Waiting For Godot / Huis Clos

We recently read the play Huis Clos by Jean-Paul Sartre in my French Independent Study, and I can't help but draw comparisons between Sartre's play and Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot. Both Huis Clos and Waiting For Godot being absurdist dramas written in the same time period, it is likely to find similarities between the two. Both have themes of isolation driving confusion and distortion, and have religious and biblical references. Being an existentialist writer, Sartre focuses on the meaning of existence, and the nature of human existence. Furthermore Sartre stresses his message of "existence precedes essence," meaning that life should be taken for what it is -- life -- and that humans are wasting time trying to find meaning. In Huis Clos (the title can be roughly translated to "behind closed doors" or "no exit"), there are three people trapped in an empty room with no ability to leave. The characters are trying to find out why they are there and if they are actually in hell. So far in Waiting For Godot, it has been difficult to find meaning behind the interactions between characters and the reasoning behind why Vladimir and Estragon are still waiting for the mysterious character Godot. In Waiting For Godot, there are themes of existentialism. With the sheer emptiness of the play, Beckett is simply commenting on the nature of the human condition.

Waiting for Godot - Initial questions about the play

When we were reading Waiting For Godot in class the other day, I felt very confused about the context and setting of the play. First off, Vladimir and Estragon are simply waiting for Godot, however they don't know who he is, what he wants, and claim they couldn't even pick him out in a crowd. This raises the question: why are they inclined to wait in the first place? Then, as the play goes on, Vladimir and Estragon claim that they have to leave, yet they never do. Time and time again, they announce their exits, but Vladimir only leaves momentarily (and doesn't even go completely offstage -- according to stage directions) and returns right away. This raises more questions: why are inclined to stay waiting for nothing? Are they physically able to leave? Another question I have is about the relationship between Estragon and Vladimir. How did they meet? Did they know each other very well before? My final question is: will my questions be left unanswered? Is that the intent of the play?

The Metamorphosis - POV

The point of view of The Metamorphosis is important to the meaning of the story. Kafka uses third person limited narration to give the reader an entry into Gregor's thoughts and feelings. Through this, we are able to sympathize with Gregor better than anyone else in the story. Also, it keeps the story focused solely on Gregor and his interactions with others, rather than the interactions of others with him. If the story were told in first person, the story would be slightly different. The reader would be able to visualize and feel Gregor's physical state, and it would be easier to gain access and understanding of his feelings and thoughts about his situation. Furthermore, the story would likely be even more of a reflection of Kafka himself. However, the story would lose part of its objective perspective. Third person limited allows the reader access to Gregor's feelings, but it also allows for us to see interactions of Gregor with other people as well.

Metamorphosis - Gregor's Transformation

In the short story Metamorphosis, not only does Gregor undergo a physical transformation, but a metaphysical transformation as well. When Gregor wakes up as an insect, he is barely fazed by his new form. His only concern seemed to be due to his inability to go to work and provide for his family. As the story progresses, however, Gregor realizes his frustration with his new body because it holds him back from performing normal everyday tasks. When Grete starts taking furniture out of his room, he wishes he could keep some part of his past life. In this moment, Gregor gains self-awareness that all aspects of his humanity have stripped from him. Throughout the rest of the story, Gregor questions the meaning of humanity due to the neglect and mistreatment inflicted upon him by his family. Although Gregor's physical transformation was the catalyst of the conflict in the story, the true transformation that Gregor undergoes is one of self-awareness.

The Role of Women -- DKH

In Death and the King's Horseman, Wole Soyinka makes a comment on the role of women in Nigeria during the 1940s -- or rather, he doesn't. In the play, although there are a few female characters, Soyinka points out the overt sexism happening at the time. First off, Elesin just "chooses" a girl in the market whom he'd like to take as his wife -- also meaning that this would make her unfit to marry any other man. Also, once Elesin commits the ritual suicide, she will be widowed. Furthermore, the woman's name is never mentioned in the play. Then, later in the play in response to Jane Pilking's involvement in the conversation between Pilkings and Elesin, Elesin states "That is my wife sitting down there. You notice how still and silent she sits? My business is with your husband" (54). In Death and The King's Horseman, Soyinka is attempting to point out the customs of the time, but I do not believe he genuinely thinks this way about women.

