In the short story, "Fattening for Gabon" I feel that the use of different dialect plays a huge role. At times I really didn't like all the dialect because for me it was quite hard to understand. I think a lot of the words used were French which I don't know much of. This made me pay more attention to the reading and I definitely think it helped me understand the importance more. Languages can show so much about a person, and are definitely a huge part of world literature. For example in "Luxurious Hearses" the languages were very important and showed the difference between religions. I feel the same about this story. The languages in "Fattening for Gabon" show somewhat of a social status. The less educated would speak in an ungrammatically correct way, where as the more educated would be more proper. Yet at the same time I feel that the languages get somewhat mixed and integrated together. I wasn't sure if that was the authors doing or if that is really how it happened.
This led me to think about America, and what it must have been like when all of the different people and cultures stared to settle here. There must have been a huge array of languages spoken and it was probable very hard to understand everyone and communicate well. With all the different languages I'm sure it was common to mix and add words from the different languages together. I think that is a huge part of our culture today, because in our English language we do use words from other languages as our own. I just feel like this is a great way to show world literature. And I'm sure that this was intended by Uwem Akpan (the author of "Fattenint for Gabon") and I just feel like it is very interesting. I feel like different languages are so important because they show us and help us learn about the different cultures throughout the world. So that is why I feel that it was very important for Akpan to put in so much dialogue.
articles about why language is important:
http://www.dirbull.com/articles/benefit-of-different-languages-46.htm
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/redefining_education/98446
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Unable to Find One's Self
A theme shown in "Luxurious Hearses" was the struggle to find and maintain an identity. Jubril is stuck between worlds in the sense of his religious and geo-social affiliations. He was baptized a Catholic and later became a Muslim. He has family in the north and south. His brother became a born-again Christian and was ostracized and killed by his community. This is not an easy way to grow up and leads to his confusion on the bus. Jubril sees himself as a Muslim from the north but acknowledges his dual-identity in Nigeria. It is unfair for the entire bus to murder him because of such an arbitrary label and the ridiculous paradigm of the country is exposed by his death.
The conflict between the way you see yourself and the way the world sees you is apparent in Jubril. He is scared more than anything and this fear is crippling in trying to find a safe label to travel with. There are too many physical traits that give away his Muslim identity (cut-off hand and accent) so he must exaggerate his Christian ones (his baptism and family). But the traits that are more obvious eventually give him away because the crowd is angry and don't believe his more abstract Christian aspects. Jubril is confused and afraid for most of the story and his confusion is understandable because he tries to leave a part of him behind and embrace a new part but then go back to the part he left behind. This identity crisis must've been unpleasant and disillusioning. The society in which he lived, however, found no sympathy.
Erik Erikson detailed the theory of identity development which can be found in this link:
http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/identitycrisis.htm
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Madam Aniema's Role
Serving as the apparent neutral character on the bus, Madam Aniema often interjects during arguments and calms the situation by remaining neutral to both religions, Christianity and Islam. This is especially evident with the fight between the Colonel and the Chief that broke out over the seating arrangements, and Madam Aniema, with a gentle grace, stood up and brought peace to the bus by calming the Colonel and letting him sleep next to her. Also being seen as a maternal figure here, Madam Aniema never once shouts or yells; she is the sole figure on the bus that is fully respected. This is ironic, because she is not only a woman, but not a figure of authority like the Chief or the Colonel.
Another respectful quality of Madam Aniema is that she remains the only person on the bus who truly emits a non-hypocritical representation of her faith. While everyone continues to shout out which religion is better and attempting to prove to each other the "dedication" they each have to their faith, Madam Aniema actually lives hers out without saying bragging about it. This is also proven by her reading "The Imitation of Christ" because she is imitating Jesus Christ's actions without showing off that she is following him. She embodies a true follower of her religion while being the most respected and sought after character on the bus.
The following link shows numerous articles, opinions, and videos dealing with the hypocrisy of religion.
The Only Difference
One of the biggest issues we face today is that of the struggle to obtain a common ground with other human beings despite differences in religion or background. It seems to be the one of the most difficult hardships that we all face in our daily lives. Why is this so hard to overlook our differences, though? If we can love those of our own religions and we can preach to others that love and acceptance is the answer, then why do we find ourselves alienating others for their beliefs? This thought has always troubled me, and it will be an ongoing struggle not only for me but also for many others for years to come.
In “Luxurious Hearses”, Jubril truly identifies this struggle. Having once been on the side of the Muslims in their protests against the Christians, he finds himself in a journey among those who are his enemies. Jubril must blend in with them in hopes of escaping from his own friends who had turned against him. After being among these Christians, he gradually begins to realize that humans actually have a lot in common with one another. He realizes that religion seems to be the only separator between these two groups of people; this simple difference, however, creates terrible action of hate and violence. People begin to murder others just because they are not of the same religion. What else do these people find in one another that is so different? What is so repulsive about a religion other than their own that would drive these people to slaughter others “in the name of their god”?
