Things Fall Apart Part III

Since Okonkwo was gone for seven years he lost his place among the men who rule the clan and he could no longer have a strong influence on the decisions the clan made. The church being built in the clan causes confrontations. At first the clansmen just laughed at what the missionaries preached, but when some of their own members and the outcasts of the village started to convert they became very concerned. How could they be expected to fight against their own people? Okonkwo tries to tell the clan that it does not matter, they chose to convert and now they have to pay, because war was the only way to return to the way things were. The new government and church divides the people of the clan through religion and through commerce. The government brought in money to the markets and some people prospered from the increase of money. After Okonkwo returns from the prison with the other men he is determined to make the people see how evil the white men are and inform them that war is the only option. Okonkwo is so enraged that when the District Commissioner's messenger arrives at the meeting, he decapitates the man. He feels that no one will stand with him against these strangers and he is so angry at the motion of letting his life and faith be destroyed, that he lashes out. After Okonkwo murders the man he probably regrets his rash behavior and accepts that now he has endangered the whole clan and condemned himself to death. Okonkwo's choice to hang himself reflects his unbending will to let something foreign destroy what he stood for. His death somewhat signifies the death of the clan and how their old customs are doomed to be overrun by new ideas.

Things Fall Apart Parts I and II

Okonkwo is very cold hearted and vicious. He killed a young man who looked to him as a father, and Okonkwo had even admitted to have liking him. Ikemefuna's death seems to be another hard moment in Okonkwo's life, after he had to make a name for himself by working very hard. When Ezinma gets the fever and the priestess takes her away to the cave, Ekwefi and Okonkwo follow because they are so concerned that the priestess will hurt or possibly kill Enzima because she is believed to be an ogbanje and she is always getting ill. The customs of the clan seem to be very strong within the community. Their system of letting the elders rule seems to be very successful, but their laws seem to be quite cruel. For example, the clan murder's twins and children believed to be ogbanje because they are believed to be evil. Even though the mothers of these poor children are devastated the clan carries on as though it is nothing when in fact they are murdering perfectly healthy babies. The lords of the clan use fear to enforce the laws, claiming that if they do not adhere to the rules the gods will destroy them. When Okonkwo accidentally shoots the boy at the funeral he has to leave for seven years. Okonkwo seems to be a very angry violent man towards everyone even his family sometimes. When Okonkwo is banished for seven years he is devastated because all of his hard work on his farm had been taken away from him and he will have lost seven years that he could have used to earn his way closer to becoming one of the lords of the clan. While he and his family are in Mbaino they hear of the white men that are inhabiting nearby villages and how they savagely murdered one whole clan. The news enrages Okonkwo and he cannot understand why none of the villages are willing to fight the men. When Okonkwo's son Nwoye decides to join a missionary and abandon his clan's faith his father disowns him. Nwoye likes the Christian faith because he disapproves of the practices of his clan.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion chapter 10

I don't really understand why Mizoguchi bought the arsenic pills and the knife. Perhaps the two items were planned evidence to leave at the crime to make it seem as though Mizoguchi was suicidal. It is a perfect convenience when the fire alarm breaks and the repairman doesn't come for several days because it allows Mizoguchi time to execute his plan. Mizoguchi finally feels as though someone has understood him when he speaks to Father Zenkai because Father Zenkai believes that it doesn't matter what kind of acts a person does or who the person chooses to be because all life eventually ends anyhow. When Mizoguchi is by the pond looking at the temple it seems as though he is evaluating its structure, seeing a view of the temple which he had never noticed before. The whole scene where Mizoguchi is viewing the temple and preparing to burn it is very saddening because he is about to destroy something that is so beautiful because it is so full of history and culture. I thought that perhaps Mizoguchi was going to perish in the flames because he could not get the door open in the temple. Once he sets fire to the temple and gets away he is free and he is ready to live life in a way that he never could before. Perhaps this is because he no longer has to become something he did not want to be and or because he no longer has the Golden temple to rule over him.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 9

