Today is the last post. You must write two speeches from the perspective of two of your characters discussing the benefits of imperialism and the disadvantages of imperialism citing three or more events from the book in each speech. The instances may be about others in the book. Please:
a. Separate the speeches
b. Identify who is speaking and from what book
c. cite your instances
d. write in the first person
e. try to be persuasive
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Semir Pupovic
ReplyDeleteThings Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Sheech One by Nwoye (Okonkwo's oldest son)
(Scene- Nwoye comes to Okonkwo's hut to promote Imperialism)
Good morning sir. I understand that the cock hasn't crowed yet, but I am trying to get around to every hut in Umuofia. My name is now Isaac, thanks to this beautiful idea of imperialism. These white people are helping our village very much. The white men created a trading store for us. Thanks to them our economy is rising slightly. There is lots of money flowing into our village because of the fact that we can trade our abundant palm-oil and kernel (Achebe 178). I know for a fact that there is much more order in our village, now, than how it was before a couple of years. We now have a court and a prison, which we never imagined of having in this village (Acebe 174). These are good men that have come to help us. The white men of Mbanta set up their church in the "evil forest" and nothing happened to them (Achebe 148). They are gifted and are guarded by the one god that exists. Come and become one of...
(Nwoye is interrupeted by Okonkwo)
(Okonwko speaks against Imperialism)
Don't speek of such nonsence, you rotten child! You know nothing of these white people. They don't belong here, and they are destroying our clans. If they belonged here, they would have been born here, however, they aren't. First of all, I lost my son (Achebe 151). I could have had a normal family, but those white bastards broke it up! Lots of other clans members have been locked up for oposing these different men (Achebe 174). I can't believe that they try to change our beliefs and religions (Achebe 143). Only those who are truly loyal to their fathers and fathers' fathers will stay the way they are and not go with the evil imperialists. The others, well, they will do what you did...fail and betray, for that is all you'll ever be good for!
Nectar in a Sieve
ReplyDeleteShadeyrack Quiroz
a. First speech
b. Rukmani is speaking from Nectar in a Sieve
Nectar in a Sieve
Shadeyrack Quiroz
a. First speech
b. Rukmani is speaking from Nectar in a Sieve
c,d,e. I have lived through so much and I saw enough to know what I am talking about when I saw that the day the tannery came to town, things changed. One day, Arjun came into the hut to tell us that there is a line of bullock carts carrying brick and a hundred men pulling down houses (Markandaya 30). Nathan wasn't surprised as I was for he had already heard rumors of the construction of a tannery in their village (Markandaya 30). The people in the village soon found out that the workers were paid well, two rupees a day (Markandaya 31). I was surprised to find out the amount of money they made for we barely got to make that amount on the days that we went to sell them our fine goods (Markandaya 31). After two months of construction, the tannery along with some buildings surrounding it was done (Markandaya 31). The workers have already made their community around the tannery by moving in their wives and children into the houses surrounding the tannery (Markandaya 31). By night, I see their fires, and by day, I see hear their noise (Markandaya 31). The people newcomers have set up posts and they have raised the prices of their manufactured goods (Markandaya 31). It was not too long before they left (Markandaya 32). But they have left their mark upon the village (Markandaya 32). Prices are too high everywhere I go. Dhal, sugar, and dhee are too expensive for me to buy, and my family hasn't tasted some of those goods ever since the tannery and its people came (Markandaya 32). To my surprise, people started to come into the tannery and people started to move into the built huts (Markandaya 32-33). Slowly, I saw my village get taken over by the tannery and I was continually criticized by Kunthi and my husband that I am a village girl (Markandaya 32-33). I don't care if I am a village girl, but I will not fall into the tannery's game. I have to admit, the tannery did help my family and it gave my family an upper hand in food. Arjun was convinced that the tannery was a good place where he can get payed well o that he can help his family. Soon Arjun persuaded Thambi and he joined him. Side by side they worked, and they got our family ahead in life. I had the chance to restock up on reserved food. We had plenty of food that would last us a long time and we got the chance to pay off all of the rent. For the first time in my life, I didn't have to sell my chilies. I even bought the family some clothes. I haven't done that for a long time, but it was necessary for the family was using worn out rags. I was glad to see an improvement in the family. We were all doing well. When the Deepavali festival came, I had the luxury of giving my younger children two annas apiece so that they can buy fireworks (Markandaya 58). I had a feeling that this good luck would only last for a while. One day, my two sons didn't come out to eat lunch. When they came out, I found out that they were punished for demanding more money. My two sons organized a group of people that would help them rebel against the tannery. They tried but their demands were not set. They had no other choice but to go work at another location where they will be paid a higher amount for the time they work (Markandaya 72). When they left, we were hit with a drought and we had economic problems. My last child was born and I started to struggle with food and money. Sivaji came to claim the rent and my husband and me had nothing to pay. We had to run out and trade away all of the valuables that are of no use or that have a high value. Even the money that we made wasn't half as much of what we needed to pay (Markandaya 82). Again, money was a problem and the tannery became a burden.
(continuation)
ReplyDeleteMy daughter Ira had to prostitute herself so that she can feed Kuti, my last son. She suffered more from his cries than I did. Kunthi came into my house with blackmail for my husband and me and we lost more than half our food so that she won't talk. So one night, I heard footsteps approaching my house. I thought that it was Kunthi and I wanted to give her a piece of my mind. When I saw the figure come closer, I jumped at it and beat it with all my rage. When I came to my senses, I heard Ira's voice and I stopped. Nathan ran out and brought Ira in. He cleaned her up while I tried to heal her wounds. The next day, the truth about her whereabouts was out. She confessed what she was doing and for what reason. I saw her actions and I couldn't believe that she sold her body just to feed Kunthi. Unfortunately, with the money that Ira made, it wasn't enough to help Kunthi and my son died. He couldn't take the pains of starvation any longer. If only we had more money, my dear Kuti would've survived. Next came Raja. He was killed because he was caught steeling. My poor son cared about the family so much that he went as far as to steal so that he can get some money for us to eat (Markandaya 95). The guards from the tannery claim that it wasn't their fault. They just used enough force to stop Raja and that force killed him. Ever since the tannery came, my life and my family changed. I lived through so much that I am more knowledgeable than ever. I have lived to see my family happy, sad, suffer, and most of all die. I went through the circle of life with my husband and he was the first to die. Physically, but he is alive in my heart spiritually.
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ReplyDeleteOkonkwo and Nwoye from Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.
ReplyDeleteI have invited you all here today to address important matters. As you all may or may not know, my name is Okonkwo. Imperialism has plagued our country, and I have a few things to say regarding that. The white men have come to our country and changed everything (Achebe 148). Remember when everything was based on tradition? It’s not like that anymore. The missionaries came and are getting everybody to believe in Christianity. Churches are built and people have joined. Even my own son, Nwoye, has converted to Christianity (Achebe 147). Do you not see the problem here? Tradition in Umuofia no longer exists! It’s all Christianity now… (Achebe 182). Don’t listen to the missionaries and Mr. Brown! Change and believe in tradition again! He hasn’t done anything to Umuofia except make everyone believe in God. We shouldn’t believe in God, we have Chukwu (Achebe 179). Mr. Brown says they are the same, but he’s just saying that to make you believe in what he believes!
My father has said a mouthful, but people of Umuofia, don’t believe him. I am Nwoye, Okonkwo’s son. He may not consider me as his son anymore, just because I believe in something else now. But that doesn’t matter, God loves me. Imperialism can’t be described as a plague, everything that has happened is all positive. Everyone here has converted. No one needs tradition, it’s old now. Who needs tradition? We needed change, and our change is Christianity. We should be thankful that the missionaries have come here. Mr. Brown has educated a lot of us about religion, and now most of us believe in God (Achebe 179). He helped Umuofia earn more money with trade (Achebe 178). The church was built in the “evil forest.” It has been said that people die there and it’s full of “darkness” but has anything bad happened yet? No (Achebe 148-149)! This leads us to believe that everything that used to be “tradition” wasn’t all that true after all. Christianity has changed everyone’s life and everything is for the better. For those that want to change their mind about Christianity because of what my father said, don’t! He speaks nonsense.
Nectar in Sieve
ReplyDeleteSpeech 1:
“In our native country India, I no longer see men like I used to see them before. The reason why I look at men differently is because men no longer care for one another, they only care about financial topics (Markandaya 50). I was informed with the news that a tannery was built in my village, Arjun came to me and my husband that they were carrying bricks and were pulling down houses (Markandaya 30), these men were from Britain. I was not content with the fact that British me came to invade our village with clatter and din, had taken from us the maidan where our children played, and made the bazaar prices high for us (Markandaya 31-32). When those British men left I did not feel pity or sorry for them, because of the hard work they did. Me and my townspeople, thought that the tannery would benefit our families, but we wrong. It actually left us lower class people struggling. Everyday I would ask myself what could I by with the money with prices so high everywhere. This thing that we call poverty was taken over our village. Poverty was one of the biggest toll in India, so many of our townspeople were left hungry and sick. The only way I could have money was with my crops but after that drought crops were mostly gone. I didn’t have enough money to feed my family. So my boys stood up and worked at that tannery because they didn’t want to see me suffer, they made good money, but t I was not very happy because of the job they had to do at the tannery. My family had suffer a lot when my two young boys died, that was just horror from me that two precious kids were taken so young (Markandaya 95). They were killed by stealing foods in the tannery, and those guards had taken their lives. The poor children were starving and nothing to eat. The tannery made it harder everyday for us lower class people because of the expenses of food.”
-Rukmani
Speech 2:
“My first daughter was born, oh! wasn’t she the most beautiful thing that had ever happened to me. I surely know that she didn’t get her looks from either me or her mother. My daughter was going up so fast, she was like a second mother to other sons. When my daughter was fourteen, she was to be marry (Markandaya 39). I remember I spent hours trying to asses the boy she was going to marry relative merits. When we found the right man, we had a wedding party for the couple. My daughter and her groom were side by side, but she was very stiff and never looked at him to much. I don’t think that she was ready to be bride, but that was the tradition. That marriage didn’t last long, and Ira my daughter came to live with us again. We had another child Kuti, who Ira loved dearly. Ira did something that hurt me a lot, she prostituted herself. The reason she did that was because since there was the tannery and it had raised the prices of food, my family didn’t have enough money. This was the saddest thing and hurt me so much to see what my daughter had did. She thought by doing this we would have enough money to feed Kuti. The poor boy couldn’t hold his hungry any longer. With these high prices of food my family wouldn’t have to suffer. The tannery just slowly killed my son.”
-Nathan
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ReplyDeleteMs. Karvunis,
ReplyDeleteI finished the book The Good Earth and am answering the chapter questions. When Wang Lung and his family are in the south, it is clear that imperialism has arrived in the country and it was easy to cite instances. For chapter 15, however, they go back to the north and finding instances is extremely difficult. How should I approach this question:
1)Has imperialism arrived in the country yet? If so, identify how you know this citing instances.
-Mona Dwedar
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck [Wang Lung]
ReplyDeleteHello, My name is Wang Lung and imperialism saved my family. I was a poor farmer living in China when I married a slave named O-lan. Together we harvested rice in our farm and saved our money while the rest of the community gambled (Buck 42). Imperialism helped us flourish by helping us buy more land. The mistress who owned O-lan became addicted to the opium the British brought through imperialism. The mistress’ husband also was addicted to women, also brought about by imperialism. We bought their land so we could produce more crops than ever before (Buck 56). We weren’t exactly rich, but we were happy with our lives. When the drought came, we had no choice but to go south. I’d rather not talk about the horrible things we had to do to survive, and I am not proud of them. We were starving and stumbled upon a fire wagon (Buck 91). If it weren’t for that wagon, we would not have survived. We would have died of exhaustion before we even reached the south! If imperialism hadn’t settled here in China, more than half of our town would be done for.
[Uncle]
Speaking in behalf of all things traditional, imperialism is a terrible thing. My nephew, Wang Lung, had gone against one of the most basic customs in China because of imperialism. When he bought the land from the rich Hwang family, he started to turn bitter. He refused to give me money and even chastised me about my own daughter(Buck 59)! If he hadn’t bought the land from the Hwangs because of imperialism, he would never had said that! To show him whose boss, I slapped him and threatened to tell the whole village about him. Eventually, he bought a new part of the Hwang’s property, and was very reluctant to help me out. He also spoke down upon his own father (Buck 63). I know he is hiding more money, and he refuses to tell me. I told the others, including their neighbor Ching, to go look for their hidden harvest (Buck 80). Wang Lung became a disrespectful, greedy nephew because of imperialism, and he refuses to help his poor old uncle out.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNectar in a Sieve
ReplyDeleteBy: Kamala Markandaya
Julio Chen
FIrst Speech:
Rukmani from Nectar in a Sieve is speaking-
My name is Rukmani, I am the average person in my village in India. My duty lies with my family. I work in the fields with my husband, Nathan, and I take care of the family. We did not have food due to a rain storm which left our crops dead and washed our crops away (Markandaya 43). I worried everyday if my sons would be able to eat and I felt powerless to do anything about their agony. There was a tannery built in our village where it offered jobs to the villagers at a high wage (Markandaya 29). My eldest son, Arjun, decided to not work on the farm and work in the tannery (Markandaya 56). He did not like being poor and decided this had to change. I did not like the idea of my son leaving me to work in a tannery, but I could not stop him since the harvest had been very poor and the shop prices were higher than ever. Soon, my other sons followed him and worked in the tannery. I received a portion of my sons wages and was able to buy food and new clothing for my family. Our family ate well each night and I was able to give away two annas to the village children to buy fireworks for the light festival, Deepavali, which I could have not done before (Markandaya 58). The tannery provided money for our family. This brought new hope into my eyes since before me and my family would suffer from starvation and poverty. We now have another chance to live life prosperously. I felt the worries for my family leave my burdened chest. There was no reason for us to suffer of starvation anymore or depend on the harvest thanks to the tannery that the foreigners have built.
Second Speech:
Nathan from Nectar in a Sieve is speaking-
I am a poor tenant farmer named Nathan from India that luckily married a woman from the upper class, Rukmani. The tannery built in the village created new jobs, but at the cost of my sons. I wanted my sons to learn the skills of a farmers, but they decided working in the tannery (Markandaya 56). My legacy as a farmer seemed to die everyday since our sons took up other jobs than being a farmer. The tannery soon expanded and many other tanneries had been closed down (Markandaya 51). The prices of the goods in the village were outrageously high and I could not afford to buy rice for two rupees when my family suffered from starvation due to the rain storm (Markandaya 47). The foreigners would pay more for the rice than we would and so, the merchants would increase the price of food since food had become scarce (Markandaya 47). If the foreigners did not invade our village with the tannery, then I would have kept my sons and we would be able to buy rice from the merchants. I had to do the farm work without my sons by my side. The prices of the market left our family unable to afford any food. I had lost two of my sons, Raja and Kuti, due to our lack of food and money. Raja stole a calfskin from the tannery to sell and to buy food with the money, but he was stricken by the tannery guards and fell to his death (Markandaya 93). If only Raja didn't steal that calfskin, he would have been the son that could have carried on my legacy as a farmer. Kuti died because of the lack of food (Markandaya 106). Kuti would not have died if we were able to buy food from the merchants. It was the foreigners fault! They came to our village and built a tannery which corrupted my sons judgement and raised the prices of goods. I had to compete with the tannery in order to survive since the tannery provided more money than farming.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNectar in a Sieve
ReplyDeleteShelly
Keep in mind the tannery is the symbol for imperialism in this book.
1. Rukmani:
I remember the first time my oldest son, Arjun, ran to me to tell me that men with bullocks carrying bricks came into the village. Instantly, workers began to build a building. This was the town’s first tannery (Markandaya 29-31). My family grew bigger when time flew by. There were more mouths to feed and the crops didn’t grow as fast. The tannery offered occupation and Arjun was interested. He said that he didn’t want to starve anymore and that working in the tannery paid more than growing crops (55). My husband, Nathan, and I tried to convince him that the farm life was better, but he wouldn’t give in. Thami, my second oldest son, was close to Arjun, so he followed Arjun to work at the tannery. Nathan was hurt when he heard Thambi say that working on another person’s land was worthless (56). Their job gave them good pay, it helped support the family. We ate and lived well again because of the tannery’s pay. I was able to pay for the rent and keep some of our crops for the family to feed on. We even got clothes for our sons’ future wedding (57)! Those were good times. Then both my sons left. They wanted more money so they left our village to work somewhere far. They promised to return, but I knew it was a lie (71-72). Then, we were sent back into poverty. Prices changed because the tannery moved in, making items more expensive. Ingredients, such as salt, was too expensive so we had very little of it (36). I sent my children out to hunt for food. They’d come back with remains they’ve found in the town gutters or were found in the wild (91). My second youngest son, Raja, went out one day and never returned. Two men carried him back to our house—dead (93). He was found outside the tannery stealing calfskin, as the tannery owners said, which he could’ve sold. The gaurds took action and Raja tried running away. He was too weak because he was famish and died when he tripped (95). Soon after, my youngest son, Kuti, dies from famine too. He was too weak to survive and he was never healthy to begin with (104-105). I had one son, my daughter, her child, and Nathan. This was my family. Our land was eventually taken away from us. We couldn’t afford it anymore. Nathan and I left the land to find our third son, Murugan, while my other children stayed in the town.
