art
Because of the diversity and size of the Igbo tribe, it is very difficult to pick one main style of art used by all. It is however, very common to carve and decorate masks, but the reasons of use for these masks vary from village to village. Because there are so many variations of Igbo art, it is nearly impossible to say which village created certain pieces of art. But the majority of the tribes create pottery, small statues representing the gods or deceased ancestors. Also, much jewelry was made by the Igbo people, mainly spiral shaped bracelets and necklaces.

Religion
With the same reasons as for art, it is not possible to choose one religious belief by the tribe as a whole due to the hundreds of different dialects used by the villages. Before the Christian missions and Europeans came to influence religion, the majority of Igbo villages focused on praising their ancestry. Many believed that in order to succeed in life, they must thank the ones who have come before them. Also, most villages had some sort of Mmo, which is a secret organization for men that allowed them to please the spirits in many unknown ways.

One view of the Igbo is the belief that Chukwu created the visible universe, uwa. Also, that the universe is divided into two parts; the natural level, or human world, and the spiritual world, like the sun, sky, and earth. Through taboos, the Igbo create a category of relations with nature and specific animals, such as pythons, crocodiles, tigers, turtles/tortoises, and fish.

The living, the dead, and the unborn form part of a continuum. Enshrined ancestors are those who lived good lives and were given a proper burial by the village. These ancestors live in one of the worlds of the dead that mirrors the world of the living. The living also pays amends to their dead relatives by offering sacrifices, (usually animals).

http://www.stfrancis.edu/en/student/achebe/chinua/igbo.htm

http://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Igbo-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html

The Metamorphosis

I agree, but not fully, with expert # 2. In Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”, Gregor Samsa is a man who lives with his parents and his sister. He is the main provider for the family. Gregor is working for a man, which whom his parents have a large debt owed to. Gregor is forced to work in a job that he has absolutely despised ever since the beginning. I do not believe that Gregor has like much about his life ever since his family needed help with their debt. Also, no one else, in the beginning of the story anyway, has an actual job. It seems as if Gregor is the only one trying to help with the debts, everyone else just gets on his case about it when they are doing nothing themselves. Gregor says while still in bed, “If I didn’t have to hold my had because of my parents I’d have given notice ling ago, I’d have hone to the chief and told him exactly what I think of him. That would knock him endways from his desk!” (Page 69) He is very un-happy because he sees the job and his family as a burden. Gregor wishes that he could just live his life for himself.

I do agree with expert # 2 on the fact that there is a vision of a vermin-like, cringing, abject and worthless person in this story. Not from Gregor’s point of view to his father and chief, but rather everyone else’s vision of Gregor. As noticed in the first part of the story, while Gregor is still behind the closed door, everyone can understand the short “yes” or “no” answers that they are being given, but after seeing Gregor, they can no longer understand anything he says. This view does begin to take control of Gregor. He begins to act more and more like an insect everyday. When receiving a meal, “Gregor’s legs all whizzed towards the food.” Also, “…the fresh food, in the other hand, had no charms for him.” (Page 91-92) Gregor is losing control of how his body and mind work, being slowly transformed into the vision seen by everyone he knows best.

Gregor slowly became a vermin to his family. As the time goes by, his family sees him less and less as “Gregor,” and more and more as a pest in the next room. Many of the views from one another in “The Metamorphosis”, reflect the views that Kafka believed his father had towards him. “This made him realize how repulsive the sight of him still was to her, and that it was bound to go on being repulsive, and what an effort it must cost her not to run away even from the sight…” (Page 99) This previous quote sounds exactly like Kafka’s “Letters to Father”, in which Kafka wrote as if his father were saying it to him. It sounded a lot alike the way Gregor thought of himself. Also, there seems to be a trend about Gregor and his father, in a way that if one is feeling good, then the other must be feeling bad, they never seem to both be happy. It seems to flip-flop in the story several times.

At the end of the short story, after the family has gotten word of Gregor’s death, they seem to be much better off. SOMEHOW, each member of the family now held what seem to be very steady jobs. Which does not explain why they did not have them earlier in the story. Also, they seem to not be worrying about the debt any longer and apparently are doing very well financially. After his death, the family seems to act as if they had a huge burden relieved from their shoulders because he was gone. But it seems a little ironic/hypocritical because Gregor felt that they were each a burden to him while he was the one supporting them. His sister soon after becomes much happier with a lot more energy along with the parents. Expert 2 was correct that those were views in the book, but was incorrect on whom they were to.



Just something cool....