by giving Mizoguchi the money I think the Superior may be hoping that Mizoguchi will make up for his wrong doings and pay the university or perhaps he know Mizoguchi will not turn in the money, thus giving the Superior reason to expel Mizoguchi once and for all. Mizoguchi spends the money because he wants the Superior to expel him sot that he is pushed to set fire to the temple. Mizoguchi's choice to spend the money on a prostitute is kind of like a slap in the face tot the Superior because the Superior spent the temple's money on prostitutes, so Mizoguchi is spending his money in the same fashion in order to mock the Superior. I am not really sure why Mizoguchi feels he must lose his virginity before he destroys the temple, perhaps he feels it is some sort of right of passage into manhood he must complete before his whole world changes. For the first time Mizoguchi is able to be with a woman and not be bothered with thoughts of the temple because he has finally figured out a way to end his torment which gives him a peace of mind. I think Mizoguchi decides to take that book with him to see Mariko because he wants to somehow signal to Mariko what his plans are without flat out telling her. When he accidentally lets his plan slip in front of Mariko she doesn't believe him and perhaps that is why he doesn't go back. Perhaps the Superior really has sympathy for Mizoguchi and he hates the fact that Mizoguchi chose not to live up to his worth. Instead of understanding the Superior's feelings Mizoguchi chooses to ignore the possibility that his Superior really cares about him and uses this thought to further fuel his reasons for burning the temple.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 8

Mizoguchi feels that by destroying the Golden Temple he will be showing people that it is senseless to suggest that something, in this case the temple, can live on forever because nothing lives forever. When Mizoguchi is with the police officer, he says that he could still refrain from burning down the temple and choose to live live like the young officer, but then he concludes that the only way to start a new life is to burn down the temple. Perhaps Mizoguchi feels this way because he believes that once he burns down the temple his mind will be set free and he will be able to start over. I think Mizoguchi no longer feels any fear or threat from his mother because once he devises his plan to burn the temple he obtains a feeling of strength and power because he alone has the will and plan to destroy something so sacred and beautiful. he starts to be nice to everyone at the temple because he knows that one day they will all be in shock when he destroys the temple. Mizoguchi practically gives up in school because he knows that his education will not alter the outcome of his future because he already knows that he will never be the priest that he set out to be. I think Mizoguchi wants the other school boy to burn down the gate because he wants to be able to relate to someone he suspects deals with the same inner struggles as he does. He is greatly disappointed in the fact that the other boy is only mischievous because he wants to sneak a cigarette. Kashiwagi's plan to go to the superior for the money actually works out very well for Mizoguchi because he is relieved of his debt and of his duties to the temple. Mizoguchi believes that he should have gratitude to Kashiwagi because he made Mizoguchi's plan to burn the temple become more final in that he is forced to set a date to burn the temple before he is thrown out. It was surprising to hear that Tsurukawa committed suicide because he always seemed to be a very happy, positive individual.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 7

Mizoguchi's thoughts are being captured completely by the Golden Temple. Nothing else in life measures up to the Golden temple and therefore Mizoguchi is never able to enjoy and experience life. The black dog seems to be significant because Mizoguchi says that it wanders through a dark world, much like Mizoguchi feels he does. At first I think Mizoguchi is embarrassed to see his Superior with the geisha because he believes that his Superior wants to keep his actions secret. It was odd that Mizoguchi just laughed at the Superior when he called Mizoguchi a fool. Perhaps Mizoguchi was laughing at the situation because it was so bizarre. Mizoguchi becomes upset with the Superior because the Superior never shows any emotion. I think Mizoguchi is looking for a way to communicate or connect with the Superior, but because he doesn't show any emotion Mizoguchi cannot do so. Perhaps Mizoguchi buys the photo of the geisha because he is trying to get the superior to pay attention to him. When the Superior informs Mizoguchi that he not longer has any intention of one day making him superior of the Golden temple, Mizoguchi is surprised at hearing the actual words from the Superior, yet he realizes that he should have been expecting such news. Mizoguchi's odd behavior and his lacking effort in school lead the Superior to change his mind. Since everyone has become cold and hostile to Mizoguchi he starts to become even more isolated. Mizoguchi wants to leave for a while because he probably feels that he needed to have some time to think, some time away from all of the people and places that he had let down. I'm not really sure why Mizoguchi chooses to go to the sea but while he is there looking into the water the idea of burning the temple occurs to him.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 6