2. Nathan (speaking from when he was alive and going to the city):
ReplyDeleteI was born as a poor farmer boy. I loved Rukmani since I was 12 years old. Our first child, Ira, was a beautiful girl. Later on, Ruku miraculously gave birth to many sons which added to the family. I wanted my sons to work on the farm with me one day. Then, I heard rumors about a new tannery that was being built (29). My two oldest sons, Arjun and Thambi, chose to work at the tannery over working on the land with me. They said the tannery gave a great opportunity for more pay and better life. I was crushed, but I allowed them to go (56). Later on, more job opportunities with better pay attracted the two, so they left the land to work for more money. I knew I’d never see them again, but they were growing boys so I accepted it (72). The tannery caused competition against the village stores. It brought in new materials such as expensive new skins of all types animals. Janaki’s husband couldn’t beat the tannery’s shops, so he and his family closed the shop and left the village with no say (51). In those times, there was no rain fall. The crops wouldn’t grow and we had nothing to harvest. With no harvest, we didn’t gain any profit or food for the rest of the family. The prices were higher because of the tannery, so we couldn’t afford food. When it was time to pay the rent, Sivaji, the collector, saw that we couldn’t pay for the rent and offered for us to pay half of it for now. My wife and I gathered all the items we could to sell. Pots, a trunk, Arjun and Thambi’s old shirts, and some dried food were collected to be sold (78). My wife tried selling the clothing: my sons’ shirts, her two saris, and my dhoti. They were all in great condition, rarely worn. These items weren’t worth as much anymore because new materials were introduced. We didn’t get much money out of selling those (79). In the end, we still couldn’t pay for half the rent and received grace (81). The crops didn’t grow as fast and the grace period was over. Sivaji came to collect the rent, but I couldn’t pay for it. I protested, but Sivaji said that nothing could be done and that my family had only two weeks to figure things out. The land was to be sold to the tannery, who was offering amazing prices (134). We couldn’t beat those prices and had no choice but to move. Selvam was studying as a doctor and decided to stay and take care of my daughter and her child. He was receiving great pay (127), and I didn’t want to take that away from him. My wife and I decided to go live with Murugan, our third son who lived in the city, and my remaining children decided to stay in the village (138-139). I hope a better life is ahead of us.
Nectar in a Sieve
ReplyDeleteCharlie Perez
Speech 1 - Rukmani against Imperialism
My fellow Indians, I urge you to listen to what I have to say to you today. I am here to warn you of a danger that plagues us right now, Imperialism. Imperialism has destroyed our people, our traditions and our country. Since these foreigners arrived on our lands, our people have become greedy and money hungry. Most men have abandoned the work of their lands and instead spend most of their time scheming to make more and more money (Markandaya 50). These people have made everything expensive for us. It is now very hard to try and get food and supplies for our houses and families. When the monsoon hit, I could only afford to get little food for my family (Markandaya 47). These high prices were the cause for the death of my youngest son Kuti. We suffered a drought and we could not pay for a good amount of food because everything was so expensive. Our saving were going fast, my poor young Kuti eventually could not take the hunger and he died of starvation (Markandaya 105). Do not let yourselves become tempted! Stay away from these dangers and you will live a longer and better life.
Speech 2 - Nathan for Imperialism
Hello my fellow countrymen. My name is Nathan, I am a poor farmer who used to live in a small village. It is no longer the small village it used to be. It is now a big town. Since the foreigners arrived, the helped us by making things more advanced and making things easier for some of us. This all started when they first built the tannery in our village (Markandaya 33). This tannery gave job opportunities to many people in the town. My sons got jobs there, starting with my oldest son (Markandaya 56). Later on one by one they would go work, and then move to get better jobs. I lost my sons like that, but all good things come at a price. I had a feeling from the start that the tannery would be good for us so I always accepted the foreigners (Markandaya 32). Take my advice my fellow men! Take full advantage of Imperialism before it's too late. There is more to gain than to lose from this!
John Cruz
ReplyDeleteThe Good Earth
Speech 1- Wang Lu - The Good Earth- For/Against Imperialism
My name is Wang Lu. I am a farmer who is very poor. I am here to discuss what effects imperialism causes. When I first reach the age of marriage I was poor. I live at home in the northern part of my country with my father. I had to farm and harvest crops. Soon I was married to an ugly wife O-Lan (Buck 18). She and I worked in the fields and had children. Before I knew it I had many children. I saw that farming and feeding my children crops weren’t enough so I saw this was consider a disadvantage (Buck 74). If I had a job I would have not worked so hard in the fields and have gotten my children better food. If imperialism had come to the northern part of my country I would have not gone to the southern part to search false hope of finding food(Buck 79). When Food ran scarce in the northern part of my country, in which I lived in, I had to move to the south in order to feed my children. I had to move away from the land I bought from a very rich mistress. I had to leave behind my goods and all of mu belongings. I was very upset but kept in mind that I had responsibility as a father and husband. As I got there things seems to very harsh from there onwards. I saw that working there would get me nowhere(Buck 81). I worked for very little all day (Buck 101). This would have been in great help the payments back in the north but seeming that I had no other choice put to work hard (Buck 101). I and my wife and kids had to beg in order to survive. This was a disadvantage because imperialism didn’t bring good paying jobs. My wife o loan had to teach my children to steal and that to me is a huge disgrace (Buck 110). I refuse to eat any food that stole. Soon when imperialism rose I saw a rich man crying for help. I helped him at a great price of all his gold. The gold made me return to my home land ( Buck 112). I was very rich there. I was able to feed my family and make great use of everything around me. I bought more land. This was a great advantage in my imperialism. Imperialism made others rich and I was able to steal from them. I did see that my actions were wrong my I had other priorities. Soon my rich self began to obtain a bad habit. I began to see that nothing pleased me. I was bored of everything. Then a new tea shop came. I saw beautiful women in the walls (Buck 174). I was then told that I could have one of these women for silver. I had gold silver and jewels so it did not matter to me. Her name of was lotus. I bought her. She pleased me in every way. I began to spend money on her. I bought new cloths bought new shoes, took more baths, and got a new haircut(Buck 182). She was controlling me and wasting my money. Soon my uncle came back into my life soon after I had send him off. He was tired and famine so I invited him to stay at my house. My uncles wife saw I my appearance and told my wife O-Lan that I was seeing someone else(Buck 190). This was a reality check for me because I could see that Lotus was nothing but trouble. I began to grow weary of her. When she told my children bad words and insulted them, I grew angry of her and lost my bad habit of spending money. I had saw that the money and my habits were changing me. this is a disadvantage of imperialism because money can change you in so many ways.
(Continuation)
ReplyDeleteSpeech 2 O-Lan For/Against Imperialism
I am a slave a mother and a woman. I was sold at the age of ten to a very rich mistress (Buck 17). I was living in a very rich house. All I ever did was work and get beaten all day. The slaves went by rank. I was hoping to find a way out. Soon a man came by to claim me and marry me (Buck 17). I saw the man as my savior. I worked with my husband in the fields. He wished to have children with me and I gave him children. He wanted me to work, and I gave him the labor hours. I began to saw that life wasn’t as dull as it was back when I was a slave. The fact that I couldn’t have been a slave crosses my mind every day. If imperialism would have arrived the time in which my parents needed money, I wouldn’t have been sold off. Imperialism would have been an advantage at that situation. Soon I began to see that food became scarce and that we had to move to the south (Buck 79-81). I didn’t seem to mind that we had to move, but my children would be the one to suffer. Imperialism could have benefited us if it would have offered a job for my husband to feed my children. Instead we had to move to the south where I had to teach my children wrong and teach them to be something they should never be. I thought them to beg and steal. I saw that begging wasn’t enough to get us anywhere in the south. Stealing became our only option(Buck 100). As I gave birth to another child, a girl, Wang struggled to either sell her or not(Buck 117). He asked me if I was beaten in the house of any owner. I told him that I was beaten with a belt and I was never really allowed to do anything but work(Buck 133). My husband Wang saw that he had to struggle to either sell our daughter or keep her. Imperialism would have helped but he did have a job. The only problem now was that food was at a high price and the jobs paid low. The pay would have been good in the north. Imperialism would have been a very beneficial business. My husband return rich one evening (Buck 137). That was enough to return us home very quick and rich. When we arrived we had enough to eat, we had more land. Imperialism had made us live in luxury. Then I began to see change in my husband. The money had sicken him to be with another women, Lotus, and caused him to spend much money. I saw that imperialism and the money earn was all in vain. This was the disadvantage of imperialism. My husband bought cloth, cut his hair and bath. He was changing(Buck 182). I saw it and I disliked it. He then told us that money was low, money was streaming out of his hand, and he wanted to use my pearls (Buck 184). He didn’t use them at all but gave them to Lotus. Imperialism was changing my husband.
Janet Ceron
ReplyDeleteNectar In A Sieve
Speaker: Nathan-- Disadvantages of Imperialism
If you ever see unusual people in your native places, beware. Imperialism has terrible disadvantages. Imperialism is more of a nation conquering another nation to promote nationalism. Imperialism is based around trading. Foreigners will destroy your life, cause poverty, and remove your family. I married Rakumi when we were just twelve years old. We had our first daughter together; her name was Irrawaddy. (Markayanda 20). After Irrawaddy, Rakumi had more sons. Little did I know, that change would arrive soon. The arrival of the white men was a surprise. It was like a tempest on the dry deserts of Egypt. I was in my home alongside Rakumi when with full speed my eldest son, Arjun came running to me. Arjun told me hundreds of white men had arrived in our village with bricks, bullock carts, and horses. Immediately, I feared change; change to happen so quick. I go to the village to see what is going on. We saw exactly what Arjun described to us. It is the new tannery I've heard rumors about (Markayanda 29). Immediately these white men were annoyed with all the villagers looking at them build the tannery. One man who appeared to be the leader told us to go away. How dare they tell us to leave our own village? This season, the harvest went terrible; there was a drought for at least two weeks (Markayanda 48). We had nothing to eat, and the prices were too high for us to pay. Everything we would eat had risen. The rice, the vegetables, and the dhal. What was I to do? I had to feed a family of eight. Imperialism was who to blame. These white men came to our village to dominate us. They rose the prices of everything. They even charged each villager for our lands. Life was not getting easy ( Markayanda 54). I could no longer afford any rice for my family. We had no crops to depend on; this harvest was bad. Imperialism, I hated it! I hated all those white men who caused my family's hunger. All these white men were the murderers of my sons Kuti and Raja (Markayanda 93-105). I could no longer offer my son Kuti any food; he died, and left me in my misery. Raja, my young boy stole calfskin from the tannery. He thought of the family as he did so. His intentions were to sell the skin to provide his beloved family with some rupees, and he was killed! By who do you ask, who else? The white men, officers of the tannery (Markayanda 93-95). Had imperialism never arrived in India, everyone's harvest would be perfect and everyone would have a home. Imperialism tempted my boy to steal. It caused his death. If you ever see unusual people in your native place, beware for they will harm you and manipulate you. Do not fall for their advanced ways, for they will damage your family and tear you apart. My sons died due to imperialism. Would you want that happening to you? Take action if you see strangers in your village. Do not let them dominate you, for you will regret it. Remain strong, and forever be anti-imperialism.
Janet Ceron
ReplyDeleteNectar In A Sieve
Speaker: Rukami-- Advantages of Imperialism
Imperialism brought happiness and comfort to my home. It had great adavantagesI was a little girl when I was given away to marriage. I had to grow up fast, learn how to farm, and be a wife all at once (Markayanda 8-11). There I was alone, in a village far from my home. I was living in a mud hut which I now had to call home. Nathan, my husband respected me. I was at peace. Nathan and I had our first child, Irrawaddy, our daughter (Markayanda 20). My babies we already grown up both of them in their teens. I was at home fixing up a meal when in comes my eldest son, Arjun without of breath. He tells me he saw white men carrying bricks on horses, and that they were going to build a tannery (Markayanda 29). My husband was careless about this new tannery. For all he cared about was his lands and crops. I on the other hand, was filled with curiosity. I wondered what the tannery looked like inside. Soon enough, my eldest sons Arjun and Thambi decided to go to work in the tannery. For they saw our terrible economic situation at home (Markayanda55). My sons, Thambi and Arjun made two rupees each, every day. Finally, we could buy crops when the harvest went bad. We could eat rice, eat dhal (Markayanda 58). These white men came to our village in India and provided jobs for us. Look at my situation. My sons were young and able to work. The white men brought imperialism over to India. They provided jobs with a good pay. They came just in time! Things in our village were getting hard. The harvest was not going so well. The arrival of these white men improved our village and created a hospital along with a tannery. Imperialism brought comfort to my home. To sleep at night knowing there was enough money and food the next day was amazing. It was a great advantage to me knowing that my sons could work. Give the foreigners in your native place a chance; for they will improve your life. In my village, imperialism caused many to abandon the fields and get started in businesses and in the tannery. Imperialism brought these great advantages. We could work in a tannery and get payed well In my situation, my young boys working in the tannery helped me in every way possible. They brought rupees to our home, and my beloved husband Nathan brought the crops to our home (Markayanda 67). Imperialism improved each one of us, and I have no doubt it can improve your home situation. If imperialism improved my home situation, then it may also improve yours. Remember, give the foreigners a chance if they arrive in your native place, for you will not regret it.
Juan D. Garcia _ Nectar In A Sieve
ReplyDelete1. Ruku:
Hello. I am a village woman who has lived in this small village I call home for a long time. And over my lifetime in my village, imperialism has increasingly grown and expanded in my country. It has done nothing but ruin things. People in my village have lost many traditions and cultures that we used to have all because of the expansion of imperialism. The men have left their lands and some leave their home to get money and plan "evil" schemes to get more money (Markandaya 50). Imperialism is very difficult for the people in the village. Most of us in here are poor and prices in markets for goods are increasing (Markandaya 23). Imperialism does nothing but bring negative effects to the people in the village.
2. Nathan:
Hello. I was very poor and now because of imperialism, it has made me a very prosperous man. The tannery which was built in two months (Markandaya 31), helped bought more jobs to many people in the village. There has been many job opportunities for employment (Markandaya 33). My sons have all gotten good jobs in the tannery and are getting paid well. Not only are there many jobs, however, the jobs pay well. We get paid 2 rupees daily which is more than enough and is more than what we get in working in our lands (Markandaya 30). Ever since imperialism has began to expand it has made our country and the people like me very prosperous and it has improved many help, benefiting many things.
Angel Gonzalez
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo speech one
Hello my people Umuofia . I have been gone for seven years and I now arrive back to shock. How can you let these white men tamper with your minds and build temples of their God in our precious land.(Achebe 150) My friends this is truly not the answer to your problems this can only make it worse. Our long lived traditions cannot be gone we must fight back. These invaders have already destroyed the Abame village and we may be next thats why we must fight or run to safety before we get even more corrupted.(Achebe 184) My own son Nwoye has fallen for these people's ideas of everlasting life with their so called "God" but what of our gods and traditions we can't just drop the ideas of our way of life and culture.(Achebe 147-148) I rather die then lose that my people... (Pause) This man Mr. Brown wants to make it seem that our Chukwu is just like his god, but please don't fall for the manipulation my people it's all lies to fall under their spell. (Achebe 181)
Mr. Brown then interrupts.....
Mr. Brown speech two
..... The people of Umuofia we are not here to hurt you you we just come has representatives of our god to help you. For the last couple of decades your people have been in the need of help according to our god.(Achebe 195) We have came to change the bad personalities and to help the problems that have been occuring with your lives through our missionaries of our religion. This man has come to change that he knows of the problems you face but he is of the rich class he wants it to stay that way. His own son can't even enjoy life with his wealthy father and joined us to recieve the help he needed.( Achebe 146-147) Our God has created your beautiful land, he has created all of us, and if you come with us and join our mission you will believe and understand of his everlasting life.
(Achebe 180) We have built hospitals in Umuofia to help with your medical needs. (Achebe 180-182) If we would have came to destroy you, we have done so by now instead of wating our time building things for your cause. So I beg you please join our beautiful spreading faith. With us we can become one and be an actual true society in the world, and follow God's plan.
Ms. Karvunis,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if we had to complete the 20 pages questions and the chapter questions. I have almost completely finished the 20 pages questions, but i am not very far on the chapter notes (Chapter 15/34). I heard from another student that we did not have to completely finish both, but I wanted to make sure. Thank you for your time.
