Knowledge is Power

Over the break, I took an SAT class, and had to write an essay. I don't remember the question down to the very last word, but the gist of it was basically if great knowledge was necessary in order to challenge conventional ideals.

It made me stop and think for a second. Yes, knowledge is always necessary, but these ideals must be conventional for a reason. But then I realized that in fact, everything at some point will be questioned.

For example, no one would have every thought we could fly back in the 19th century. That was the conventional way of thinking. But the Wright Brothers, with their extensive knowledge on aerodynamics, proved them all wrong.

The point is, knowledge is power. Thoroughly and clearly understanding a topic is the only way to give yourself a chance to fight against conventional ideas. No, not all of what is challenged can be altered, but by all means will it be considered if it is presented with knowledge.

Whoever made the quote, knowledge is power, wasn't simply saying it to be famous or whatever. He/she said it with a purpose, and it is what allows society to continue to grow and change the way it has in the past.

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"-Albert Einstein

Underground?

"Notes from Underground", "The Underground Man". Common denominator? Underground. What is the purpose of the use of the word?

Underground-contrary to prevailing culture: separate from a prevailing from a social or artistic environment, and often exercising a subversive influence.

According to that definition, provided by the services of bing, underground seems to be a pretty accurate description of what Dostoevsky is trying to portray in the novel, contrary to how we believe the word "underground" as simply beneath the surface.

This Underground Man is definitely influenced in the ways he operates. He seems to run his life trying to impress and be accepted, clearly influenced by the desires of society.

So this whole "Underground" concept really does work. It's an interesting use of words, and it really fits the description of this man like a piece of the puzzle.

But then, there's the "notes" part. Notes-aren't they those things you write during class when the teacher is giving a lesson? Well, specifically, "notes" means a jotted record or summary. So, in conclusion, the title technically means the jotted record of someone separated from society who often exercises a subversive influence to society.

I would say that's impressively accurate, and on its own, gives quite the overview as to the personality of the main character in this novel.

Underground

Well played Dostoevsky, well played.

The Reality of an Underground Man

In Notes from Underground, author Fyodor Dostoevsky writes of this "underground man". This man is portrayed as one who is independent, strong, and powerful, but in reality, he is isolated, weak, and not necessarily powerful. The thing is, the Underground Man is not prepared to accept this reality. He uses scapegoats on himself to make it seem as if he is in complete control of his life. The first line of the novel states, "I am a sick man...I am a spiteful man" (1). It is as if he wants to gain an upper hand on the reader by beating the reader to the punch in calling himself a sick and spiteful man.

Reading this though, I came to a realization of sort. It's interesting to me how we all are bagging on this man for being the way he is, but let's face it, we all have a little bit of the underground man in us. We all strive to be independent, but for this generation, are we really with all the rules, guidelines, and eyes watching over our every move. It raises this question: Are we all underground men and women?

We all do things here and there to come off as strong and independent, and not to seem so "spiteful" and "wicked". We all want to be accepted into society, but in many cases, the reality of ourselves prohibits us from letting go the way this Underground Man does.

Even now as I'm writing this, I don't think I'm any sort of Underground Man, but as I think deeper into the bowels of my brains, I realize I don't want to come off as him, and that to a certain degree, we are all like that.

So maybe, just maybe, I can give this guy some slack throughout the novel, and accept him the way he is instead of judging him. After all, he might just be the genuine person that hides inside all of us.

How Isolated Are We?

Living here, in this bubble called Orange County, going to Santa Ana for Service Learning makes us feel alien from the world we live in-and that's twenty minutes away. We go to their school and learn about their lives and the struggles and differences they have, which most of us a fortunate enough to not understand fully. 

Then take that alien feeling, and apply it from instead of 20 miles away, to 9,000 miles away. Sure, there are places like Orange County in Europe, some in Asia, maybe a few in South Africa, but when you go into the heart and soul of Africa, into Umuofia, it really is a different world. 

When Obierika and Okonkwo are speaking of a white-man, or caucasian, they speak in shock and disbelief. To them, a white man was like seeing a fifty pound yam, minus the glory of the yam. Basically, it was incredible, whether they liked it or not. 