Jubril’s encounters with the television on the bus were a big part of what caused his realization of the fact that the Christians have much in common with him. As he watches the news reports, he begins to see the destruction that his fellow Muslims and himself have created within their country. He sees the true damage and the corruption that completely splits in his land in half amongst northerners and southerners. During a scene on the television in which refugees are running from the soldiers, the reporter states that there were both those from the north and those from the south who were hiding in the area to which Jubril was traveling. Seeing the mixture of people on the screen, he realizes something:
“The only difference Jubril saw between the two groups was the way they were dressed.”
Here is a true turning point for Jubril as he realizes that humans have much in common with one another. We are all essentially the same in many ways, but it seems as though a few differences among us can ultimately destroy us, as we allow this difference to hinder our ability to obtain peace with one another. It’s very hard for me to express how important it is for humans to share this world and find common ground with one another. It really shouldn’t be difficult at all to find similar characteristics with others, but we seem to let the contrast of our beliefs and others’ beliefs get in the way of this. It’s something we will all have to live with, however. It would be an understatement to say that obtaining world peace is easier said than done; it actually seems to be completely impossible. I think that peace would be easily attainable if we would all put forth more effort for it.
Further proving my point, I discovered that it was very difficult to find any article or website that addresses the idea of living among others of different religions and backgrounds; the truth really does hurt. After Googling about 10 different subjects, I finally found this website. It can really help you to understand other religions and it also has links addressing subjects such as tolerance of others:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm
In “Luxurious Hearses”, Jubril truly identifies this struggle. Having once been on the side of the Muslims in their protests against the Christians, he finds himself in a journey among those who are his enemies. Jubril must blend in with them in hopes of escaping from his own friends who had turned against him. After being among these Christians, he gradually begins to realize that humans actually have a lot in common with one another. He realizes that religion seems to be the only separator between these two groups of people; this simple difference, however, creates terrible action of hate and violence. People begin to murder others just because they are not of the same religion. What else do these people find in one another that is so different? What is so repulsive about a religion other than their own that would drive these people to slaughter others “in the name of their god”?
Jubril’s encounters with the television on the bus were a big part of what caused his realization of the fact that the Christians have much in common with him. As he watches the news reports, he begins to see the destruction that his fellow Muslims and himself have created within their country. He sees the true damage and the corruption that completely splits in his land in half amongst northerners and southerners. During a scene on the television in which refugees are running from the soldiers, the reporter states that there were both those from the north and those from the south who were hiding in the area to which Jubril was traveling. Seeing the mixture of people on the screen, he realizes something:
“The only difference Jubril saw between the two groups was the way they were dressed.”
Here is a true turning point for Jubril as he realizes that humans have much in common with one another. We are all essentially the same in many ways, but it seems as though a few differences among us can ultimately destroy us, as we allow this difference to hinder our ability to obtain peace with one another. It’s very hard for me to express how important it is for humans to share this world and find common ground with one another. It really shouldn’t be difficult at all to find similar characteristics with others, but we seem to let the contrast of our beliefs and others’ beliefs get in the way of this. It’s something we will all have to live with, however. It would be an understatement to say that obtaining world peace is easier said than done; it actually seems to be completely impossible. I think that peace would be easily attainable if we would all put forth more effort for it.
Further proving my point, I discovered that it was very difficult to find any article or website that addresses the idea of living among others of different religions and backgrounds; the truth really does hurt. After Googling about 10 different subjects, I finally found this website. It can really help you to understand other religions and it also has links addressing subjects such as tolerance of others:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm
Hating One Another
"Luxurious Hearses" has a lot to tell about the complexity of relationships between people. It was almost amusing to look at the characters and their circumstances in this story and see how similar they are but how much they hate each other. The barbaric violence that occurs during the story is over two religions that have a number of same beliefs. What the slaughtering emerged from is uncertain, but still Nigerians were able to have enough rage to kill strangers and even people who were family. I was shocked by the story of Jubril's brother. It was hard to believe that Yusif's own family would plan to kill him. I was in awe when the story concluded with the Christians on the bus killing Jubril. Even after hours of being friendly and even showing compassion towards him, they were just able to suddenly have a change of heart and kill him. That says a lot about what people feel about each other ethnically.
We all have qualities that differentiate ourselves, but we are not supposed to let these differences tear our human relationship apart. I think that Akpan wanted his readers to really struggle with their opinion of Jubril. Jubril is immediately easy to hate at the beginning of the story simply because of his beliefs. At first I thought that Jubril was very illogical and inconsiderate for his opinions of Christians and women. I had know sympathy for him or his awkward situation. At the end I felt awful, because of the things I saw that he had to go through. Jubril towards the end even starts to show grace towards the Christians on the bus. I think that Akpan wanted the reader to understand what it felt like to be the one who is different from his or her self.