-Mona Dwedar =]
Speaker: Wang Lung from The Good Earth
ReplyDeleteSituation: Wang Lung and his family’s journey to the South
It is now day twenty and the trek to salvation still continues, as the blaring heat from the sun staggers us, preventing our arrival in the South. For the past twenty days, my family and I have engaged in this brutal journey, suffering at the hands of nature. For the pain grows with each step, as we continue to become both physically and mentally drained. It is at this point that I, Wang Lung, am beginning to feel as though I have failed as a father, as well as a husband, as I can no longer support my family. However, the pain that I feel is nothing compared to the pain of my wife, O-lan. For just recently, she was pregnant; carrying what was to be the fourth child in our family. During the course of this pregnancy however, the gods were not happy with us, as our stock supply drastically decreased, causing our already hunger-stricken family to go without food (Buck 70). This greatly affected us, but none more than O-lan, who was already suffering as it was, carrying the little burden within her loins. To make matters worse, she felt as if her pregnancy was the cause of the god’s anger. Without the proper food and nourishment, O-lan, as well as the rest of us were close to death. However, what upset me the most, was that there were people within the village who were hoarding food for themselves, selling it to the rich and hiding it from the poor (Buck 88). This act of greed greatly enraged me, as there were many people in the village, such as us, who greatly needed the benefits of crops. This unbalanced economic system is beginning to have me thinking. Why do some groups have more than we? What makes them so different from us? However, these dark times did not disperse, as from then on, we continued to suffer. Many villagers began to die from starvation and improper care. With no harvest, we all felt like we were the next to die. These devastating times, unfortunately continued throughout O-lan’s hour of labor. As the labor progressed, my heart couldn’t help but sink lower into my chest, as I began to realize that I would have to support another child, when I could not support myself. Ashamed as I am to admit this, the tiniest part of me wanted this child to die, as it would not be fair for it to be born into a world where it could not receive the same as others. I soon heard a shrill cry come from O-lan’s bedroom, a cry of a newborn baby. Another child, another mouth to feed, was my immediate reaction. However, I could not help but rejoice at the sound of my newborn child. However, the cry did not return. I called for my wife, who did not answer. Did she die in her bed? She answered, relieving my fear. She called me in. I entered, immediately feeling the cold chill of death.
(Continuation of speech 1)
ReplyDeleteI saw O-lan’s face, trying to hide tears. Out of both curiosity and fear, I asked for my child. It was then that my heart sunk to its lowest depths, as I was told that it was dead. Dead? That word was becoming too fond of me lately. I turned, to see my child and its motionless body lying on the hard floor. It was a girl. My baby girl. A baby girl that would never know her father. I wrapped her body up in broken mats and took her to a cemetery, where many other forgotten souls spent eternity. I placed her next to a tombstone and let go of her, losing our connection that we once briefly had (Buck 87). It was then that anger and rage filled within my soul. WHY?! WHY ME?! WHY, OH WHY ME?! As much as I tried, I could not get that thought out of my head. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t help but think that if it were not for those scoundrels, hiding food from the rest of society, my baby would be cooing in my arms. What is this demonic system in which I live in?! A system which corrupts the soul and kills the body. I’ll never forget what could have been if not for greed. However, I now look forward, marching towards hope and possibility (Buck 83).I’ll never forget the instant that I realized that what I was facing, the cause of death and destruction, was bigger than me and life. For when I hear this word, it still sends shivers down my spine. For it is the system of imperialism.
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ReplyDeleteSpeaker: O-lan
ReplyDeleteSituation: O-lan’s labor
I squat here, anxiously awaiting the birth of my fourth child. As I stare at the ceiling above me, I can feel its tiny feet pattering against my insides. For the past nine months, this burden has resided within me, fighting for its own life and in the process, slowly killing me. As well, these past few months have not been kind to me and my family. For it was from the moment I first discovered my pregnancy, that nature turned against us and from that moment, stopped aiding us in the growth of our crops (Buck 70). I can’t help but feel as though it is my fault for this tragedy that has fallen upon us. Darkness engulfs our plains and continues to threaten our existence. Without the crops and food we receive from nature, we have slowly fallen to the brink of extinction. I can hear my husband pacing outside my door, anxiously awaiting his newborn child. As the veil of darkness continues to fall upon our village, it seems as if there is no hope. However, all is not lost, as it is said that after my labor, we shall leave this dreaded place and find a land of possibility and promise. A land that offers more than this desolate wasteland (Buck 83). The pain begins to sink in and I now realize that my pregnancy shall soon be over. I hold my breath, trying to alleviate the intense abdominal pains within me. I tightly hold the walls around me and scream. My wailing distracts me from the pain that I am enduring. The pain no longer remains and I feel as though a part of me is missing. It is then that I hear the shrill cry of my child. I stare at the tub below me and see my baby, covered in blood, gasping for air. The cry soon fades and its eyes slowly close. The movements which one were, no longer are seen. I can see the complexion of my baby girl turn from a rosy pink to a bright purple. My child is gone. My husband calls for me, but due to the intense sadness, I cannot answer. I soon call for him, assuring him of my safety. He enters, seeing my emotions and asks for his child. It is then that I tell him that it is dead (Buck 86). I could immediately see the sadness arise from within him and he looks into the tub to see his deceased burden. He tries to hold back tears, carrying her away. I relished the few seconds that I saw her within the arms of her father, something that I would never see again. I hate what has become of ourselves, due to the unbalanced financial state that we have found ourselves in. If not for greed and if not for this demonic system known as imperialism; my baby would be alive, crying in the arms of her mother.
Things Fall Apart - Kevin Zevallos
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo from Things Fall Apart
Disadvantages of Imperialism
Speech 1
My name is Okonkwo. Many of you know me for all of things of done in the clan. I was once a respected man, full of fame and glory for all the things I've done like when i fought the undefeated wrestler, Amalinze the Cat and won(Achebe 3). I was loved by many people for my successful but all would change when the white people entered the land. I dislike the white man entering, changing our traditions and customs like when Ibe and Ukegbu were discussing the bride price for a woman. The foreigner , Ibe, were bargaining the bride price as if we were discussing an animal. When I informed of this I was shocked. The people of the clan and I were shocked and we believed they thought upside down (Achebe 73). Things started getting worse when the white people invaded another clan near ours. The white people came in and killed everyone in the market without leaving any survivors (Achebe 139-140). When the Christian missionares like Mr. Smith made it to our clan they changed and separated our unified clan like Enoch, who now believed in Christanity was now called the outsider (Achebe 187). Imperialism and the coming of the white man has done nothing but ruin our traditions and beliefs and separtate us.
Nwoye from Things Fall Apart
Benefits of Imperialism
Speech 2
My name is Nwoye. I am the son of famed Okonkwo. For my belief in Christanity I am now rejected by my own father. My father, Okonkwo, is so obssessed with the old traditions and customs. He has yet to accept the change of our clan. It is because of old traditions that he was banished from our clan in the first place, when his gun accidently shot Ezeudu's son at Ezeudu's funeral (Achebe 124). See how our old traditions ruined my father's life, banishing him? Christanity has greatly changed me. When I first heard their hymn, it greatly relieved my soul and I started to attend all their preaching in the marketplace (Achebe 147-150). Thanks to the help of Mr. Brown, a christian believer, he has built a school and a hospital for us (Achebe 181). We can now educate oursleves and learn how to read and write thanks his help. The hospital will treat all those who sick and help our clan. Thanks to Mr.Brown and imperialism we will now flourish and our clan will prosper with knowledge of God.
The Good Earth
ReplyDeleteKassandra
Speech 1: Wang Lung
Imperialism has ruined me. I was once a farmer that worked for the land. The events that lead to my destruction were rooted in Imperialism. The first thing I remember is when I was in the south was the amazing western influence. There were ignorant foreigners and soldiers everywhere. The enemy broke through the gates of the village I was in and raided the home of a rich man (Buck 137). In a daze, I wandered about the home where people took as much as they pleased. A man begged for mercy at my feet. It was then that something came over me, a feeling a desperation. It was then I took that fat fool’s gold. That feeling is what was brought on from not having even the thinnest cut of meat to eat for days. It was the enemy’s fault that the devils inside of me made me commit such a horrible act. It gave me more money than I needed and forced my weak self to begin an enterprise. That begun my spiral into worthlessness.
I became a totally different person returning home with so much gold. I bought land from whichever Hwang was left. It was then I began making great profits from the land (Buck 159). That was the worst thing I have ever done, a sin in which I could not repent. Look at me; I am even speaking in Christian tongue! Anyway, I took advantage of the land. I had that greed from the enemy. The reason why I have hurt my family and neglected my wife was because of the wealth. My poor O-Lan is now dead because I neglected her. She was a woman that protected the house and did everything that I could not do myself. My family cannot support itself without O-Lan. It is because of her my worthless kids were grounded. Now, it is a different story.
I tried to humble my reckless, ungrateful children, but it was no use. It was too late for my two oldest sons. My foolish eldest daughter could not even take care of herself. My second daughter was to be married. The only hope was my youngest son, but he did not want to be a farmer. He was swayed by the soldiers fighting this endless war. My youngest son wanted to be a soldier like my no good cousin (Buck 338). My young, foolish son was amazed by the tales of war and was bent on becoming a soldier. Now there was no way to redeem my actions. Now I am sick and alone, my family is immersed by the effects of Imperialism, but I still have my land.
Speech 2: O-Lan
ReplyDeleteMy people! Listen to me, even though I am a mere woman. Imperialism has caused my family so much anguish. My husband has become a rich man. He has become a terribly rich man from his crops. Now, he sleeps around with other women like I have done nothing for him (Buck 182). As I say, a beautiful woman cannot bear children. She cannot support the house. She cannot live through drought with a hungry baby in her stomach. While my past has hardened my feelings, the only thing that I have left is my loyalty to my husband. I have done so much for this family. I begged, I bared three sons for my husband, I cook the food, I mend the clothes. I once tended the crops with another baby in my belly. I have bared the pain of childbirth five times, without including the other twin. My husband now cannot even look at my unbounded feet because they are not good enough for him. The same pair of feet that worked in the fields with children he hates so much. The same pair of feet that walked to the south with him and three children are not good enough for him. I cannot say anything though, I am just a slave wife. My insides have been hurting ever since I gave birth to my twins (Buck 186). My husband had not noticed my pain until I was unable to move. This man I was so loyal to took away my pearls that I was skillful enough to find. Those were the same pearls that gave good luck to the birth of those twins that caused my demise (Buck 188). He gave those beautiful pearls to his cheap whore. That woman who has done nothing in her life but tease the hearts of men has received something that belonged to a hard working woman like me. It is all because I am not beautiful enough! It is my husband’s immerse in wealthy culture that ruined my family and made my hard efforts to have a functional family useless. It is our riches from Imperialism that caused my pain!
Beautifully written speeches, so far. Many of you have captured the messages of the books. I anxiously await the rest of the speeches. As for the chapter questions and notes, those were for you to use on these posts. If they are not done, that is your choice. I will not collect them. The answer to whether you read or not is in these posts. The whole week's posts equal 100 points or a test grade. That is sufficient credit for your work.
ReplyDeleteBy the way- I love Semir's speech and also Matt's speech. All of them are good but those have such flare, especially since Semir did his first!!! More points to those who post first. There is no way for them to copy!
ReplyDeleteSally Gee
ReplyDeleteThe Good Earth
Speech 1- Wang Lung
My name is Wang Lung. I was a poor farmer who had to work in the fields and take care of my father every day. I wed a servant,O-Lan, from the House of Hwang. She takes care of my sick father, cleans the house, cook, and help me in the field. With the good harvest, I was able to saved up money and buy more land from House of Hwang. Imperialism have gave me an advantage when I bought the land from House of Hwang. The Old Mistress was smoking too much opium; at the rate of how The Hwangs were rapidly wasting their money, they became broke. At that time, I bought some of their land and gained twice as much as I usually do. Imperialism gave the House of Hwang a disadvantage, but it gave me an advantage. Imperialism gave me another advantage when my family and I were traveling to the South. My family and I were exhausted from hunger and fatigue. With the last silvers that I possess, I bought a ride in the fire wagon to the South. The fire wagon saved my family and I from dying. Although Imperialism gave me some advantage, it brought me some disadvantage. In the South, we work very hard, but it was never enough. There were no good paying jobs in the South, and we labor much more in the South than in the fields. My sons had to beg and even steal, and we get only one nice meal. Imperialism corrupted our culture and moral/ethics. I was horrified when I heard that my son bragged of how he stole the meat. Living in the South was like being a foreigner in a foreign place. I missed my lands and fields in the North. Another disadvantage of imperialism was that there were too much talks of revolt from the young ones (Buck 115). When war finally comes, many people like me were dragged of for battle. Luckily for me, I have escaped from being captured, but I had to work at night to avoid these soldiers (Buck 128). Imperialism had brought me both advantages and disadvantages, but I had always missed my lands in the North.
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ReplyDeleteWang Lung
ReplyDeleteImperialism saved my family and I. Before imperialism, we were left to starve in the north (Buck 83). This changed when we moved south. We were able to eat rice (Buck 98). I was able to get a job (Buck 103-104). While on my job, I came across a Western woman (Buck 109). I received two silver coins from her, twice as much as the normal price (Buck 109). Also, I kept my ethics when I spanked my son for stealing (Buck 113). Later on, as well, I robbed a rich home from their gold coins (Buck 139-140). Without imperialism, I would not be here today. I would not be making this speech today. I would not be inspiring you today. Change is possible. What changed my social hierarchy? Imperialism. I understand that I should have been against the Westerners and the soldiers, but why should I be? They did not hurt me. They helped me. It started with the Western woman. When she gave me those two coins, I was able to support my family because it was more than the typical amount I received. Then, I went from being slightly able to support my family to being rich and able to give my family extravagances. I was able to keep my ethics, which is not very common. I may have been a hypocrite when I spanked my son for stealing. When I stole, it was different. I stole to help support the family, not support them with an extravagance for a day. I did not want my son to grow up to be a thief and that was the only way to teach him that. China may be against imperialism, but I support it. It saved me, so I support it. Long live imperialism and long live my luck that comes with it!
(his perspective, along with the rest of the characters, changes towards the end. I just wanted to display his perspective in the beginning)
Uncle
Imperialism is amazing. My nephew is basically doing my bidding. It is awesome! Who created this imperialism? Their awesome too! My nephew comes home to his home a complete mess from my bandits, but he is okay with it (Buck 143). HE WAS OKAY WITH IT! I was scared at first because everyone assumed it was my bandits, which they were, but he was cool with it. I feel so powerful! OH! THEN, he allows me to live in his home (Buck 190). I do not have to pay rent or take care of my kids. His wife will be doing that for me. I can be as lazy as I please because I don’t have to lift a finger. IT GETS BETTER! My son is rich (Buck 190). Since he is easily swayed by me, I will receive as much riches as I please. I am going from a life of hell to a life of luxury. I used to hate my nephew because he disrespected me (Buck 63). He changed in my mind completely. He, with the help of imperialism, gave my family what they have never seen before, extravagances. He is rich and, now, so am I. I have learned one thing through my time with my nephew, he is my guardian angel and savior from my hell.
Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya
ReplyDeleteKen Li
Rukmani: Hello everyone, my name is Rukmani. I am the daughter of a village leader. All my sisters are married to a good family except for me whom was married to a poor farmer, Nathan. I remember those white men started their imperialism in India. They built this tannery (29) which it can be their first step toward imperialism in India. I really hate those white men's idea of imperialism because afterward their was a storm which flooded our fields (43-45). To me, I think the storm is trying to go against those white men also it seems to be like a bad omen in my point of view. Also after the storm, the food products began to increased. This merchant which Nathan and I met while we tried to buy us to rice, he made two rupees sound like a piece of cake to him (46-48). With these three events, I really dislike imperialism. All it had done to us is harms, hardships, and worries. Isn't worrying about our family is enough? Well, to them it seem like a piece of cake since they raised the product prices to high; I feel that it really irritated us a lot because the white men made us feel like as we were tools towards with their greedy desires. The white men can decide who they want to kill or not depending on the way they are seen. Like my son, Raja, who stole calfskins from the tannery for our good (94-95). They killed Raja without thinking about how he feels. Those white men were heartless and they got no feelings. They were monsters that doesn't have any emotions. We should go against those white men and made them stop imperialism and get out of our country.
Kenny: Hey people! My name is Kenny and I am a doctor. Even though I am a friend with her, but of course I will helped my own nationality. I am also one of those white men that Rukmani disliked very much. You want to know something funny even though Rukmani dislike us so much, but her sons were working for or with us before (7). Her son didn't seem to have any problem with me, but probably I am her friend that might be the reason. If she disliked us, she should made her sons worked on those crappy farms like her husband which is a hard worker. Her husband worked like a cow every single day and what did he get from field; NOTHING~!. Even if the field was progressing the storm flooded them (43-45) which showed that god destined them to worked for the white men in the tannery just like her sons. About her son's incident, it wasn't an intention as the officer said the chowkidars caught him stealing(95). As he stole our calfskins, there is of course consequence that should have been done about it. When you see someone steal from your house what will you do? For me, there is of course consequences. Doesn't that goes to you?. Plus, we were planning to building a hospital which can be come in use for everyone (124). We were not doing any bad deeds for the Indian civilians, so you could have came to us for helps. We, the white men, are not that bad, are we?. India can be improve a lot if it was under control by us, the white men which can organized it well. India have no limits, so let it be imperialize and I promise everyone will be satisfy. So please don't see us badly!!!
