Wealth, fortune, a husband of great fame were all that ever crossed my mind.  I thought: “This man will change my miserable life into a glorious one, no longer will I have to suffer those days where food was scarce, never again will I be hungry”.  Then I met him, a proud, strong man with the sternest look a man could ever present.  Even his gaze brought chills running down my back.  I was afraid.  Yet I carelessly forgot time after time now that I am the wife of such a powerful man, I had to put my immature thoughts behind or be punished by him.  Looking back now, I admit; his arguments were reasonable, especially that time, remember, when we spent the entire day at your hut pleating our hair into those beautiful braids that we tried so hard to perfect.  What had I done wrong you ask?  I had neglected my duties as a wife and mother and I swear, I will never ever forget that look on his face when he spoke to me.  Eyes aflame, nose flared and teeth bared, the burning face of a tiger.  And yes it hurt, every part of my body ached, ached with fear of such a ferocious man but only now do I realize how much he aided me in the growth as an adult.  However, I am afraid that my dear daughter, Obiageli has adopted such traits from me.  Her childish playfulness is scorned as her lovely sister Ezinma serves as the ideal daughter in our household.  My poor Obiageli is always second to her, I see the way her father looks at her with dull eyes but when he sees Ezinma, his eyes come alive with life.  But I understand that no matter how much I wish my daughter to be like Ezinma, they are still two different people and only my daughter will be so much like myself.  And as much as I fear I am stealing away Obiageli’s youth, I have learned from Okonkwo that one day she will have to grow up anyways; it is never too early to become a woman, only too late, for I do not wish for her to ache with the same dull pain as I have when I was younger.

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Written from Ojiugo's (the third wife) point of view.  She is talking to her friend after she came back from the seven years of exile.

A Change in Opinion

Previously, I had thought that Okonkwo was not a hero; that is up until I learned the definition of a tragic hero.  A tragic hero has a flaw that they are born with and unaware of.  They also are responsible for the actions that lead to their downfall.  However Things Fall Apart takes place in modern day, so Okonkwo can be classified as a modern tragic hero which can be contrasted from a classic tragic hero because modern heroes are usually ordinary people and do not necessarily receive the audience's sympathy that a classic hero would.
All these points led to the change in my opinion.  Before I had thought Okonkwo was not a hero because he seemed cowardly, always running away from his problems and not very likable due to his strict nature.  However now that I recognize Okonkwo's major flaw, the fear of laziness and losing manliness, the qualities that his father possessed I believe he is as a tragic hero.  His fear causes him to strive to achieve perfection at all costs which leads to Okonkwo making decisions that indirectly cause his death. 

The Truth About Human Adaptation

   The central conflict in The Handmaid's Tale is the strict theocratic society in Gilead.  This conflict applies to multiple characters because all the rules and expectations that this newly formed government outline pose as a problem for everyone; from the powerful men to the lower class servants, not one being can adapt to the new lifestyle.  For the main protagonist in the novel, Offred, her position has a handmaid requires her to perform duties that degrade her as a woman leading to an internal conflict as she is unsure if going against the rules laid out by the government is what she wants to do.  For example, when she is asked by the Wife to bed with another man in hopes of impregnating her, Offred is afraid that someone will discover this secret however in the end, Offred gives in to love and passion.  Ironically, the Commander played a primary role in creating this new society but even he cannot adapt to the vast changes.  He lacks companionship so he resorts to inviting Offred to accompany him in his study and goes as far as smuggling her into an underground club.  Every woman never wishes to see their husband developing a relationship with another woman and this holds true for Serena Joy, the Commander's Wife.  What adds oil to the fire is that Offred is necessary for her to 'have' a child so Serena must tolerate her under all circumstances.  Serena seems to desperately try to rid their family of Offred by asking the handmaid to bed with another man so that she may become pregnant and leave their home sooner.

   The conflict is resolved by the characters in a variety of ways because each one has an unique problem.  However it is stated in the ending that the theocratic government comes to a downfall after many years.  Also it can be implied that it becomes like our modern society once again as the ending takes place in the future and it is in the form of an university lecture.  Offred also escapes from the Commander's household but it is unknown whether the Eye's van she was last seen stepping into was indeed a fake one containing members of the rebellion organization, Mayday, as Nick, the driver she has developed affections for, claims or the actual government coming to arrest her for her wrongdoings.

   The strict theocratic government reminds me of the government in "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr..  In both cases, the citizens are forced to adapt to what we view as a ridiculous lifestyle that is for the good of the people.  In "Harrison Bergeron", there are controls that are intended to make everyone equal, whether in intelligence, physical appearance or in talent, no one can be better than the other.