The Will to Make a Change, by Sofia Bandera

What would pop into your mind when trying to find similarities between a nine year old, Hulk, Iron Man, Spiderman, Avengers and Fantastic 4? For starters, they are all heroes. But what is a hero? A hero is defined as “an ordinary person that can do extraordinary things, as someone who is admired for his/her brave deeds and noble qualities”. In case we haven’t noticed, people do significant actions every single day that distinguish us as humans, as heroes.

So, does that mean that everyone is a hero? Yes. I believe every single human being carries a hero inside his soul. Sometimes, we may hide it deep inside, projecting our evil side, and other times, situations or feelings make us act in an amazing, helpful and beneficial way. From the smallest act, such as keeping a child away from boiling water, to a magnificent one (such as saving a human life), makes us heroes. Our world is filled with them, we just need to let them out.

We don’t need to wear a costume, nor have green skin, nor super speed or have an invisibility cap. We just need one thing as human beings: to have the will. The power of wanting to achieve something is perhaps the strongest gift we hold as human beings. When having the will to do something, we act, we think, we accomplish and we achieve a reaction. We may think we don’t have this “so special will”, but we do, and we use it all the time. When we want to go out to a party, we have the will to go through the whole process (from being allowed to go out, to actually assisting). When we are hungry, we have the will to stand up and cook some dish.

But, this is not the type of will that makes us heroes. The one that makes us incredible as humans is the will to make a change. Of course, we must know how to difference a good change between a catastrophic one (which is easy to do if we base our decision on values such as respect, love, etc.).  We must realize that an acceptable change doesn’t mean saving an entire community from a fire, it can also be helping someone cross the street, helping a little one reach the door knob. Those are the type of changes that ought to be done and that are worth being done. Why are these actions worth performing? We may think “Oh, how boring getting out of bed to help the poor”, but as I mentioned before, the power of will always detonates a reaction.

Sometimes, the unleashed consequences aren’t what we expect. For example, when shutting someone’s car door, they may scream at you, but the possibility of getting a smile as reward is possible too. In the end, it’s not that kind of reward we are looking for, we want to achieve a non-material one. A reaction chain of love, kindness, charity, respect and help. Perceiving some person doing a heroic action, gives us inspiration. They motivate us to repeat this type of action. All in all, being a hero depends on your education, values, but that certainly doesn’t stop us of having two things clear:  using the will depends only on you, and second, there will never be bigger pleasure than that one obtained when we act as heroes.

 Sofia Bandera

“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.”

An important American writer, William Clement Stone once said: “Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” These words describe and explain to perfection life’s meaning to me. What Clement meant by it is, that you must learn how to take responsibility of your acts, wether they brought wrong or great consequences. He’s saying that whether reality and the truth aren’t nice, we must face them. If we are ever stuck in a situation when we aren’t completely convinced, we must have the courage to stand up and say no. Doing what is right shouldn’t be done because it’s an obligation, or a path into becoming a role model, we must simply do it because it is what is right. Finally, he says that being courageous enough to do these three things, we’ll receive the secrets of living life righteously and flawlessly.

 I don’t consider myself the most adventurous and heroic girl ever, but I do know something about myself even though I am quite insecure sometimes: I am determined, fair, honest, firm and bold. These principles that Clement mentions, are always present during my day. Whenever I don’t want something, or don’t agree with something: I’m not afraid to say no. Wether the news aren’t the best, or my action’s results aren’t what I expected, I am able to face them and deal with them. I am also convinced to always do what is right, wether the circumstances make the right thing the most difficult, right is what must be done. And, wether my decisions make me stand alone, then alone I shall stand. In the end, I’m sure that ruling my acts by these principles will make me get far someday.

Killing The Enemy: Chapters 20 to 25 “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe

A Chinese military, around 400 BC, once said, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” I bet you have heard it somewhere before, but do we really understand what he wanted to tell us? Perhaps, if Africans had listened to this man, they would’ve stood a chance against colonization. Perhaps, if Umuofia had followed this proverb, it wouldn’t have fallen as it did, and above all, maybe, someone’s life would have been spared. But now, think about this, if you don’t even know what war means, how could you ever think of it as a possibility? I believe, this is exactly what happened to once powerful and fearful Umuofia, the Igbo do not have a fighting culture and when we try changing people’s believes, it may end up even worse than war. If you wonder what kind of changes, I’ll remind you about some: a church has recently arrived in Umuofia as well as a trading store and a government, which include a court, a prison, a District Commissioner and court messengers.

