Okonkwo Character Analysis

Okonkwo is considered to be the main protagonist in the novel Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe.  Achebe has written Okonkwo as a tool of resistance as way to show the true story of colonized countries. Okonkwo has been categorized as a tragic hero by some but not by others. It is a controversial topic because he relates with some of the archetypes of the tragic hero and not with others.

Okonkwo like an most tragic heroes has a major flaw, the "fear of weakness and failure". He is so worried that he will becomes like his father he ensures that he show no signs of weakness. He also has a large pride and ego. Its so big that he lets it cloud his judgment. This incredibly large pride later leads to his downfall and eventual death. Unlike most tragic heroes Okonkwo never realizes his flaws and again this is due to his pride.

Chinua Achebe Group Discussion

A point of information taken from our group discussion was the fact that Chinua Achebe was surprised that his book impacted other locations which had been colonized. In his interview with African Voice he expressed that he had received letters from South Korean girls who stated they shared the same feeling of oppression Nigerians had. This made him realize the actual impact his book had, opening up the spectrum from his audience. The idea of suppression and oppression through colonization is well understood worldwide but by writing the oppressors side of the story helps one understand the entire story, not just the suppressor's story.

Ronald Reagan Paper 1

The following in an analysis of the speech "Address to the nation" by former President Ronald Reagan. This speech was delivered on national television in the United States on January 8th 1986 after the failed Challenger Space ship launch.  The incident rattled the entire country since this was the first time a shuttle combusted while in flight.

This text is a political speech. The audience is clearly stated in the first line; "Ladies and Gentlemen... on the state of the union". The text is clearly targeted towards the citizens of the United States of America. This can be deduced since President Reagan is speaking on behalf of the great union hence the United States. Also the incident itself concerns the US space station which is funded through US citizens. By clearing stating the audience in the first line the passage helps the audience emotionally connect with the speech as well as the speaker since the situation was a tragic accident.

As stated before this speech was presented by President Ronald Reagan after the Challenger 7 Space ship combusted after breaking the sound barrier killing all 7 crew members. The purpose is clear,  to address the incident and console the United States public. This incident put the public on edge because Nasa one of the most technologically and scientifically advanced companies in the world had once again failed in space travel. Not only was this a tragic incident but for the American public it was an embarrassment. All these factors made the public seriously question the trust they were putting in its government which is one of the reasons this speech was delivered: "We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public".  This helps citizens regain trust in its government. The speech was presented in a way which acknowledged the failure but also ensured success in the future. "were aware of the dangers..overcame them". An idea of a positive future was surfaced causing the public to once again trust its country. Another main purpose found in the speech was its emotional relation to the incident. President Reagan uses personal pronouns and connections to his family to communicate the loss he felt when this incident occurred. " Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country". He uses his family to portray an image across America, to pose a united front to the country so that they are able to cross this bridge. This speech is based around the idea of connecting with the public on an emotional level so that America can look past this incident and excel in the future. "Yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space.. nothing ends here our journey continues". 

The content is very similar to the purpose since both work concededly to convey a message to the public. The content is put across in a very balanced environment since there are no "two sided arguments" therefore there is generally no biased. This speech uses many persuasive appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) but the passage mainly revolves around the theme of  pathos. Since this incident was a tragedy it only seems best suited to use pathos as a main connector. Using an emotionally approach helps widen the audience as it connects with people nationwide. "Today is a day for mourning and remembering.". By using this statement in the speech the public nationwide is able to accept the incident as a tragedy but also a way to keep this incident as a reminder. Also by connecting emotionally the statement will have a stronger message and help unite the public under a similar front. This theme is used throughout the passage to address the events. There is also a theme of acceptance, which is used in order to help the public move past this incident: "We'll continue our quest in space". This theme helps build to the overall purpose of the speech. 

