In our final episode of 2023 David, Heidi, and Tim attempt to answer your questions about Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Happy listening—and Happy New Year!
Appreciated the discussion on Nigerian folktales and Achebe’s folktales in Things Fall Apart!
I’ve been thinking about the several references to Okonkwo’s disdain of his culture’s folktales as childish and woman’s foolishness. This complicates Okonkwo’s place as representative of his culture. His is representative of it, and yet he spurns one of the most important and life-giving parts of it. He thinks he knows what his village has been built upon and is sustained by, but he only knows it in part. He’s rejected a significant piece (the folktales and other customs), and missed out on a balancing wisdom. He makes big miscalculations as a result.
The folktales are a good backdrop for highlighting Okonkwo’s tragic fall (and folly?).
This may have been the most hilarious episode ever. And Heidi and Tim, you are not alone worrying about crazy scenarios with your children in the early hours of the morning.
Heidi, I just want to assure you. Your fears about the 2 year old voodoo-ing out of the stroller were valid! My son on multiple occasions would squiggle out without anyone noticing and next thing we knew, he’d be on the other side of a store! 😱
Appreciated the discussion on Nigerian folktales and Achebe’s folktales in Things Fall Apart!
I’ve been thinking about the several references to Okonkwo’s disdain of his culture’s folktales as childish and woman’s foolishness. This complicates Okonkwo’s place as representative of his culture. His is representative of it, and yet he spurns one of the most important and life-giving parts of it. He thinks he knows what his village has been built upon and is sustained by, but he only knows it in part. He’s rejected a significant piece (the folktales and other customs), and missed out on a balancing wisdom. He makes big miscalculations as a result.
The folktales are a good backdrop for highlighting Okonkwo’s tragic fall (and folly?).
Stephen King’s The Stand references the Yeats poem too.
This may have been the most hilarious episode ever. And Heidi and Tim, you are not alone worrying about crazy scenarios with your children in the early hours of the morning.
Heidi, I just want to assure you. Your fears about the 2 year old voodoo-ing out of the stroller were valid! My son on multiple occasions would squiggle out without anyone noticing and next thing we knew, he’d be on the other side of a store! 😱
Happy New Year y’all! Missed you on this one, Sean! Probably off recording daily poem episodes in a basement somewhere.