This article has more information and statistics about the conflict in Nigeria.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/feb2000/nige-f28.shtml
Faith in my Religion
Being in Jubril's position as a technique for survival was fairly dangerous and fatal in his defense. Throughout the story, he has been put in deaths shadow which started when the war broke out and him trying to flee South in pursuit of his safety. Meanwhile he had been in denial of his true religion in some cases that may have caused him to be put in the hands of trouble. For instance, when he had come face-to-face with two of his long-time friends and questioned about what side he is really fighting for, he claimed Muslim although he wants to act as Christian to survive. Religion plays a major part in the story. It absolutely counts for everything-- even his brother Yousif was killed trying to stand up for what he believed in the midst of "the others". Even his mother is ashamed for their decisions and wishes they would remain true to the Islamic belief.
Although Jubril was faced with a lot of mishaps on his journey to the South, he somewhat had people on his side. The Chief for example was someone who he didn't get along with at first but then could see him as a potential helper in the long run. He made sure to be careful in how he dealt with certain situations because with the slight view of his right hand he could be penalized tragically.
Jubril being a Muslim in a fight against Christians put him at a major loss. This tells you that in a fight to the finish people would most definitely put their religious beliefs to heart and stand up as a whole to defeat the outsider.
The link below gives you an insight of how inportant religion can play a part in the lives of others.
http://www.terroristplanet.com/religiousconflicts.htm
Although Jubril was faced with a lot of mishaps on his journey to the South, he somewhat had people on his side. The Chief for example was someone who he didn't get along with at first but then could see him as a potential helper in the long run. He made sure to be careful in how he dealt with certain situations because with the slight view of his right hand he could be penalized tragically.
Jubril being a Muslim in a fight against Christians put him at a major loss. This tells you that in a fight to the finish people would most definitely put their religious beliefs to heart and stand up as a whole to defeat the outsider.
The link below gives you an insight of how inportant religion can play a part in the lives of others.
http://www.terroristplanet.com/religiousconflicts.htm
"Luxurious Hearses": Friends become enemies
I think that "Luxurious Hearses" says that people are friendly towards others that are like them but mean towards people who are not like them. The title of the book, Say You're One of Them, is a give-away of this idea because it warns people to be like others or else something bad will happen.
You see this with Jubril when he is with his two friends who accuse him of not being a true muslim. Jubril says that he is so that he will not be burned alive. Then he turns around and says that he is a Catholic so Emeric, when he is possessed, will not throw him off the bus or reveal his wrist without a hand. Then, you see it with the Chief who says he is like the Christians on the bus because he is not a Muslim. When the Chief expresses his negativity toward Muslims, then the people on the bus like him. But then they don't like him when he does his feather ritual because it is not Christian. Then there is the Colonel who comes on board and no one likes him, except Jubril, because he is a newcomer and is dressed in military attire and he is also not Christian. There is also Emeric who they raise money for to get back on their bus.
In addition to the people on the bus, Jubril also has his own issues with people who are different than him. Jubril does not like the women because they are not acting appropriately according to his religion and he starts to like the Chief because he is like the resected chiefs in his community.
My point is that the people like other people when they see that the other people are like them in one way or another. If someone else is acting out or showing his or her differences from other people, the other people will make that person their enemy no matter what they thought of that person before. The passengers on the bus changed their attitude toward a couple of the characters a few times depending on what the character expressed. They wanted to feel safe and comfortable and they feel that when they are with people that are like them and they favored who they thought would relieve them of discomfort.
I think this is a good article about human naturewhen it comes to finding comfort and making enemies in the process:
http://firelink.monster.com/training/articles/9547-ignorance-is-the-enemy
You see this with Jubril when he is with his two friends who accuse him of not being a true muslim. Jubril says that he is so that he will not be burned alive. Then he turns around and says that he is a Catholic so Emeric, when he is possessed, will not throw him off the bus or reveal his wrist without a hand. Then, you see it with the Chief who says he is like the Christians on the bus because he is not a Muslim. When the Chief expresses his negativity toward Muslims, then the people on the bus like him. But then they don't like him when he does his feather ritual because it is not Christian. Then there is the Colonel who comes on board and no one likes him, except Jubril, because he is a newcomer and is dressed in military attire and he is also not Christian. There is also Emeric who they raise money for to get back on their bus.
In addition to the people on the bus, Jubril also has his own issues with people who are different than him. Jubril does not like the women because they are not acting appropriately according to his religion and he starts to like the Chief because he is like the resected chiefs in his community.
My point is that the people like other people when they see that the other people are like them in one way or another. If someone else is acting out or showing his or her differences from other people, the other people will make that person their enemy no matter what they thought of that person before. The passengers on the bus changed their attitude toward a couple of the characters a few times depending on what the character expressed. They wanted to feel safe and comfortable and they feel that when they are with people that are like them and they favored who they thought would relieve them of discomfort.
I think this is a good article about human naturewhen it comes to finding comfort and making enemies in the process:
http://firelink.monster.com/training/articles/9547-ignorance-is-the-enemy
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