Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian- Forgiveness

"Forgive them, for they know not what they do". This biblical passage has resounded for centuries. Although it is not included in the Ten Commandments, forgiveness is one of the most important and yet difficult virtues for one to behold. There are threads of the concept throughout the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Rowdy is a best friend, yet is often abusive to Arnold both physically and mentally. Mean, derogatory words are exchanged between the young men, and somehow, in the end, after much adversity, jealousy, and vulgar moments, the two boys believe their  friendship will prevail.  Loyalty leads to forgiveness. A friendly game of basketball is played, yet no score is kept. In the end, the competition is over; they both manage to forgive one another and move forward. Another thread includes Mary, Arnold's sister, moving to Montana. She leaves the reservation, in search of a better life, only to discover that life married to a man who is a gambler is grim. She leaves Arnold, writes often, and never returns due to a tragic death. Arnold is beside himself, and tries to seek solace from his friend, Rowdy. In return, Rowdy makes Arnold feel even worse, saying it was all Arnold's fault. The guilt is paralyzing. He loved his sister Mary dearly. His grandmother, full of words of wisdom, also perished in a horrific accident; she was hit by a drunk Indian driver. In her last breath, she asked for people to forgive the man. Arnold's father spent all of his money on alcohol, except for five dollars, which he handed over to Arnold. He was redeemed in his son's eyes. Subtle, yet  a very eye-opening theme emerges throughout the book. Forgiveness is freeing, it ends the toxins that flow from the veins of those who harbor anger. Arnold is beaten down, over and over, but he is forgiving, and therefore resilient. His coach pushes him in a time of quandary to let go, and do his best. One can glean a great deal from Arnold's innate ability to forgive.

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

My father is from Montana, and has often mentioned to our family about the struggles for the Indians on the reservations, mainly the Crowe reservation which is near his hometown in Billings. After reading about the trials and tribulations of the Arnold family, the cycle of poverty and devastating affects of alcoholism are clearly presented in an eye-opening way. Themes of friendship, loyalty, and family are developed, and it is evident that the cycle of feeling helpless only leads to more devastation. You are who you surround yourself with, and Arnold, who cared deeply for his grandmother and sister, Mary, realized that he needed to move in a direction that let him reach his true potential. He was indeed intelligent, athletic, and fiercely loyal. Yet he was abused, beaten, and ridiculed on the reservation. Fortunately, he was given an opportunity, and had the courage to change his course. At the age of fourteen, he had to grapple with the fact that Rowdy, his childhood friend, no longer wanted to associate with him; Arnold was seen as a traitor. It was painful, moving forward, but it was something Arnold needed to do in order to grow as a person. He learned to fall in love, to have courage, and most of all, he realized that having hope matters. Penelope found Arnold, who was different from all of the other boys, intriguing. Gordy helped Arnold navigate his intellectual capabilities, and Rodger became his athletic teammate on the basketball court. Although Arnold was surrounded by those who made him become the person he could be, Arnold felt a great deal of pain for leaving his family, the reservation, and the life of an full-time Indian. Yet Arnold is a loving, loyal family member and friend. He is capable of remembering and appreciating his past so that he may have the courage to move forward, towards a brighter future.

Their Eyes Were Watching God- Italicizing

"Ships at a distance have every man's with on board."

"On the train the next day,major didn't make speeches with"

"The years took AT&T the fight out of Janie's face. For a while she"

"Because they really loved Janie just a little less than they had loved" 

Although this may be a fleeting thought, it  is something that has caught my attention. At the beginning of every chapter, Hurston uses italics for the first line. Does this have a deeper meaning? Or is it just Hurstons's style of writing? 

I believe that Janie is someone who is somewhat unsure of herself. It is only through others that she is able to find herself spirituality and discover who she is. As with every transition in her life, there needs to be some link, some train of thought. The italics serve this purpose. They provide the transition to help flow Janie's stream on consciousness. Nothing can be abrupt, even something as someone as starting a new chapter. There has to be some flow, some transition. 

Their Eyes Were Watching God- Gender Roles (yay!)

Gender roles, and independence, and death, oh my! 

As with any major literature work, the roles gender play in a novel often enriches their overall meaning in the work and Their Eyes Were Watching God is no exception. 