This event was a tragedy and this speech is a response to this tragedy therefore the register is based around the idea of mourning and revival. The speech starts out with a sad tone and mood keeping a very serious register as President Reagan recounts the events. He clearly shows that he is in mourning by constantly referring to the "pain" he feels for his country.  The mood also at this point is very dark as the names of the dead are recounted. The tone slowly shifts as the speech continues by pointing out the nationalism and bravery of the fallen heroes: "They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us".  Using they and us helps the audience emotionally connect with the victims. As the speech continues the ideas of bravery resurface causing the tone and mood to change into a lighter happier instance. The speech only continues in this fashion as President Reagan continues saying "We've grown used to wonders in this century". By highlighting on the nations achievements the tone and mood become very nationalistic making the audience proud of their country. The tone and mood progress until the very end of the speech where President Reagan again talks the victims of this incident. He compares them to a great explorer implying that they were heroes leaving the audience with this day as a remembrance of success not failure. 

The text uses many stylistic features in order to further emphasize the purpose. Personal pronouns are used throughout the text to build towards the theme of pathos:" Nancy and I.. I'll meet it with joy". It helps hook the audience as it helps them connect on a basic level: human to human. This also impacts the way President Reagan is broadcasted to the country.  There is also a wide range of literary devices used in this speech. " Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy."Alliteration and assonance are used in this speech to further accentuate the deaths on the Challenger but it also helps the statement become memorable since it helps recapture the audience's attention (special spirit). Another literary device which was found is allusion: "There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago..." By connecting two tragedies President Reagan implies that they will be remembered the same way the great explorer so many years ago was remembered. Anaphora is used in this passage to further develop the idea and theme of revival: "There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue". By using more repeatedly and also in front of different group of people he stores a balance between the communities as form of  "equal importance" to help state that the quest in space will not stop. Finally apostrophe is used in the speech: "And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand...". By stopping the speech President Reagan attempts to help the future generation of America understand the importance of this event but continue to be fearless and continue on the road to discovery. 

In conclusion this entire speech focuses on the tragedy of the Challenger 7 but rather than just addressing the events President Ronald Reagan helps America move past this tragic incident and strive for a better future. 

IOC Commentary

Attached is my commentary, please excuse the bad quality and mis pronunciations.
https://soundcloud.com/devyani-pejathaya/english-ioc

English, the international key to success and fame

Linguistic Imperialism, a phrase used when a language spoken by a majority is forced upon a minority due to the current demands of today's generation. There are many examples of this but the strongest example of this would be English.

English has been termed as the language of business and people are required to speak this in the world of politics, international business, and of course pop culture. Successful celebrities are known worldwide in English and non-English speaking countries. Taylor Swift is one of the best known singers and has been internationally ranked as Number 2 on world stage.

English like any language is widely spoken in a few countries (ex: USA, UK, etc,) but if one wants to be deemed in an international celebrity they must speak, and perform in English (regardless of their nationality or first language). Often times celebrities are required to broaden their spectrum in order to achieve stardom. An example of this; Shakira. Shakira originally started her career with purely Spanish music. She did attract a crowd but it was very small compared to other singers. She realized that if she wanted to be successful she would have to broaden her music spectrum, when is when she started incorporating English into her songs. Initially it was a few phrases but after she realized the attention she attracted she made music her foundation and a couple Spanish phrases to add a "color" to set her apart. Today she even has songs that are just English. She is deemed as a worldwide performer since she has performed in major events such as FIFA world cup and in many different countries.

Another example I found was Priyanka Chopra.  She is a major A-list celebrity in India but she wanted to have a larger audience. She already had her Indian fans and focused on attracting the attention of Indian one, which is why she started her entire singing career speaking English in the United States.

Even though English has been deemed the key to success there have been instances that a celebrity has been able to break through. Psy was number one of the billboards for his songs "Gangnam Style" for weeks because consumers found a certain exotic appeal to his music. Although he was popular for a while, it was short lived because his songs contained two words of English.