The Good Earth
ReplyDeleteBY: Pearl S. Buck
Jaafar Hamdan
Speech 1: The Old Mistress This is an outrage an outrage I say of what has happened with this import of opium and what if has done to all of us. The government will not stop the importing so let’s stop it and join me after hearing my story. Before the import of opium I was a rich, had a big house, a lot of land, and I had slave waiting on my every command. I had found a small bag of opium in my slave’s cabinet and when I asked her what it was she wrapped it up and told me to smoke it. I tried it and almost choked on it and beat my slave for letting me smoke that nasty thing. After that first wrap of opium I never wanted to try it ever again but for some reason I wanted to try more after a month so I went to the seaport and purchased a few packs. After smoking those packs I wanted more and more so I started buying creates of it and smoking all of in four days and spent all the silver and gold I had. I had spent all my money within a few short months. Losing all my money is due to imperialism! Imperialism had allowed the trade of opium to be traded into the country which made me loses my money. I know I am not the only rick person that has lost all their money due to opium which was because of imperialism. Imperialism caused more trade which allowed the huge import of opium. By getting addicted to opium I bought more and more. When I ran out I would beat my slaves for not getting more. One day when I ran out of opium my slave told me there was no more money left. So my addiction to opium was so bad that I started to sell my land. The husband of my former slave was nice enough to buy some of my land and with that money I was able to buy twenty create of opium. Then after three quick months I ran out so I sold my slave for money they didn’t get much money but I was enough to buy opium for the next year and a half. After running out I had gotten ill and was dying from my excessive smoking but a miracle happened and I was alive. After what happened I never smoked opium ever again and had realized I lost everything good in my life. Our government didn’t think that too much opium was entering this country and that people were spending money on opium and all the money was leaving the country. Since so much money had been spent on the opium our economy grew weak. This all happened because of imperialism, imperialism was our (the rich people) down fall. If you agree that we should get rid of imperialism in this country and spot buying opium to destroy imperialism. So imperialism made the rich poor.
(The other second speech is on a different post because there is to many characters.)
The Good Earth
ReplyDeleteBY: Pearl S. Buck
Jaafar Hamdan
Speech 2: Wang Lung Yes! Yes! Yes! Imperialism is great. Imperialism is the best way of life. The great thing about imperialism is that the poor farmer like that works hard and tries not to waste water can become a rich man. Those former rich people how complain about they lost all their money because they bought too much opium is their fault because they had no self control. It is too bad for those mean rich people but it is better for us because they are selling their land for low prices to sell fast so they could by their opium fast. Since we have more land we could make more money and live easier live. This is all thanks to imperialism. This actually happened to me and my family. I was a hard working poor farm and help me father but I had no money little land and going to marry a slave from the Hwang house. One day when my wife went to go show our baby to my wife’s former mistress when they were talking the mistress told my wife she is selling land because she spent all her money on opium. So she sold the Land for a low price and since I saved up extra money I bought the land which had rich soil. I made enough money from the land to by more land. So within a few years I had bought many pieces of land which made me a lot of money and was able to send my sons to school. I am living a perfect life now I am able to give my children the best food and the best clothes. I was able to give my family the best stuff because I bought that land from the house of Hwang. The reason I was able to buy the land was because she needed money fast to buy opium. The reason for her needing to buy opium is because of the import of it and she was hooked on it. Opium was imported because of imperialism. If it wasn’t for imperialism I would still be a poor many living and working on a small farm. Imperialism should always be around because it gives everyone an equal chance to be rich. So everyone lets bond together and keep imperialism as our way of life.
Sally Gee
ReplyDeleteThe Good Earth
Speech 2- The Agent in the House of Hwang
I am the agent in the House of Hwang. I have met with Wang Lung twice, but each meeting with Wang Lung was of different circumstances. The first time he bought land from us, the House of Hwang was already having a little finance problems (Buck 50). The little finance problem was not that big a deal; after all, we are very wealthy. The money that Wang Lung use to buy the land from us is just enough to buy the Old Mistress a few days of opium (Buck 55). I really didn't know that the little finance problem would cause a bigger problem in the future. After Wang Lung's last visit, the House of Hwang spend the money as we usually do. The second time that I met with Wang Lung, I am no longer the oily man when he first saw me, I am full of bones and pressured (Buck 69). With the rate of how we're spending money, the House of Hwang is really bankrupted (Buck 69). The young lords of Hwang kept scolding me for my ill management. Imperialism have done noting but to cause more trouble for me! The Old Mistress who kept smoking her opium, was one of the reason that the House of Hwang is at the brink of poverty. The Old Mistress without her opium was as fierce as a beast without meat. She yelled and hit me, but what can I do? They just doesn't understand what "no money" mean! Imperialism had given the House of Hwang nothing but disadvantages.
Things Fall Apart
ReplyDeleteChinua Achebe
Jennifer Tufino
Speech One- Okonkwo
Since I was a young man I’ve stuck to tradition that I grew up with and worked my way up from my father’s failure. I was a wealthy farmer and owned two barns with yams and I have three wives. I’ve always done what I could do to help support my family and today I’m still remembered as a great wrestler I was named to be as a young man (Achebe 3-4). But ever since that one wedding arrangement for my dear friend Obierika’s daughter, things started changing (Achebe 73-74). White men that came to our land started to change our traditions and their ways were different from how we had things done. Their customs to settle bride-price was different because we settled it with sticks, they settle it by bargaining as if our daughters were animals being sold in a market. This is when things first started changing for us in our clan and I didn’t like because their ways were very different from ours. A while after when I was exiled from Umuofia, Obierika came to visit me in Mbanta and informed me that white men started settling in our land and that a new religion was introduced to our people. My son Nwoye converted into the religion and started following their ideas (Achebe 182). Unfortunately I did not agree with this so I no longer considered him to be my son. I wanted my son to stick to our traditions so that when I die he can keep the traditions with his children, but unfortunately it did not occur this way. He even changed his name to Isaac and went to the new training college for teachers in Umuru. I mean why would I consider the settlement of the white men a good thing when they took my eldest son from me? This is no way an advantage because of the new belief brought by these people I lost Nwoye as well. But when the white men came to the village of Mbanta they promised to bring iron horses for our people once they were to settle down among us. I mean this sounded great, new things being brought to our land. Supplies and ideas beyond our own but I couldn’t fully agree to them. Giving into them would make me feel like a woman, a womanly act such as my son did in converting to Christianity. But although it didn’t full convince me it excited the people very much because it would be something new for the clan (Achebe 144). This meant that we would have people with a different cultural background live among us. New ideas could get around and some would interest our people but also others might not. But if we don’t let other people come live on our land we’d never know what it’d be like. Although I like tradition and I like the way things were done in Umuofia, not everyone would completely agree with me considering the many people that already converted to Christianity. But I can say this: I can say that there were benefits and disadvantages to having white men living in our villages, although I found more disadvantages than benefits for our people.
(Continuation)
ReplyDeleteSpeech Two- Nwoye
The settlement of white men in our villages has been a great thing for the people in our villages. I personally loved their ideas enough to convert into their religion. Even though my father doesn’t agree to this, I think that what the white men have given to us has been wonderful. I mean, when the white men first started coming to Umuofia, I learned of their religion and their belief of one almighty God (Achebe144). I decided to join them because it was fascinating and it was a great thing that the white men proved our people wrong. Our people believed that by giving them the Evil Forest to build their shrine, the settlers would die by the fourth day, but did they? No, they showed us that our beliefs weren’t completely true and introduced us to a new idea (Achebe 149-151). This got many people from Mbanta to convert to their religion. They even later opened a school for children to have the opportunity to learn to read and write (Achebe 181). And Mr. Brown’s arguments were convincing enough to have others join the schools set up in my father’s homeland Umuofia. People went to learn at these schools, and managed their time to go. They worked during day and learned at night so it was convenient for them. This was wonderful and it was great for the future of children that attended. Being in the school for some time made people court messengers and even court clerks. That’s impressive, just by going to school to learn made these people successful. Tell me otherwise, was this not great? Mr. Brown even sent me to the new training college for teachers in Umuru which I found to be a great opportunity. But there is one thing that didn’t benefit us. Which was the government that the white men brought with them (Achebe 174). They decided to build a court where the District Commissioner judged cases in an ignorant way. Court messengers who worked for the District Commissioner weren’t greatly appreciated because first, they were foreigners to our people, secondly they were arrogant and thirdly they were “high-handed”. These court messengers were called kotma. The kotma had the job to guard the prison that our people had been locked into for going against and offending the white man’s law. They disrespected our people by beating them in prison and making them work during mornings to clear government compound. This was a disadvantage because the white men punished anyone they believed went against their rule but the thing is, why would they force EVERYONE to follow their rule, if people had a different belief before they came along? This was wrong of them to force our people to follow their belief just because they came to our land. No, it shouldn’t have gone that way. People who wanted to follow their rule should move to a different area along with them so those who didn’t agree to their ideas didn’t have to pay for such consequences. We each have the right to believe in what we wish to without having to be forced to believe what we are introduced to. I mean it’s great to learn new ideas and all but the white men should have also taken into consideration that they invaded OUR land in the first place. We are all entitled to our own opinions, but I honestly believe that the white man’s settlement was a great thing for our village.
TAYLOR RAE CAPONE
ReplyDeleteSpeech One(Rukmani against Imperialism)
As I stand here before you, I express genuine concern about the problems we as a country face. Imperialism has shaped my life and many others in a negative matter. Tanneries were being constructed thus increasing the cost of food The harvest remains poor and prices are higher then ever (56). As the cost of food increases, I am unable to provide for my family thus limiting the amount of food they receive throughout the day. As a result I have lost my youngest son, Kuti, who was unstable and weak (105). Not only has it destroyed my family, it has also destroyed the importance within my life, tradition and custom. Since the tannery has been built, my eldest son has created his life within working standards. Tradition is long gone, and he will no longer walk along his father’s path of owning the farm. The tanneries have created chaos and disaster. Foreigners have helped villagers to grow money hungry and successful. Yet, tradition is a fog and power is being abused. Money and power is all what is left within our country! Now we shall take a stand and fight against imperialism. Raise your fists and fight for justice within Indian society.
Speech Two(Arjun for Imperialism)
My fellow peers, I stand here before you to express the genuine feeling of Imperialism. It has brought me peace within my self, and allowed me to become more successful within working standards. As the eldest brother of my siblings, I remain the next generation to succeed and own my father’s farm. Yet I believe I can be even more successful if I put my time and effort and work within the tannery(39). Our country has advanced and received the technology to become very successful and power. We can no longer live within poverty and earn enough money to live outside our village(105) The city is fulfilled with opportunities and goals I can finally accomplish. My father, who recently has passed away, will understand my intentions. My tradition amongst my Indian residence will never die, and I will carry on my custom as an Indian. There is a chance for me to provide for my family and I am certainly risking my life to do so. I can now help support my beloved mother at this time of despair and agony. May I speak the truth and commend you to follow the path of success. Lets stand for Imperialism and gain opportunities our country hasn’t yet uncovered.
Robert Glass
ReplyDeleteBook: Nectar in a Sieve
By kamala Markandaya
Speech one: Rukmani (Ruku) Dis advantages and advantages of Imperilaism
I was the daughter of a village officala dn lived a good life until I was married. My husband was poor and he built our house out of sod from the ground. I was living with him and soon a strange building rose up and it was known as the tannery (Markandaya 29-32) It was built by these strange white men and they soon took over! When all of the village wanted to look at what they were building, we were shooed away as though they owned us! (Markandaya 29-32). What were we, were we their proprety or people? In my opinion we are and were people. Soon they moved in and then more trouble began to happen in our village. Our lifes were disrupted because we could not buy food, and you may be wondering why, the prices were to high! (Markandaya 46-47). They didn't care about what they did to us as though we are inferior. When we were on hard times my two eldest sons went to work for them to earn money and I did not like that one bit because they didn't keep to the old ways which is farming, and to me it is the only way to go (Markandaya 50-56). Imperialism is destroying my life and it will continue to od because these weird people are cold hearted and have no respect for the natives of this land. Imdia is ours and I will not let Imperialism stop me from living here. Well that statement is wrong because we had another bad harvest and that drove us to selling our land to that un appealing building known as the tannery (Markandaya 131-139) It wants to expand of in real terms, destroy all of us as though we are nothing but pebbles in our own country and they are the overlords.
Imperilalism turned us into a laughing stock becasue my daughter Ira gave birth to a child that was all Albino (Markandaya 117-123). This was is unnatural because none of my children were born that way, it is ugly and revolting that it happened and to my family only because the stupid white men are nothing but dis-honourable and dis-respectful to us. Whils I hate Imperilaism, it has helped us only by a little. When we needed money my sons went to the tannery and brought back money (Markandaya 55-56) and a hospital was being built and that would take care of the sick in the town (Markandaya 137-139). Over all in my opinion imperialism stinks although it can help us have better health and more money, but it will destroy all of our families and lives to the brink of destruction. imperialism in my opinion is the force that will bring the world to total destruction and despair.
Robert Glass
ReplyDeleteBook: Nectar in a Sieve
By kamala Markandaya
CONTINUATION
Speach two: Nathan, husband to Ruku
Advantages and dis advantages on imperialism
I built my house for me and my wife, it was made out of sod and the roof was tathched. I am but a simple farmer and when I saw the tannery building being built I was shocked because we had never seen anything like it and it was built by people who did not look like us and we were treated like proprety, being told that we must leave so we wouldn't bother there workers! (Markandaya 29-32). My life is a hard one because when we had hard times, my two sons went to work for these heritics and that pissed me off because they abandoned me (Markandaya 50-56). Then I found out that one of my sons was dead because of the tannery and this showed me that imperialism is corupt and cold (Markandaya 94-96). I am now older and I can't do as much as I have done in the past. When the tannery wanted to buy the land I had no choice but to sell because I needed to try and start anew and thus leaving my old life behind. The life I knew was now going to be only a memory as me and my wife were to go to my other son and with hope that he would help us (Markandaya 137-139). Although imperialism has destroyed me, it will help the town becasue there is now a hospital and that will take care of the sick and people will live longer, but it is a liitle too late for me (Markandaya 124-127). Imperialism has to be stoped before we are all destroyed by a gigantic iron fist. Head my words, Imperialism will only destroy the true way of life, to live by the land and not by the steel.
Speech 1: Wang Lung
ReplyDeleteI'm at the end of my road. The power I've obtained throughout my life has made me unhappy. All of my desires have lead me to depression. My father and my wife are dead because of my narcissism and obsession with land. I found pleasure with a woman named Lotus, but I was unhappy with her and my affairs (Buck 207). My sons no longer have any interest in what I have made. All my fortunes have not won them, and they don't seem to want to be close to me (Buck 374). They all left me. I have no one to make me truly happy anymore *sniff*. I've driven everyone in my life away. It's all my fault. My obsession of land. I should've sold my land when we had that drought! *sniff* (Buck 90). All the women and land in the world wouldn't make up for the death and disappearance of my family. I'll gladly accept death now. Leave me be. Let me die alone *sob*. My own imperialism has caused me this. I deserve what I get!
Speech 2: O-lan
I watch Wang Lung from the heavens above. All I've done is be a good wife and mother. I've given him sons and worked his fields greatly enough to help him become wealthy enough to buy more land (Buck 54). The power and wealth and land has created a monster. I know he doesn't appreciate all the work I've done and how great of a wife I've been. Why would he get a concubine (Buck 199)? Have I not done enough as a wife? Is there a reason why he needed to be angry when speaking to me and yell? Did he know when he made me cry (Buck 200)? He didn't feel anything for my past (Buck 218). I'm not even sure if he cared that I died (Buck 268). He might have thought of me, but that doesn't mean that he cared. He left me, so he must not have loved me. It's all because of his land. Imperialism caused his power-hunger and my sadness and death. I would have been happy if we could have just stayed the way we were. Now I'm in a place where land means nothing, and I am happy.
Winnie Chen
ReplyDeleteThe Good Earth
Speech 1: Wang Lung, living his last days in his village, is talking to his laborers.
“I and my family have received great fortune from the fields I own. Without this land, my wealth would have never come to me…but not only have this land, though, given me my wealth. Some of you might remember that there was a mighty drought when I was younger. Crops were not able to grow and people starved. My family had to move to the south in order to survive. When I reached the South, everything was quite different because imperialism has taken the south. Imperialism has brought to the south many foreigners who were rich. Dragging a cart to bring someone to their destination for my job, I noticed that I could make more money from foreigners since a piece of silver meant nothing to them (Buck 108). During that time, any silver that I can obtain will be helpful. If there were no foreigners, my people – the ones with black hair and black eyes – would not much money to me. Like once there was an old man who I carried to a temple. He gave me half of what the original fee was (Buck 102). If there were no foreigners, I would not have made any money at all! I was able to make more money when the wall that separated the worlds of the poor and the rich came down (Buck 137). With the new founded money I got from a once rich man, I came back to this village and began a new life. Oh how imperialism was able to help me in my time of need.