Interpretation of DKH

When we first started reading Death and the King's Horseman, we discussed the author's intent of the message of the play. Although in the West it is interpreted as a commentary on ignorance and entitlement of white people, it was not Wole Soyinka's initial message. In the article we had to read for class "Wole Soyinka on how he came to write Death and the King's Horseman" Soyinka says that to Western people, it is "understandable only as a 'clash of cultures.'" Instead, he was commenting on failure of following tradition. In the play, Elesin fails to complete the ceremony because he spends the night with the market girl after the marriage ceremony. However, this does not stop the people in the west from understanding his play, Soyinka deeming this "analytical laziness." With the spike in suicide bombings across the world and the war on terror, the ritual suicide is interpreted as a barbaric act. Nonetheless, Soyinka does not take this interpretation as an insult, but rather a message about the importance to find a mutual understanding between cultures. From reading this play, I've learned more about the importance of perspective when analyzing literature.

The Most Beautiful words

After having read "The Most Beautiful Words" by Hugh A. Mulligan, I've realized all of the words or phrases he listed evoked an emotion. "Summer afternoon" evokes a feeling of happiness, simplicity, and of serendipity. "Enclosed check" evokes a feeling of excitement. "Free lunch" during the Great Depression evoked a feeling of hope and relief. For me, my favorite words evoke a feeling of ambiguity, yet also a feeling of possibility and greatness.
In the English language, words are carefully picked to express different things, however, sometimes we stumble to find the right word to use in the context. This is why one of my favorite words is "ineffable", meaning too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words. "Ineffable" replaces those words that we stumble to find, while also expressing that something is too great or too strong to be expressed in the words -- essentially defeating the entire English language. "Ineffable" also evokes a feeling of grandeur, accomplishment, and honorability. When we use "ineffable" in a sentence, although there is a profuse amount of words to use, we are saying that there is absolutely no words to either honor or truly reach the extent of what we are trying to convey.
My second favorite word is "tomorrow." "Tomorrow" brings possibility; "tomorrow" brings hope; "tomorrow" brings new and fresh beginnings. Though the future is ambiguous, we can always expect the sun to rise and the East and set in the West. "Tomorrow" also evokes a feeling of hope. Although I have bad days, when I wake in the morning, I realize that a new day has come and things aren't as bad as they might've seemed. Finally, if we dwell on the past, or "yesterday," we cannot grow as people, but "tomorrow" gives us a chance to make what we want of our lives. Although we cannot be certain about what may happen tomorrow, "tomorrow" brings so many possibilities.

Setting in "The Tempest"

A driving question that we have had in class recently is whether or not setting is important in The Tempest. Although we have a rough understanding of the setting -- a secluded island with berries and such -- we are unsure of the exact location of the island. In this way, Shakespeare avoids having his play being associated with colonialism. However, setting can also be important in some cases because it provides a basis of historical context, and without it readers might struggle in finding a multi-dimensional understanding of the text. Although this can be true, in The Tempest and other works of Shakespeare, the setting's one-dimensional context makes it applicable to other time periods. Without this context, readers may interpret the play more fully and individually, rather than taking it as a historical commentary. Furthermore, it allows for more diverse productions of the play.

Prospero's Power - "The Tempest"

Throughout Prospero's life, his power fluctuates greatly. As the Duke of Milan, he had great monarchial control, yet as his skills in sorcery were augmented, he gave Antonio the opportunity to usurp his political control. On the island, Prospero's magical power makes him an autocratic ruler of Caliban and Ariel. His harsh treatment of the island natives characterizes him as cruel, relentless, and manipulative. Prospero's power is also used to demonstrate his development as a character. When he loses his monarchial power, he uses his magic to seek vengeance on the people who have wronged him in the past. However, as he watches his daughter fall in love and directly encounters the people of his past, he realizes that his possession of magical power has only inflicted harm upon himself. In the end, he becomes merciful and decides to return to normalcy, thus giving up his magic. Prospero's magical power, although his strongest attribute, was also his biggest weakness and catalyzes his downfall as a ruler, along with his moral downfall.

"Travel" by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Travel

Edna St. Vincent Millay

The railroad track is miles away, 

    And the day is loud with voices speaking, 

Yet there isn’t a train goes by all day 

    But I hear its whistle shrieking.

