Comparison Exercise

In pairs you will be allocated a chapter from the novel to compare with the last chapter.

You will then be reporting your findings back to the class.

You will need to consider the following things for each chapter you are asked to analyse:

1. How does the author position you to view the Ibo tribe? (Consider social structure, culture, values, attitudes, beliefs, etc).

Social Structure
1. Missionaries
2. Members of the Ibo Tribe
Values Okonkow is shocked that his son Nwoye abandons his father and tribe to work for the missionaries  When Nwoye explains to Obierika that he is “One of them” pg 125
Attitudes The attitudes that the native people have towards the missionaries, they are shocked and confused by their arrival, their god and the kinds of objects they bring to the village e.g. the Iron Horse,
Beliefs The missionaries try to enforce their belief and their god to the people of Umofia  they are confused by this.
2. How does the author position you to view the individual characters? (Focus only on those characters who are essential to the plot)..

The missionaries The author positions the reader to see the missionaries as trying to persuade the tribes to believe in their god and as if they need to be saved. They are positioned to kind of look like the bad guys
The tribe people
Nwoye Is positioned to be seen as a traitor to the clan as he goes off with the missionaries.


3. How does the author position you to view men?
In this chapter you are not positioned to see men in anyway
4. How does the author position you to view women?
In this chapter the author does not position you to see women in any way
5. How does the author position you to view the Europeans? (If relevant to the chapter).
In this chapter the audience is positioned to see the Europeans as the “bad guys” as they have somewhat brainwashed Nwoye into their belief and obeying their god “There was young lad who had been captivated. His name was Nwoye...” pg 28. They are seen as strange and foreign to the tribal people

Once you have done these questions for each chapter compare the similarities and differences between the two.
If there are significant differences comment on what impact this has on your understanding of the story and the overall invited reading?

When you are answering these questions be as specific as possible. Remember to use the correct terminology we have been using in class.