Not only was I able to become rich by the help of imperialism, I was able to get rid of my uncle. He was such a burden for he did nothing during his stay in my house except eat and sleep (Buck ). The money I worked so hard for was being wasted to a leech. Now imperialism was able to solve this problem of mine. As all of you know, opium is in our country since foreigners traded it to us and are being sold. It is very addicting once one has smoked it. I gave such opium to my uncle as a gift. He took it willing, for the drug smelled sweet (Buck ). After he and his fleshy wife toke the opium, everything was set! My money, which I made through sweat, is safe and will be given to my real family – who are hard working and not lazy.
These events, even though it has helped me, were not that fortunate. Although imperialism was able to bring me foreigners to make more money, I still did not make enough… My wife and sons had to beg for money as I worked. My second son thought stealing would help, but I will not have a thief for a son! I beat some sense into him for what he had done. I never thought, though, I would become a thief as well. As I said before, I was able to receive more money from a once rich man. I call him a once rich man because I stole from him. In my situation, I was desperate to make more money and go back to my land. A thief was made that day, yet at least I was able to get back to my land. “
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ReplyDeletecontinued (speech 2)
ReplyDeleteSpeech 2: Wang Lung’s Uncle.
“Ah, my nephew is a successful man he is. When I went back to my village after a drought, my nephew took me and my family in. We were able to do whatever we wanted, for I am a Redbeard (Buck 275). I, my wife and my son was able to receive silver whenever we asked for it. The life I lived was peaceful; my nephew took care of us dearly. Not only that, he was able to give me opium. How sweet did it smell when he first offered it to me (Buck 281)! I knew opium was smoked mostly by the rich, so having this privilege is best not to pass. Ever since I smoked the opium, I could not stop. I always have this strong urge to reach for my pipe and fill my lungs with it. When my nephew and his family moved into the house that once belonged to the Hwang, I still continued to smoke opium. The only thing that was not peaceful was how my body became. The result of smoking the opium caused me to not be able to sit up and I coughed up blood whenever I moved (Buck 317). I would not of become like this if imperialism did not come to our country, yet I am glad that we have opium… For now I will cease my talk. It is time for me to have more opium like a rich man.
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ReplyDeleteThe Good Earth
ReplyDeleteMandy
Wang Lung - The Good Earth
Wang Lung and his family arriving in the South
I can't believe it. We're finally here, in the South. I listened to what the man had told me in buying mats and my family having to beg (Buck 94). O-lan has taught the children a new skill in which she had learned before she was a slave. She teaches our children how to beg. I listened to her as she taught them all at once. I remember every single word she taught the children, for she had said, 'A heart, good sir - a heart, good lady! Have a kind heart - a good deed for your life in heaven! The small cash - the copper coin you throw away - feed a starving child!' (Buck 100). It is hard for me to see my children begging. Young, old, in the middle, all begging for some money to survive. O-lan carrying our smallest child, the poor fool, using her for someone to pity (Buck 101). I will never forget what my children had learned arriving to the South. I promise to the heavens that this day shall never come again. It is hard when we are the weaker ones, and my family has to beg the strong, the rich, to spare a few cash for us. Spare a few cash in which we can survive, in which we can get a bowl of thin rice gruel in the morning (Buck 98-99). It is a terrible thing for one to beg. It is even more terrible and embarrassing to have my entire family out in the streets, against this wall in which we don't know what's on the other side and beg the rich passing by to spare some cash. So terribly hard.
O-lan - The Good Earth
O-lan begging with the smallest child
I am very good at this. Begging is what I am good at. I use this little poor fool that does not talk so people will pity me, and give us more cash (Buck 101). There is no use in her, this poor fool in which I had given birth to. She is only useful when people see her and give us cash. It is because of her, people spare some cash to us, but that - that is the only thing she is useful for! She could be begging on her own if she knew how to talk! My sons, dear heavens, think of begging as a game. They don't understand how hard it is for me to carry this child and beg at the same time, and they laugh as people give them cash! You cannot laugh while begging for cash, it is not the right thing to do! So I will hit them for their bad action. Only when I hit them, then they will learn. They will learn not to laugh and beg at the same time, then maybe, just maybe people may spare them more cash.
Speaker: Okonkwo (main character)
ReplyDeleteThe Evil of Imperialism
These white men who have come to our town are partly responsible for the destruction of our village. Before my exile no one knew what their religion was and everyone cared about our traditions. Now as imperialism continues everyone know what Christianity is, and our religion is slowly fading away. My people of Umuofia snap out of this trance that you appear to be in an go back to our old customs. Customs that our ancestors have followed for years. If they looked at us now they would be in scorn and ashamed at us for betraying them, and leaving our culture in the dust. Our traditions were supposed to be passed down to many generations ahead, but it looks different now because these white men have built a church in the Evil Forest. My people of Umuofia don't you get it this church is just a mere illusion of them trying to convert us into Christians. The Christians did something similar in the village of Abame. Now the whole Abame village is no more (Achebe 144). I still do see some hope among you. Take Enoch, for an example. He has burned and destroyed the church (Achebe 188). See I am not the only one who remembers our great traditions and culture. It is o.k. for the Christians to practice their religious beliefs, as long as it isn't here in our village. Let them practice their beliefs back in their own home town. Who do they think they are barging in to our town trying to convert us from our wonderful religion in to their low disgraceful Christianity? We must all follow this path that has been set for us, by our ancestors now or else our culture will be exterminated for good!
Speaker: Nwoye (main character's son)
The Good of Imperialism
This religion is the way of the future. Because of these new trends my father has shunned me. My father is stuck to the old traditions, and customs. Christianity is the way to go. Because of people like Mr. Brown I will convert into Christianity. I lied to my father, and went to hear the ideas of these people in the church. I also told others about this (Achebe 151). In the church the Christians told us that there god would give us everlasting life (Achebe 157). People like my father have to accept that change is bound to come. Why not now? I don't know why he is trying to preserve those traditions that got him banished from our village. If I were him I would of been happy to jump ship to a new side (Achebe 124). The first time I heard their hymn, it changed me spiritually. I started to attend all their preaching sessions (Achebe 148). My people of Umuofia don't let our old traditions hold you back. Our ancestors would smile upon us now. It is time to make a change!
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ReplyDeleteThe Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
ReplyDeleteSarah Weiss
1:Wang Lung
Hi, My name is Wang Lung. Imperialism has helped myself and my family out greatly, but also destroyed it. I started off a poor farmer in China. I lived with my father whom I have attended to since my mother died six years ago (Buck 3). My father and I lived on a very strict budget and settled with very little. We made do without simple necessities such as water. The first time I bathed since New Years was miraculous, I have never felt so pure and wholesome.One day I payed a visit to The House of Hwang where I conversed with the Old Mistress (Buck 18). The Old Mistress was heavily intoxicated from opium during this encounter and handed over her best slave O-lan to me. I remember the first time I saw her, oh her wonderfully chiseled checks and her smooth brown skin! Opium was brought to my country by the British through imperialism and in this case has brought much joy to my life. If the mistress had been thinking clearly she would not have gave me her best slave and if I had never married O-lan I would not be blessed with a wonderful wife, children, and prosperous future for the most part. I bought the mistress and her husband's land in order to grow more crops (Buck 56). I have always secretly had a need within me to attain a status and wealth, and that's exactly what this new land did for me. However, when the drought came I sunk to levels so low I would never imagine and I am not proud of. I decided the only way to survive was to move south (Buck 93). We begged amongst the streets of the Westerners, and although it bought me much shame, I knew it had to be done. I soon discovered my wife O-lan was allowing my sons to steal, what a dishonest thing to do! As I witnessed imperialism bustling around this region of China, I suddenly realized how money had turned me against the things that mattered most to me and had lessened my connection to the earth.
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ReplyDeleteStephanie Echevarria
ReplyDeletespeech 1:
Rukmani - Nectar In A Sieve
To- Kunthi on page 87.
"Which is it to be? Which is it to be?...[Kunthi to Rukmani]" (Markandaya 87).
"It is to be that you will leave! You will but not to soon before you listen. Kunthi, as beautiful as you once were, beauty cannot help you in against this battle for survival. The white men have come into our village, oh! how excited everyone was for them. No one could have seen how they would tear apart our families, and kill us slowly from starvation. Kunthi you have only yourself to feed. How ashamed of yourself you should be! You come here and beg me for food. I give you what I can without helping the death process of my family. Kunthi you may have lost your beauty, but if you can come at me with such passion, why can you not find food elsewhere? I will give you rice water, it is what I cannot afford to lose, but I am still helping you in your time of need. I have lost everything because of those white men. Those white men came in here with horns and tore this village to pieces! Kunthi I will no longer suffer. Me and my kin will come out of this with heads held high. For you, I doubt I can say the same. You have lost your family, I do not intend to lose mine. I remind you again of how this village followed a simple way of life. We were happy. We did fine without the tannery, Those white men took our money, our land, our food and our pride. They have created a monster withhin you. Kunthi, you have my prayer, now please leave. Oh, and Kunthi, my husband knows not what I have done in my own time, but he knows what I have done for my family. In our time of need I have done more than most women achieve in their lifetime. I have much more in this life to achieve and to get through. This disaster has done just what I expected it to, and now it is man against man. All hope is lost for this once peaceful village. We will fight, and most will die while few still breathe. I intend to be one of the living, sao remember me because from this moment on, I will forget you.."
Speech 2:
Raja (Rukmani's son)
To- Rukmani on page 98
"but again and agian he struggled he struggled back to consciousness, took up again his tormented living; almost I wished it otherwise" (Markandaya 98).
As Rukmani fell to sleep, in her head she saw her son, Raja. She drank in every word as if it could replenish her.
"Mother. Dear Mother. I have come to you in this dream to show you that life goes on. The pain brought to us by the white faced deliverers will not last forever. Mother listen to my words. I tell you as a soul that has passed from thee bringers of pain. I stand by you and the rest of the family everyday. I fear Kuti will join me very soon. He is too young and too weak to hold onto his life. You must understand that not all hope is gone. Happiness does indeed exist in this world and it will soon enough return to your life. Mother, embrace what you have left. Life is a precious thing, the white men can taunt you and can take everything else from you, but do not let them take away your life as they did to me. Grain will come soon. Your life is far from over. Never staop in your search for happiness dear mother...."
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ReplyDeleteThings Fall Apart
ReplyDeleteBy: Chinua Achebe
Speech one: okonkwo against imperialism
All you all know, I, Okonkwo disagrees with imperialism. Why? Because of the problems it has caused my family, your family and other people's family! It's not like the old times where everyone follows the old traditions and how things were do the old ways. The white men had no titles and our people are following their footsteps like believing in their Church and religion (Achebe 143). WHAT HAPPEN TO THE RELIGION YOU PEOPLE ALREADY BELIEVE? More and more of our people are departing away from their original state of mind and moving over to the new white men's believes. The white men talked about how OUR gods are useless and wont do us any good, but how would they know that? It's all lies! They said their god will save us, but how?(Achebe 145-146). Our clans are breaking up and seeing other people's religions. I do not approve of this at all. Things are getting out of control. It's just sad how even my own son turned on me and follow the white men. One day i asked him where he went and he said nothing so i got furious with him. The next thing you know he goes back to the white men's Church (Achebe 151-152). This shows that our people are being corrupted by these white men. If they have never came then none of this would have happened. We are only supporting those men by joining and believing in what they do and believe in. As you can see they're making their group and power bigger by consuming us. Soon we will lose what we use to know and be one of them, our tradition will be no more.
Speech two: Nwoye for imperialism
I, Nwoye approve of what's happening. As you know I am the son of Okonkwo. my father disagrees with me; he's just too stubborn to move on. I don't see what's wrong with the Church, besides the fact that it's built in the "Evil forest". I high doubt that the Evil forest is even evil. I believe people die because of natural causes and that they dont take care of themselves well enough. If the Evil forest was evil then something evil should've happened to us already (Acheve 143). Besides the Church isn't THAT bad. It gives me strength and hope because of we do there, like singing. Singing is a beautiful thing especially when people get to do it together in the same tune and speed. If someone were to leave the church, they wouldn't have to suffered but unlike my father, when I left him, he was already beating me because I'm following the Church's believes (Achebe 150-152). He was going to attack the church and destroy it hoping everything and everyone would be back to normal. Violence isn't the answer. My father should really thinking about something called out with the old and in with the new. Everybody's been in the same old religion until the white men introduced us to their church. They have helped our village so much and it was all positive. We wouldn't be so afraid anymore and their god is a lot more convincing because the white men once said their gods will save us, and would doesn't want to be saved? I believe my father is just jealous of the white men and the Church because they have a lot more to offer than our old religion (Achebe 151).
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThings Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
ReplyDeleteGrace Tan
Speech 1 [Okonkwo - Things Fall Apart]
Imperialism in my opinion is a very horrible and tragic thing that happened to my country [and village]. The white men who came to my town turned my faithful, young, diligent son into a traitor of his people. He has turned into a Christian because of the white men's influence on him [Achebe 144]. If imperialism had never arrived into my town, my son would never disobey our traditions and turn into a Christian. Imperialism was also a bad influence on my society because it caused my people to betray me also. My people and I have devised a plan to get the white men out of our land but the white men threatened to hurt my people so they were forced to betray me [Achebe 203]. This betrayal was way too far and I could not take how much harm my community did to me so this resulted in me to suicide [Achebe 208].
Speech 2 [Obierika - Things Fall Apart]
Imperialism has had bad impacts on our community. Firstly, it has caused Okonkwo and his son Nwoye to have a strong dislike for each other. Okonkwo has denied Nwoye as his son because Nwoye follows the white men's traditions. [Achebe 143] The white men entering our village and spreading their traditions has destroyed Okonkwo and his son's relationship. Imperialism has also caused "our own men and our sons have joined the ranks of the stranger" as I have said [Achebe 176]. I agree with my friend [Okonkwo] when he dislikes the invasion of foreign cultures and traditions. I call my people "foolish" to believe their traditions. [Achebe 176] The white men only got our people to believe in their crazy ideas because they were too clever and cunning. Now that they have entered our town, we are threatened by their power to betray one another. They have also killed a lot of our people. [Achebe 176-177] I believe that imperialism has caused the death of my beloved friend. [Achebe 204] Imperialism caused only harm to my people and community.
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
ReplyDeleteWang Lung:
Life has been hard for me since I was born. I am a farmer who once had nothing. My father helped me find a slave named O-lan from the Hwang family to marry (Buck 8). She never said much but she helped around the house and on the farm. O-lan also gave me many children. Imperialism brought me and my family wealth. The wealthy Hwang family became poor because the Old Mistress spent all their money on opium and the Old Lord spent money on concubines (Buck 52). They decided to sell land and I bought it with the money I saved (Buck 54). I and my wife worked hard on that land to make money. The Hwang family continued to sell their land for money and this gave me the opportunity to buy whenever I had money. Buying these lands made me wealthy and powerful in my village. Imperialism also made us lose our morals. When there was a terrible drought, my family and I had to move south to get a better life (Buck 97). This foreign place made my family lose their morals. A man taught us how to beg (Buck 100). How could he make me lie and cheat others’ money? I went to earn my money honestly by pulling Jinrickshas (Buck 108). O-lan begged for money and my children began to steal (Buck 118). This was disgraceful. When we returned back to our village, I bought more land. I became wealthy and more like how the Hwangs used to be. I became self conscious and even brought home a woman named Lotus from a teahouse (Buck 215). She had bound feet and she was beautiful. My wealth made me forget about important things like my family. O-lan was upset because I didn’t give her any attention. She passed away (Buck 286) and now I deeply regret what happened.
O-lan:
I was a slave from the Hwang family and they married me off to a farmer named Wang Lung (Buck 18). I worked hard by helping his work and gave him many children. Imperialism affected me negatively and positively. When my family moved to the south because of a drought, I helped support my family by begging (Buck 112). The foreigners gave a lot of money to us so we could survive and return back to our village. Wang was able to buy more land and we became wealthy. He was able to send our first two sons to school and be educated (Buck 175). Even though we had money and was able to support our family, Wang Lung became obsessed with the way he appeared. He began to show off his wealth and went to a tea shop built by a man from the south (Buck 184) and brought home an obnoxious woman with bound feet (Buck 215). The influence of the people from the south has made my husband into a man who only cares about his money.
