JonathanDiCamillo Block5 11/22/13 ReflectionofAfricanUnit OverthecourseofourAfricanliteratureunitIhavelearnedanextraordinaryamountofAfrican culturebyreadingAfricanfolktales,thenovelThingsFallapart.Igraspedthemostoutofthetwo Africanfolktales:AnansisFishingExpeditionbyEricA.KimmelandTselaneandtheGiant translatedbyB.L.Leshoai.Whatassistmeintheculturaldiscoverwasfromstudyingvarioustopicsof AfricasuchastheAidsEpidemic,andmoderndayslaverywhichgavemeanextraordinary,eyeopening amountofknowledge. ThenovelThingsFallApartChinuaAchebewasanextraordinarynovelwhichallowedits readertoexperienceandgetthefeelofthetruemaledominateIgboculture.Ilearnedsomuchthrough theCharacterOkonkwoandhisfamily.Itexpressedtomehowthemanhadtoshowhismasculinityin ordertoberespected.Menwereawardedcertaintitlestoshowtheircontributiontotheclan.

The leadersoftheIgboweremostlyeldersorothermenwhoheldcertainhightitleswhichiswhatOkonkwo wantedtoachieve. ThespiritworldwasasignificantaspectforthetribalAfricanswhichwasexpressedinthe novel.Ilearnedthatthemajorityoftheclanswerepolytheistic,thereforebelievinginmorethanonegod. Theywouldhavespecialceremonies,wherespiritsoftheirancestorswhowerecalledtheeqgwugu, wouldriseoutfromasmallholeintheground.Thenovelshowedhowthewoman'ssolepurposewere totakecareofthehouseandchildren.Unlikemostwomeninancientcultures,womenwereallowedto divorceordeclineamarriageinthisAfricanculture.Itexplainedinthoroughdetailabouttheir

environmentwherethereadercouldpaintaperfectpictureintheirhead.Afterreading,Iwas enlightenedontheBritishcolonizationfromtheclansperspectiveonhowthewhitemenontheiriron horseswheregoingaroundkillingandwipingouttheclans.Itwasexpressedhowthewhitemennot onlybroughttheirreligionbutalsoagovernmentwheretheAfricantribeswereforcedtofollow 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 enlightenedabouttheBritishcolonizationinAfricaandhowitaffectedthealreadyestablishedclans.I realizedthatoverall,theAfricanclans,especiallytheIgbo,wereverysimilartotodayssociety.Not onlydidIlearnaboutAfrican,butIalsoenjoyedreadingtheirfascinatingfolktales.