Major themes of Things Fall Apart and character of Okonkow

Name:- Hetal Dabhi

Sem:- 4

Paper:-14 (The African Literature)

Assignment

Character of Okonkow

The protagonist of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is also considered a tragic hero. A tragic hero holds a position of power and prestige, chooses his course of action, possesses a tragic flaw, and gains awareness of circumstances that lead to his fall. Okonkwo's tragic flaw is his fear of weakness and failure.In his thirties, Okonkwo is a leader ofthe Igbo community of Umuofia. Achebe describes him as "tall and huge" with "bushy eyebrows and [a] wide nose [that gives] him a very severe look." When Okonkwo walks, his heels barely touch the ground, like he walks on springs, "as if he [is] going to pounce on somebody." Okonkwo "stammers slightly" and his breathing is heavy.Okonkwo is renowned as a wrestler, a fierce warrior, and a successful farmer of yams (a "manly" crop). He has three wives and many children who live in huts on his compound. Throughout his life, he wages a never ending battle for status; his life is dominated by the fear of weakness and failure. He is quick to anger, especially when dealing with men who are weak, lazy debtors like his father. However, Okonkwo overcompensates for his father's womanly (weak) ways, of which he is ashamed, because he does not tolerate idleness or gentleness. Even though he feels inward affection at times, he never portrays affection toward anyone. Instead, he isolates himself by exhibiting anger through violent, stubborn, irrational behavior. Okonkwo demands that his family work long hours despite their age or limited physical stamina, and he nags and beats his wives and son, Nwoye, who Okonkwo believes is womanly like his father, Unoka.Okonkwo is impulsive; he acts before he thinks. Consequently, Okonkwo offends the Igbo people and their traditions as well as the gods of his clan. Okonkwo is advised not to participate in the murder of Ikefemuna, but he actually kills Ikefemuna because he is "afraid of being thought weak." When the white man brings Christianity to Umuofia, Okonkwo is opposed to the new ways. He feels that the changes are destroying the Igbo culture, changes that require compromise and accommodation —two qualities that Okonkwo finds intolerable. Too proud and inflexible, he clings to traditional beliefs and mourns the loss of the past.When Okonkwa rashly kills a messenger from the British district office, his clansmen back away in fear; he realizes that none of them support him and that he can't save his village from the British colonists. Okonkwo is defeated. He commits suicide, a shameful and disgraceful death like his father's.

Major themes of Things Fall Apart

Introduction

For many writers, the theme of a novel is the driving force of the book during its creation. Even if the author doesn't consciously identify an intended theme, the creative process is directed by at least one controlling idea —a concept or principle or belief or purpose significant to the author. The theme —often several themes —guides the author by controlling where the story goes, what the characters do, what mood is portrayed, what style evolves, and what emotional effects the story will create in the reader.

Igbo Society Complexity

From Achebe's own statements, we know that one of his themes is thecomplexity of Igbo society before the arrival of the Europeans. To support this theme, he includes detailed Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apartdescriptions of the justice codes and the trial process, the social and family rituals, the marriage customs, food production and preparation processes, the process of shared leadership for the community, religious beliefs and practices, and the opportunities for virtually every man to climb the clan's ladder of success through his own efforts. The book may have been written more simply as a study of Okonkwo's deterioration in character in an increasingly unsympathetic and incompatible environment, but consider what would have been lost had Achebe not emphasized the theme of the complex and dynamic qualities of the Igbo in Umuofia.

Clash of Cultures

Against Achebe's theme of Igbo cultural complexity is his theme of the clash of cultures. This collision of cultures occurs at the individual and societal levels, and the cultural misunderstanding cuts both ways: Just as the uncompromising Reverend Smith views Africans as "heathens," the Igbo initially criticize the Christians and the missionaries as "foolish." For Achebe, the Africans' misperceptions of themselves and of Europeans need realignment as much as do the misperceptions of Africans by the West. Writing as an African who had been "Europeanized," Achebe wrote Things Fall Apartas "an act of atonement with [his] past, the ritual return and homage of a prodigal son." By his own act, he encourages other Africans, especially ones with Western educations, to realize that they may misperceive their native culture.

