User:Atcovi/ENG225/The Yams - Week Nine

This week I want to begin with something a little different. Before you begin, please watch the brief Ted Talk below (Warning: this video contains depictions of sexual assault and rape):

This video is more than 10 years old. It is distinctly American.

Things Fall Apart was written in the 50s and it is most certainly not American, although it does portray the West's creeping influence.

However, I think this conversation about masculinity, about what it means to be a man is timeless and universal. The exploration has always been there; it's the answers that continue to evolve.

To save time this week, our discussion board will focus only on Things Fall Apart. You were only assigned to read part three, which is a complete moment in itself. However, it might be helpful to go back and review the part 1 and part 2 summary slides from this week's PowerPoint.

Consider this quote:

“He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably became soft like women" (Achebe 183).

In Okonkwo's world, what does it mean to be a man? For this first question, remove your 21st century understanding and American ideas about gender roles and cultural norms. Explore this from the perspective of the Igbo people. Remember, even though Achebe wrote this in the 50s, it depicts colonization of a tribe in the late 19th century. The second question, as always, asks you to use this piece of literature as an exploration of yourself and your own time:

To Cis and Trans Men: What does it mean to be a man to you? What is masculinity? After watching the TedTalk, how do you feel about the cultural phenomena of toxic masculinity? Do you think there is a Man Box, as Tony Porter describes it? If so, do you feel trapped by it?

Initial post due Friday, Nov. 3 by 11:59PM

Response

 * 1) From this quote along, it seems that Okonkwo's worldview of what a man is - is of the 'traditional' sense. Men were seen as the protectors and the leaders due to their physical superiority. Women were seen as "soft" due to their physical inferiority. The quote is implying that the tribe fell apart and lost its ways because the men were not able to successfully defend their tribe's values and customs, thus becoming 'woman-like' (soft). Okonkwo is frustrated with the lack of urgency the men show in defending their values and customs from the invading British. The view of a man, from Oknkwo's perspective, is someone who remains fierce and stubborn in the face of adversities - and these men have not lived up to the ask and has allowed their culture to be withered away.
 * 2) Being a man to me sides with the more traditional viewpoint. I believe being a man is someone who is strong, caring, and is a leader - especially during times that may go against him. This doesn't mean that men need to "bottle" emotions or "not" cry. I like where the TedTalk is going, but in my viewpoint, it seems to make its own opinions on some basic values of a man. A man being "tough" does not mean a man can't cry. I found this to be a conclusion that had no merit in it being drawn. Being a traditional man doesn't mean you bottle up emotions, not show fear, or treat women badly. None of this is true to the nature of a human being. Men, like women, have feelings & emotions that should rightly and healthily be felt. Actually, I'd argue being a man is someone who admits fear & being scared - after all, these are normal, human emotions. I also do not believe women are less value just because they may be physically inferior or more emotional. Viewing women as objects is totally inappropriate & I'm not exactly sure how this view is held by certain people - I've personally never came across it. As for "toxic masculinity", I have no real clue what this means. After a quick google search, it seems to be like a person who wants to be a 'tough guy'. I'd oppose being rude to to others in order to feel superior. I am not sure if there is a "man box" in today's age as I'm not familiar with what most people believe, but I certainly don't feel trapped by any sort of "man box".