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
ReplyDeleteDanny Perez
Speech 1: Wang Lung’s Perspective
I have a dream that anyone can be rich in everything if only people believe in themselves. At first I was a victim of Imperialism because I was a poor farmer who was at the mercy of the land. I had very little money and I had no one. I have suffered my entire life taking care of my father while not being able to work even more. I had very little land and enough to just eat (Buck 3). Then my luck was greatly increased. I got a wife faster than I would have ever wanted to be. I thought that I had to persuade the Old One to get O-lan (the slave) was my wife. The Old One was smoking her opium and she completely forgot everything. I had to reminder her about my situation about having a wife, and she gave me O-lan very quickly for she didn’t want to see me (Buck 16). When I got my wife it was no loner my duty to get hot water or food to my father, or clean the house. I was able to work more in the fields and sometimes O-lan helped me it the field when I never asked of her to do it. We worked very hard and I got more money everyday. Then I had enough money for anything. Since imperialism had impacted many other people it also affected the Whang family along with the Old One. She smoked too opium that she didn’t have very much money and was getting poor. I took the opportunity and used the sliver that I had and bought some land from her. From there I got obsessed with land and money and I saw how imperialism can improve people who have money (Buck 53). When the poor harvest came it affected everyone even the rich themselves, and me along with my family had to survive. There was point that I grew poor because I spent my money on more land, and then my family had to decide that it was either human flesh or the ox. I didn’t want to kill the ox but it was the best choice. O-lan killed the old ox that had been used to help me in the field (Buck 74). Since the people saw that I had land they stole my little food I had and I was very damaged by this unfair action (Buck 77). Then me and my family moved to the south and begged there for a living and it was a horrible experience because I had to do many things against my morals. Then later on soldiers came to pick up men for a battle. I was afraid and didn’t want this for myself. I started to hide and I also stole money to get back home (Buck 139). I stole the gold coins from a rich man who had enough wealth and he was very fat. I soon spend the money I had and got everything I ever needed and used the jewels O-lan found to buy all the land from the Hwang and I saw soon be rich (Buck 167). For seven years there was the best harvested I had in my life and I had everything I ever needed and I felt that everything was worth good cause and my luck just kept on increasing everyday. I spend most of the time on the fields and had never time to be with my wife (Buck 172). Then I built more attachments to my house and became very well respected (Buck 176).The people everyday saw me with respect but they didn’t really know that I have gone bitter and have cheated on my wife and I have bought more women to my house. I never noticed these changes but the money made me change very much (Buck 230). I also just used my sons as to help with the field or business (Buck 265).Then I start to notice all the bad things that I have done in my life because O-lan got very sick and I was there the entire time and this changed everything around me she died and to me there was use of money (Buck 286). Imperialism helped improve my life but it also made many people I loved very much die and this I noticed after I got everything while I didn’t noticed that all I needed was love.
PART 2 :)
ReplyDeleteSpeech 2: O-lan’s perspective
Hello there, my name is O-lan and I used to be the slave of the Old One. I was a slave ever since I was a small child and then Wang took me to be his wife. I did everything he said while I was just the cleaner and worker in Wang’s house (Buck 27, 28). I have lived though a lot way much more badly than in Wang’s house, for I was hit and was treated very differently. It is true that I did work that Wang never told me to do and I didn’t ask for nothing more. It was because me that Wang was able to become richer than he was ever was. I just never said anything (Buck 53). To me coming into Wang’s house because it wasn’t much work than in the house of Hwang and worked and said nothing. When the poor harvest cam e and it was time for the ox to die, I was the one who killed it because it dependent on our survival. I was the only one who was able to do it and it wasn’t just because of imperialism but the weather. Then when I had my daughter I killed her because she will not survive in the horrible conditions. I felt guilt but it was a better action than feeding a month trash (Buck 86). Then I couldn’t take it anymore and I told my sons to steal now because it was the only option to survive and to move ahead in life (Buck 107). This is what motivated Wang to steal money from the rich than to sell his daughter (Buck 147). Then I started not to work in the field because Wang had enough money to hire workers. I felt that felt time for my children and I did also (Buck 169). Things changed when Wang bought his new wife and I started to change also. I didn’t obey the new women because I knew that they just wanted money (Buck 215). I was just a worker in that house and I nothing more and I soon got more and more sick. I was not the same after that and the women in Wang’s house just spend money on food and useless junk (Buck 224). Everyday Wang got more obsessed with his land and his money. Then he noticed that I have changed in my appearance and for once Wang noticed me and started to care for me (Buck 272). Soon the family didn’t know without me and it was very different now. I was treated more differently and Wang gave me food and he saw the mistakes he had done with his money that he regretted it a lot (Buck 278). Imperialism cause this pain but after all I died very happily and I had the best last moments in my life, my wishes came true for once, and I got what I asked (286). Imperialism helped my husband and didn’t really help me that much but at the end I got everything I needed to be happy and move on.
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ReplyDeleteMr. Brown:
ReplyDelete(Mr. Brown tries to convince the rest of the village to try to listen to Christianity)
I have come here to talk to you people to try to give imperialism and this new religion a chance. This religion isn’t bad or deadly. This had actually brought many new and good changes to your community. For example we have provided this village with hospitals to treat sick people and with a school for the children to go so they can learn how to read and write. This is a positive effect that has come from imperialism. This new religion isn’t bad it has given people a new hope for the future, everlasting life (157). These changes aren’t horrible nor do they hurt anyone. Imperialism has helped your village with trade and money (178). It has gotten a government system established. It has also given this village a thought of trading palm oil and kernels which you had a lot of (178). These changes haven’t been for the worst it has only been for the best. Your old traditions were based on your ancestor’s beliefs and thoughts but new thoughts and ideas always come so it might be time for you to change these old traditions.
Okonkwo
(Okonkwo gives his opinion on the subject of imperialism after Mr. Brown has talked)
Well I have lived in this village ever since I was a young boy. I have worked hard to get what I have. Our old traditions weren’t bad at all. These were the traditions that our ancestor have made and have followed even before our grandparents. But some of our people thought that they were old and outdated so they decided to pay attention to the new ideas that these white men had brought with them. How will we honor our ancestor if we take in other new ideas and then forget our old traditions? These white men have killed some of our people. When we tried to get them out of our village and stop influencing our children but they refused and then they put us in jail and expected us to pay them with 250 bags of cowries! They had influenced our children like my own, Nwoyne. He would escape and go to these white men against my word (151). Now I had lost my oldest son to these white people! This is a negative effect because they teach our children to disobey and to sneak out! This is a form of disrespect that I now do not consider Nwoyne my son anymore.
The Good Earth
ReplyDeleteXanique H
Hi, my name is Wang Lu. I grew up on the fields as a poor farmer living with my father. My mother passed away when i was young. Everyday i took care of my father and our land. One day, i married a girl named O-Lan, who used to be a servant for the Hwang family. She helped me around by taking care of my father, cooking and doing other house chores. Imperialism gave me an advantage at this point in life. The Hwang family's Old mistress had begun to use opium (Buck,52). Just like any oter drug, opium gets you addicted. With that addiction, The old mistress continued to throw away her money on the opium, since it was starting to be a necessity. The Hwang's, in need for money, sold me their land (Buck,52). Good thing that with my hard work i was able to save up enough money to buy their land. Imperialism gave me an advantage here because i was able to profit twice as much as i used to make. Imperialism had a disadvantage on the Hwangs. They went from being a high class family, to a poor family due to the addiction of opium. After i bought the land, things did not go well. There was a drought that caused me not to profit any thing. My family and I, had to move to the south to make some money so we could afford food. Sometimes work was not available. My wife would allow our kids to steal food, in order for us to get by (Buck,110). That's where imperialism had a disadvantage on our nation. We lost our traditions and respect. When was it alright for people to steal? Life was tough but, I made it through.
Jia Wen Cao
ReplyDeleteThe Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck
Speech 1: Wang Lung
It all began when I lost my mother. My mother died six years ago and I grew up taking care of my father. I was an only child, my family had not the money to live in big houses; for I was a poor farmer. One day I married a woman, O-lan, she was the rising point of my tale. O-lan was a slave of the rich house of Hwang, and the Old Mistress of the house was addicted with opium. Opium was an advantage; and advantage I took. The opium that spread in China corrupted many families. Many rich families became poor from the obsession of opium. Due to this fact, I was able to optain a great wife. O-lan and I worked at the fields day by day, soon we made money; we used the money to buy pieces of land. While later, we had three childrens and we depended on the weather for food. Drought came, and rain was scarce, due to the lack of food and money here in the village, we moved south (Buck 93-95). Ah, moving south was the biggest turning point of our lives; the entire family. After moving south for a while, we learned our ways of making moneys. My wife and childrens begged in the streets (Buck 115-116) and little as little, our money saved up. Oh, I remember those days. The streets were filled with markets, food everywhere. The south, we had no problem with food or money. Imperialism had really changed my life; my family had to once suffer from hunger due to the hated weather, and now everyday there would be food. As I once said, "One would say that in this city there could be none who starved" (Buck 117). Ah, yes, Imperialism is a wonderful thing. The great effect it had in China, improved those poor starving lives. My tale is far from over, but the most memoriable part is my the movement to the south and the time when we discovered imperialism.
Speech 2: O-lan
Ah, my old friends. For I do no speak much, I apologize. I was once a slave from the House of Hwang. There, I worked in the kitchen all my life, until I was married off to a farmer. My husband, Wang Lung, changed my life. I was restricted and sealed in the rich's house. I was unable to experience the outside world. After being married, I gained my freedom. This was also due to the Old Mistress of the House of Hwang addicting to opium. Opium corrupted her mind, as she decided to lend me off to a stranger. Enought of my background; now to the point after I was married. I soon had three children and the fourth one, I killed. Food and money was scarce in the house, and we weren't able to feed another mouth, my only choise was to kill the innocent baby (Buck 86). Due to the lack of rain, my family moved to the south. Moving south gave us a huge advantage and light towards our future. Money was easy in the cities. We begged and we gained enough money to survive and live (Buck 115-116). Our days went by much happier than back at the village. It wasn't easy but no one starved or suffered. Imperialism was a great deal to us. I greatly give thank to imperialism in China, for happier days of life relied on it. Those days wouldn't have last long if we weren't to learn and realize the secret and benefits of imperialism. For my dear old friends, how has imperialism affect you? For imperialism has helped me.
Alicia Huerta
ReplyDeletea and b) Rukmani is the speaker from the book Nectar in a Sieve
c,d,e) Hi! There my name is Rukmani and I used to be a wealthy women, but I fell in love and married a merchant. I am now of a lower class and have little money due to imperialism entering my home town. I can distinctly remeber when the white men entered with thier new technology such as the tanneries (markandaya, 29). This was a disadvantage because this new technology advanced life and brought about many changes. These changes caused an increase in the economy and some people became more wealthy than others. this caused a differnce between us and some people didnt have money. some people were becoming all about money and didnt care about anything else. This increase for the need of money was changing peoples principles and traditions. When people such as I didnt have money and couldnt afford food, we had to go to extreme measures to survive. An example of such extremedies are my son, we didnt afford food, so he slowly became week and passed away( markandaya,105).This was a terrible moment for me because I couldnt bare to see my youngest child past away because we couldnt afford food. These are the reasons i am against imperialism! it has changed my life and made me loose a child. I hope other people see my perpective and agree with me.
Speech #2
ReplyDeleteWork is what i know best. I have been working for a very long time. My name is O-lan. I am the wife of a man named Wang Lu. Together, along with his father, we live in a small house made out of bricks. His mother is not around since she died about six years ago (Buck,3). Wang farms, while i cook, clean, and take care of his father. This work was similar to my work in the Hwang family (buck,18). We do not make a lot of money. There was a time where we did make profits and were doing pretty well. This was the time that Wang Lu had bought land from the Hwangs. Imperialism came to our advantage here because of opium trades. The opium caused the Hwangs to decrease in wealth and having to sell their land. After some time, the land was in no use to us. There was a horrible drought that didn't allow us to make our profit. So, we decided to move to the south. There, our living conditions were worse. Labor was hard to come by and at times we had to beg. My daughter played an excellent role in my begging (Buck,101). When people saw her, they felt bad, and the more money we could have. Sometimes begging wasn't enough, and since there sometimes wasn't any labor stealing was our only resort. I had sent my sons to steal (Buck,110). This was the disadvantage of imperialism. It broke our country down in may ways. Economically, physically and traditionally.
Pei Qing Huang
ReplyDeleteSpeech One: Oknokwo from Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
Disadvantages of Imperialism
My dear native fellows, I am Oknokwo from Umuofia, once a respected and powerful man in the clans. I personally hate the white men that had come to our village and took advantages of our people and sources! Do you guys see what they had brought to our village? Nothing but destruction! Have you see what the white man had done to my son, Nwoye? They had converted my loved son to a Christian when he was such a nice boy being traditional (Achebe 147). He had no respect for his old father now because of what the Christians had taught him! My son now doesn’t even admit me as his father, showing no traditional and ethical respects (Achebe 144). The evil forest that was once so important to us, what had happen to them now? The white men had set up their shrine in it making people go there in the name of god (Achebe 148). They make no sense out of their god when those missionaries said the god’s son when god had no wife (Achebe 147). Remember the bad omen before they come? The marriage traditions were changed before we even see the white men with our own eyes (Achebe 74). Wake up, people who had already believing those devils. Look at what had they done to our lovely village and the ancient traditions that let us live in harmony.
Speech Two: Nwoye from Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
Benefits of Imperialism
I am Nwoye. The first son of Oknokwo, who I don’t see how could he be a father of mine after I found the right path of life. After I become a Christian, I see how silly those traditions in Umuofia were. I still remember my best friend Ikemefuna, who got killed by my father and the villagers because they thought it was the nature’s message (Achebe 57). Why would nature that’s controlled by god make humans kill its own kind? Those ridiculous cultures that people thought was valuable are nothing but mad customs that no one knows where and when it started. Imperialism also helped our village to build up. Do you remember that Mr. Brown that taught us how to trade for money? Our village once had so many precious sources that we don’t know like kernel and palm-oil and we don’t know how to use them. However, Mr. Brown had taught us how to use them correctly to help ourselves to get more money (Achebe 178). Mr. Brown also helped our village civilize by building schools, churches, hospitals, and courts (Achebe 181). How could our village, the dear Umuofia, ever get so advance if Mr. Brown and Imperialism haven’t come here? Imperialism had so many positive affects to our village that all is for the best for us as villagers.
LauraAshley Pfeifer
ReplyDeleteThe Good Earth
Speech 1- Wang Lung from The Good Earth
Hello everyone, I have come to speak to you about imperialism. I had a first-hand experience when imperialism occurred in my town. At first, imperialism had greatly benefitted my family and I greatly, but not others. The Old Mistress at the House of Hwang had gotten a hold of opium and became highly addicted to the drug (Buck 33). This affected the House of Hwang negatively, being that they were becoming poor very slowly because of buying opium all the time (51). Because of the House of Hwang becoming poor, I had the opportunity to buy their land, in which I did (52). With the land I had bought, the harvests were good each year, which gave me enough money to feed and take care of my family. Although imperialism did not affect the House of Hwang in the greatest way, it did so towards my family and me. When the drought had come, we had no choice but to leave for the South, we were left with no food and money (87-88). We were grateful enough that the people in the South were generous in giving us money (102-103). Thank the Earth that imperialism had not come to this part of China!
Speech 2- O-lan from The Good Earth
Throughout the time of the House of Hwang experiencing poverty, my family benefitted from imperialism. Because of them losing money due to opium, we gained more land (52). But at the time of the drought, our lands did not give us any crops to feed off of (67-68). Our investments in land did not pay off in our time of need. Because of the lack of food, I was hardly able to ever feed my children. When the time came that I was pregnant with my fourth child, I did not know what to do. When my second baby daughter was born, I had no choice but to take her life (82). I had no other choice then to do this, she would have been a burden to the family. There was not going to be enough food for her to get in this time of need. Imperialism led my family to do things as such. We had to kill my husband's ox, which was his companion for many years, for food (72). My family was desperate for food, we were starving and our bones were showing through our skin. I had no other choice but to kill my daughter. Imperialism led my mind to do absurd actions.
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
ReplyDeleteKayla Marie Candella
Speech 1:
Speaker- Wang Lung
I was a farmer who gained most of my wealth from working for the land. I was very poor, so I had to work hard to earn the money that I could. My job was to harvest the crops. I live with my father, who is a lazy man. I have no respect for people like that, who have no title or motivation to be successful. I then met a woman named O-Lan she was ugly, but I married her (Buck 18). She was also a worker on the farm. We worked together, then had children at a later point in time. No matter how much work I did, I never felt like it was enough for my children. I wanted to have a better job so they could have better things in life, but instead I was working on a field working with my ugly wife (Buck 77). If you ask me, Imperialism has done nothing but bad things for me and my people. Due to Imperialism, I moved south to find more food. After there was barely any food in the north, it caused me to move to the south. In order to move south, I had to leave behind everything I had (Buck 79). I left behind the land I had owned for some time, and I left behind all of my hard work. After all of that, everything just felt pointless now. As a father and husband, I had to uphold my duties even though at times it made me very upset. It also made
me upset when O-Lan taught the children to steal. I didn't raise them to act like this, so it upset me to see them being bad after all I've done for them. It was a disgrace that we had to beg for food. I went from being a hard working farmer, to having to beg for food. Fortunately, I saw a rich man in need of help, so I helped him in exchange for his gold which helped me go back home with my family (Buck 113). I then met a woman named Lotus. She was beautiful, far better than my wife. I bought her with the gold that I got from the rich man. She did many things for me, so in return I bought her nice thingsand pleased her
with material things. After a while I realized, she wasn't worth it. She was spending all of my money, when it could be spent on better things for me. She not only was spending my money, but teaching my kids
horrible things. Like bad words, and she didn't treat them like a mother figure should. This showed me the bad sides of imperialism because money changed everything about me, but it took me time to realize.