"We have heard stories about white men who made the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but no one thought the stories were true" (Achebe 140-141). To them, the idea of there being a different kind of people on its own was radical, let alone comprehending the extreme differences we have. 

Yam isn't our currency like it is for them. Winning wrestling matches doesn't make you famous (unless you're Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather or whatever). The differences are so amazingly significant. And yet, they know almost nothing about it. 

Amazes me. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epdGEhLpReg

This is an interesting video I found. It is a documentary on the village life in Africa today. 

Okonkwo of Africa: How would he fair elsewhere?

The main character in "Things Fall Apart" is a man named Okonkwo. He's that tough guy on the block, but by no means is he that bully looking for trouble. Okonkwo is considered a leader in his village by many. He has had many wives, who seem to be simply chefs and caretakers of his children. Okonkwo is the man of the village in the depths of Africa, but by no means would he be a man in the depths of other continent or countries.

Okonkwo's personality makes himself look wise and manly in Africa. Let's just say marrying multiple wives and almost shooting one of them, along with determining whether or not you are a man through the use of guns and yams, wouldn't necessarily be considered too manly here in the wilderness of Newport Coast.

Through reading "Things Fall Apart", I have learned how different the world is and how much of a bubble we reading. Heck, if I lived where Okonkwo lived, with my yam skills and firing ability, I'd be considered a baby. Here, I'm considered a man simply for growing an each in between visits with the grandparents. It definitely puts things into perspective.

Okonkwo would almost actually resemble a "hobo" living in urban areas, based on the way he lives in Africa. That does not justify the fact that he could not have survived or even thrived by adapting to the ways of more developed areas, but that would be far fetched. His ways are simply too radical in his corner of the world for him to happily live elsewhere.

In order to be a man

Having an Open Mind

Let me just start by saying how much I love TED Talks, and Chimamanda Adichie's talk really made me change my perspective from everything that I've been shown through media about that country called Africa. Before her talk, Africa was what it was, which is a media haven where they can manipulate the rest of the world into having one common perception on this great continent through exploitation.

Adichie's TED Talk

After watching Adichie's talk, I am able to engulf myself in Things Fall Apart with an open mind to Africa and the different perspective of this place brought forth by the author  Chinua Achebe. In reading the first few chapters, I have become increasingly intrigued as to what Africa has kept hidden from the Western eye through the firsthand knowledge of a native African. Not some white guy getting paid thousands to go to the most impoverish areas to make a headlining story in the media.

Chinua Achebe

Adichie has given me a unbiased perspective on Africa, and subsequently, I now am thrilled and open to understanding the true Africa and what they really go through, whether it is good or bad. Already I see myself reading every word with a greater level of curiosity and intrigue to gain an enhanced, and more accurate, more rounded perspective on the continent in which, oh by the way, every human technically originated from.

Rough Childhood

I've found out through now reading four Shakespeare books that this is just not a happy guy. There is never a "happy ending" or any of that. Something tells me he had a rough childhood.

"A Shakespearean tragedy is a five act play ending in the death of most of the major characters" (David Chandler). Even the definition of what Shakespeare does is in line with death. Chandler also does state "Defeat, shattered hopes, and ultimately death face us all as human beings." So I guess Shakespeare may have been one who simply accepted the glum reality of life. Still, not an optimist.

Hamlet fits into Shakespeare's realm of pessimism by obviously dying, and also by the continuous struggles he is faced with throughout the play. Gertrude's act of incest, Ophelia dying, his inner struggle of not being able to genuinely voice his emotions, along with many other aspects of his life post Old Hamlet's death all fit into Shakespeare's puzzle. 

In my opinion, the most tragic event was the death of Old Hamlet. He seems to have been one of the rare good people in Denmark, and his death lead to the downward spiral for everyone else. The death of all others was, to a degree, understandable or deserved. Old Hamlet on the other hand did not deserve to die, and only died because of the greed of power from Claudius. One thing led to another, and boom, everyone's dead. Horatio was the one exception, but it wasn't necessarily tragic that he had to go with young Fortinbras. It was his death that predominantly led to there being "something rotten in the state of Denmark", and the story only goes down from there.

Shakespeare obviously is a classic author, and his writing will always be remembered, but enjoying his tragic style of writing was something I would rather not endure through again.

http://www.lcurve.org/writings/Tragedy.htm