Together with members of your group, you’ll be reading Purple Hibiscus over the next several weeks. Although you're not required to take notes while you read, it would be wise to keep track of important events and characters for your own clarification. You are, however, expected to participate regularly and thoughtfully in an online discussion of seven essential questions.
Here's how it works:
Divide your book into two roughly equal halves. You need to have read and blogged about your book by the due dates below.
- There are two kinds of posts in this discussion: responses and comments.
- Post at least SIX responses altogether: at least THREE for the 1st half of reading and at least THREE for the 2nd half.
- You must respond to at least five essential questions over the course of your reading.
- You may respond to only two questions more than once.
- One of your six responses can be a "free response" post.
- Post at at least TEN comments altogether: at least FIVE for the 1st half of reading and at least FIVE for the 2nd half.
- Post your first three responses to the book and five comments by THURSDAY, MARCH 16.
- Post your final three responses to the book and five comments by FRIDAY, MARCH 31.
- How do the characters assert their individuality within a repressive society?
- Where do the characters find sources of inspiration in their lives?
- How are the characters affected by events/changes in society?
- How is the practice of veiling (or restrictions on dress in general) reflective of cultural attitudes toward gender roles? How do these attitudes affect characters’ lives?
- How does our cultural background shape our perception of women and the practice of veiling (or wearing a head scarf) in other countries?
- How do the characters’ personal stories expand your understanding of the societies in which they live?
- Should there be one standard for gender equality throughout the world? Why or why not?
Assessment: To earn maximum credit, post thoughtful responses that are at least a short paragraph in length—and carefully proofread! Do not misspell characters' or authors’ names! Also, be sure to include specific references to the text (either details or short quotations).
Where are all your comments, people?!?!
ReplyDeleteMy will be in tomorrow. Didn't have internet till I got home from vacation, sorry, should've planned further ahead
DeleteAlso this is at 10:44 PM Not 5:44 PM, time is messed up
DeleteMy responses are in now. I have 7 comments done.
Delete5.Our cultural background where women have more freedom leads us to believe that the perception that women are less than men is immoral, we believe that women should be able to express themselves in the way they dress.
ReplyDelete6.The fact of how subservient the mother and Kambili are to their father shows how the society has men at the top, also during the Christmas break somebody told the father that Khambili would make a fine bride, suggesting that she can't be anything else in her life.
7.Saying there should be one gender equality throughout the world is to me the same as saying that there should be one government or religion in the world. I believe that other countries should be allowed to express themselves the way they want to if they are willing
I like your ideas!
DeleteHey Jax. I also believe that countries should be allowed to express themselves, but I also believe that all countries should allow their civilians to have basic human rights. That means that women should have the same opportunities as men. Every country has sovereignty, but they should be urged to give their civilians the same opportunities. Women are still treated poorly all around the world, telling countries that they don't need to have equal rights for men and women will make the abuse even worse, and women will suffer all around the world.
Delete(Just realized I have to do 4 more comments lol get ready) In regards to your answer to number 5, I mostly agree. Still, too many young women are sent home from school for breaking the dress code, for dumb little things such as wearing leggings, or showing their shoulders. I believe that as our country becomes more progressive, women will be able to express themselves even more. The same things goes for men as well.
Delete-Faith W.
Jax, I thought one of the most awkward moments in the book is when Beatrice asked Aunty Ifeoma what a woman is without a man. That was mighty awkward since Ifeoma's husband had died in a car accident. All the comments the wives made about Kambili getting married to a man also made me uncomfortable. Even though I believe it was even worse when one of the said to Jaja "I would give you my daughter to marry if we didn't have the same blood running through our veins" It just goes to show how different our society is from theirs. They speak of women as objects, not human beings. It's definitely a stressful book to read.
Delete-Faith W.
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DeleteIn regards to your response to my number 5, when I say freedom I mean not complete freedom, but freedom equal to men. The examples you used should get men kicked out of school by the same logic. I think your example represents a minority of schools, not to mention schools having a somewhat different set of rules then in public, so not exactly what the US government intended for everyone.
Delete-Jax H
I forgot about the moment with Jaja! it was even in the same area as my example I believe. That would've been a lot better than the example I used. Somewhat of a change of topic, but I wonder how Papa Nnukwu raised the children to have them both turn out so differently, maybe Papa(his son) left when he was young or something?
Delete-Jax H
If I could I'd like to take it back to the countries expressing themselves versus people having basic rights. I agree that different countries need to have different cultures, but violating basic rights is not right. Not being able to leave the house without permission, or being treated like property in some cases just doesn't seem right.
DeleteJax, I respect your opinion, but I feel like men and women should be treated equally, and have the same rights / opportunities.
DeleteAs for your response to question 6, I agree completely.
DeleteWomen do have a lot more freedom in the US, which is much different than the strict dress codes that they have in many cultures.
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ReplyDelete5: Our cultural background shapes our perception of women and the practice of veiling, as women being submissive and discriminated against if they wear a headscarf. For example, many people in America believe that Muslim women wearing hijabs is degrading, and that they're wearing those against their will. People who don't understand why women are wearing headscarves, believe that they wear them to be submissive to men.
