Wuthering Heights Themes

The Destructiveness of a Love That Never Changes

Catherine and Heathcliff’s passion for one another seems to be the center of Wuthering Heights, given that it is
stronger and more lasting than any other emotion displayed in the novel, and that it is the source of most of the
major conflicts that structure the novel’s plot. As she tells Catherine and Heathcliff’s story, Nelly criticizes both
of them harshly, condemning lên án their passion as immoral vô đạo đức, but this passion is obviously one of
the most compelling and memorable aspects of the book.
It is not easy to decide whether Brontë intends the reader to condemn these lovers as blameworthy đáng trách or
to idealize them as romantic heroes whose love transcends vượt qua social norms and conventional morality.
The book is actually structured around two parallel love stories, the first half of the novel centering on the love
between Catherine and Heathcliff, while the less dramatic second half features the developing love between
young Cathy and Hareton. In contrast to the first, the latter tale ends happily, restoring peace and order hòa bình
và trật tự to Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.

The differences between the two love stories contribute to the reader’s understanding of why each ends the way
it does. The most important feature of Cathy and Hareton’s love story is that it involves growth and change.
Early in the novel Hareton seems irredeemably không tha thứ được brutal, savage, and illiteratemù chữ, but
over time he becomes a loyal friend to Cathy and learns to read. When Cathy first meets Hareton he seems
completely alien to her world, yet her attitude also evolves from contempt to love.

Catherine and Heathcliff’s love, on the other hand, is rooted in their childhood and is marked by the refusal to
change. In choosing to marry Edgar, Catherine seeks a more genteel tao nhã quý phái life, but she refuses to
adapt to her role as wife, either by sacrificing Heathcliff or embracing Edgar. In Chapter XII she suggests to
Nelly that the years since she was twelve years old and her father died have been like a blank to her, and she
longs to return to the moors of her childhood. Heathcliff, for his part, possesses a seemingly superhuman ability
to maintain the same attitude and to nurse nuôi the same grudges over many years. Moreover, Catherine and
Heathcliff’s love is based on their shared perception that they are identical. Catherine declares, famously,
“I am Heathcliff,” while Heathcliff, upon Catherine’s death, wails that he cannot live without his “soul,”
meaning Catherine. Their love denies difference, and is strangely asexual vô tính. The two do not kiss in dark
corners or arrange secret trysts,cuộc hẹn hò as adulterers do.
Given that Catherine and Heathcliff’s love is based upon their refusal to change over time or embrace difference
in others, it is fitting that the disastrous problems of their generation are overcome not by some climactic
reversal sự đảo ngược cao trào, but simply by the inexorable passage đoạn ko thể tránh khỏi of time, and the
rise of a new and distinct generation. Ultimately, Wuthering Heights presents a vision of life as a process of
change, and celebrates this process over and against the romantic intensity of its principal characters.
The Precariousness tính bấp bênh, tính ko ổn định of Social Class
As members of the gentry, the Earnshaws and the Lintons occupy a somewhat precarious place within the
hierarchy of late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century British society. At the top of British society was the
royalty, followed by the aristocracy tầng lớp quý tộc, then by the gentry, and then by the lower classes, who
made up the vast majority of the population. Although the gentry, or upper middle class, possessed servants and
often large estates, they held a nonetheless fragile social position. The social status of aristocrats was a formal
and settled matter, because aristocrats had official titles.

Members of the gentry, however, held no titles, and their status was thus subject to change. A man might see
himself as a gentleman but find, to his embarrassment, that his neighbors did not share this view. A discussion
of whether or not a man was really a gentleman would consider such questions as how much land he owned,
how many tenants and servants he had, how he spoke, whether he kept horses and a carriage, and whether his
money came from land or “trade”—gentlemen scorned banking and commercial activities.
Considerations of class status often crucially inform the characters’ motivations in Wuthering Heights.
Catherine’s decision to marry Edgar so that she will be “the greatest woman of the neighborhood” is only the
most obvious example. The Lintons are relatively firm in their gentry status but nonetheless take great pains to
prove this status through their behaviors. The Earnshaws, on the other hand, rest on much shakier ground
socially. They do not have a carriagexe ngựa, they have less land, and their house, as Lockwood remarks with
great puzzlement, resembles that of a “homely, northern farmer” and not that of a gentleman. The shifting
nature of social status is demonstrated most strikingly in Heathcliff’s trajectory from homeless waif to young
gentleman-by-adoption to common laborer to gentleman again (although the status-conscious Lockwood
remarks that Heathcliff is only a gentleman in “dress and manners”).
The Futility vô ích of Revenge
Revenge is a central focus of Heathcliff’s life and, in fact, drives most of the decisions he makes later in the
novel. Though Heathcliff gains some bitter satisfaction through causing pain for others, he does not achieve any
personal happiness. Instead, his single-minded pursuit of revenge leaves him empty and exhausted. After being
tormented by Hindley as a child, Heathcliff becomes obsessed with the idea of getting revenge. By taking
advantage of Hindley’s debt, Heathcliff gains control of Wuthering Heights and becomes the master of the
house, a great irony considering he was once forced to work there as a de facto servant.