All night there isn’t a train goes by, 

    Though the night is still for sleep and dreaming, 

But I see its cinders red on the sky, 

    And hear its engine steaming.

My heart is warm with friends I make, 

    And better friends I’ll not be knowing; 

Yet there isn’t a train I wouldn’t take, 

    No matter where it’s going.

The poem that I chose for the poetry project is "Travel" by Edna St. Vincent Millay. When I first read "Travel" I found that it flowed extremely well and really liked the imagery. Then, as I read it over again I started to understand the deeper meaning of the poem.

In this poem, Millay repeats the phrase "there isn't a train goes by," however she can hear and see trains passing. She claims to be willing to take any train, regardless of its destination. I think that in this poem, the train is symbolic of paths of life and opportunities. Millay sees life paths and possibilities passing her by, yet these opportunities are intangible. Instead, she hopes for a train to eventually pass by so she can experience the world in a broader sense. She also makes a comment on people and how they influence her life: "My heart is warms with friends I make, and better friends I'll not be knowing." To me, this means that although she is content with her friends, she yearns to encounter new people and get new perspectives. I really love the imagery in the second stanza with the imaginary train passing by, spitting out "red cinders" into the night sky. This poem is also very relevant to a young person's life as they can see opportunities arising, yet things seem intangible. 

"She's The Man"

When I watched the movie She's The Man, at first I was confused by the use of the names Viola and Sebastian -- until I learned that it's a modernized version of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. In Twelfth Night, twins Viola and Sebastian are separated in a shipwreck (Shakespeare apparently really loves shipwrecks). Viola, disguised as a man named "Cesario," serves as a page to Duke Orsino of Illyria. Duke Orsino is helplessly in love with Olivia, but Olivia is in love with Cesario/Viola, creating a complicated love triangle.
Instead, in She's The Man, Viola is played by Amanda Bynes. After being bashed by her boyfriend for sexist remarks about her ability to play soccer, Viola leaves her school, pretending to be Sebastian and play on the soccer team at an all-boy boarding school. Upon arrival, "Sebastian" realizes that she will be rooming with the popular jock, Duke, played by Channing Tatum. Duke is in love with Olivia, however Olivia falls in love with "Sebastian." All the while, Viola falls in love with Duke.
Modern adaptations of Shakespeare, such as She's The Man, and others like West Side Story and 10 Things I Hate About You, are important because they appeal to wider, younger audiences. Moreover, although She's The Man is extremely modernized, I find it exciting that the ideals and plots from Shakespeare's time are timeless and universal.

Shakespeare Uncovered

After having watched Shakespeare Uncovered in class, I'm genuinely intrigued by the The Tempest. As Shakespeare's final full text, critics suggest that he wrote it as a farewell play with autobiographical elements. As a sorcerer, Prospero conjures people of his past to the island, controlling them with his skills in magic -- similarly to how Shakespeare brings people together in the theater with his skills in playwriting. It is also predicted that Prospero giving up his magic in the end is symbolic of Shakespeare's end to his career in writing. The host of the program, Trevor Nunn, even proposed that Shakespeare himself could have played Prospero.
As a final "hurrah," Shakespeare used experimental illusions in productions of The Tempest to create special effects, a revolutionary element in theater at the time. Scholars studying The Tempest also conclude that it was never performed in the Globe Theater, but rather in a dark, enclosed space because a lantern or spark in darkness has a much more jarring effect.

Illusions - quick write

Q: Are illusions a good thing in life? Would it be better to live with some illusions or to know the actual truth/reality of every situation?

Although illusions are associated with trickery and deception, if people were able to know the truth and reality of every situation there would be no wonder. Humans are inherently curious, searching out the answer and "full truth" of every possible scenario. Without false perception, misconstrued ideas, and uncertainty, there would be no debate among human beings pertaining to common life experiences and things such as politics. However, illusions can still be bad. People can deliberately create illusions to manipulate someone (or a sector of a political party... ahem Trump) to achieve a personal goal or make others believe their fallacies. All together, although illusions can have a negative impact on society, illusions are the basis of human wonder and curiosity.