There was some time, with Mr. Brown, when both cultures respected each other and lived peacefully. They avoided fights and even learnt from each other. Igbos trusted his medicine as well as his advice of learning to read and write, but sadly, he becomes sick and leaves his flock. A new reverend arrives, James Smith, along with new conflicts. He didn’t follow Mr Brown’s policies, he simply saw things white or black. His savage attitude drove serious conflicts such as the unmasking an egwuwu. All Umuofians feel confused and miserable, however, they remain calm (following Ajofi’s opinion) and instead speak to Mr Smith. They also decide to burn the church down, receiving pleasure from it, but probably regretting it once they are summoned by the District Commissioner, who imprisons all six leaders (including Okonkwo) and oppressed them for three days, until a ridiculous fine was paid by the entire town.

For the first time, during a meeting, we listen to a village hungry for fight, but things turn out wrong when court messengers arrive with orders to stop the meeting. This strong anger that we have seen in Okonkwo growing bigger day by day makes it easy to predict his next moves. He rushes through the crowd, faces the messenger and slaughters him with a machete. The Commissioner eventually came looking for Okonkwo, but Obierika led him to a tree, were Okonkwo’s body hung. Such sin could not be handled by Umuofian’s townspeople, asking for the Comissioner’s help to take the body down. The Comissioner’s decision to not help because “it’d make others think he’s less powerful” and instead recording this incident on his book, “The pacification of primitive tribes of the lower Niger”, are the biggest revelations on his true intentions: studying, analysing and gathering information on just another unusual insect he found on his way home.

Image obtained from:http:///favim.com/image/334009/ 

Okonkwo’s tragic ending, more than wanting to show courage by killing himself meant there was no way out. By listening to his people wonder why he’d kill the messenger he reached his highest level of sensitivity, he could bear no longer such lack of action, he felt everything was hopeless. Having wanted the most to show his power, resistance and manliness, ironically, takes him to end exactly as his father, just another body left to rot on the Evil Forest. Above all these reasons, Okonkwo ended his life as trying to save his sanity, his pride. It’s as if he was saying: “you may change other people’s believes, but I’d rather kill myself before you put a finger on me.” So as I said before, perhaps, this tragic ending wouldn’t’ have finished this way if Umuofian’s had learnt to stick together, perhaps not as the Chinese proverb said, but they surely didn’t listen to what their friend Obierika once told them: “They have put a knife into the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”      

Achebe, Ch. (1994), Things Fall Apart, 1st edition, Anchor Books, New York.

Seven Years In Exile: Chapters 14 to 19 “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe

Part Two of “Things Fall Apart” basically consists of Okonkwo’s experiences, feelings and lessons learned during his exile in his motherland, Mbanta. Ironically, Okonkwo, after being condemned in Umuofia, he is extremely well received in Mbanta by his mother’s youngest brother, Uchendu. He is even given land to build his compound and to farm, which gives him a task in which to put his mind on. He didn’t feel enthusiastic at all of this new beginning, and, what was his life’s motivation (work), he could not longer find pleasure in it.

Okonkwo continuously keeps remembering his old dream, becoming one of the lords of the clan. He even becomes depressed, reassuring himself that a man can’t raise beyond his chi’s destiny. Meanwhile, Uchendu, as he watches Okonkwo’s negative attitude and despair, he teaches him several lessons concluding that he is still a child. Among many things, he lets Okonkwo know that he is not the only one who has suffered in life. But, probably, the most valuable lesson he teaches him is how mothers are always there to protect us; therefore, we should value our women. He also receives a visit from a friend that proves to be a very loyal and thoughtful companion, Obierika. He informs Okonkwo about some terrible news: white men destroyed the village of Abame. He also promises Okonkwo to sell his crops each year and take the cowries to him, until he returned to Umuofia.

These white missionaries eventually came to Umuofia, they built a church and brought evangelists, becoming a great sorrow to clan leaders. The Igbo, not knowing what to do, decided to trust their gods blindly. Then, six missionaries arrive at Mbanta, with, Mr. Kiaga (their interpreter), who was in charge of the infant congregation (viewed in the image). Mbanta leaders offered the Evil Forest (thinking they’d be cursed) for the white to settle there. The church at Mbanta was gradually becoming stronger, they had a commanding presence, they were being listened, they were teaching people about God and making the Igbo disbelieve in their gods, recruiting many converts. They also started rescuing twins from the bushes and accepting outcasts, but, the line was crossed when one of them killed a python (their most sacred animal) to which the Igbo decided to ostracize the Christians. Mr. Kiaga’s unshakable faith inspired the wavering converts, among them, Nwoye.