I think Mizoguchi believes that the notice, on a sign regarding the illegality of destruction of the Golden Temple, exists because at one time someone thought of doing such destructive things. The sign had to be created as a physical reminder of the consequence of such actions in order to prevent destruction. When Mizoguchi is with Kashiwagi playing the flute, Mizoguchi is exposed to a softer side of Kashiwagi that Mizoguchi did not know existed. It is Mizoguchi's belief that Kashiwagi only finds things to be beautiful if the objects beauty is only temporary, otherwise they are boring. When Kashiwagi says that "there is more to killing than that, you know," I think he is suggesting that in order to really kill someone you have to destroy their mind and spirit, and that it is not all about the physical kill. Kashiwagi believes that beauty is something that can cause pain and wrongdoing. For example, when he refers to "Nansen kills a Kitten," he says that the kittens beauty made men fight because they all wanted to keep the kitten. Kashiwagi seems to be trying to help Mizoguchi by setting him up with the flower lady, but the reason he believes he must do this is unclear. I don't know why the flower lady felt compelled to expose her chest to Mizoguchi. Mizoguchi thinks that now he has seen the real thing up close, it has lost some of its exciting beauty because her breast is only flesh. And when her breast finally appears beautiful to Mizoguchi again his mind wanders back to the image of the Golden temple. Mizoguchi thinks that the Golden Temple is keeping him from a normal life because it is trying to save him from all of the evil things in the world but in reality this sheltered feeling only drives Mizoguchi to do more evil things than most people.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 5

Kashiwagi is a very sick individual, pretending to be hurt to take advantage of girls. Mizoguchi runs away from Kashiwagi at the girl's house and back to the Golden temple because he is afraid of the unfamiliar. The temple makes him feel safe and calm. It is the place that he can go to in order to escape the terrors of the real world. Tsurukawa doesnt approve of Mizoguchi's relationship with Kashiwagi probably because he knows of his character or he thinks Mizoguchi is settling for a friend who really is not going to be a good influence on him. When Mizoguchi hears about the flower lady he is shocked because that is the same woman he and Tsurukawa saw with the soldier. Mizoguchi thinks that the revealing of such information only makes the event more mysterious. Perhaps he believes there is some link between the flower ladies dead child and the death of the soldier. Somehow Kashiwagi has been able to put a trance on the girl he brings to the park with him because she will do anything to please him, even kiss his feet! The other girl who ignores the whole scene of the other girl kissing Kashiwagi's feet seems to be indifferent because she had come to expect such actions since she herself was once in the same position as the other girl. Mizoguchi's intimate moment with the girl is interrupted by thoughts of the Golden temple. Mizoguchi is devastated to learn of Tsurukawa's death. He doesnt understand how such a bright and positive person could be lost so tragically. Mizoguchi thinks that Tsurukawa was the only thing that kept him from being enveloped in evil darkness and solitude. Mizoguchi envies how Tsurukawa died with no burden of self discovery or unanswered questions that seemed to consume his mind, unlike Mizoguchi himself.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 4