In the fable “Metamorphosis”, by Edwin H. Friedman, also follows the same direction as Kafka’s story. The fable it begins with the lines, “One morning Mrs. K. awoke and found that her husband had been transformed into a caterpillar.” Which is very similar to the introducing sentence of Kafka. In the fable, the man’s wife tries to take care of her “caterpillar husband.” When realizing where her husband was, she went over to touch him. But as soon as she became close, he curled into a spiral. Trying to calm him down she talks to him for several hours without any responses. Seeing that he cannot/will not talk nor move to her, she grabs a shoe box and fills it with grass and leaves, trying to interest him into moving. But he will not, the caterpillar just stays as stiff as he can. Mrs. K. knows that he is able to move because whenever she leaves that room for any amount of time, the caterpillar is in a different spot than before. The entire time she just thinks (to herself) about how it will not be much of a difference without him because she always did everything anyway and it did not seem as if she’d miss him. After staying with the caterpillar for months she decided that she would be able to leave him in the box in the closet while she visits a friend. Forgetting about her husband completely while she was away. Even after coming back she forgot to look in the closet. After a few days she remembered and when she looked in the box and he was gone. There was no evidence of him anywhere. After searching everywhere she gave up. But, suddenly the front door swung open, and there stood her husband in the flesh. After embracing her as he did in their earlier years of marriage he said, “My God…where have you been? I thought I’d lost you.”

This does have the same sort of idea that Kafka’s story did. Because as soon as people forget who the person is, it was as if they became a completely different “person.” Everyone in his family saw Gregor as vermin, which is what he became. And in Mr. K’s case, he was as important to his wife as a caterpillar. But as soon as they were forgotten, such as Gregor’s family believing that the insect was not actually Gregor and Mrs. K forgetting that her husband was more than a caterpillar, the thing that represented them disappeared.


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Death of Ivan Ily(*itch)

In the first chapter, which is actually the last chapter, of “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”, it mainly shows the reactions of the people in his life. By having the ending where Ivan is actually said to have died first, it allows the reader to make his or her own conclusions about what type of person Ivan must have been. Everyone who finds out about the death of Ivan does not look at it with sorrow or pity, but rather with an idea of turning it into something beneficial for himself or herself. Ivan was a member of the Court of Justice. The thoughts of his co-workers, “and so the first thought that occurred to each of the gentlemen in this office, learning of Ivan Ilyich’s death, was what effect would have on their own transitions and promotions of those of their acquaintances” (page 36). They did not even feel that bad about it. His co-workers just wanted to know which of them would be getting a promotion. Even Pyotr Ivanovich, one of Ilyich’s closest friends, made a small joke about it, “I must put in a request to have my brother-in-law transferred from Kaluga … Now my wife won’t be able to say I never do anything for her family” (page 36). Everyone had the same reaction. The most sorrow that any of the co-workers had, was when they had realized that they had “fulfill the tedious demands” of going to visit Ilyich’s wife. The men just complained that it is so far away and it would be too much of a hassle. Also, it was not just the fact that Ivan himself had died, but rather that one of them had not, “Well isn’t that something—he is dead, but I am not,” was what each of them thought or felt (page 37). Pyotr Ivanovich had gone to the funeral service at Ilyich’s house. There he saw a man by the name of Schwarts. Schwarts had made a gesture to Pyotr to talk to him, which Pyotr knew, was about the nightly bridge game. Schwarts had said, “In no way can the incident of this funeral service for Ivan Ilyich be considered sufficient grounds for canceling the regular session; that is, nothing can prevent us from meeting tonight an flipping through a fresh deck of card…” (page 40). Even at an event as serious as a funeral, they decide to find out whereto play a little card game.

Even Ivan’s wife had made it seem as if she did not care too much about his death. She was talking to Pyotr about the constant pain that Ivan was going through during his last hours of his life. But she made it seem as if he was a nuisance. “You could hear his screaming 3 rooms away…” which makes it seem like she was not being very supportive. Also, while she was speaking to Pyotr, she made it seem as if she was asking him about the grant from the government but in fact, she knew exactly how big of a pension she could milk out from them. But what made it even worse, was the fact that she asked him if he knew of a way to get even more. Even his own wife was trying to gain benefits from his death, which in my point of view, is not the kindest thing. In the first chapter, there is only one person who seemed to have truly cared about Ivan’s death, his son. His son is barely mentioned in the first chapter, but is said to have a great resemblance to his father. But he is seen by Pyotr with bright red eyes from crying so much, and “had a look common boys of thirteen to fourteen whose thoughts are no longer innocent” (page 46). It did not seem like Ivan Ilyich had the biggest crowd of people who loved him, which means he had must have been some sort of a tyrant during his life.