Obierika and Amikwu (Okonkwo’s cousin) decided to inform Okonkwo about Nwoye’s attachment to the new religion. This ended up in a savage beating (to which Uchendu severely disapproved), from Okonkwo to Nwoye. This could be thought as Okonkwo’s climax in which all his hatred towards his son explodes, he even blames his chi for such a degenerated child. He thought there was no bigger crime than abandoning the god’s of one’s father, he came up to the conclusion that if when he died his male children were all Christians, he’d wipe them all off the earth’s face. He even thought that perhaps, Nwoye was someone else’s son. Nwoye, in the other hand, considers himself one of the missionaries and denies being Okonkwo’s son. It was too late now, he’d been captivated by the Christian’s talks and poetry, they seemed to answer his doubts in life, feeling a relief into his soul. He decided to go to Umuofia to be taught the new religion and to later teach it to his mother and brothers.

This part of the story, offers some words that foreshadow some events that may happen. Uchendu, being an elder, shares his thoughts of how it was better the old way, having friends from other clans. Regarding the way Abame people reacted; he shares the Mother Kite story (explained in the last blog entry), saying, “Never kill a man that says nothing”. The second foreshadow comes up at the very end, when finally Okonkwo is celebrating his farewell feast, one of the member raises to give a speech, he says that coming together is good for kinsmen and that that’s the reason to why an abominable religion has set among them. I believe this last speech is a wake up call, which tell the Igbo that if they keep segregating, they will never be able to come up back as a tribe, being even more vulnerable in precarious moments.

Achebe, Ch. (1994), Things Fall Apart, 1st edition, Anchor Books, New York.

This image shows two white missionaries, teaching African children Christian religion. (Obtained from:  http://www.whites.me.uk/2012/08/isaiah-the-missionary-prophet/). 

Quite Ominous Silence: Chapter 15, "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe

As we move further into the second part of the book, folktales within the Igbo tribe become more frequent. Just as Okonkwo’s second wife, Ekwefi, tells the story of the tortoise who betrayed the birds, the story of Mother Kite (an eagle) is presented by Uchendu. Him, being Okwonko’s mother youngest brother, currently an elder, has proved to perceive acts and life in a different way. Maybe, this is due to his age and the sorrow he bears deep inside him.

When Uchendu is saying how wonderful relationships between villages used to be before, he mentions the Abame clan. Obierika (Okonkwo’s friend) arrives to Mbanto, and announces them that Abame no longer exists, explaining how, suddenly, a white man arrived riding on a horse. Not knowing what to do, they assisted the Oracle and decided to kill him. Time later, while people were in the market, a group of white men arrived and killed them all, vanishing every trace of the village.

As Uchendu meditates this information, he offers a story to illustrate how foolish the Abame were to act in that way, which goes like this: When Mother Kite sends her daughter for food, she returns with a duckling. Mother Kite questions her about the duckling’s mother’s reaction, to which the daughter responded that it hadn’t said anything. Mother Kite, makes her return the food, saying that “there is something ominous behind silence”. When the young kite returns, she carries a chick with herself and this time, when questioned about the chick’s mother, she says that the mother “cried and raved and cursed”. Finally, Mother Kite allows themselves to eat the chick, stating that “there is nothing to fear from someone who shouts.”

Uchendu, more than trying to show how the Igbo hadn’t acted properly, teaches all of us readers a very valuable lesson: how important is to not underestimate people just by their physical nor by the aspect they offer to us. Just as Mother Kite’s daughter, and as the Abame people did, every single human, goes through life judging, anticipating and outlining people’s potential and personality based on what we see as outsiders. Thinking that if someone is inhibited, reserved and silent that they’re probably incompetent, inexperienced and even clumsy, may lead us to a terrible mistake. Interpreting things in life by their appearance isn’t only a major reason of personal problems, but of major historical events too, such as wars.

Just as Achebe writes how Mother Kite didn’t allow her daughter to eat the food due to lack of expression from the duckling’s mother, he advices us the same, to not torment the silent ones, because you will never know how big of an enemy he could turn to be. As Mother Kite said, “There is something ominous behind silence.” 

Achebe, Ch. (1994), Things Fall Apart, 1st edition, Anchor Books, New York.

This is an image of an Igbo tribe gathered in a circle, telling folk tales to each other. (Obtained from: http://clareowensthingsfallapart.wordpress.com)