Backgrounds of Poets

A poet's bringing, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender can all influence the content and tone his or her literary works. By understanding more about a poet's life, one can further analyze the significance and central messages of the poet. A prime example of the influence of a poet's life on her works is the American poet and playwright, Edna St. Vincent Millay. Millay was born in Maine in 1892. In her upbringing, Edna's mother encouraged female ambition and independence and emphasized a deep appreciation for art, music, and literature. Later in her life, influenced by her mother's insistence of the importance of literature, Millay moved to Greenwich Village in New York City where she spent her days writing poetry, desperately trying to be published. While in New York, however, many men tried to persuade her into marriage despite her open bisexuality. After her refusal of marriage, Millay published her controversial volume of poetry, A Few Figs From Thistles, discussing feminism, female sexuality, and independence of women in the modern world. There is no doubt that Edna St. Vincent Millay's liberal upbringing influenced her sexually-expressive and controversial poems about feminism.

The library - As I Lay Dying

I saw students studying in the library. Most were browsing the internet. Eyes glazed over, their expressions bleak, their faces overtaken by lifeless emotion. Their bodies, however, restless. Moving back and forth, fingers patter deftly across keyboards and phone screens, something that has become second nature to them. Still, their expressions are stagnant, motionless, and dry as they scroll and type and sit restively in their chairs. 

Piles of assignments cover the tables, stacked over the pale wooden surfaces. Books, unread, forgotten, line the bookshelves with the hope of being dusted off by an interested student. But nobody will come. The air is filled with intensity, the students' individualistic thoughts droned out by the unremitting flow of information. 

Cora - As I Lay Dying

In the section titled "Cora" starting on page 21 of As I Lay Dying, Cora Tull is grieving over the imminent death of her neighbor Addie Bundren. However, what she finds most disturbing is that the Bundren family is not accompanying Addie at the end of her life. "When I lay me down in the consciousness of my duty and reward I will be surrounded by loving faces, carrying the farewell kiss of each of my loved ones into my reward. Not like Addie Burden dying alone, hiding her pride and her broken heart" (23). In particular, Cora is appalled with Jewel. Although Jewel has always been Addie's favorite child, Jewel is out trying to "earn another three dollars" (24) rather than comforting his mother in her final hours. However, Cora is partial to Darl. Cora notes that Darl is different from the rest of the Bundrens and shows genuine compassion for his mother. Although Addie has always favored Jewel, Cora explains that "with Jewel she had just been pretending, but it was between her and Darl that the understanding and the true love was" (24). This is significant because it characterizes Jewel as a detached character, and Darl as a more compassionate and full character. It also shows Faulkner's use of changing narrative to explore different perspectives on the events taking place in Yoknapatawpha.

Time TTTC

"Twenty years. A lot like yesterday, a lot like never" (178).

In the chapter "Field Trip" in The Things They Carried, O'Brien returns to the site of Kiowa's death with his 10 year old daughter Kathleen. Each time he recollects his experiences in the "shit field" and in Vietnam, he is not "remembering" but rather feels that his memories provoke a "re-happening." However, the location that haunts his memories is unrecognizable twenty years later. The field that was once capable of swallowing his best friend, his ambition, his pride, and the person he used to be, was now just an ordinary field glistening in the sun with his daughter's laughter filling the air instead of the rancid smell. The significance of his return to the field demonstrates how, even to a veteran, the atrocities of war are often unfathomable.

The Significance of Tim O'Brien's Job in TTTC

There is extreme irony and significance behind O'Brien's job as a blood "Declotter" in an Armour meat-packing plant. Before his job in the meat-packing industry is mentioned, O'Brien claims that the sight of blood makes him nauseous. However, O'Brien explains his job in extreme, gruesome detail, referring to it as a "lukewarm blood-shower" (41). As a student mentioned during class, there has to be some sort of significance behind the specificity of his profession. Because of his job, O'Brien's identity as a Harvard scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, and a summa cum laude is diminished to a nameless, faceless worker in a meat-packing factory. The work is monotonous the day's end often seems unforeseeable. Furthermore, no matter how hard he scrubs, the stench of the decapitated pigs and animal carcasses lingers with him. When he receives his draft notice for the war in Vietnam, he realizes that his life is "collapsing toward slaughter" (41). Similar to his job in his hometown of Minnesota, the days in Vietnam are monotonous, the war's end is unforeseeable, and no matter how hard he scrubs, the memories and trauma due to the war stay on his mind like the stench engrained in his skin from his job as a Declotter. In Vietnam, O'Brien's identity as a Harvard scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, and a summa cum laude is diminished to a nameless, faceless soldier.

