JonathanDiCamillo Block5 11/22/13 ReflectionofAfricanUnit OverthecourseoftheAfricanliteratureunitIhavelearnedanextraordinaryamountofAfrican culturebyreadingAfricanfolktalesandthenovelThingsFallapart.Igraspedthemostoutofthetwo Africanfolktales:AnansisFishingExpeditionbyEricA.KimmelandTselaneandtheGiant translatedbyB.L.Leshoai.Whatassistmeintheculturaldiscoverywasfromstudyingvarioustopicsof AfricasuchastheAidsEpidemic,andmoderndayslaverywhichgavemeanextraordinary,eyeopening amountofknowledge. ThenovelThingsFallApartChinuaAchebewasanextraordinarynovelwhichallowedits readeropentheirmindsuptoexperienceandgetthefeelofthetruemaledominateIgboculture.I learnedsomuchthroughtheCharacterOkonkwoandhisfamily.Itexpressedtomehowthemanhad toshowhismasculinityinordertoberespected.Menwereawardedcertaintitlestoshowtheir contributiontotheclan.

TheleadersoftheIgboweremostlyeldersorothermenwhoheldcertainhigh titleswhichiswhatOkonkwowantedtoachieve. ThespiritworldwasasignificantaspectforthetribalAfricanswhichwasintroducedinthe novel.Ilearnedthatthemajorityoftheclanswerepolytheistic,thereforebelievinginmorethanonegod. Theywouldhavespecialceremonies,wherespiritsoftheirancestors,whowerecalledtheegwugwu, wouldriseoutfromasmallholeintheground.Thenovelexplainedhowthewoman'ssolepurpose weretotakecareofthehouseandchildren.Unlikemostwomeninancientcultures,womenwere allowedtodivorceordeclineamarriageinthisAfricanculture.Itexplainedinthoroughdetailabout

theirenvironmentwherethereadercouldpaintaperfectpictureintheirhead.Afterreading,Iwas enlightenedontheBritishcolonizationfromtheclansperspectiveonhowthewhitemenontheiriron horseswheregoingaroundkillingandwipingouttheclans.Itwasexpressedhowthewhitemennot onlybroughttheirreligionbutalsogovernmentwheretheAfricantribeswereforcedtofollow parliamentlaw.TherewasasegmentfromthenovelwereOkonkwowasgettingpersecutedorwas heldontrialforattackingthechurchoutofhisanger.Mostofthetribeswereveryloyaltotheirclan.It wasforbiddeninthenoveltokillaclansmanwhichwouldresultinexilewhichendeduphappeningto Okonkwo. TheAfricantribestoldmanyfolktalestoproveapointortoexpresscertainmorals.These folktalesmadeiteasierforchildrentounderstandandtoputeachprincipleinanexample.Forexample, AnansisFishingExpeditionwasaboutamannamedAnansiwhointhebeginningwantedtofind somegulliblefellowtoassisthiminhisfishingexpedition.WhatAnansimeantbyassistwassomeone todoalltheworkandgettheworstprofit.HoweverthemanhechosewaswarnednottotrustAnansi soheprepared.ThatmanmanagedtotrickthetricksterhewasabletogetAnansitodoallthework bypromisinghimthateachdaytherewasgoingtobemoreandmorefishsohewouldtakethefish insteadwhileAnansiwilleventuallygetthebiggercatchthatnevercame.Themoralofthisfolktalewas thatthedeviouspeoplewillalwaysgetwhat'scomingtothem,likemoderndaykarma. AsimilarfolktalewiththesamemoralisTsalineandtheGiant.ThisAfricanstorywasabout agiantwhoisterrorizingthetownvillagewhereayounggirlnamedTsalinelivedwithhermother.The giantwasgoingaroundeatingallthevillagerslivestockuntiltherewasnothingleft.Notlongafter,the giantstartedeatingthepeople,leavingthemnootheroptionbuttoleavethetown.Everyoneleftexcept Tsalineeventhoughhermotherbeggedandpleadedwithhertoleave.Theydevelopedtheirown

systemsoshecantellwhenit'shermotheratthedoor.Thismadethegiantangryashecouldnotfigure itout,leavinghimangrywithhiswifeaftereveryfailedattempt.Eventuallythegiantfigureditoutand capturedTsalineandbroughtherhometobemadeintoameal.Bythattime,hiswifewassomadat himsheletTsalineescape.Whenthegiantwentafterherhewasnotpayingattentionwhichledhimto hisdeath.Ifthegiantwasmorelovingtohiswife,hewouldhavehadadeliciousmeal. AfterlearningaboutthehistoryandcultureofAfrica,Ibegantostudyaboutcurrentepidemics thatAfricaiscurrentlyfacing.Ilearnedhowaidsisstilleffectingthelivesofmanyandisstillspreading.I discoveredhownoteveryoneisabletogettreatmentforHIVorAIDS.Apparentlyafewyearsago, thecatholicpopetraveledtothecountryandtoldthecitizensnottousecondomsorotherformsof protection.Aidsiscurrentlyaffectingbothchildren,adults,andbothmenandwomen.NotonlydidI researchabouttheAIDSepidemic,butIalsodoveintomoderndayslavery.Therearemanyformsof moderndayslavery,howeverhumantraffickingisthemostpopular.Humantraffickingiswhen livingbreathingpeopleareshippedtopurchasers.Somepeoplegetthemselvesinvolvedinmodernday slaverybecausetheyowetoomuchdebttheyareunabletopayitbackandbecomeindentured servantsandsometimesstaythatway,permanently. OverallIhavelearnedanimmenseaboutofAfricanculturefromreadingNovels,folktales,and articlesofftheinternet.IlearnedhowtheAfricanslivedandsurvivedfromdaytoday.Iwasalso informedaboutBritishcolonizationinAfricaandhowitaffectedthealreadyestablishedclans.Irealized thatoverall,theAfricanclans,especiallytheIgbo,wereverysimilartotodayssociety.NotonlydidI learnaboutAfrican,butIalsoenjoyedreadingtheirfascinatingfolktales.