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Anti-GONE

Starting on line 705, Creon and his son, Haemon, begin to have their argument about the fact that Antigone, Haemon’s fiancé, is going to be put to death. The conversation started with Creon giving a small opening speech with Haemon agreeing with his father. Haemon also stated that he would choose his father’s side over any other. Haemon soon contradicts his father’s decision by saying, “… she couldn’t bear to leave him dead, unburied, food for the wild dogs or wheeling vultures. Death? She deserves a glowing golden crown!” (Line 777-782). The argument begins to heat up with stabbing remarks towards one another. Haemon says his father would be a great king on a desert island; because he would be all alone and treat it as his island, just like he is the city. Within this argument, you can see the roles between the two slowly switch. Haemon’s arguments become more of adults and Creon’s become more and more childish the longer and longer the conversation goes. It also seems that Creon always has a different interpretation than the person who has said it, and vis-à-vis. Haemon had said, “Then she will die … but her death will kill another” (line 842). But Creon believes that Haemon was threatening to kill him if he let Antigone die, which wasn’t the real intention of Haemon. Earlier Creon was telling a blatant lie to Haemon about Antigone. In line 731, Creon told Haemon, “I caught her in naked rebellion!” trying to make it seem that Antigone had committed adultery. Luckily, Haemon either did not hear the remark or he did not pay much attention to it. Haemon then rushes out of the room, because he cannot stand the sight of his father.

Creon is soon thereafter visited by Tiresias, the blind prophet, who has more news to speak of. He came to tell Creon about visions and warnings that he had seen. While sitting in the augury, Tiresias had witnessed to great birds fighting, which never happens unless it is a sign. Tiresias then tried to light the alter, which carried the sacrifice, but nothing lit. Tiresias then said, “never stab a fighter when he’s down. Where’s the glory, killing the dead twice over?” (Line 1135). Which, I believe to be directed towards Antigone and Ismene, because they have already dealt with the loss of their brother and the fact that they could not give him a proper burial. But also, if Creon kills Antigone, she must deal with her own death and Ismene must deal with the loss of both her sister and brother. Creon just responds with harsh remarks towards Tiresias’ wisdom, somewhat like Oedipus in his conversation with him also. After Tiresias leaves with the boy, the leader of the chorus convinces Creon to let Antigone go and to o it himself or else the gods will do what is planned. Shortly after Creon had left with his entourage of men to free her, a messenger came by with news of Haemon. Haemon had killed him self because he could not deal with the death of Antigone. Creon returns, carrying the head of his dead son. After speaking of how he was the killer and how it was entirely his fault, the messenger gives him more bad news. His wife, the queen, is also dead. She had killed herself on the alter. Going back to Tiresias’ saying of, “where’s the glory, killing the dead twice over,” came back to bit Creon. His son and wife had both committed suicide leaving Creon with nothing but agony as the prophet had stated.

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Oedipus The King

What qualities do people attribute to Oedipus? What attributes does he give himself? And besides from saving Thebes, what is Oedipus called on to do?

The People of Thebes view Oedipus as a natural born savior. The people say that he cannot equal the gods, but that his people rate him first of men. Because he had saved them from the Sphinx, without and training or knowledge from the people of Thebes, they viewed it as if a god was with him bringing Oedipus luck and power. Oedipus is the closest thing to a physical embodiment to a good as Thebes has. Oedipus does not see himself as such. “…Not one is sick as I. Your pain strikes each one of you alone, each in confines of himself, no other. But my spirit grieves for the city…” (Page 162, Lines 71-75). Oedipus is slightly modest in this quote, but also very arrogant in saying that he has a connection/suffers with all his people. Just because he has the crown, it does not mean that he feels pain of everyone. It seems that he felt that he needed to say that because it was a competition in suffering (?), and OF COURSE Oedipus had to win. Also, besides having to save the town from quote un-quote destruction, Oedipus must now deal with the riddle of “who killed Laius?” Also, from what I know about the previous play with Oedipus, (which is not a lot), is that he had to solve the riddle of the Sphinx. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is now forced to solve yet another riddle of who killed Laius?

Why does Tiresias initially refrain from divulging the truth to Oedipus and assembled others? How does Oedipus try to get the truth from Tiresias? How is Oedipus' attitude towards Tiresias and the kind of knowledge he represents inconsistent?

