Comparing the Use of Literary Devices

Symbols

100

How does Achebe use the symbol of locusts to predict bigger themes in Things Fall Apart?

The locusts are very much a symbol for the white settlers. We can see this clearly from Achebes use of words like “settle” when talking about them. Many similarities exist between the locusts and the white settlers. They come in very quickly within a short period of time and take over. Most of the tribe also does not recognize that the locusts are a threat and a problem. The white settlers may appear to be helpful but they are destroying a culture and some of the tribe is oblivious to that. The white settlers, by extension the locusts as well, represent this overarching theme within the book of the destruction of a culture.

200

How does the pear tree characterize who Janie is in Their Eyes Were Watching God?

The pear tree is a symbol for Janie’s life, her voice and her idealized views of the world. She finds peace underneath the pear tree. It is under there where begins to gain her own voice. She witnesses a perfect moment of nature while resting there and proceeds throughout the rest of the book to find that moment within herself. Shortly after though, she confuses this idealized peace with relationships and tries to find peace with a relationship

300

What role does the house on the corner play in the House of the Spirits?

The house is a representation of the book and the plot line itself. The house is very large and at first sight appears normal. It represents the family and their lives. But if we look closer and pay attention we see that there are quite a few complications that arise. The story spans over a few generations in the family and the house changes with the family. In the beginning the house just screams Esteban; Tidy, solemn and a little pompous as well. As the story progresses though, Clara begins to make it more like her, eventually introducing spirits. This is where the name of the book comes from. It is a very literal name.

400

Why does Allende use symbolism in a very subtle way, while Hurston is very upfront about it?

Symbolism is a very personal thing to writers and their writing styles, but use of symbolism can also help set the mood of the book and how it is interpreted. Hurston gives us clear examples of symbols to quickly immerse us in the story. This style also flows well with her characters who are very open and communicative. Allende’s book is very different. The reader is expected to think and make conclusions and connections on their own. The characters in the book are also somewhat like this. Dialogue is not always as open and clear and often the characters are quite passive aggressive.

Hierarchies

100

Explain how Allende uses class and hierarchy, and why it is such an important part of the book.

Class struggle is a very important theme throughout the entire book. The characters of this book as well as most of latin america fall mainly into two social classes. There are the wealthy landowners who are the controlling powers and there are the poor peasants who work for the wealthy. Essentially, the entire book is based on this class struggle. There are the conservative powerful males who want to keep the system as it is on one side. And on the opposing side there are all of the revolutionary peasants and the women of the aristocracy. The battle is between those who benefit from this patriarchal aristocratic system and those who are exploited because of it.

200

Hurston uses race hierarchies to add to the story, explain how she does this.

Racial Hierarchies run through the veins of this book. Characters often value each other and judge each others intelligence based on their race. For example, all of the native americans are seen as “dumb” even though they are right about the hurricane. There are also many different levels to the racial hierarchy. Even Tea Cake did thinks of Native Americans being the least intelligent and white people being the smartest. This adds a whole new level to the culture and story and creates complicated and interesting interactions and situations between characters.

300

In Things Fall Apart, there are hierarchies. Do these have to do with race, class or something else? Explain.

The village, being mostly of decent from one country, does not create hierarchies based on race, but more so from the perceived individual value of a person. This value is defined by a few things, ones responsibility/reliability, ones hard work, ones honor and many other attributes that come from the way they conduct themselves. In this culture, worth is almost completely based on ones self, not by a father or ancestry. The Igbo village does consider some villages of less worth but I would not say that it creates a hierarchy.

400

What difference does it make in the stories between Their Eyes Were Watching God using race hierarchies, and The House of the Spirits using class hierarchies?

Essentially, every hierarchy is very similar to the next. It is a system in which certain people are valued as less because of where they come from, not who they are. A racial hierarchy however is much harder to break out of because of it’s personal nature. It is also much easier classify everyone as being part of a group. There is no question whether or not you are white, but people can jump classes. Race is also something that many people feel very connected to. They might not want to give up who they are and the culture they belong to so they are never able to escape the hierarchial system.

Power of Women

100

Clara and Alba are both very powerful characters in The House of the Spirits. How is the power they exert different from each other?

The female characters in this book all work in subtle ways to exert their rights. They do not have exorbitant sums of money or major political influence, but they are connected to the men who they marry. Gender inequality plays a large part in this book, but neither of them bows to it without question. Instead of choosing out right revolt, they use subtle reactions. If violence and anger are seen as male, then these reactions can be seen as female. These ensure more permanent change then violence and revolt. Alba differs from Clara though because she is much more revolutionary and actively opposes Esteban. Clara tries to change Esteban.

