Things Fall Apart and Distinctive World

The distinctive world in which the character abides by creates the distinctive voice. Each character is portrayed by their voice and actions. The characteristic of the distinctive world in which he or she inhabits shapes the character. Good_______ Mr turner and fellow students; I have chosen the text “Things fall apart” by Chinua Achebe to relate to our class text “The life and crimes of Harry Lavender” by Marele Day. By doing so, I will convey through my perception, the various types and functions of a distinctive voice and how language affects interpretation and shapes the meaning of both the distinctive voice and world.

In our class text “The life and crimes of Harry Lavender” Claudia Valentine, is a private detective of the 1960’s who symbolises women liberation. The deceiving facade of Sydney which she lives in portrays the values of corruption, addiction and crime. This distinctive world created depicts the distinctive voices of Claudia and Harry Lavender, the antagonist of this novel. While describing Harry’s power, domination and concealment over Sydney. Claudia decodes the mysteries and understands more about herself and the distinctive world she resides in.

There are two distinctive voices, Claudia Valentine and Harry Lavender. Claudia valentine is shaped to be a strong character, who is not inhibited by traditions. Her independent nature and “hard bitten” experiences make her more observant and resourceful. However as we keep reading; we understand her insecurities and the subtle heart all women have. Harry Lavender the antagonist of this novel is a man of strong power who is metaphorically illustrated to be the heart, the veins, and the blood of Sydney. He is a man of corruption and crime, and a symbol of the calamitous facade of Sydney.

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Both voices are created by the world of Sydney or how the author has quoted “the sewage of Sydney”. Similarly, in the novel “Things fall apart” by Chinua Achebe; a world is created with the recurring theme beliefs and customs portrayed through contrasts between the Pagan and African cultures. The novel is about an African tribe’s man’s life set in the early 19th century around the time of colonisation in Nigeria. Since childhood he has embarked on a journey to become a successful man in his tribe as he had not been from a respected family by decent.

The many differences clash when cultural imperialism takes place and Christianity is imposed. His arrogance and cultural disposition makes him want to take revenge but ends up in a situation of despair, ending his life in shame and misery. The distinctive voice of this novel is the character Okonkwo, the society he lives in reins his thoughts and actions. In an African tribe a man was considered successful by the masculinity, strength, brutality, polygamy; numerous numbers of wives, vengeance is justice and the suppression of “feminine” emotions such as compassion and love.

Quoted in the text, “As a young man of eighteen he had brought honour to his village by throwing Amalinze the cat” by describing Okonkwo’s victory against Amalinze, the author illustrates that honour and fame is only valued through strength. From both the novels there may be a contrast of values, setting and beliefs however both use techniques to convey the world which characterises each distinctive voice. Marele Day distinguishes the voices in “The life and Crimes of Harry Lavender”. Claudia’s thoughts are in first person and her conversations are expressed in colloquial language, this engages the reader to become more personal with Claudia.

However Harry’s voice is portrayed in a formal way, making the character more distant from the reader, expressing less commiseration. To express themes of the distinctive world, Marele uses truncated sentences. “Close by the bed was a bottle of Jack Daniels: empty. And an ash tray: full. ”This quote conveys the addiction present in the distinctive world and Claudia. To express this on a whole the author uses the technique of subvert convention. At the beginning she has awaken next to a blonde which we believe to be a women.

Her sardonic humour also indicate the stereotypical male role of a private eye, however we soon realise that she is a women, giving a new perception to the distinctive world created as being sexually liberated. Harry Lavender is portrayed to be the world himself. Through the use of imagery Marele Day characterises Harry Lavender to be the god of the deceiving facade of Sydney. “Up there is a postcard view of Sydney” this quote describes Sydney to be at his fingertips. The world Marele creates is a world of corruption, addiction, murder and mystery all of which is present in Harry’s character.

Likewise in the novel “Things fall apart”, Culture is the distinctive world created. Okonkwo, strongly believes in his culture where importance is based on masculinity, strength, and revenge in disparity to the pagan culture where importance is given to profession, wealth and the law of justice. This contrast is a technique which the author uses to express both the distinctive worlds. Simple folk tales are used to express the culture further, giving us a more indepth explanation of Okonkwo’s distinctive world and character. Another technique which the author uses to portray the world is the detailed description of everyday life.

An example is the way the author describes the preparation of Okonkwo’s food by his three wives. Overall techniques are strongly used to allow the reader to analyse the distinctive world and voice. Both texts “the life and crimes of Harry Lavender” and “things fall apart” demonstrate various types of distinctive voices which use language to shape the meaning of both the distinctive voice and world. Now we learn that distinctive voices not only serve the purpose of communication but create and represent the distinctive world itself.

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