Your blog post for this week will be to write a response to your pre-Spring Break essay, where you answered the question, "Is Okonkwo a hero" (you will get your essays back tomorrow). Has your opinion changed now that you've finished the novel? Why or why not? Feel free to include any thoughts concerning post-colonialism or cultural relativity.

Is Okonkwo a hero? My opinion before spring break was that he was somewhat a hero. He definately wasn't a hero in the few chapters of what we read in my eyes...however, that was looking at the defination of hero in a modern scope. If you look at how the Igbo people valued and measured one's prestige, it's easy to tell that there is a major difference.

Okonkwo had an abundance of yams, three wives, many children, and a high class title. "To top it off", even though he was this successfull, he was still quite young. He could be considered a hero to many of the Igbo people (just not by me).

To answer the question, my opinion has not changed. I cannot deem him to be a modern day hero but definitely one from the Igbo culture. I find many of his traits unfavorable as he acts on a conduct of strict masculine principles which ultimately lead to his downfall. His brash and violent attitude makes him a wife-beater and a child abuser; hardly the quality wanted by heroes. Yet, there is something about his moronical persistance towards up-keeping his image of the strong warrior that is admirable in a way. His fiery spirit and determination is what made him so successful and is inspirational to the other village members. They find his success which was built from virtually nothing as a reminder that hard work is rewarded. This belief is common in the Igbo culture and is reflected because there are stories of the tortoise being punished for his cunningness. Additionally, there is the custom of treating men with no titles as the undesirables of the clan.

In conclusion, my opinion has not changed. Okonkwo is the hero called"Roaring Flame" in Igbo times but his fire is sure extinguished in the modern era.

P.S guys, TMRW is SUPERHERO DAY! (spirit week)