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CST 230: Non-Western
Literature
Alpana Sharma
Spring 2003
Chinua
Achebe, Things Fall Apart:
Background on Nigeria:
1. Go to
www.countrywatch.com
2. Next, go to
www.infoplease.com
Background on Chinua Achebe:
Review content on www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/post/achebe/achebeov.html
Study Questions on Things Fall Apart:
- Background on Nigeria: What are the four main ethnic divisions in
Nigeria? What are the languages? What is Nigeria's official language?
What is the Biafran War? When did it take place and what was its
result? When was Nigeria formally a British Colony? When did it gain
independence from the British? Who are the Ogoni people? Who was their
leader and why was he executed? Who is the current leader of Nigeria?
- Background on Achebe: When was Achebe born? At what age did he write
his first novel? When was the novel published? In what language did
Achebe write his novel? Why/why wasn't the novel written in his native
tongue? What is Achebe's mother tongue? How does he incorporate Igbo
words, phrases, and thinking into his English? List and define four
Igbo words in the novel.
- Religion: What is the religion practiced by the Igbo people in
Achebe's novel? What are some of the practices of this religion? Why
do these practices seem so foreign to Western readers? When
Christianity enters the Igbo culture, how do the Africans respond to
it? What is the appeal of Christianity to some residents of Umuofia?
Name and describe the four groups of people who first convert to
Christianity. Do you detect any differences between the two
missionaries Mr. Brown and Mr. Smith?
- Treatment of women: What can you say about the treatment of women in
this culture? What are some of the ways in which women wield power in
this male-dominated society? What is Achebe's own representation of
women? Could this book be called a "male" text? Why or why
not?
- The character of Okonkwo: Describe the character of Okonkwo. What
are his strengths and weaknesses? In what ways may he be termed a
tragic hero (i.e., one destined for greatness but suffering from a
fatal flaw)? How is he similar to or different from the classical
heroes you are familiar with in your own culture? Do you think the
novel is speaking from his point of view? If not, what is the narrator’s
perspective on Okonkwo? Describe Okonkwo's relationship with his
children. Why does he participate in the killing of Ikemefuna? Was he
warned not to? Did his friend Obierika participate in this killing?
Why or why not?
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Nawal
El Saadawi, Woman at Point Zero:
Background on Egypt:
1. Go to www.countrywatch.com
2. Next, go to
www.infoplease.com
Background on Nawal El Saadawi:
Review content on http://www.nawalsaadawi.net/
Study Questions on Nawal El Saadawi,
Woman at Point Zero
- Background on Egypt: Who were the rulers of Egypt before the Arab
invasion? When did the Arab invasion occur? What is the majority
religion of Egypt today? What is Egypt's official language? Which two
European countries vied for power over Egypt? Who was the victor? When
was Egypt formally declared a protectorate? When did Egypt gain
independence? Why is 1967 a significant year for Egypt? What was the
main difference between Egypt's first leader Nasser and its second
leader Sadat? Who is Egypt's current leader?
- Background on Saadawi: When was Saadawi born? What government
position did she hold that she was forced to resign from? When was she
imprisoned by Sadat and why? How would you describe Saadawi's
politics? What are her views on religion, women, and the poor?
- Saadawi and Firdaus: How would you characterize Saadawi's response
to Firdaus and her story? What is her eventual view of Firdaus? Why is
she in the prison interviewing inmates in the first place? What are
some of the commonalities among Saadawi and Firdaus?
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Firdaus: What is the chain of events in Firdaus's life
that leads her to murder? Describe Firdaus's early childhood and her
parents' treatment of her. What does she say that causes her mother to
summon a midwife? What does the midwife do? Why do her uncle and aunt
decide to marry her off? Name all the significant men in Firdaus's
life in chronological order. Are there any women who are significant?
What is Firdaus's view of prostitution? Does she try a different
lifestyle and if so why would she leave it and return to prostitution?