Speech 2:
Speaker- O-Lan
My name is O-Lan and I was the slave of the Hwang family. After the fall of the HWang family they married me off. I was married off to a farmer named Wang Lung (Buck 18). I worked on the fields along with Wang Lung. Together we had many children, maybe one too many. I worked very hard to help support my family, but Wang Lung did most of the work. After the food troubles in the north, I helped as much as I could to get food in the south. I taught the children to steal and beg. With such a big famly we needed as much food as we could get. The foreigners and the irch man that we came in contact with gave us money, so we could go back to the north. With this money, we were able to get more for our family and buy more land. From this land, we would build up and become more wealthy. With this money we sent some of our children to school, so they could have a good education and be successful when they are older (Buck 175). In my case, Imperialism was bad. My husband became so in love with his money, that he lost his focus and began to take the less important things more seriously. He went off and found a woman that would make him happy, but soon realized she wasn't good for him. Imperialism changed my husband because he lost sight of the important things, and focused on his money.
The Good Earth by Peal S. Buck
ReplyDeletePro-Imperialism
"The last thing I can remember I was doing was farming. I grew up in a farm with my sick father which I have to take care of for many years. As I much as I know, I do not have a lot of money to afford my desires as a famer (Buck 10). From my hard work of taking care of my father, he helped me find a slave to help me on the field. That point on, my life has changed dramatically. O-lan, my wife also as mentioned as slave, made children for me help me harvest my crops. With all the help on the field, I have to by more land. Luckily, an Old Mistress is addicted to a drug call Opium and was forced to sell her land in order to survive. Those drugs came from the European importing to China (Buck 55). As smart as I was, I quickly bought the land which benefited me. My wealth increased slowly as my family work on the field. As all was going well, a terrible event has negative effect me. My village was hit by a drought; what have I done to desire such hate from nature? At first, I did not want to leave my farm since I was raised there ever since I was child. I eventually abandon my farm and left to the south. My family cannot survive the lack of food so we surged our way to cities. I bumped into a rich man which I kindly helped him because he needed. The rich man gladly gave me gold and silver which restored my wealth as a farmer (Buck 135). I moved back north to enjoy my live as a farmer."
---Wang Lung
The Good Earth
ReplyDeleteWang Lung
Imperialism has reached my country and although things are changing they are changing in my favor. Imperialism is a good thing and has brought me many wonderful opportunities in life, without imperialism I would not be the man I am. Imperialism gave me the opportunity to survive in life and get my family out of the insufferable agony that is poverty. When foreign solders attacked the town i was currently in the set the way for me to gain gold from the rubble and destruction they brought upon to the rich. Taking advantage of this opportunity I gained gold through a man who thought I would kill him (Buck 139-140). With these new found riches I made a name for myself out of the luck and prosperity which imperialism had brought me. With these riches i returned back to my native land and thanks to another effect of imperialism I was able to buy a large amount of land from the once rich and powerful House of Hwang. The House of Hwang had now been shattered through the opium imported as an effect of imperialism which led to the Old Mistresses addiction and her loss of focus for important matters. I took advantage of this economic down turn on there part and bought large portions of land which helped me obtain my wealth through what these lands could produce. Finally When i tried to rid myself of the leech that is my uncle and his family who had abused my resources against my will and through fear; I turned to opium to get him addicted and rid him of my household once and for all (Buck 282-283). If not for the foreign solders and the opium brought in as all part of the effects of imperialism my wealth would not have been made as it has been made. Through this i shall let it be known that imperialism has had a positive effect on my life and it is good.
The Old Mistress
I hate imperialism! and even from beyond the grave I the always honorable Old Mistress of the House of Wang shall speak of my reasons for disliking imperialism. Before imperialism affected my life I was a proud and rich member of a very respectable and wealthy dynasty in China. Because of imperialism my sons were blinded by the western world and interrupted in taking care of future household matters (Buck 51). I myself found myself heavy influenced through the large amounts of opium which was being transported as an effect of imperialism in my country. Opium found its way inside the House of Hwang and not fully understanding the extremities of the effects that come with the drug, i found myself addicted (Buck 51). Being completely distracted by the drug and not being able to focus on the issues of the household, i soon lost my head and became completely engulfed by the effects of the drug leading to my death (Buck 153). If my death and suffering addiction aren't reasons to hate imperialism then maybe the fact that i lost a huge portion of my land; 300 acres to be exact to someone who was previously a farmer and poorer then me (Buck 158). Having suffered and lost my prestige and everything that represented me in the world, I have suffered enough thanks to imperialism which is exactly why i despise it so much. If you take me as an example, you'll hate imperialism as much as I do
Jared Elraheb
ReplyDeleteA. Speech by Okonkwo from the book, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.
Hello, my name is Okonkwo and I have gathered all of you here today to discuss the terrible actions of the white men. These white men have changed our society and traditions so far, and now we, the people of Umuofia, must stand up and fight for our traditions and our own, original way of life. First off, I cannot describe to you the emotions I felt due to the fact that my son converted to the ways of the white man (Achebe 147). The emotions I felt during this time were, well nothing. For me to even think of these intruders brainwashing my son to join them makes me so sick that I feel nothing inside. I mean how would you feel if a new kind of people came to your peaceful town and just took and filled your own son’s head with wrong information. A son that you love dearly and have hoped to carry on your own tradition and way of life. My way of life was original and no one could ever take that Umuofia sprit from my heart. But, for my son I cannot say, he was swallowed up by these lying animals which I cannot bear to even mention. Now I am just another son less father, just like many other fathers’ in Umuofia who have suffered the pain I have. To take a son, is to take a life, how would you feel if your own creation was stolen from you? Another disrespectful act I must address was when we kindly asked these lepers to leave, but their leader Mr. Smith stood ground (Achebe 191). This was extremely disrespectful to me, my family, and my village people. I could not bear that moment because we kindly gave land to these people and they took full advantage of us and our kindness (Achebe 149). It was a terrible scene for me and my neighbors to see because we were nice, peaceful and kind and these white men took advantage of our hospitality, just as an evil spirit would take advantage of a loyal spirit. Lastly, I will like to say that these white missionaries have been taking our village apart piece by piece. When they first arrived, already there were a handful of converts and now they will only be capturing more of our people joining those savages (Achebe 143). So, you must not make the same mistakes our fellow villagers have, just look at them, all confused and caught up within the lies of the white men. How do you feel about those mothers, fathers, and children that have family members consumed by those white men? They are alone and questioning their own religion and who they are, and how they are supposed to live and appear to others. My fellow brothers and sisters, you must see that imperialism is a huge disadvantage to our people and our country and we must stop the white missionaries now!
2nd speech, Jared Elraheb
ReplyDeleteB. Speech by Nwoye, Okonkwo’s son:
Hello, my fellow villagers, how are you today? I am feeling better than I have ever felt before in my life. Christianity has cleansed my soul and I feel that you all should do the same and be saved by God. Please leave this nonsense way of life and come join me and my fellow brothers and sisters. We live in peace, not war and if you seek a happy, pain free life, I suggest you come and join us. When I joined this new, beautiful faith, my father disapproved of me (Achebe 149). He did this because he was blinded by his false faith in ancestral spirits and not God. Who here would seriously believe in your ancestors coming back to life? Not me. I know that the almighty God is great and he provides me all the answers I need to believe in him, unlike the myth stories told by my father. Another piece of evidence that proves imperialism had an advantage was when those confused villagers like my father gave us our land to build on called the “Evil Forest” (Achebe 143). The villagers believed that after 28 days, we, the Christians must be killed by the evil forest. But, this was false and no one died. They wished death, the devil’s work upon us and God knew this would not happen and he protected us. How would you feel if these people, who you thought gave you land out of kindness, gave you land where they thought you would be killed in. I felt very hurt by learning this information because it changed my whole perspective of these people and I would never dare to trust them again, I will forever trust God. So now, my fellow sons and daughters of God, we must now join together because we are now stronger than ever (Achebe 174). Please do not believe in the foolishness of the so called God named Chukwu (Achebe 181). This is false, for imperialism has brought the village
Of Umuofia the great advantage of the teachings of God. So now join me and come to church on Sunday, read the bible, and pray, for you have the greatest of all beliefs within your hearts, the belief in God.
Things Fall Apart
ReplyDeleteChinua Achebe
Jacqueline
I am Okonkwo who use to be the most well known throughout the nine villages and beyond but once imperiliam approached (Acehebe 148). They exiled me for seven years and look… everything changed, once those white men approached and took over our village.(Achebe 171) I want to inform every people of Umuofia and other villages that the white mens are up to no good. The white mens are to get each and everyone of you to convert to Christiantity and they also began building churches to corrupt your mind (Achebe 150). What will happen to the tradition of Umuofia and every other village? What’s happening to our clan? What’s going to happen if everyone’s follow the belief of Christianity? Even my son, Nwoye has become one of them! After he followed their beliefs, he didn’t even considered me as his father once he saw me. My son wasn’t like this before… he use to call me “father,” what has become of him! (Achebe 144) Everythings changing… my fellow people, you must listen to me and don’t listen to the missionaries and Mr. Brown! They’re just trying to corrupt your minds and gain more power! Soon, they’re going to take over the world and soon… our tradition would be gone as well. Don’t let this happen! Think about it, how long have we been having these traditions?
I, Mr. Brown, has come to give you guys help from troubles and problems throughout your life. We the missionaries did not come here to harm you, he’s come to give you help. God, the Creator of all the world and all the men and women (Achebe 145). There is one true God and He has earth, the sky, you and me and all of us. (Achebe 146).He is the god who created the earth and everyone of us.(Achebe 179) God can help you take away your sins. There is no other god. Many people have joined us and learned how great god is. We even build schools and hospitals in Umuofia. We’re giving people the opportunity to have a healthy life and education. We will teach you the true meaning and creation of life, we will even teach them how to read and write. (Achebe 181). We’re doing this charity just to show each and everyone of you what God has done. God is the key to peace and community. Look at everyone around you who’s in the side of God, are they harmed? What harm will it do to join us?
James Chen
ReplyDeleteThings Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Okonkwo and Nwoye
Hello everyone, my name is Okonkwo I'm here today to explain the benefits and disadvantages of imperialism. I'll start with the pros. A few of my traditions in the village are a little extreme. For instance my friend Ikemefuna was chosen to be sacrificed!(59) I loved that man, he was almost like family to me. I had to go through many hard times for such a heavy loss. (64) At times I’m happy that imperialistic ideas and take over my traditional ones. I feel this way because I’m happy that I no longer have to see my fellow villagers die for not real reason. A Disadvantage that imperialism had was my son Nwoye had left my home to pursue education and religion. My own son had abandoned me and I was furious.(151-152) I had no idea what came over me but I hated the fact the these new traditions would take my son away. I know that I over reacted but I am his father and I will be protective! I also reacted in a negative way because my son also abandoned every good tradition we had in the villages. I blame imperialism for the loss of my son. I myself honestly feel half and half about imperialism. Another instance was when I accidently shot Ezeudu another one of my sons, dead. The natural tradition was for me to flee for seven years in exile. (124) My villagers also had to burn everything I had to worked hard for. Possibly on the other hand i could have faced better consequences of imperialist traditions. Theses where my thoughts on the ideas of imperialism and how the effected my life.
Hello everyone my name is Nwoye. I am son of Okonkwo living a village in Africa. I'm here today to talk about the benefits and disadvantages if imperialistic ideas. I'll start with the negatives. The idea that imperialism brought to my village was to salute people by firing guns. My brother Ezeudu was shot and killed by accident by my own father for following ideas of imperialism.(124) Losing my own brother wasn’t very up lifting for me and I’m still fairly sad about it. Other than that imperialism had great benefits in my life. My father had named a few about saving lives and facing justice, but the biggest part of my life my now is Jesus. (151) Religion is a very big part of my life. I’ve finally opened my eyes to see that my native traditions where wrong and that Christianity is the right way to go in life. Mr. Brown had taught us many things that I believe in today. Without imperialistic ideas i surely would have still been lost like my father.
The Good Earth by Peal S. Buck
ReplyDeleteCon-Imperialism
“Life has many ups and downs” but to me, it’s more downs than up. My life changed so many times I do not know where to start. The first thing I remember as a child was living very wealth with an Old Mistress (Buck 20). It sounds all good but sooner or later, I was taken away by a farmer named Wang Lung cause the Old Mistress could not feed me anymore. Opium has been more valuable than me from the point of view of the Old Mistress. That’s one of the many few downs in my life. Another one was when the drought while living in the farm with Wang Lung and our family. I married the farmer and had many children with him. It was going all so well on the farm land. We had money, food, land, and families. Everything was well until those days came when everything vanished. The drought was terrible. Destroyed all our food and worst of all, food prices increased! Insane! (Buck 98) Last and final down in my life, from what I said, my surround is shaping who I am. What is worst of all is when I go against my morals. Living as a poor and filthy roach was fine with me until I could not stand it anymore. I had no money and the only thing I can do is to steal from others. I thought it to my children even though I know it was the wrong thing to do (Buck 123)). Why are there so many negative things in my life? From dissecting my awful memories, one word to explain is all is Imperialism.”
--- O-lan
Things Fall Apart
ReplyDeleteKevin Joseph
Speech One: Obierika
Hello everyone, my name is Obierika. Imperialism hasn’t done any good for us as a nation. In the beginning, we were all a happy and traditional place to be in. Ever since the “White Skins” appeared, things have gone downhill. They began changing our traditions, more specifically, the way we live our life. There was also the religion of Christianity that was settling in our nation. One main example of the demise of our lives is from Okonkwo. I’m a good friend of Okonkwo. I witnessed the destruction of a relationship between Okonkwo and his son, Nwoye. Nwoye mentioned that he is not the son of Okonkwo. I also went to Okonkwo, only to get no response (Achebe 143). Okonkwo rejects Nwoye due to the fact that he is like the “White Skins”. Nowye is influenced by their new tradtions so much that he abandons his own father. Another example on how imperialism did a big toll on us was with my friend’s death. Some of you may or may not know that Okonkwo committed suicide. (Crowd gasps) Yes, that was my exact response after seeing his body. Okonkwo was going to get his revenge on this battle between the clan and the church. His clan members refused to kill or drive away the Christians (Achebe 192). The influence that these people had on us, caused us to let ourselves lose. After being called, Okonkwo and his members were prisoners because of their foolish minds(Achebe 196). I witness the marks of Okonkwo, only to see him get ready for a battle that no one else will defend him in. Messengers appear, but Okonkwo killed one of them with two strokes from his machete (Achebe 204). Knowing that his clan will not go to war, Okonkwo gives up and leaves to kill himself (Achebe 205). He did this because of the “White Skins”. The influence of imperialism has caused the destruction of our own nation.
Speech Two: Nwoye
Ladies and Gentlemen, what you just heard was completely inaccurate. Imperialism has done great for us, and would’ve helped before hand. My father never saw the positive view out of the “White Skins”. These people are here to improve our traditional lifestyles. The White Skins gave us the religion of Christianity. This religion has done nothing but good for our nation. On the first day this new religion was bought up to us, I was attracted by it. I feared what my father or the missionaries would do to me, so I kept it a secret (Achebe 149). They even built a church, where they want us to visit every Sunday to worship the true God (Achebe 150). Not the fictional god/s that we were originally bought up with. Everyone shall follow Mr. Brown’s teachings of Christianity. He doesn’t head the church himself. Only God, Chukwu, is the leader of this religion. So no one shall go under the authority of any other man, like your past beliefs. One of our great men in our village, Akunna, let his own son to be taught the white man’s knowledge (Achebe 179). So don’t listen to Obierika, and DON’T do like my father tried to do. Do not try to destroy this improvement of life, we shall all follow the new traditions that imperialism has given us.
Speech 1: Wang Lung from “The Good Earth” by Pearl S. Buck
ReplyDeleteI was a farmer who worked for many years. When I was at the age that I was able to get married, I married O-lan. The day I approached The House of Hwang I talked to the Old Mistress (Buck 18). When I first saw her I was disappointed because her feet were not bound. Once I ate her food I was quite impressed. I guess I shouldn’t judge her for not being like every other girl. Even though the old Mistress didn’t have enough money I’m glad they didn’t because she wouldn’t be able to help me around my lands. As everyone got addicted to that new drug out there, I was working hard with my land. Since I was a child I thought much about money so when I went to the city, I longed to go back home (129). I had to compare the two. Now to me home seems like utopia. Apparently it seemed like a great looting area as well. A villager saw Chang looting from me. I forgave her because my morals taught me that there is so much poverty out there. I understood why she did it (150-151). We are now friends. Imperialism has showed me that the good from it was all my wonderful success from selling opium which was brought to china from the British. My Children all help me keep my lands healthy and safe from people who loot. Imperialism also brought the bad in my heart that is immortal. When the drought occurred all my crop was damaged we moved south. While we were south I found out that my wife stole some jewels. Imperialism brought the bad in us. My success has made me ignorant. Nothing seems good enough anymore. I dislike how I hurt my wife. I dislike the way I changed from my morals. Imperialism had changed me to become more snotty.
