Compare and Contrast: Kikuyu vs. TFA
Pre-Colonial time in Kenya greatly affected the beliefs and cultures of the present. The Kikuyu people can be said to have come from the north high in the mountains of Kenya in around 1200. They have been known to be the largest of Bantu people. The Kikuyu settled south of Mount Kenya and highlands of central Kenya. During the 10th century the spread from this region into many other areas South of Kenya. The tribe was originally formed from a man named Gikuyu (“Pre-Colonial Times in Kenya”)
The social life of a Kikuyu is very similar to the clans in the town of Umuofia in Things Fall Apart. Kikuyu men and women both think that the males should be the leader of the household, and in Things Fall Apart there are many similar roles that are given. One example is when Ojiugo, Okonkwo’s youngest wife, “went to plait her hair at her friend’s house and did not return early enough to cook the afternoon meal…and when she returned he beat her very heavily. (Achebe 29)” Woman of the Kikuyu people are usually viewed as having more control when it comes to crop growing and disciplining small school aged daughters. Baptizing children and deciding on whether they should go to school or not is both the role of the men and women to decide.
Throughout Things Fall Apart the boys are classified more as farmers picking yams, than working with farm animals in the Kikuyu culture. “Okonkwo wanted his son to be a great farmer and a great man. (Achebe 33)” Girls of the Kikuyu are raised to work in farms and boys work with animals (“Kenya: Social Life”), the girls also have the responsibility of taking care of a baby or a sibling and helping the mother out with chores around the household.
Kikuyu history states that the head god, Ngai, took Gikuyu to the top of Kirintaga and told him to stay atop the mountain and build his home there. He was given a wife, Mumbi. Together they had nine daughters. There was actually a tenth daughters but the people of Kikuyu considered it bad luck to say the number ten. Usually when people counted, instead of ten they would say “full nine”. From these nine daughters there was then formed the Kikuyu clans- Achera, Agachiku, Airimu, Ambui, Angare, Anjiru, Angui, Aithaga, and Aitherandu- were created (“Religion in Kenya”). In TFA, the author mentions 9 villages in the first line of the beginning of the book; there is much evidence that there were nine different clans in each of the villages. “Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. (Achebe 3)”
In Conclusion, the compare and contrast between the Kikuyu and the social life in Things Fall Apart are very similar and slightly different.
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Hi,
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of interesting and in depth evidence in this nicely written paragraph. Although with all this information I still felt a little bit in the dark about whether the Kikuyu had a complete male dominance or not. Furthermore, I am not quite sure what the story about the ten daughters was supposed to convey. Perhaps next time transition more directly into evidence and connect it to the main point. Otherwise this was a very nice paragraph and well done!
-Ayluonne
This is a good paragraph. You had some good comparisons between the Kikuyu and Ibo people which were supported by your relevant evidence.
ReplyDeleteGood work.
-Gabriel
Hey,
ReplyDeleteI think that you did a great job in terms of getting your point across. I really like the way you logically organized your ideas, especially the way that you presented your supporting evidence. A thought that I had regarding this piece would be for you to possibly state your ideas a bit clearer in your topic sentence, as it does not seem too relevant to your piece. Other than that, I really liked it. Nice job!
-- Luke
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI am very impressed with the amount of information in your piece; you make some good inferences with them. But, I am confused about your main idea. I think it might be a little broad. To improve your paragraph, you should try to be more specific with your main idea. Overall, you wrote a thought provoking paragraph. Nice job!
- Anna
Hey,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very insightful and well thought out paragraph. you present you evidence in a very readable and convincing way. I do feel however that you may have been a bit too broad. Excellent work!
-Walker
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI thought that this paragraph had a lot of important facts on the Kikuyu people. It really told the readers what the societies in Kenya are like, so that the reader can really understand the comparison being made between the two cultures. Sometimes though I felt like the point that was trying to be made was unclear which made part of the paragraph confusing, but this was a good paragraph that showed many facts and had a well blended quote!
-Kathleen
Hello,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very well written piece of work, I enjoyed the details that you added and how you incorporated your quotes. I would have liked for it to be a bit more compact but otherwise, you did a wonderful job on it.
-Nidalia
Hey,
ReplyDeleteOverall this was a well written piece, and you blended your quotes well. It would have been better if you were a little more brief. Otherwise, nice job.
Jonny
Hey,
ReplyDeleteYour paragraph was really easy to read, the syntax flowed well. Given how much information you included as well, i would say you did a great job of writing it up.
Nice Job!
-Andreas
The essay has good structure and details with well chosen evidence. The only thing is your thesis and conclusion seem a little vague compared to the rest. But in the body of the essay you get your point across very well. Nice work
ReplyDeleteMarissa
There arnt too many thing you could do to improve this. It had a nice flow to it while still informing the reader. Nice.
ReplyDeleteHey! The essay has great evidence and properly cited citations. You use good language and keep a working flow to your paper. I really liked it. There are very few things worth considering changing. The first paragraph, while it sets good background, it is not entirely necessary. Sometimes wording can be a bit vague or incomplete, like, "north high in the mountains of Kenya". Watch out for stuff like that. Other than that, perfect!
ReplyDeleteHarry Sherman