TFA+Reflections+PeterP

After each literature circle discussion, please complete the following reflection in complete sentences on your page. (Clearly label each discussion reflection.) **What were the two most interesting ideas or insights that were discussed in your group meeting today?** Describe the ideas and insights in as much detail as you can, noting the ideas and connections various members came up with as well as any follow-up questions that were asked. (This reflection needs to be a paragraph in length.)

Reflection #1 One interesting insight that was discussed in today's group meeting was why Okwonko was outwardly adamant, hard, and often angry at his wives and children. We came up with an explanation that Okwonko's hard personality may have been a consequence of his difficult and challenging childhood, living with an indolent father who refuses to work and forced to fend for himself at a very young age. As such, Okwonko may have closed off the weakness of his emotions as a child to maximize his productivity, thus rising to the highest levels of his tribe purely through his own work. I thought this was a brilliant conclusion our discussion group came up with. Another insight we discussed was the role of superstition and religion in Okwonko's society, and whether it was positive, negative, or neutral. We generally agreed it was both good and bad: good because it advocated morals and good working spirit, but bad because it caused narrow-mindedness within the society.

Reflection #2 One interesting idea we talked about was the concept of dowries and bride prices. We agreed that a dowry was a payment by the bride's family to the groom's family, while a bride price was a payment a husband offered the bride's family to gain the marriage to the bride. The dowry system in India was different from the bride price system in Africa in that in the Indian bride system involves the bride's family paying the bridegroom, while the African bride price system is the reverse. Another thing we talked about was polygamy, and its effects on society. We agreed that polygamy would be bad for society, because it means that while some men had many wives, others had no wives at all; consequently, it would decrease the society's productivity.

Reflection #3 Today, we debated on the legitimacy of revenge in getting back at someone. The Igbo people took revenge on the white colonizers for the destruction and disorientation of their religion by burning down their church; However, is this action justified? There was a mix of opinion for this question. Some said that it was certainly justified, for it was the only way of ensuring the same treatment that you experienced. Others said it was never justified, and there was always a better solution. There was also a talk about Ethiopia being the only African nation that resisted colonization, which was relevant on a slight tangent to the colonization story of Things Fall Apart.

Reflection #4 Today, we talked about why Okwonko killed the messenger and committed suicide. Some said that he did so in order to stop his shameful life living among a colonized society. Others said that it was to preserve his act of defiance without getting punished. In total, I believe our discussion group was very prepared, organized, and engaging throughout the four discussions we had. Sometimes we talked about topics that was only slightly relevant to the book, but he had fruitful debates nevertheless. Otherwise, we were all productive discussion contributors.