Jeffrey Abreu
ReplyDeleteThings Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
First speech by Nwoye, Second speech by his father Okonkwo.
(Indent separates the two speeches).
“Good morrow fellow neighbor. I understand that your roosts have now crowed but I came here to read the daily word of the lord. First off, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Nicholas, named after a grateful saint. Also, my life has been so much better since these lovely white men have showed me the true path in life. Now I follow the lord Jesus Christ and his religion of Christianity. The white men have also stabilized our economy and helped it grow tremendously. If you haven’t noticed, we always have a surplus of palm wine that no one ever drinks. Now we can trade that away, along with our kernels (Achebe 177-178). Also, the way trials are settled are more just. Instead of forgiving the man and letting him be by just paying off his neighbor, there are prisons for the men who are criminals; along with a court for the trials (Achebe 174). I have to say good sir, these white men were nothing like you said they were going to me. All of our lives have been so much better since they have came into our villages and helped out the clan. They had even cleared out the evil forest with a church! How wonderful, now we do not have to worry about that waste of space. With that church taking over, there are no evil spirits. I would just like to let you know Mr. Okonkwo, may you please join us and be a good Christian?”
“Why you disgraceful child! How dare you come into my hut and go against the one thing that I love! I shall never join this despicable belief you call “Christianity”. It is a bunch of nonsense and lies! How are you, my eldest son, are to believe in this insanity? Have I not taught you anything? These white men are destroying our clan! Do you not see that this is only a trap? They are trying to lure us all into their beliefs so that they can take over the clan and do what they want! These men are full of lies, they only want the extra palm wine and workers to do their bidding. This is insanity, I have lost my own son to these stupid and ungrateful men (Achebe 151). Do you not see that this is wrong my child? The white men have imprisoned your own brothers because they refuse to believe in what they believe (Achebe 174). They had actually tried to change everything we know. Our beliefs have to be right if they have been working for years! How can it be possible that these men have tried to change the things that we know is right (Achebe 143). I know that I have mistreated you my son, when you were younger. But I was doing it for your own good. I wanted you to be a man and grow yams like the rest of your clan members. Not some silly little boy who lives to hear his mothers stories like this crap you call Christianity. I cannot believe that I had raised a bastard child! I cannot believe you have fallen into the trap of the imperialists. You maggot, you have disgraced your own father. I shall kill myself because no one even dares to believe the truth. My words are true. I might as well die just like my father (Achebe 204-205) . Farewell my son, live the life you choose, but I swear to you that I will beat you one last time to knock some sense in that empty head of yours! Farewell. . .
A villager
ReplyDeleteI have been living in this same house for quite a while now. I feel that as time comes and goes I’ve see some poor get rich and move because they can’t stand the place and the Rich many times get poor. I have been smoking opium for a while now. I can’t seem to stop; I have no will over my body now. When people from different places stopped by they offered a few things. I however did not take anything; instead I steal from those who grow their own crop. I don’t like stealing but if I don’t I would starve. Imperialism has changed me now I’m just a lazy old man who smokes, what a failure I am.
In this book Buck wants to show that he is probably against foot binding because O-lan didn’t have her foot bound. Buck also wants to show that he supports morality, when Ching loots from Wang, but then he takes time to understand that Ching’s behavior was only because of the hunger and poverty (Buck 150-151).
Christina Krioutchkova
ReplyDeleteThe Good Earth
1- Wang Lung
At first, imperialism seemed so promising and great. After the drought, I gave up on farming my beloved and hard-earned land to go to the south, where there was a chance of my family surviving. We were starved and would not make the trip if we would have to walk all the way from the village to the city. Luckily, we took the fire wagon there (Buck 91). We were so exhausted and malnourished that a day longer of walking and my family would not have made it. Imperialism therefore saved my life and my family’s life. Once we arrived at the city, what I saw and experienced there justified my initial belief. There was food everywhere. There was so much food that I was surprised people could go hungry. Back at the village, our food supply and earnings depended on the crops. Here, not only was there an abundant supply of food, but there were various jobs, as well. Not everyone had to be a farmer anymore (96, 107). I supported my family by working, pulling people around the city. We had enough money for daily rice, which is a lot more than we got back at the village. Imperialism, at this point, seemed to be my friend. It helped my family get back on its feet and saved us on multiple occasions from death. Eventually, Imperialism proved to be a bad thing; it made my sons ungrateful. I tried to teach my children that land is powerful and should be respected. It stays on forever and if you take care of it, then you will reap the benefits. When I was back in the village, our land was our sole life source. We depended on the crops and working the land was the only way we could be successful. Modernizing china has left my children with corrupted morals. Pah! They are almost as bad as my uncle. This is not how I raised my children to be. I expected my sons to understand the value of the earth, to become farmers like I was, like my father was and so many other successful people. Instead, my good for nothing son wants to become a soldier. What good would a soldier do, if the key to success in life is working the field and respecting the land? I will tell you; it would do no good! My sons who abandon the labor of the land will follow in the footsteps of my uncle and the Hwang residence until they too will have no wealth and no social status.
2- O-lan
ReplyDeleteI guess now is my chance to speak. My entire life I was taken advantage of. At first I was a slave, bought by the Old Mistress from the Hwang family. There, I was beaten and forced to work long, painful hours. I was then married to Wang Lung, who never showed me any passion or left me with any dignity. The beatings and the constant fear of my past left me mostly silent, so now I, a mere woman, will tell you how I feel. Imperialism caused me and my family anguish, but it also helped my family. My Old Mistress, the dreadful woman, was addicted to opium. She smoked so much opium that the family slowly began to loose money. We bought some of their land, which gave us double the profit that we got from our own crops (63). The House of Hwang perished because of imperialism, while our family became wealthy. Personally, I believe that the Old Mistress was dreadful, her entire family was dreadful and they got what they deserved. After the drought, we left to the south and became accustomed to begging and stealing for survival. One day my husband came into our hut and announced that we have money and were to return back home the following day. I was bewildered! Where did he get this money? It turns out my husband robbed a man after his house was raided by soldiers (139). If it had not been for the soldiers, our family would not have returned back home and became wealthy again. We would have been still on the streets, begging and stealing to survive. Even though imperialism ruined other people’s lives, our family benefited, and for that I am grateful. Imperialism did, however, cause me great pain. Imperialism changed my husband. The new tea shops are to blame, as are the scrolls of women that were hanging there. The scrolls showed him the “women of his dreams” (173). I then noticed that he began to change. His appearance changed and he turned hostile and did not appreciate me as his wife anymore. He could not look at my unbound feet for him anymore; they were not perfect and good enough for him. It did not matter to him that I helped him through so much; endured childbirth, labored endlessly and stuck by his side all this time. His peculiar actions turned out to be for a poor excuse for a woman named Lotus. My husband abandoned his family and caused me great pain. The pain I endured was caused by Imperialism.
First speech:
ReplyDeleteRukmani from Nectar in a Sieve
My name is Rukmani and I am a poor farmer along with my husband, Nathan, in my village. I work with my husband in the fields. A tannery was built in our village and from there, everything changed (Markandaya 29-30). The prices of goods have gone up in the competition between the new building and the current merchants. Many new jobs were being offered to the villagers. As time started to go by, my family has gotten bigger without notice. The crops began to slowly grow causing worry since there were more people to feed and not enough money coming in. Two of our sons took the job opportunity offered by the tannery (Markandaya 55). I was very surprised at this and had my husband help me to convince my older son, Arjun, to stay away from that; the ways of farming were best fit. I must assure you, my fellow villagers, that Imperialism has done us wrong. The tannery began to separate my family, allowing my two elder sons to leave, becoming fiends of money (Markandaya 71). This lead us to go back to the lives of the poor. The British are the enemies here. You don't see what they have turned us into? My son died of starvation. There was no help when we needed it and the prices are doing nothing for us, but getting higher. There needs to be a stop to this or there will be a far amongst ourselves. Is that what you want? Is that what you really want? (I begin to cry)
Second speech:
I see you guys have met my wife. I am Nathan, Rukmani's husband. As you may have heard, our family has been through a lot of suffering. We did not bring any harm to the foreigners, so why must they bring harm on us? During the drought that have slowed down the growth of our crops, my wife and decided to go find our son Murugan in the city. It ended up that he was not located around that area (Markandaya 157). We were sheltered and offered jobs by an orphan to help us get our way back home. However, this turned out for the worse. Having this feel for work, I began to go crazy at a unhealthy pace, unable to control myself. This lead me to become ill. One day, during a rain storm, my wife was told that I had fallen(Markandaya 184). She rushed to me. She knew I have been notices since I was carried off the road. From the look in her eyes, I knew she saw that I was slowly dying.She took me away back to the temple and laid me down. I tried to cheer her up as we reminisced of our happiness. Then, I slowly gave in to the almighty God as my soul separated from me (Markandaya 187). As you see, my fellow villagers, Imperialism has done us no good. In all, it has brought us unhappiness and grief. We wish to stop this and continue the lifestyle before these dreadful creatures interrupted. I thank you for your ears. *Clapping*
Things Fall Apart
ReplyDeleteBy Chinua Achebe
Anna Liang
Speech #1:
Okonkwo [Against Imperialism]
I’ve called forth the meeting of all the villages to discuss the cause of these “white men” that have been appearing in our country, after my seven years of exile. Imperialism has simply destroyed my relationship with my son. These white men have been destroying our clans, such as the clan Abame (Achebe 137-138). These white men’s bad deeds are uncountable! They’ve been trying to convert us to Christians, this is baloney! If we continue to believe in these despicable creatures, they would use their power and force us under their control! We the Umuofia Clan is the most fearful! No one dares to go against us, we are powerful in war, in magic, and our priests and medicine men are feared by all (Achebe 11-12). And you have me! Me! The greatest warrior in this village, I defeated Amalinze the Cat! For those who have turned towards the path to hell, may the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves call towards your death! What happened to all the traditions we had!? What happened to the Week of Peace and the New Yam Festival!? If we convert to Christians and follow these white men, there will be no more us! The traditions of us will vanish into thin air! What God, whom had created all of men and women!? Baloney!!! If we convert to these Christians, there would be no more warriors! We are warriors! We do not give into these white men this easily! We should hold strong to our beliefs! And who is this Mr. Brown you all have been talking about!? Mr. Brown is just a simple white old man that orders people to do things, and is always trying to tell us to convert to Christians! Is this Mr. Brown wiser than our priests, and Ogbuefi Ezeugo, Ezeudu, Ani, and more generous than Nwakibie!? What has this Mr. Brown done, to make himself gain the respect, and take away our religion!? Is he greater than me? NO, HE IS NOT! So why are all you with him and not with me!? If it was my stupid, weak, dead father, he would’ve gave into these white men! All of you are of course not weak! We are strong! The Umuofia Clan forever! Traditions and beliefs forever! White men get the hell out!
[MORE AT THE BOTTOM]
[CONTINUATION]
ReplyDeleteThings Fall Apart
By Chinua Achebe
Anna Liang
Speech #2:
Nwoye [For Imperialism]
My father. –Oh sorry, I mean Mister Okonkwo, you have totally said wrong. What do you mean these “white men”? They are my friends. And what do you mean these white men have taken away me from you? First of all, you were the one that teared me away from you. You were the one who always said, ‘I’m a warrior, I do not have a weak side, I despise the weak people!’ You were the one who had taken Ikemefuna away from me, he was the dearest to me, and he was like my brother. You!? You didn’t do anything that made you my father, the only thing that connects between me and you is the blood. I hate you! How could you kill Ikemefuna, whom he had called you father!? And whom he had became close to our Umuofia Clan (Achebe 57-62). After the day you came back with all the stains of Ikemefuna, this tradition had already died in me (Achebe 62).My friends here are no evil creature. They are respected widely, they have education, they have kindness, and they have everything that we do not have. They do not sacrifice! Mister Okonkwo, you were the one that killed your own religion. What do you mean, what happened to the New Yam Festival and especially the Week of Peace? Mister Okonkwo, you were the one that belittled your own tradition. Remember what you did on the Week of Peace? How can you!? You almost killed mother Ojiugo (Achebe 29-30)! And you almost shot mother Ekwefi on the day of the New Yam Festival (Achebe 38-39). Mister Okonkwo, I cannot agree with the way of your thoughts. What do you mean by saying you hate weaklings and all weak men? You yourself is weak too. Of course many people disliked you, not everyone has to be a warrior. These white men give us education, and they do not despise weak people. People of these villages and clans, come to this side, come to the Christians! If you do, you will have knowledge, you will have power, you will have cargos of food, you will not regret. You will not fall to hell because if you convert to Christian, you will feel as if it is heaven already.
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
ReplyDeleteSarah Weiss
I though I posted this before I guess I accidentally deleted it.
2)O-lan:
On my part, I can say without hesitation that I am a strong,hardworking women along with a devoted wife. Imperialism, however, has corrupted some of my initial motives and values. After my husband purchased land from the Old Mistress and her husband (Buck 52). we lead a comfortable life style. I had at this point three children whom I loved dearly. I'll never forget when that drought hit, the once such lively green grass wilting in the palm of my hand. Since my husband, Wang Lung, is a farmer this drought was the main downfall of our income. Our family began to struggle and that's when I found out I was pregnant with my second daughter. My family grew so hungry that I was forced to kill my husbands companion, the ox, for food (Buck 72). That's when I realized there was no way I could bring another child into this world and be able to provide for it as well. Not long after she was born, I strangled her with my bare hands (Buck 82). On the outside I seemed emotionless, as if killing my own child did not phase me as anything inordinate, but let me tell you it was terrible. I remember when the Old Mistress first introduced mt to Wang Lung, she told him I was a good slave but dumb at times and as I reflect I have not proven otherwise. The lack of money in my family life lead me to commit some unforgivable actions, but it did not help that the society that surrounded me provided no source of comfort. If not for imperialism, The Old mistress would most likely not have sold me to Wang Lung. Being with Wang Lung has provided me with some of the happiest moments in my life but some of the worst too.
Wilson Corella
ReplyDeleteThings Fall Apart
Nwoye
“Greetings people of Umuofia. I was once the son of a well known man who used to be respected in this village. He was a great wrestler during his young years, and had worked hard to acquire the status he once had (Achebe 8). Sadly, it has all changed. Due to his foolish actions, I and my family would have to suffer the consequences by leaving this wonderful land for such a long time (Achebe 124). It is this “old tradition” that we still go by, and it is this “old tradition” that we must get rid of. The village is now entering a more modern world, and we cannot hold on to our old traditions, for we would only end up like my father. I give many thanks to the white people that have arrived to our land. They have opened up a new world to me, and I am sure that you may feel the same. At first I wasn’t so sure about what they were saying, but I realize that what they say is only the truth. Hadn’t we once said that anyone who meddles with the evil forest would suffer greatly? They proved us wrong (Achebe 157). Their belief is different, but entirely true. Their God only wants the best of us. Their God promises that those who belief in him would have everlasting life (Achebe 157). I highly doubt that they will not stop telling the truth. Not only do the white people bring new beliefs, but they also bring with them science and education to share with us. We will be able to have a safer lifestyle and a more intelligent perspective of the world from the medicine and school they bring (Achebe 182). Still, many of us refuse to receive their generosity. Is it the tradition that we’ve had for ages that still give you doubt? If so, think again, and truly consider trying what they have to offer. I guarantee you that you will not regret this decision.”
Okonkwo
“My dear son, how they have brainwashed you! What hurts me most is that you have betrayed our own father, don’t even worse, happy about it (Achebe 152)! You must come back to your senses; truly they have messed with your head too much to make sure you do not realize what is really happening to our land. The whites do not care about our people; they just seek to expand their territory all across this terrain. They just want to seek to transform us into them, and that we follow their orders. Already large amounts of our people have changed to the stranger’s side. Ironically, our people have turned against us, and we cannot fight our own people (Achebe 176). They will stop at nothing to reach the goal that they are after, even if it means turning all of us turning against each other. Have you heard of the massacre in Abame? It was the whites that did it, and without mercy! They only left the elderly and sick alive to suffer (Achebe 139). All they want is to take over our people and make us their slaves for work, and make this land their own. And what of this God they claim to be so wonderful? I find it blasphemy! It was always tradition that kept our people going, and there was nothing bad about our tradition at all! What’s bad are the people that claim to be helping us. We do not need their help! We have been fine before they came along and corrupted our society. Although they have done much, it is still not too late to drive them away from our land, and we may be able to preserve the tradition that we once had! ”