World History since 1500: The Payne Book Blog

Choose one of the following prompts to answer. U se at least three specific pieces of information no one has yet used in their blog posts and at least six specific pieces of information total, from Part 2 (chapters 14 to 19 ), with a page citation for each; also, use at least 300 words in your answer. 1) Kinship networks -- family ties -- are a key component of the story of West African cultures. How does this section of the book demonstrate the centrality of kinship networks for Okonkwo and those around him? When those family ties become strained, how do different characters respond? OR 2) How do interactions with missionaries emphasize the differences, not only between white and black cultures, but among different black African peoples? How does the author's perspective help us see Christian missions as a threat to most people in Okonkwo's culture and yet also attractive to some people in that culture?

The following question relating to the world told of in chapters 8-15. U se at least three specific pieces of information no one has yet used in their blog posts and at least six specific pieces of information total, with a page citation for each; also, use at least 300 words in your answer. 1) Discuss three rituals in Umuofia in chapters 8 to 15. How do they bring order to the village and establish roles for different kinds of people? Who benefits and who suffers from each ritual? Which ritual do you find most attractive, which one do you find least attractive, and why?

Using material from chapter 10 and the appendix, answer one of the following prompts, using at least three specific pieces of information no one has yet used in their blog posts and at least six specific pieces of information total, with a page citation for each. Also use at least 300 words in your answer. 1) The first several chapters were "letters" written by Father Rodrigues that gradually faded into the main narrative of the novel. Now, in chapter 10 and the appendix, there are two different kinds of sources used to advance the story. How do the changes in writing format throughout this part of the book reflect the difficulties of using historical documents to write history? Pretending for a moment that all the accounts in this section of the novel are real historical records, what do you think happened to the protagonist, Father Rodrigues, and what evidence do you use to support that claim? OR 2) Assess to what extent Kichijiro, Ferriera, and Rodrigue...

Using material from pages 154 to 178, answer the following prompt, using at least three specific pieces of information no one has yet used in their blog posts and at least six specific pieces of information total, with a page citation for each. Also use at least 300 words in your answer. Why does Rodrigues trample the fumie, and how does that change his faith? What are the similarities and differences between Rodrigues and Kichijiro, and what does it tell us about how cultural differences affect how foreign ideas and beliefs are received?

The themes of silence, suffering, and the difficulty of Christianity taking root in Japan saturate Silence , especially pages 101 to 153. Answer one of the following questions, including at least three characters from the story, at least three specific pieces of information no one has yet used in their blog posts, and at least six specific pieces of information total, with a page citation for each. 1) What is the meaning of the silence and of Christians' suffering, according to the Portuguese priests, Japanese converts, and Japanese authorities? How does this help reveal their different understandings of what Christianity is? OR    2) Inoue claims that Christianity cannot take root in Japan. According to the novel, to what extent do you think European Christianity is translatable to Japanese culture?

Between pages 47 and 100, what are at least three similarities between the the story of the narrator/protagonist (Father Sebastian Rodrigues) and the Passion of Jesus? What are at least three differences between the two, and what do these differences say about the cultural gap between the Portuguese priest and his mission field of Japan? Answer each part of the prompt, using at least three specific pieces of information no one has yet used in their blog posts, and at least six specific pieces of information total, with a page citation for each.

Silence goes against two commonly accepted narratives: the constant expansion of Christianity and Western influence on the one hand, and that martyrdom always results in the multiplication and eventual triumph of Christianity in a given place. In Silence , one place where neither of these narratives comes true is Japan in the early 17th century. While the Translator's Preface summarizes the historical record, the Prologue moves us into the realm of fiction and begins Endo's novel. For this blog post, choose either prompt 1) or 2) and answer it thoroughly, using at least three specific pieces of information no one has yet used in their blog posts: 1) Briefly summarize the factors that, according to the text, led Christianity to first take root and then be suppressed in Japan. What parts of that story surprise you? Why? (Give at least six specific pieces of information with a page citation for each.) OR 2) Pick out two characters from the Prologue to Chapter 3. How does ea...