Tsurukawa is almost in tears when he asks Mizoguchi if he really could be so cruel as to step on a woman. I think Tsurukawa wants to believe that Mizoguchi is too kind, when in actuality he is an evil, disturbed individual. Mizoguchi is so conflicted by his actions because he is not sure whether he should admit that he did indeed cause the woman to have a miscarriage or not. When Mizoguchi lies to his friend Tsurukawa he says, "the pleasure of lying openly to my friend for the first time was quite sufficient to make my knees tremble." According to his statement it seems that Mizoguchi honestly seems to experience a feeling of evil pleasure for keeping a secret from his only friend. Mizoguchi's mind is opened to a new way of thinking when he meets Kashiwagi. Kashiwagi seems to accept himself the way that he is and he does not believe in sugar coating anything, he is very straight forward and tells things as they are. Mizoguchi thinks he can become friends with Kashiwagi because they are both social outcasts. In Kashiwagi's story he tells of how some things in life are not all that they are made up to be. For example, love to Kashiwagi was not a real thing. Although his mind set probably developed from his condition, Mizoguchi can relate and sees his thinking as sensible.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 3

I wasnt sure what was happening in the bed when Mizoguchi's father covered his eyes. It was probably what was mentioned on the back of the book. Due to this event, Mizoguchi has a resentment towards his mother. He is surprised to hear that she wants him to become the superior of the Golden Temple, but eventually he accepts that he must do his best to ensure that one day the title of superior be passed to him. Mizoguchi's relationship with the Golden temple changes again when he realizes that the Golden temple will not be destroyed by an air raid. It is as though he believes that the Golden temple is not longer destructive like he is and therefore it is so unlike him that he cannot feel close to the temple's beauty. What Mizoguchi does to the woman who comes to see the temple with the soldier is disgusting. Would a person be that afraid that they would step on a someone like that? And I think Mizoguchi actually enjoyed it. When Mizoguchi gives the cigarettes to his superior and does not immediately react, Mizoguchi starts to become even more hateful minded towards the superior. But just as he is about to leave he finds out that he is going to be going to university which is a high honor, because it increases his chances of becoming priest of the Golden Temple one day.

Temple and the Golden Pavilion Chapter 2

At Mizoguchi's father's funeral it becomes apparent that Mizoguchi lacks the ability to show emotion. His father is dead and all that remains is a physical substance which he feels he should not mourn over. Mizoguchi starts to believe his childhood, if you could call it that, was coming to an end as he begins to learn more at school and the temple. It seems that the more endangered the Golden temple becomes of an air raid, the more beautiful it becomes to Mizoguchi. At first it seems like he is starting to really appreciate and admire the temple, but then he starts to look forward to it being burnt to the ground by an air raid. Perhaps at this point he is not trying to be evil but perhaps he feels that the Golden temple and its everlasting beauty and power will finally be released, no longer stationary, into a world where it wont be subjected to the glares of onlookers day in and day out. Mizoguchi relates to this feeling of always being looked at because that is all people do to him when they cant understand his stutter. The end of the chapter was odd. Im not sure what the significance of the soldier and the woman that the two boy's saw. The fact that Mizoguchi mentions Uiko makes me think that perhaps Uiko is still alive, and the soldier as well. Although Mizoguchi could have been imagining that it was her.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 1

Mizoguchi is a boy who has a stuttering problem and is always teased at school. He is a longer because he thinks that he cant connect with the outside world due to his stuttering problem. When Mizoguchi meets the soldier in the schoolyard he relates the man to having power. Mizoguchi has a desire to have power, to be in control of the lives of everyone who tormented him and in control of the world. The event with Uiko in the early morning, I think, was Mizoguchi's attempt to communicate with someone that intrigued him, and when he fails to communicate he is disappointed and feels foolish. When Uiko and the desterter die, Mizoguchi doenst show any sort of emotion. He says, "all that remained was the chill," referring to the night air. Before Mizoguchi ever sees the Golden temple he has a picture in his mind of how beautiful it is, based off of all the stories his father had told him. But when he finally sees the temple he is not impressed. Maybe he sees beauty in a too material, physical manner that he fails to see the historical beauty along with the temples architectural beauty. After he visits the temple it seems as though he starts to realize the beauty of the temple because he is consumed with its image.