Glorification of War and Sacrifice - TTTC

"A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain men from doing the things men have always done. If a story seems moral, do not believe it. If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie" (O'Brien, 65).

Today in class, we debated fiction's duty to stay true to history. Most people agreed that although novels and film-adaptations may stretch the truth about an era or event in history, there is no "requirement" to stay true to the original story or facts. As one student said, many authors write for a living, and their career is based upon their ability to sell books -- therefore, they have every right to stretch the truth if it means their book will appeal to and entertain a large audience. However, by stretching the truth, the truth of the story may be lost completely, especially when it comes to telling war stories. The excerpt above from Tim O'Brien's collection The Things They Carried discusses the problem with stretching the truth when it comes to anecdotes from war. Often times, if the story gets distorted for the amusement of the reader or audience, the story is no longer true. If the ending to a story about war makes you feel "uplifted" (65), then some part of the story is simply untrue. Stretching the truth in war stories serves no purpose other than to appeal to an audience, and can actually result in the glorification of war. This brings us back to the question: does fiction have a duty to stay true to history?
While fiction and film can spread awareness about an event in history and even make the reader feel connected to said event, authors and directors need to be cautious about how they portray their message. In many American war movies, the leader of the company, platoon, squad, or crew is an attractive, masculine, all-American man -- a relatable character, or even someone whom a viewer may perceive as a role-model. The first example that comes to mind is the 2014 film American Sniper featuring Bradley Cooper as Navy S.E.A.L., Chris Kyle. (Disclaimer: I thought it was a great film, and I am not attempting to completely bash it) In American Sniper, although Chris Kyle's struggles with PTSD are shown without restrain with very graphic flashbacks and images of war, there is still an appeal to Bradley Cooper's portrayal of Chris Kyle. He is relatable, very attractive, kind-hearted, but also supposedly has the most "kills" of any soldier in U.S. history. This is an example of war-glorification. Because of his relatable nature, and the fact that we have all seen Bradley Cooper in other movies such as The Hangover and Silver Lining's Playbook, we don't only see Chris Kyle. Although I still enjoy American Sniper and believe that it brings the effects of PTSD in U.S. war veterans to light and think that it is an amazing tribute to the sacrifices of Chris Kyle, I believe that The Things They Carried does a much better job at limiting the "silver linings" when it comes to telling war stories. 

The Silver Star

In The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, Norman Bowker character portrays the life of a war veteran from Vietnam and comments on his family's, especially his father's, expectations from him as a soldier: "If I could have one wish, anything, I'd wish for my dad to write me a letter and say it's okay if I don't win any medals" (O'Brien, 34). In the story "Speaking of Courage," Norman is back home from the war in Vietnam. Norman keeps mentioning how he almost won the Silver Star if it hadn't been for the smell. The situation is revealed that winning the Silver Star would've entailed saving Kiowa from being completely submerged in the sludge of the "shit field." However, it seems as if not winning the Silver Star was much more regrettable to Norman than not saving his friend: "Norman Bowker remembered how he had taken hold of Kiowa's boot and pulled hard, but how the smell was simply too much, and how he'd backed off and in that way had lost the Silver Star"(147). Although his father does commend him for winning seven other medals in the war, Norman has it engrained in his mind that it will never be good enough.
In the subsequent story/chapter "Notes" the author reveals that the story of Norman Bowker was true, and that the story "Speaking of Courage" was written at his request. As a veteran, Norman Bowker felt as if there was no destination in life, symbolized by him orbiting around the lake in his hometown in the car. There was an emptiness of life at home; people would never understand the hardships he had faced, nobody could imagine the horrible smell of the "shit field." It is revealed that in 1978, Norman Bowker hanged himself in the locker room at the YMCA in his hometown in Iowa. Norman Bowker's character emphasizes the hardships, regret, and mental scars of war on our veterans.

Weight of The Things They Carried

"They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried" (O'Brien, 7).

