One of the things I noticed when reading both
“Look back in anger” and “Things fall apart” is that change plays a significant
role in both novels.
In “Look back in anger” the main character
Jimmy comes from a working class and is married to a high-born, Alison. Among
Jimmy’s various issues we can find the notorious resentment towards the higher
classes, which has been accentuated due to the fact that the division between
social classes has prominently increased.
For me, he is constantly bullying his wife
because she represents everything he hates, in terms of hierarchical divisions.
Moreover, he tries to find some sort of meaning to his life since he is unable
to cope with the changes the society and his environment have suffered, thus his
incapability of adapting to the new context of that time.
A similar situation happens to Okonkwo, who
is unable to accustom to the changes presented in his life such as the presence
of the white man among his tribe. As Okonkwo did not want to be at all like his
father, he hated everything that had to do with his parent, even the behaviors
he had seen on him, resulting in violent attitudes.
Both Jimmy and Okonkwo were driven by their
violent and angry nature, which eventually led them to their corruption and
destruction. I think their inability to cope with the changes presented on
their paths played against them. While writing this entry the movie “Brave”
came to my mind, in which a teenager is forced to adapt her nature to her
mother’s ways, considering the mother as the agent that imposes a change, in
the case of the novels perhaps portrayed as the society. In this case Merida,
the teenager, refuses to adjust to the new events and situations and ends up
causing more trouble for her and the ones around her, which is quite similar to
the situation portrayed in “Look back in anger”.
Do you think both characters could have
adapted to change if their angry nature hadn’t have been in the way? Do you see
change as a positive or negative element? Is it changing an important factor
for progress?
I leave you the link for the movie trailer;
in case you want to see what it is about (love the Scottish accent by the way).
What an interesting topic!!! And a great relation with the movie you chose.
ResponderEliminarChanges are not easy, specially when it comes to meaningful changes in our lives. Of course, attitude is important and regarding to your first question, if the characters in both novels had had the correct attitude towards change, they would have adapted in a better way.
On the other hand, as we can see in brave, Merida has to face this change in her life, a change that her mother claims to be correct in order to be a better person and to adequate to their society. However, it is also her mother who has to change and sometimes, as Merida proves in certain way, we have to stay firm with our convictions and so, we can change, but also our environment might change with us as well.
I think that Okonkwo, Jim and Merida have one characteristic in common, and that's their stubbornness. They can sense that what they are doing it is wrong; moreover, they know that there actions must changed, but they don't want to, they are not willing to change. The fact that they want the world to stay the same, it is simply impossible. As human being, we are meant to change. Evolution is part of our basic instincts to survive. In fact, mankind have to adapt and change, or die. It is unthinkable that we can lived in childhood forever, even though we wanted it. It's unrealistic. Therefore, I believe that change is good and positive, we just have to take the best out of every situation in life.
ResponderEliminar