Destiny

Related to the theme of cultural clash is the issue of how much the flexibility or the rigidity of the characters (and by implication, of the British and Igbo) contribute to their destiny. Because of Okonkwo's inflexible nature, he seems destined for self-destruction, even before the arrival of the European colonizers. The arrival of a new culture only hastens Okonkwo's tragic fate.Two other characters contrast with Okonkwo in this regard: Mr. Brown, the first missionary, and Obierika, Okonkwo's good friend. Whereas Okonkwo is an unyielding man of action, the other two are more open and adaptable men of thought. Mr. Brown wins converts by first respecting the traditions and beliefs of the Igbo and subsequently allowing some accommodation in the conversion process. Like Brown, Obierika is also a reasonable and thinking person. He does not advocate the use of force to counter the colonizers and the opposition. Rather, he has an open mind about changing values and foreign culture: "Who knows what may happen tomorrow?" he comments about the arrival of foreigners. Obierika's receptive and adaptable nature may be more representative of the spirit of Umuofia than Okonkwo's unquestioning rigidity.For example, consider Umuofia's initial lack of resistance to the establishment of a new religion in its midst. With all its deep roots in tribal heritage, the community hardly takes a stand against the intruders —against new laws as well as new religion. What accounts for this lack of community opposition? Was Igbo society more receptive and adaptable than it appeared to be? The lack of strong initial resistance may also come from the fact that the Igbo society does not foster strong central leadership. This quality encourages individual initiative toward recognition and achievement but also limits timely decision-making and the authority-backed actions needed on short notice to maintain its integrity and welfare. Whatever the reason —perhaps a 

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apartcombination of these reasons —the British culture and its code of behavior, ambitious for its goals of native "enlightenment" as well as of British self-enrichment, begin to encroach upon the existing Igbo culture and its corresponding code of behavior.A factor that hastens the decline of the traditional Igbo society is their custom of marginalizing some of their people —allowing the existence of an outcast group and keeping women subservient in their household and community involvement, treating them as property, and accepting physical abuse of them somewhat lightly. When representatives of a foreign culture (beginning with Christian missionaries) enter Igbo territory and accept these marginalized people —including the twins —at their full human value, the Igbo's traditional shared leadership finds itself unable to control its whole population. The lack of a clear, sustaining center of authority in Igbo society may be the quality that decided Achebe to draw his title from the Yeats poem, "The Second Coming." The key phrase of the poems reads, "Things fall apart; the center cannot hold."Underlyingthe aforementioned cultural themes is a theme of fate, or destiny. This theme is also played at the individual and societal levels. In the story, readers are frequently reminded about this theme in references to chi, the individual's personal god as well as his ultimate capability and destiny. Okonkwo, at his best, feels that his chisupports his ambition: "When a man says yes, his chi says yes also" (Chapter 4). At his worst, Okonkwo feels that his chi has let him down: His chi "was not made for great things. A man could not rise beyond the destiny of his chi....Here was a man whose chi said nay despite his own affirmation" (Chapter 14).At the societal level, the Igbos' lack of a unifying self-image and centralized leadership as well as their weaknessin the treatment of some of their own people —both previously discussed —suggest the inevitable fate of becoming victim to colonization by a power eager to exploit its resources.In addition to the three themes discussed in this essay, the thoughtful reader will probably be able to identify other themes in the novel: for example, the universality of human motives and emotions across cultures and time, and the need for balance between individual needs and community needs.

Development of Radio in India

Name;-Hetal Dabhi

Sem:-4

Mass Media and Communication

Assignment

Topic:- Development of Radio in India

Summary 

                               Early inventions like the wireless and successful experiments of radiotelephony over time merged with business interests to create the powerful radio broadcast industry of modern day. This chapter addresses the key developments and uses of radio. Beginning with Marconi's successful transmission of the letter "S" from England to Newfoundland in 1898, the timeline continues with Fessenden's 1906 successful Christmas Eve radiotelephony transmission from Brant Rock in Massachusetts--the first publicly announced broadcast. Other key historical developments of radio's timeline include the pioneer broadcast station KDKA in Pittsburgh; the formation of the networks andthe creation of the radio audience; radio's golden age of programming; the development of FM radio; and the impact of television on the radio industry. Technological advancements are important because they ensure the continued viability of radio. However, these developments must be considered in the light of the role of radio in society. Technological advancements are vital but this must not overshadow the fact that such developments occur in order to serve society. Radio serves society in a variety of capacities: education, entertainment, military affairs, and public affairs such as news and politics. Land-grant universities once envisioned radio as a powerful tool for educating mass numbers of the population. Educational radio stations numbered more than 200 during the early 1920s but dropped to 35 by 1941 due to the lack of funding. The first radiotelephony broadcast served an entertainment purpose and consisted of Fessenden playing the violin as well as playing phonograph recordings. Musical artists continue to entertain the public through radio. During World War I, the United Statesgovernment took control of radio airwaves by ordering amateur operators off the air and authorizing the Navy to exert complete control of what was perceived as a marine service. In 1920 private ownership was restored. During World War II, the American government limited the licensing of new radio stations. Political radio broadcasting began early in the United States during the late 1930s, with political candidates airing radio advertisements. Political radio became a staple of American society as early as 1944 when, due to poor health, FDR relied predominantly on radio to run his fourth successful presidential bid. On election night in 1944, the radio networks dropped regular programming in order to carry the election results. Political radio continues today with recent and current presidents' weekly radio broadcasts and an extensive variety of talk radio shows. Broadcast journalism developed during World War II. Edward R. Murrow, considered to be the founder of broadcast journalism, became famous for his eloquent and vivid broadcasts describing the bombing of London by Hitler's warplanes. Listeners became so engrossed in Murrow's news coverage that they actually felt as if they were there and experiencing the terror in London. Countries use radio to project their policies and values onto other nations. Future technological advancements include the evolution into digital radio, the increasing value of micro-powered radio stations, and the future of radio and the Internet. 