Who are the men she dislikes the most? What is Firdaus's own view of
the murder? Why does she kill the pimp Marzouk?
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Khushwant Singh, Train
to Pakistan:
Background on India:
1. Go to www.countrywatch.com
2. Next, go to
www.infoplease.com
Background on Khushwant Singh:
Review content on http://www.loc.gov/acq/ovop/delhi/salrp/khushwantsingh.html
Study Questions on Train to Pakistan:
- Background: What is the Indus Valley civilization? When is it
estimated to have originated? What is the beginning known date of the
Aryan age? Why is the Indo-Aryan period significant? What is the caste
system? For how long did the Muslims rule India (give dates)? Who did
the British fight for possession over India? What happened in 1857?
When did India become a colony of Britain? When was the Indian
National Congress formed? Why did a certain group of people split off
from it? What did they call themselves? What was their demand? What is
the "divide and rule" policy that the British adopted? What
is Partition? When did it occur? What caused the animosity among
Hindus and Muslims? Who are India and Pakistan's current leaders? What
are current relations like between them?
- Ethnic/Religious relations: How are relations among the Hindus,
Muslims, and Sikhs at the book's beginning? Where do these people's
loyalties lie? Why is Imam Baksh a respected member of the village?
What prompts the Hindu villagers to turn against Mano Majra's Muslim
population and join in the plot to kill them? What role do Malli and
his gang play in the novel?
- Describe the background and character of Iqbal. Does the author
intend to portray Iqbal ironically? Describe Iqbal's attitude towards
the villagers. Why could he not have committed the crime of which he
was accused? Do we ever find out Iqbal's actual religious background?
Why do the police mistake him for a Muslim?
- Describe the background and character of Juggat Singh. Is Juggat a
likeable character? What is his relationship with Imam Baksh's
daughter? Does Juggat's mother like her? What reason does Juggat give
for not committing the crime of which he is accused? Is Juggat the
real hero of the book?
- Describe the background and character of Hukkum Chand. How is the
author's depiction of Hukum Chand a complex one? Describe his
relationship with the young prostitute Haseena. Why does he keep Iqbal
and Juggat in jail when he knows they are innocent? Why does he free
them towards the book's end?
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Mariama
Bâ, So Long a Letter:
Background on Senegal:
1. Go to www.countrywatch.com
2. Next, go to
www.infoplease.com
Background on Mariama Bâ:
Review content on http://www.arts.uwa.edu.au/AFLIT/BaMariamaEng.html
Study Questions on Mariama Bâ's So Long a Letter:
- Background on Senegal: Which European countries vied for possession
over Senegal? Which country won? Why is Leopold Senghor an important
historical and cultural figure for Senegal? When did Senegal gain
independence? Who was its first president? Who is Abdoulaye Wade and
why was he a threat to the Senegalese government? Who is Senegal's
current leader and what is his party's name?
- Background on Mariama Bâ: When was Bâ born and when did she die?
What were her early influences? When was So Long a Letter
published in English? What are at least two dominating themes in her
writing? How might her writing be said to differ from Achebe's?
- Ramatoulaye and Aissatou: What are some of the book's
preoccupations? In what style is the book written? Describe the kind
of friendship that Ramatoulaye and Aissatou share. Why is their
education seen by them as a momentous event? What is their view on
modern Senegalese society? What do you think is most responsible for
the key differences between the two women? How do their lives take on
diverging paths? Which character do you think is more fulfilled in
their lives?
- Polygamy: Why is polygamy in the novel described so differently from
Achebe's book? What sorts of conflicts does polygamy cause in the
joint family? Why does polygamy occur? How does it rearrange women's
interrelationships?
- Representation of men: Why do men appear so different from the men
in Achebe's book? How are men viewed in Bâ's book? Give three
examples of men in the book. Given that both the main characters
gained financial independence due to their higher education, why do
men still feature so largely in their lives?
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