J'Narra+Eilam

= I think the Igbo traditions for wedding ceremonies are very different and kind of pointless because the wife and husband barely speak or see each other. I also think it is dumb that he sits with her family and his getting drunk instead of spending time with her. The wedding traditions that are the same is that we drink wine at the wedding and have both of are families present. We also are in are best formal wear but the brides and the grooms have to look better. They are also similar because we both have a lot of food with different courses with friends and family that help with the bride. They are different because we get caters and wedding planners to cook the food and pick the place to have the wedding along with themes instead of getting people in our neighborhood to cook. We also buy wedding dresses and tuxedos to get married in. Something that you have to do in order to get married the right way out here i s get to know each other before you get married because if you don't your marriage will soon fall apart and be a total disaster. The thing we don't do the same at all as the Igbo tribe is pay a bride-price to marry her. Are marrying traditions are very different from the Igbo tribe because we try to get married the right way to avoid getting a divorce, having her/him live with his parents, move out, go to court, or one of them die. = = = = = = = = = = = = = =They Igbo people define masculinity by wrestling, fighting, having many wives, ruling over their wives and children, not being weak, and being fearless. Americans define masculinity by providing for your family, having a job, car, your own house without your parents if you are over 18, having your license, and fighting. American and Igbo perceptions are similar because we both fight to prove a point and to show how tough we are. We also do not wanna be weak or fearless and will challenge anyone who thinks that we are. American and Igbo perceptions are different because Igbo try to control their wives and they beat them when they want and will not get in-trouble they can also have more than one wife and if they kill somebody its what someone else wanted and they will not get arrested for it. Americans are not allowed to have more than one wife or they can go to jail they also can't beat their children or wives like the Igbo people do or it will be looked at as Domestic Violence or Child Abuse. In the Igbo culture they think women are weak and less important and that makes me very angry because I thin some women are stronger than some men and more important than most men. Women have to be single mothers and support their children when the baby's father has left them alone and that enough should classify women as strong. =

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My first impression of the book __Things Fall Apart__ by __Chinua Achebe__ is that it is very hard to understand and follow. I don't quite think the book sucks yet but i'm just not into right now. The book doesn't draw my attention at all like the other books I have read in class previously. I just think that Chinua Achebe wrote the book for older readers not high school students in. I think that my high school friends and I would like to read a book with more interest you know books that relate to us. I just haven't made my mind up of I like the book or not but I think by the time we are done that I will not like it at all and it's early in the book and i'm already making this decision. I feel that the Igbo culture is mostly based on religion and that nothing else matters in their village. Im not fond of their culture because the way women get treated is wrong even the way they go about things is wrong. It shouldn't be allowed for 1 man to have more than wife and for him to beat them as much as he wants except for one week and nobody do anything about that. The way the treat gardening is insane over there. What is the big deal about planting yams and earning respect to get yam seeds from other people. I honestly don't like their culture I couldn't live over there. Their culture is different from ours because a man is looked at as great and powerful if he has more than one wife but over here it is not allowed and looked down upon.Another way their culture is different from ours is that they have to grow their food to eat and the more you grow the more respected you are but are culture can go buy food and we have farmers that send food over here and grow things for us. If we garden it is looked at as a skill or a hobby not really a job or something we get paid for or have to do things to get seeds from a higher person or power. One way their culture is similar is their personal life because th ey marry and have kids just like us.