ReplyDelete-Faith W.
Well, I mean, in some countries it is required to wear a headscarf, like Saudi Arabia. So it is possible to have been born in Saudi Arabia, and with the dominance of men in that country, you might just not be allowed to leave by "your man". So you might not have the freedom to take off your headscarf in some places.
Delete-Jax H
It could be religion or cultural rules, but I think that in most cases, it's both. People may follow their religion to the letter of the law, but in most cases I feel its a bit more relaxed, and in countries like saudi arabia, as Jax said, it probably ends up being rules more than religion.
DeleteIt probably is required to wear a headscarf in some countries, as part of their culture.
Delete3: The Achike are affected due to the changes in their society very much. Eugene publishes a newspaper, The Standard. The Standard publishes works that criticize the corrupt government. One of the workers for The Standard got arrested, and Eugene decided to have The Standard work underground. However, the police soon after ransacked that office as well. Jaja and Kambili had to stay at their aunts house, because Eugene was frightened his children would be hurt.
ReplyDelete-Faith W.
I feel that it was wrong for The Standard to be punished for criticizing the government. They should have the freedom to say the truth.
DeleteFree response: I'm been curious as to why Amaka hates Kambili so much. I wonder if it's jealousy, because Kambili has grown up in a privileged household (As far as Amaka thinks). She might also be frustrated because of how awkward Kambili is, or how dumb she is, such as when she peeled the yams wrong. I hope Kambili comes out of her shell soon, because the awkward silence when someone asks her question is killing me.
ReplyDelete-Faith W.
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DeleteI think she might not like that somebody like Kambili was just born with all her riches as a matter of circumstance. I feel like Amaka thinks she got the short end of the straw and Kambili just got lucky. I believe it is less jealousy and more annoyance at the circumstance
Delete-Jax H
I feel like the awkwardness of Kambili contributes to how she was raised by Papa. She was very restricted about what she could talk about how she could share her opinions. Kambili didn't end up talking that much when growing up because it usually only brought her trouble. So naturally it carries over to other people.
Delete-Jax H
I think actually it is jealousy, not just annoyance. it seemed to be an awkward difference between the two, and Amaka thinks that she should have gotten better.
DeleteYeah I also agree that it is because of jealousy.
Delete5.Our cultural background where women have more freedom leads us to believe that the perception that women are less than men is immoral, we believe that women should be able to express themselves in the way they dress.
ReplyDelete6.The fact of how subservient the mother and Kambili are to their father shows how the society has men at the top, also during the Christmas break somebody told the father that Khambili would make a fine bride, suggesting that she can't be anything else in her life.
7.Saying there should be one gender equality throughout the world is to me the same as saying that there should be one government or religion in the world. I believe that other countries should be allowed to express themselves the way they want to if they are willing
-Jax H
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ReplyDelete1. I think that the characters managed to represent themselves in the repressive society in more subdued ways than in other settings from other books. Kambili shows her character well, as she is the narrator, but her mother showed herself in lesser ways. The broken figures showed this - she was disappointed, we could tell that, but she dealt with it. It didn't say what she thought but she seemed to shrug it off. The characters in this are strong.
ReplyDelete3. The large change in society early on was the change in government - the military coup. It didn't direct the family a whole lot, but the father was irritated, and his kids just went with it.
ReplyDeleteThe change in their family when jaja refused to take part in their religion affected them more. Their father was really mad, Jaja was scared, and their mother, and kambili were hiding away - a change from the beginning when they were proud of their father.
7. The standard of gender equality is a debatable topic - obviously men and women should be treated equally, but there are different cultures throughout the world. Treating women like property in the middle east isn't representing their human rights too well. I think that the two genders should be treated equally throughout the world.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the two genders should be treated equally throughout the world.
Delete7: I definitely believe there should be one standard for gender equality in the world. It should be that men and women have the same opportunities, and they are not discriminated against for their gender. Not having these basic rules are wrong. The fact that this even has to be discussed is wrong. There's no question about it. Men and women should have the same opportunities.
ReplyDelete-Faith W.
Free response: How does everyone feel about Kambili and Father Amaldi? I think they're "cute", and I definitely feel like it was mainly Father Amaldi who brought Kambili out of her shell, but I can't help but think about the age difference. He has to be at least 25, doesn't he? Kambili is only 15. But Nigeria has a different culture, I guess. I wish there was a sequel to this book, so I would know what Kambili grew up to be like, and if she ever saw Father Amaldi again.
ReplyDelete-Faith W.
I think it is just part of their culture. The age gap doesn't seem to matter to them because women aren't treated like people.
Delete2: The characters find sources of inspiration in their lives in different places. I definitely think Eugene's source of inspiration is God, and his family. But mostly God. I believe Beatrice is her children, and her need to protect them and be there for them. I think Jaja found his source of inspiration when he went to his aunts house for the summer. He felt freedom, and his eyes were opened. That's what inspired him. As for Kambili, I think she finds her inspiration in many different places. She wants to please her father, she wants to please god. I think she draws inspiration from Father Amaldi, just his personality. She is in love with him.
