Papers by Minnahil Shahbaz
The way the surroundings of a character evolve not only contribute to the characters own developm... more The way the surroundings of a character evolve not only contribute to the characters own development bur also symbolize the progression of the story and depict the changes and ups and down in the mood and atmosphere the text creates. When it comes to the characters, one of the extreme yet rather common literary portrayals that we come across in literature are the ones who struggle to conform to societal norms. In 'A Doll's House', Henrik Ibsen introduces us to Nora Helmer, and through her journey towards uncovering her identity, he challenges the patriarchal norms of the 19 th century Europe. Initially, we see Nora as an ideal 19 th century wife, who strives to conform to the values forced upon her by society in midst of a perfectly constructed illusion of a twentieth century household. As the play progresses we witness how the setting amidst which Nora finds herself has not only restricted her individuality but also bought about a much more oppressed and naïve side of her to surface. This side of her is rather contrasting to what we witness towards the end of the play, when her circumstances take a drastic turn and the illusion of the perfect family life which she had lived in, shatters all around her. This is reflected in the changes we observe in the physical setting of the play, as the writer uses snow to symbolize the harsh turns that Nora's story takes as reality hits her like the snow storm waging outside. Despite the fact that Chinua Achebe provides us with a protagonist is a somewhat similar circumstances. Unlike Nora, Okonkwo has a hand in manipulating and accepting his circumstances and the societal values forced upon him, however, in doing so, we see Okonkwo suppress the much more humane side of him as he puts up a show for is people in his desperate attempts to escape the shadow that his father has left upon him (" Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness.[Things Fall Apart]). Nevertheless, we witness this solid character crumble alongside the values he held so dear to him, after the white man forces his own values upon them. This eventually results in Okonkwo committing suicide. The author has
Drafts by Minnahil Shahbaz
Question: With regards two texts explain why the author may have chosen to depict events in a par... more Question: With regards two texts explain why the author may have chosen to depict events in a particular sequence. The events in a texts are crucial in shaping the story line and help build up to the climax of the story. Furthermore, the way an author unfolds different factors and events that play into the character development helps the reader to properly connect to and understand the character. The sequence also helps build coherence among the events and the actions of the characters and portrays effective organization of ideas. The gradual change in the intensiveness of the events aids in building up the mode of the audience, emotionally involving them in the text. A text can emotionally engage an audience, only if the author can successfully engage the interest of the audience during the initial stages of the writings. This means, an effective opening in essential for a good piece of writing. Moreover, it also plays a part in setting up a momentum for the events that follow. 'Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe poses a good example of an effective opening, as the author skillfully introduces the audience to the Igbo/Umuofian culture during the first part of the book. In the start of the book, we are introduced to Okonkwo's father, Unoka through whom Achebe familiarizes us with the social aspect of the Umuofian society such as the Yam festival and the Week of Peace. Moreover we see how Unoko's social standings impact Okonkwo's character, which is eminent in the events that follow once Okonkwo is old enough to earn for himself. We see how the events he witnessed during his childhood, (e.g. the failures of his father) shaped his character, and influenced his actions greatly. It can be said, that his obsession with greatness and earning a status among the tribesmen is mostly due to the suffering he had to bear as a result of his fathers in capabilities. As we see Okonkwo forge his way to greatness, his character develops into someone who lives the society's norms, disregarding his own emotions in the process. Achebe beautifully depicts this part of Okonkwo's character through the events that surround Ikemefuna, starting from him coming to Umuofia as a hostage and being taken in by Okonkwo who is ordered to do so by the village elders. We see how Ikemefuna gradually becomes less of a hostage living under Okonkwo's roof and more like an adopted son. However, when Okonkwo is ordered to take Ikemefuna to the Evil Forest to sacrifice him, Okonkwo abides by this, faking indifference as a portrayal of strength. Here while we witness Okonkwo's indifference, the author manages to evoke an emotional debate among the audience regarding Okonkwo's character as a result of these events. The story ends with Okonkwo committing suicide, however his actions cannot be justified if we ignore the sequence of events which take place before this. Starting from when Okonkwo is exiled from Umuofia to his motherland, where he has to build his reputation a new, to when he returns to Umuofia and witnesses the doing of the white man. Okonkwo finds it hard to come to terms with the changes that have occurred during his seven years of exile. At this point, the reader can sympathize with him, as they too are quite familiar with the Igbo culture. Nevertheless, Okonkwo's real breaking point is when he fails to instigate his people into a rebellion against the white man, resulting in a loss of hope. These events lead to the fall of a character who is at first depicted as an idealized hero to his people. However we see how a series of events act up to force him into something like suicide; an action his society frowned upon.
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Papers by Minnahil Shahbaz
Drafts by Minnahil Shahbaz