Mark Anthony Obcemea

World Literature / TTH 1:00-2:30

Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe

For me, Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart was my first real glimpse at Africa

beyond the negative headlines (famine, disease, war) and the nature documentaries.

His story was a stark portrayal of the devastating impact of colonization on traditional

African societies, told through the lens of a single individual. It changed the way I think,

helping me see the much bigger picture behind the headlines from Africa (and

elsewhere), and understand the true impact of colonization on the continent. This was

written by an African writer Chinua Achebe is a good novel for people to read as there

are messages, ideas, values and cultures that it conveys to the reader. I have studied

the novel and I found that the novel is an excellent work of literature that had been

published. In the novel, Okonkwo was the main character or protagonist and he was an

Igbo tribe man. The British came to the village and colonize the Igbo people; bringing

the new culture, lifestyles and religion to the Igbo villages. The British had influenced

the colonized villages in many aspects and the Igbo people are not expected to go

against them. During the colonisation, although the Igbo people had shown the British

people some rebellions, the people seem to allow some changes to happen to their

culture indirectly. For example, after the British people came, the British promise them

there will be development made and perhaps school will be provided for them. The Igbo

people allow the changes to come in the aspects of their economy because they only

depend on growing yams. Sarawak was once colonised by Rajah Brooke and I think the

culture are not affected by the colonisation. This is because the cultures that are being

practiced from the past are still being practiced now. Colonisation brings changes

mainly in the economy of the natives but did not affect the cultures. This is because the
Mark Anthony Obcemea
World Literature / TTH 1:00-2:30

people of Sarawak seem to welcome the colonist to rule them. As a whole, we can see

that the lives of the indigenous tribes in Africa and Sarawak changed a lot in the aspect

of economy. This is because the land of the natives perhaps have a lot of resources for

commerce and that is what the colonist take advantage of and indirectly change the

system of economy of the people from barter or other traditional trading system to

something bigger to import and export activity.

Mark Anthony Obcemea
World Literature / TTH 1:00-2:30

Loot by Nadine Gordimer

It made me look at life in a different perspective. Nadine, as well, made me

rethink what a short story is. I thought that short story was like a little story. However,

she showed me that it is a reflection of another person's experiences. It doesn't have a

good ending and unexpected things happen throughout it - just like how life is. The

definition I currently think of as a short story is that it is a little tidbit of life depicted on a

piece of paper. A short story can teach us about things we feel and things we could

have not understood before. The perspective of death has even changed for me. Now it

is not necessarily a bad thing but a thing that I need to accept is going to happen. It

really opened up how death can happen at any time, no matter the circumstances. Her

stories made me think about what I have in life and what I should cherish. She also

showed that every story has many sides and no one in the end is absolutely right. Her

stories and the way her writing reflects on society today, makes the reader understand

more about the world around him/her. In this story I remember my father who always

says “at the end of the day our story comes to an end and when the pages of our life

are on the last page accept your story with gratitude and happiness, and remember our

story always ended with a period” that’s what he always say to me when he was still

alive every time we had a little talk collaboration with a lambanog or a beer. In this short

story as I continue reading I’ve reminisce the good old days with my pap’s. Thank you

sir for sharing me and letting me read this story.