With every marriage, Janie's role as a women can be investigated. In her marriages with Logan and Jody, they both clear expectation to define their relationship. She is expected to be obedient and follow their order, or else they will retaliate. Even in her marriage with Jody, there is this idea of control, While building his town in Eatonville, Janie is almost a side note rather than a person. The townspeople envy her not because of her own personal traits, but because she is the wife of the wealthy builder of the town.

There is also a symbol that represents this idea of gender and make dominance. Jody forces Janie to keep her beautiful, long hair tied up. Her hair is powerful and helps with Janie self identity. When the hair is tied up, this symbolizes Jody's dominant males presence and how he controls Janie.

However, with Tea Cake, we finally see this idea of mutual respect, something that is absent from her previous marriages. It is through this marriage that she discovers her self independence. Sometimes it is when one person is placed in a situation with another person that they are truly able to find themselves. 

Purple Hibiscus- Innocence

Theme: The Loss of Innocence

While reading Purple Hibiscus, I've noticed an ongoing theme of innocence. Earlier in the novel when Kambii was sightseeing with her Aunt and Papa-Nukwuu, she is exposed to the culture that her father opposes. Kambii then has to regain her innocence by confessing her sins to Father Benedict, that she enjoyed the mmuno masquerade. There was also the appearance of the color red to expose Jaja and Kambii's innocence: the juice spilling, the period, and the reminder of the mother's blood after the miscarriage. To alleviate Kambii's period cramps, the mother tired to give her daughter  medicine and food to go with it; however, this was against their churches fasting rule. Their father, recognizing this sin and loss of innocence, whipped his family. In his eyes, this whipping was his was of regaining the innocence lost when he perceived his family to rebel/break the rules.
Finally, when Kambii visits her Aunt Ikuefoma and cousins in Nsukka, there is this loss of innocence again. Kambii had an image of what she thought the ideal family life would be, a patriarchal system with daily schedules. However, when she at her relatives house, she discovered this is not the case. There was no "father structure" in the children's lives. Kambii accidentally saw her cousin naked, something sacreligious in her family. This trip overall represented a shift in Kambii's mindset of the world and the way things should be.

Purple Hibiscus- Oops They Did It Again

Papa-Nnukwu and Eugene.

Eugene and Jaja.

Many would say that "things trickle down from the top" or "like father, like son." Well, in this case, I would tend to agree that both of these statements are true.

During the Christmas season, Kambii and Jaja are permitted only a few minutes to visit their grandfather, Papa-Nnukwu. Papa-Nnuku is a traditionalist, holding onto the belief of his ancestors. Eugene desperately wishes that his father would convert to Christianity, but Papa-Nnukwu refuses. This situation creates a barricade between Eugene and Papa-Nnukwu's relationship.

Similarily, we see a bit of tension between Eugene and Jaja. Under constant pressure, Jaja initially feels that he has to live up to his father's expectations. However, after multiple beatings, Jaja begins to realize that he must defend and protect his mother and sister.

There always seems to be connections between family relationships. Papa-Nnukwu and Eugene still are not welcome in one another's homes. I hope that Jaja and Eugene will be able to find peace with one another at the end of the novel.

Purple Hibiscus- Things Fall Apart

Take Me To Church?

Similarly to many of my other fellow AP Literature students, I noticed a distinct difference is one theme between Things Fall Apart and Purple Hibiscus. In one novel, the protagonist is resistant to Christianity whereas in the other novel the protagonists are deeply devoted to Christianity. Okonkwo has the perspective of a clansman who is resisting converting to Christianity. He represents the refusal to the acceptance of his beliefs. On the other hand, Kambii embraces these beliefs. She is a devoted Catholic girl from a modern wealthy family.

Another interesting point to mention is the stark differences between the modernization between the two novels. The lifestyle is Purple Hibiscus is similar to the lives teenagers lead in American. They don't believe in a lot of the cultures found in Things Fall Apart, such as witch doctors, oracles, or specific gods. They have cell phones, cars, and attend school.

However, one comparison is the domestic violence and pressure some of the characters face. Okonkwo and Kambii's father both aggressively beat the women in their lives with little resistance.