I believe that Tiresias does not tell Oedipus and the others the truth because the prophet believes that Oedipus and the rest would be blinded by the truth. Tiresias says, “How Terrible—to see the truth only when the truth is only pain to him who sees!” (page 176, Lines 358-360). Meaning, that those who do not feel pain from the truth at all can only see the truth, which in this case, is not Oedipus. At first Oedipus starts out by complementing Tiresias about the noblest of work that Tiresias was about to show. Tiresias said that he did, in fact know who killed Laius, but he would not say. Tiresias answered in very murk, short ways to all of Oedipus’ questions, which angered and confused Oedipus. Tiresias continued to be very rude to the King without Oedipus even knowing why. Oedipus then became very angry with the prophet, which did not help persuade the prophet’s previous decision to not say whom was the murderer. After Oedipus re-asked Tiresias to repeat what he has said, Tiresias says that The King is the murderer you hunt. Believing the prophet to be insane. Oedipus challenged the prophet’s powers of prophecy; Tiresias then began to speak in riddles, because of Oedipus’ knowledge far beyond the prophet’s. Enraging Oedipus, due to the fact that he himself could not figure out what the prophet had meant, commands the prophet to leave at once. In the end resolving nothing.

After revealing to Oedipus that he himself is he murderer in which they are searching, Oedipus then calls upon the fact that the prophet is blind and cannot be held useful or wise anymore. Oedipus is associating eyesight with knowledge and, previously in the play, power, and because the prophet has no sight to speak of, he must be unequal to Oedipus. The association between sight and knowledge came up many times throughout this scene in the play, which means that is must have some relevance to the story.

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Summer Reading

One of the novels that I had read over summer vacation was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. At first I was hesitant about whether or not I should read the novel because I had heard it was a boring slow read. But I disagree with that very strongly. I actually really enjoyed reading Pride and Prejudice. Truly, I’m not quite sure why though. Because I have never been interested in the whole idea of a romance novel, but the conversations were very similar to ones that take place even in our time.

The inabilities to have a direct conversation with someone you truly care about matches perfectly with my life. It is always hard to have a heart-to-heart talk with someone if you are not sure on what they will say in return. This is so with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. Such as the time when Mr. Darcy appears at Mr. Collins’ house unannounced with Elizabeth is the only one home. He walks in the room with the intention of speaking to her, but he complements on how it is a lovely house and rather continuing with the conversation, he leaves to house as quick as possible. Elizabeth saying to Mrs. Gardiner, “Why is he so altered? From what can it proceed? It cannot be for me, it cannot be for my sake that his manners are thus softened. My reproofs at Hunsford could not work such a change as this. It is impossible that he should still love me.” Of course the dialogue is extremely different during the conversations, but the ideas and concept in which they are speaking are still valid.

Another thing that caught my attention is how it portrayed the classic saying of, “you always want what you cannot have.” Because all of the characters in the novel have some issue on why they should not be with the person that they love. Either their family does not approve, or the other, mainly the Bennet’s, does not posses as great of fortune, which would cause problematic views from the other high-class men and women. Also, one of the best characters in the book, that supports the previous quote, was Mrs. Bennet. She was a classic panicky mother of the five daughters that always insisted that the girls would marry anyone who offered their hand because it might no happen again. I believe that the real reason that she wanted them to accept was due to the fact that she wanted the girls to marry a very wealthy man instead of what she herself had done, and that she wanted to live through her daughter’s successes.

The reason that I liked this novel so much, was because of how identifiable the characters were. It is a very well written and scripted novel. It always left you wondering what would happen to the characters. It left you wanting more and more after each chapter went by.

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Mr. Coon's Letter

Dear Mr. Coon,

Reading and writing have never been two of my best skills throughout school. Though, I do enjoy both of them very much. Growing up, my mom had always been handing me books that she though I would like. They mainly stayed around the topics of the human mind or psychology, due to the fact that she is herself, a psychologist. When I was in the eighth grade, my mom had told me to read The Lovely Bones, which turned out to be one of my favorite books. Yes, it was a little strong, and a bit of a tough read for an eighth grader, but it helped me realize that there are some books that even I cannot put down.

I have always been interested in books that have deeper meanings about life and the way we perceive it. The book of short stories, “Friedman’s Fables”, which my mom also recommended, does just that. It takes ordinary objects and gives them real aspects and situations that happen in our every day lives. Reading these types of books and novels has allowed me to see life in different points of view, which I think is a very important ability to have.

Many teachers that I have had, have always old me that I have a very unique style of writing. Not unique in a bad way, rather just different from most of the other students in the class. I take that as a complement because being unique, especially while writing, is one of the best ways to grab the reader’s attention. That is also one of the reasons that I enjoy reading books about humans themselves, because no one person has the same point or reason for any one subject. I have always been pretty good at creating stories or writing poetry, but I will say that I have never been the strongest at writing essays, but I am getting better. This being the most important concept in school, has slightly thrown me for a loop, though I am getting better.

This year will hopefully give my essay writing that little extra kick that it needs to truly be considered a good writer.

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