In the first chapter of The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, there is a lot of repetition. For example, O'Brien repeats the phrase "they carried" throughout the whole chapter. Each item the soldiers in the novel carried had a purpose, and varied among individuals depending on missions, rank, specialty, necessity, and even superstition. Furthermore, the weight of each item has an extreme significance and is calculated to the exact ounce because any extra weight places a burden on the soldier carrying the sac. However, O'Brien doesn't only refer to the weight of physical things the soldiers carried in Vietnam, but also the weight of figurative things such as emotional baggage and responsibility for others in the platoon. When Ted Lavender was shot and killed, Lieutenant Cross carries the grief and guilt "like a stone in his stomach"(16) because he loved Martha more than his own men.
Because of the draft, many of the men in Vietnam were not there voluntarily, but rather, as O'Brien suggests, because they were afraid of being cowards. The soldiers endured grief, terror, hatred, pain and fatigue, pushing themselves to their physical, mental, and emotional limits. Men dreamed of being lifted away in the "big silver freedom bird" (22) and have the weights of the war taken off their shoulders, but knew that the weight of the war would never go away. Witnessing death and violence, and the anticipation of death and violence, has its "own mass and specific gravity" (20). The things they carried, such as grenades, guns, pistols, etc. had such immense power, and so much more weight than the just the physical weight on their backs.

The role of skin in "The Thing Around Your Neck"

In The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, skin plays a prominent role. In the first short story, “Cell One”, Nnamabia is praised for his beautiful light complexion by perfect strangers who would ask his mother “why would you waste your fair skin on a boy and leave the girl so dark?” Here, the desire for a lighter skin color shows the influence of western culture on African beauty standards. In the chapter “Ghosts” the texture and moisture of peoples’ skin demonstrates the differences in social classes. The beggars’ skin was ashy, as they could not afford moisturizer for their faces and arms during the harmattan. Meanwhile, Prof’s skin was perfectly moisturized, and he has fond memories about his late wife applying lotion to his body after he would bathe. Like Nnamabia, Prof was praised for his complexion, and he was convinced that his skin was what had persuaded his wife Ebere to marry him in the line of suitors. Skin color also plays a role in the story “The Thing Around Your Neck” as Akunna, an immigrant from Nigeria, has an interracial relationship with a white man. The couple was either met with opposition from others or would receive overly-enthusiastic reactions from people, “as if to prove their own open-mindedness to themselves” (123). 

Sophie's World - Aristotle - why does it rain?

       Jostein Gaarder’s novel, Sophie’s World, explores the history of philosophy in a way that is easily understandable for the reader. In the chapter regarding Aristotle and his philosophies, Sophie is asked the question “why does it rain?” In a scientific sense, the answer is simple, however in a philosophical sense, there is no concrete reason why rain occurs in the first place. Aristotle breaks it down into three causes. The “material cause” and “efficient cause” are both scientific — as moisture in the air cools, it condenses, thus causing rain to fall. However, he addressed another cause called the “final cause.” Aristotle believed that every element of life has a purpose, or a task they must perform for the well-being of others. However, everybody knows that rain does not have a conscience. Instead, Aristotle suggested that the purpose of a raindrop is God’s purpose — to give life to things on Earth.

(I have not particularly enjoyed reading Sophie’s World because it reads more like a textbook than a novel. The characters seem to be more two-dimensional, as discussed in How To Read Literature Like A Professor, and exist only as a device only to make the history of philosophy easier to understand. Nonetheless, it has been interesting to get a broader insight to the world of philosophy.)

Nigerian-American Cultural Assimilation in "The Thing Around Your Neck"

Chimamanda Adichie’s short story collection, The Thing Around Your Neck, brings to light the challenges immigrants face while adjusting to American culture. In the story “The Arrangers of Marriage” the transition from life in Nigeria to life in America was especially trying for Chinaza. After being arranged to marry a Nigerian-American doctor, Chinaza had expected to easily transition into a prosperous life. She had imagined being welcomed home to a comfortable, suburban home, like she’d seen in American films and television shows. Much to her surprise, she was welcomed home to a small, dinky, New York City flat with rusted sinks and bare mattresses. Within the first day, Chinaza realized how difficult living in the United States would be.