ReplyDelete-Faith W.
I agree that they find inspiration in God.
DeleteJaja by far is my favorite character, Amaka being second. The way that the author seemed to work Jaja's character development into the book was done very well. Jaja also works as a refresher from Khambili's introverted personality.
Delete-Jax H
2) I think that the characters mostly find their inspiration from God (especially Papa Eugene). The family is very religious and God is definitely a source of inspiration in their lives.
ReplyDeleteEDIT: Kambili and Jaja are also inspired to perform well in school in order to make their father proud of them.
DeleteFor Jaja, he might get his push to do well in school out of fear rather than admiration. That goes for Khambili too. They might not show it on the surface, but fear is definitely a driving force deep down inside of them
Delete-Jax H.
7) I believe that men and women should be treated equally. There are cultures that think differently, but I think that by now, women should have the same rights as men. Obviously, there are some exceptions such as male dominated sports like football. But overall, men and women should be treated equally.
ReplyDeleteI agree that men and women should be treated equally. Now that you mention sports, I liked it when Father Amaldi took Kambili to soccer. I think it showed that he doesn't see gender roles as other people in Nigeria do. I don't think Eugene would've dreamed of girls playing sports, and being athletic.
Delete-Faith W.
I agree with Faith that soccer scene with Father Amalfi and Khambili really gave him a subtle hint at his character. During that scene, he never told her she couldn't do it or that she shouldn't even bother trying. That really was a pretty good introductory scene.
Delete-Jax H
5) Here in the USA, women are free to dress however they like. So are men. I understand that other countries are very different from ours, and have different beliefs. Our cultural background is very open, and as a result, we would instinctively find it strange to see someone wearing a headscarf in Maine.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I would go to Funtown, I'd see women wearing headscarves and I'd always look at them weird. I don't think it was racism, it was just something I'd never seen before. My grandmother always gets scared when she sees women wearing headscarves, which I think is definitely prejudice.
Delete-Faith W.
6) Women don't have a big role in the book. They are not treated equally, but the kids are used to it because of their culture. Kambili knows that women are supposed to be wives to men, and not really anything else. Kamili's aunt told her that she would make a good wife. She didn't say anything about Kambili finishing first in her class. She also told Jaja that she would give him her daughter if they weren't related. This implies that women aren't even treated as people, and they don't have the right to marry whoever they want.
ReplyDeleteI remember Kambili being so surprised when she heard Aunty Ifeoma and Amaka laughing out loud. I think it's because she'd been raised to be silent and polite, because that's what women are supposed to be. Silent.
Delete-Faith W.
4) Dress restrictions influence the characters in the book because they limit what women can do. This makes women seem like objects, and not people. Kambili is forced to dress accordingly to their culture, and practice their religion. This attitude towards women affects Kambili's life because she is treated differently from how we treat women in our culture. Kambili isn't expected to be anything special, because of her gender. She doesn't see anything wrong with it because it is a part of her culture, in which she grew up with.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't personally say that it influences us to see them as objects, more so lesser beings (That sounds harsh!). Things we grow up being perceived as normal to us works for many things, like taking your shoes off inside for example. This is something very common in Japan, but not be as common in America, especially when at somebody else's home.
Delete-Jax H
3) One event that affected the family was at the very beginning of the book. Jaja chose not to practice their religion, and this made Papa furious. He threw his missal at Jaja and it hit Mama's figurines instead. This frightened Kambili because she had never seen Jaja be so disrespectful to Papa and God.
ReplyDeleteI was confused for a lot of this book because I thought Jaja refusing communion was at the beginning, until I realized that it was just a little prologue. That confused me, but I was steered in the right direction at the end. It was definitely awkward after Jaja refused communion though.
Delete-Faith W.
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DeleteTo be honest, that isn't really a societal change, more of an individual change. Nevertheless, Jaja's rebellion is a very interesting character arc to follow, Jaja's need for freedom is shown throughout the book, just like this instance
Delete-Jax H
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ReplyDelete3) An event that affected many people in Nsukka was the student riots because of the teachers cutting power and water from the dorms. This caused the riots to get fierce, which made two men search Aunt Ifeoma's house in suspicion of her collaborating with the students in the riots, they trashed the place looking for evidence. Something that affected Papa was the death of Ade Coker due to speaking out against the new government, his death caused great sadness to Papa and changed him into becoming a more depressed man.
ReplyDelete-Jax H
2) I think Papa Nwukwu finds inspiration from his Pagan Religion. Kambhili finds inspiration from Father Amaldi and Papa, both people she admires (Papa more so earlier in the book) and cares for, and Amaka and Jaja, who she admires for speaking out when she couldn't. Jaja draws inspiration from Aunt Ifeoma and her family, they are as free as he wants himself to be, and they inspire him to take risks and live life
ReplyDelete-Jax H
Free Response: Papa is a very strange character. He as an astounding amount of devotion to his religion and his children. He has high expectations for his children and his wife, whenever anybody messes up, they get the harshest of punishments. It is strange to me that Papa and deal out such harsh punishments while still seeming to love his children very much
ReplyDelete-Jax H