200

There are very few examples of women in power in Things Fall Apart. Is there any very solid female figures in the book?

The most powerful females in Things Fall Apart would appear to be Okonkwo’s daughter Ezinma, and the the priestess Chielo. Both of these characters seem to be strong and confident in themselves. Although both of these characters are female they both show male characteristics in the book. It would also appear that all female characters who are described as feminine and beautiful often have no self-confidence and no power.

300

How does Janie's power compare to the power of other female characters in the book?

Very few females make extended appearances throughout the book, and many of them don’t have a sense of power. Janie Is very powerful in the entirety of the book, sometimes more obviously than others. In each of her relationships she shows her power in different ways. First with Logan, she shows power by defying what he tells her to do, and then even more so when she eventually leaves him. Then with Jody she victimizes herself, and makes herself powerless for large chunk of their relationship. This ends when she snaps at him in the store, after that, and even up until she meets Tea Cake, she emphasizes her power through exercising and flaunting her independence. This is different from other females in the book because most of them are defined by their husband’s and show very little power over themselves or any aspects of their lives.

400

Hurston and Allende are both female authors explain how their books are different from Achebe’s.

One very clear difference between the writing styles is that Allende and Hurston both have strong females in main roles in the story, and Achebe really has the opposite. But looking closer you notice that Allende has the only female characters who show power continuously throughout the book, and in every way. In The House of The Spirits, females define the story and define how everything happens and moves along, males generally are antagonists just getting in the way of females, or tearing them down. In the few instances where males aren't being awful, they seem to lack the masculinity that the other male characters have. In Things Fall Apart it is completely different. The story is centered around a male, and females come and go only as supporting roles.

Language/Speech

100

What can we gain from the dialect used by Zora Neale Hurston?

Zora shows a mastery of southern black dialect. The phonetics of the ways she structures her words force the reader to hear them in their head as they would sound had they come right from the mouth of one of her characters. The dialog also becomes significant when the reader is attempting to insert themselves into the story. It is much easier to immerse oneself if you can hear the people talking as if they were next to you.

200

Achebe's speech and language is very different than standard Western English. How does that change the feeling of the book?

How Achebe chose to write this book was a very political decision. Instead of talking in a native language to resist colonial culture, he uses English in a way that the Igbo people to become more relatable.

300

How does Clara’s lack of speech throughout a large part of this book add to her power?

Clara’s silence gives her the opportunity to build her character. Remaining silent can give a person a certain kind of stoic presentation. By not speaking she also became a lot more mysterious and confusing. This causes everyone to really wonder what she is capable of. Her power over other people comes from their lack of knowledge of her and in some removed sense, fear of her.

400

How do Achebe and Hurston value stories or storytelling in their own manners?

Every book is a story. That's what books are. But both Achebe and Hurston seem to idolize the story within their books. In the cultures of each book, stories are highly valued. Sometimes they are exaggerated

Power of Men

100

How does Joe gain power throughout the book? And does his power peak at any point?

Joe starts off with no more than a little bit of money and an insatiable hunger for power. He gives little attention to others and their feelings. He is much like a modern corporation in the way he makes choices. For him, the end justifies the means. Joe’s power peaks right before he gets sick. He has lots of political and monetary power and then he dies.

200

In what ways is Esteban's power also his tragic flaw?

Esteban’s power lies initially in the money and land he controls but further investigation reveals that he is also manipulative and controlling. He always seeks to control others and when they try to push away he only tries to grasp harder. He is almost completely incapable of letting things be the way the will.

300

What is the source of Okonkwo's power?

Okonkwo’s power lies in the respect he has gained from the village. His father was a disgrace to him and so he worked his way from the ground up to prove his worth. He is a large and strong man which in their culture means a lot. His respect is unquestionable as he nevers does anything that would cause anyone to question it.

400

Joe, Okonkwo, and Esteban are all powerful main characters, what are the similarities and differences in the roles of their characters?

To start, they are all males, they all hold lots of power and they also hold leadership places as well. Their personalities are very strong and they do not give in easily to other people. They are all three very concerned with status and wealth. They put their needs in front of individual others needs but often will think about the larger groups needs. Each of them has also built their success out of close to nothing. They worked their way from the ground up. Many aspects of their lives are similar but the differences comes in when we look at their morality. Esteban is a very horrible person who rapes and molests girls and beats people. At one point in the book he even cuts off Pedros Terceros finger. He enjoys the power he can exercise over other people. Jody is much more economically inclined. He is more obsessed with business, success and political power. Okonkwo is a very noble person who holds the values of his tribes very highly. His power comes from his leadership and the respect he gets from his fellow neighbors and friends.