The point that is trying to be made is that language is the key to success and fame. Without it one cannot reach a wider audience, therefore cannot become successful in this world.Yes there are many talented people in the world but without the power of speaking English they will not get very far.

Paper 1 Text 2 Analysis

The following is an analysis of a Paper 1 Text:

This text is clearly multi-vocal as it can be expressed and interpreted into having many different meanings.  Its features strongly suggest that it is an informative article with the hidden agenda therefore I personally believe that it is an advertisement. The text begins with the "number crunch", leading the reader to believe that it is a factual and informative article. This company also uses marketing strategies to show that it is an elitist community which aims to help poorer regions. This adver-informatory article is sectioned into three areas in which it slowly explains every tier of service only to close with a positive note on what they strive to accomplish.

 “Oxfam” convinces its readers of its genuine message. The purpose of this article is generally clear; to persuade and encourage people to help and contribute to this cause. is article is posted on the company’s webpage therefore it aims to target people who are interested in the topic, understand the problem, and are finding a way to contribute towards the solution. This is known because the article refers to how one can help shedding a positive tone on the situation.  Again referring back to the use of the “number crunch” it is clear that this article aims to inform people hence the use of excessive facts and figures. This “number crunch” technique is often used in order to convince the masses by using factual knowledge which an educated audience are more inclined to believe than opinion. 

As stated before I saw this article as an advertisement as well. The article uses personal pronouns in a way to get the reader involved. This way it becomes the reader's mission to do complete this task. This all comes from the advertisement so in a sense they are fueling the "spirit" and motivation.Therefore using certain phrases as “we” and “together” really is an interactive experience and in a sense says: "you can help us ( and yourself) by donating".

The article continues to address the impending hunger epidemic conundrum in the African regions and states that the problem is due to poor farming and water supply conditions. Again numbers are used again as Oxfam states they are sending aid to families in those regions. This is where the tone and mood can be deciphered. 

This article is written in a sad light highlighting the problems of poverty that are in Africa. Using deep meanings and messages the article is set in a dark and sad mood and tone. The informatory section is very intense clearly highlighting all the problems that are being faced. Although as the article transitions to its convincing section it slowly transitions to hopeful and light saying this problem can be fixed. This common strategy of laying dark imagery to later help sell a product is used in a hidden way throughout this entire article. The use of “crisis” in the beginning and “fixing” in the end presents the problem solution appeal which tends to be most effective when there is an emotional connection with the problem.

In conclusion this article clearly depends on the emotional sides of humans to pull people in (ethos). Ethos not only helps draw people in but also disguise the nature of the article. By stating that they are a purely humanitarian cause they attempt to show their selflessness in order to receive a profit. 

Native Advertisements

At our new day and age advertisements have become a part of our culture. Whether we like it or dislike it advertisements have been integrated into everything we do, even when we do not notice it. Native advertisements are adverts that are so cleverly disguised in an article that it has become the norm. The image below is an example of a native advertisement.

This article is actually an advertisement by Ben and Jerry's, placed strategically in a buzz feed article. Ben and Jerry choose to place their advertisement in this article because Buzz feed is a "pop culture information" source which has been known to attract younger crowds. Also Ben and Jerry's has many shop locations in NYC and choose Buzz feed (a company based in New York) to display their article. Specifically in this article Ben and Jerry's is targeting the younger NYC citizens as well as the tourists: "Whether your here for years or the weekend".  This line shows that they are focused on integrating their product into your lifestyle regardless of how long your in the city.

The mood is very happy, hopeful, and carefree where the tone is slightly more persistent: "18 foods everyone must try before leaving NYC". It comes of as friendly as the article as the author tries to talk to the reader in a "friend to friend' manner, thus making the reader relate it to the product. This advertisement is also very user friendly because they have buttons on the bottom which you can click to easily share their page(creating a larger audience through the different social networking streams).

Its advertisements like these that are so cleverly placed that it becomes unclear in our mind the nature of an article. It subconsciously builds a bridge between the level of interest in the article and the product itself.