Eleven years prior, Chinaza’s husband, Ofodile Udenwa, completely dismissed his Nigerian roots because he believed that “If you want to get anywhere [in America] you have to be as mainstream as possible. If not, you will be left by the roadside” (172). Thus, he changed his name to Dave Bell and demanded that Chinaza uses her American name, Agatha Bell, as well. However, unlike “Dave”, Chinaza was reluctant to dismiss her African roots.

Similarly to Chinaza, in the story “The Thing Around Your Neck”, Akunna had expected America to be a land of promises. After winning the American visa lottery, she had been told that within a month of living in America, she would have a big house and a big car. Unfortunately, the “American Dream” wouldn't come so easily for Akunna as she realized that “America was give and take” (116).

Unable to afford school, Akunna began work at a restaurant. During one of her shifts, she met a white man who had lived in Africa, and the two eventually started dating. Although she felt comfortable around him, Akunna still felt that the pressures of society were strenuous on their interracial relationship, and made her question the authenticity of her boyfriend’s love. When he offered to pay for Akunna’s return visit to Nigeria, she didn’t accept the offer because she didn’t want him to “gawk at the lives of poor people who could never gawk back at his life” (125). Akunna, while trying to still embrace her Nigerian roots, didn’t want to be her boyfriend’s exotic treasure.

The American Parenting Style in "The Thing Around Your Neck"

In The Thing Around Your Neck, Adichie explores a deep contrast between Nigerian and American culture. In America, rich people were thin and poor people were fat. In America, people overshared about family issues. However, it was much the opposite in Nigeria. Adichie stated that life in the United States was “cushioned by so much convenience that it is sterile” (Adichie, 67). In the chapter “On Monday of Last Week,” Adichie reveals differences in parenting styles. Kamara found parenting in America to be unusual and frustrating because, although parents can be almost entirely absent in a child’s life, American parents can still praise themselves for raising great kids. In America, parents talk about all of the sacrifices they make for their children, yet many have another person raise their child “as if caring for one’s child were the exception rather than the rule” (82).

Kamara also found it baffling that she would be paid three dollars extra for cooking dinner for Josh. In America, cooking dinner was a “sanitized string of actions” (82). In Nigeria, cooking meals was much more burdensome. Nonetheless, because Kamara and Josh shared several meals together, they developed a closer relationship — perhaps closer than the relationship Josh had with his own father, Neil. In school, Josh’s class had been working on Shabbat cards to give to special family members. Instead of addressing the card to his father, the card read, “Kamara, I’m glad we are family” (90). (This ties back to my previous blog post about meals and communion). Although Josh and Neil were family by blood, Kamara was Josh’s true family. 

Communion in "The Thing Around Your Neck"

I can often sense when an author is implying more beyond the words printed on pages between my fingers, however I’ve never known how to decipher what, exactly, the author is trying to convey. Now, after having read How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster, I have been trying to apply what I’ve learned to analyzing literature more thoroughly.

I found the chapter “Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion” in How to Read Literature Like a Professor very interesting. I’ve never been a religious person, so when I read, “whenever people eat or drink together, it’s communion” (Foster, 8) I was slightly thrown off. However, as I read on, I realized that in literature, and in life, meals are indeed acts of sharing and peace. As Foster mentioned, people are very particular about whom they break bread with. 

As I was reading The Thing Around Your Neck, I noticed that when characters would share meals they would often make a connection. In the chapter “The Shivering,” after news of the plane crash, Ukamaka and Chinedu bonded not only over faith, but also over food. Eventually, Ukamaka would “wait for Chinedu to visit so she could offer him rice or pizza or spaghetti” (Adichie, 154), as if sharing meals had become a routine. Later, when Chinedu mentioned that he was fasting, Ukamaka still asked him to stay with her as she ate. For Ukamaka and Chinedu, eating together was the foundation of their friendship.

Of course, not all meals are communions and can actually foreshadow conflict. In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster writes, “If a well-run meal or snack portends good thing for community and understanding, then the failed meal stands as a bad sign” (Foster, 11). In the chapter “The Arrangers of Marriage” of The Thing Around Your Neck, newlyweds “Dave” and Chinaza ate at the shopping mall food court. Chinaza, horrified, thought to herself, “There was something humiliatingly public, something lacking in dignity, about this place, this open space of too many tables and too much food” (Adichie,176). The setting of the meal was not intimate, not a communion, but rather made Chinaza feel more distant from her husband.