View unanswered posts | View active topics It is currently Tue Mar 19, 2024 1:32 am



This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 4 posts ] 
 Greed 
Author Message
Newbie
Newbie
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:58 pm
Posts: 13
Quite an amazing book. I found the story very interesting but not near as much as how I found myself unable to figure out who was who and why the mother was writing from their native home, and how that related to their time in Congo. Yet it all came together somewhere in the middle of the book and everything I had read finally made sense (and yes I read the entire book:). Several problems that they encountered throughout the book made me stop and think of how they relate to our world here in the United States. One specific area is greed. These people were so giving. They not only gave extras to their loved ones, but even to people that they did not necessarily care for. In our Sunday school lesson just a few weeks ago we discussed the story in Luke of the rich man who was blessed with a good crop and had more than his barns could hold. Yet, rather than give the rest away, he destroyed what he had and built bigger. His punishment, he died before he ever reaped any of the benefits his blessings. To these people, that thought would have never crossed their mind. That was until traditions were compromised. By allowing a girl (Adah) to hunt, it upset the fruit basket, or more importantly, the village leaders (Ndu, Boanda). The result of the hunt which was more than enough for the entire village, became a riot with people who had always shared in friendly fellowship, becoming brutal savages. It was to be a celebration of the great kill, yet it became a free-for-all. As I read this I could not help but think of black Friday, and how people actually lost their lives through nothing more than greed. Traditions, have a great hold here in the U.S. and we are very much afraid of change. We allow pride to stand in our way and will not admit when we are wrong. To these people, the men were the hunters and though Adah really did not upset the gods by hunting, pride stepped and would not allow the leaders to step forward and admit that they were wrong. Ultimately it led to a scene that the villagers wished had never happened. With the election of a black president, our country has shown some progression, unfortunately we have already had people threatening his life. It will be interesting to see if it unites our nation, or pride steps in as it did in the book, and pushes us further apart.

_________________
Dustin H. Farmer


Tue Dec 02, 2008 12:39 pm
Profile
Newbie
Newbie
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:58 pm
Posts: 13
Post 
Excuse me, it was Leah not Adah that was the great white hunter.

_________________
Dustin H. Farmer


Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:44 pm
Profile
Newbie
Newbie
User avatar

Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:01 pm
Posts: 9
Post 
Greed was a playing factor in the events of this novel but I found myself thinking about the role of pride. Nathan, the father, was very prideful in the fact that he was unwilling to listen to others. This man was supposed to be a servant to the Lord, who had sacrificed his former life to make a positive impact on the people in the Congo. However, he refused to understand the traditions and values of the people. Example, Mama Tataba tried helping the father in planting, he did comply after awhile but in the end sent her away because he refused to listen. His pride kept him from accepting any other ideas. When he was told to take his family and flee he refused because his pride would not let him retreat. He came to do a mission and he was not leaving until it was done, even if it meant losing his family.

_________________
Jennifer Blankenship


Wed Dec 03, 2008 7:17 am
Profile
Newbie
Newbie

Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:16 pm
Posts: 11
Post 
I can see both greed and pride playing a role. Both can be very hard for man to avoid, and both can make you do things you never thought you would do.

_________________
Travis Richardson


Wed Dec 03, 2008 12:55 pm
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.   [ 4 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Designed by ST Software for PTF.