1. Introduction 

                         Radio technology is a useful channel through which people communicate. Messages sent through invisible airwaves inform, persuade and entertain. Radio connects individuals across geographical, cultural, and even political divides. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was the first to use radio as a forum for addressing public issues. The BBC aired a debate on communism on February 22, 1923 and the public reaction was favorable. To understand the communicative power of radio one should examine the technological developments in order to realize radio's tangible capabilities, as well as the societal uses of such technologies in order to realize radio's intangible capabilities. The technological and social aspects of radio are both addressed in this chapter. First, a timeline presenting technological accomplishments is outlined. Second, how society incorporated radio technology in useful ways is presented. As Judge Stephen B. Davis stated in 1927, "There probably has never been a scientific development that was as quickly translated into popular use as was radio broadcasting." Four ways in which radio serves society are discussed. Radio is educational, entertaining, and useful for increased awareness in both military and public affairs. The historical technological developments of radio's creation are addressed next. 

2. Historical Developments of Radio's Timeline 

                        Inventors from all over the world contributed to the creation and development of radio. Early theories about radio were proven by later experiments and became a reality when devices were produced. As the public became more interested, radio became an organized profit-making industry. Technology continued to develop and radio wasimproved, and then almost forgotten when the more exciting television appeared on the scene. Radio adapted, survived and spread throughout the world. 2.1. Early Radio Transmissions .As early as 1895 and continuing to the present, inventors from around the world contributed to the creation and development of radio. In some cases, inventors in different countries invented the same devices because there was no quick way to communicate the development and successes of these devices. Eventually, this led to countless rivalries, claims, counterclaims and patent suits. Radio technology started in 1864 when James Clerk Maxwell, a Scottish mathematician and physicist, theorized that when electricity passes through a wire, it gives off invisible waves under certain conditions. A young German named Heinrich Hertz proved this theory in 1887 and 1888. Professor Popov, a Russian scientist, experimented with wireless transmission around 1895. The Italian inventor, Guglielmo Marconi, successfully transmitted wireless signals in his radiotelegraphy experiments, which began in 1895 and continued through 1899. Marconi's wireless transmissions were first sent across distances of two miles on his father's Italian estate, then increased to eight miles or more. He transmitted across the English Channel and then the Atlantic Ocean. This last experiment involved transmitting the letter 'S' in Morse code from Newfoundland to England. Marconi's experiments used a spark gap transmitter that was effective for Morse code transmission but was incapable of voice or music transmission. The "arc" called the continuous wave system (CW) improved the transmission of messages over longer distances and was more efficient than the spark gap transmitter. Reginald A. Fessenden, a Canadian professor of electrical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, believed there could be an even better system than the CW. Fessenden asked GE to design a transmitter using a high speed generator of alternating currents in order to create the type of carrier wave needed for voice transmission. A GE engineer, E. F. W. Alexanderson, did just that. In 1906, he developed the Alexanderson alternator, which was effective for longer distances and transatlantic communication.The first radiotelephony broadcast occurred in 1906 at Brant Rock, Massachusetts, when Fessenden sang and played the violin on Christmas Eve and then again on New Year's Eve. The audience consisted of a few notified newspaper representatives and shipboard operators. Some operators believed they were hearing angels’ voices coming from their equipment. Fessenden aired the broadcast to gain publicity for his business interests, not as a program service for the public. In October 1917, the Russian cruiser Aurora aired the world's first public service broadcast. The only way to make the alternator more powerful was to make it bigger. The large, bulky and heavy alternator was burdensome. Such negative qualities encouraged the creation of smaller, lighter inventions. By 1915, the vacuum-tube transmitter was 

developed using inventions from Lee de Forest and John Ambrose Fleming. The 

vacuum-tube transmitter was smaller in size and weight than the alternator, thus less burdensome. The U.S. navy used the vacuum-tube transmitter extensively in World War I. Radio was based on tubes until the late 1950s when the transistor was developed.