Heathcliff seeks further revenge on Hindley by raising Hareton, who should have grown up to be a gentleman
and a landowner, like a common servant, forcing on the boy the same indignity Hindley had once heaped on
Heathcliff. Heathcliff is fully aware of his cruelty. As he explains to Nelly, he understands and desire Hareton’s
suffering: “I know what he suffers now, for instance, exactly—it is merely a beginning of what he shall suffer,
though.” Moreover, Heathcliff has the perverse pleasure of knowing Hareton loves and respects him no matter
how badly he treats him.

Heathcliff eventually achieves his entire plan of revenge, including marrying Cathy and Linton so that he also
gains control of the Grange. However, Heathcliff’s death, alone and desperate for his lost love, represents the
futility of his struggle. Though he achieved his desired revenge on those, living and dead, who had wronged
him, he remains unfulfilled in his true desire—to be reunited with Catherine, which can only be achieved in
death.

Injustice Versus the Necessity of the Class System

Social class is presented as an ambivalent mâu thuẫn tư tưởng theme in the novel. On one hand, Brontë seems to
argue that social class is an arbitrary độc đoán tùy tiện distinction that prevents people from being happy. On
the other, she shows disruptions to social class as negative forces that have to be eliminated in order for peace
and order to be restored. As a young child, the fact that Heathcliff is treated differently simply because of his
family background seems to be clearly unfair. Nelly tries to console him by suggesting that he imagine the
background he might have: “I would frame high notions of my birth and the thoughts of what I was should give
me courage and dignity to support the oppressions of a little farmer.” This consolation is particularly poignant
thấm thía, chua chát coming from a servant who also has to reconcile herself with her own class position even
though she is essential to everyone’s lives.

However, while Brontë seems to be sympathetic to Heathcliff’s frustration with the class system, she also
implies that he goes too far when he tries to disrupt it and insert himself. Nelly pointedly calls Hareton “the last
of the ancient Earnshaw stock” and later refers to him as someone who “should be the first gentleman of the
neighborhood.” When Heathcliff dies, Joseph thanks God that “the lawful master and the ancient stock were
restored to their rights.” Interestingly, it is servants who express the strongest support for proper inheritance and
tradition. Peace and happiness are restored to both houses only when Heathcliff and his son have passed away,
and Hareton and Cathy are united as the inheritors of the Linton and Earnshaw legacies. Heathcliff achieves his
vision of lying next to the elder Catherine for eternity, but he has to be wiped out of the class system if anyone
can lead happy and peaceful lives.
Wuthering Heights Protagonist
Heathcliff is the protagonist of Wuthering Heights. The action of the plot begins when he is brought into the
Earnshaw household as a mysterious young child. His presence informs the events of the novel and affects the
decisions of all the other characters. Soon after his arrival, Heathcliff begins to want to be treated like the equal
of the Earnshaws and to be considered a legitimate suitor for Catherine. When Hindley treats him cruelly and
unjustly, Heathcliff also begins to desire revenge. As he tells Nelly, “I’m trying to settle how I shall pay
Hindley back. I don’t care how long I wait, if I can only do it at last.”
At the beginning of the novel, Heathcliff shows traits of hopefulness and kindness, but he becomes increasingly
bitter and anguished, subjected by đi với tác nhân personal cruelties and class discrimination and deprived of bị
tước mất, thiếu thốn, không có cái gì đó cần thiết. Catherine, his true love. Eventually, his only motivation is his
plan to gain control of both the Heights and the Grange. This plan drives him to work to bring Cathy and Linton
together and to degrade Hareton. Heathcliff gradually becomes less motivated by revenge, finally admitting that
he doesn’t even care about trying to cause suffering anymore. Heathcliff never wavers in his desire không bao
giờ dao động/lay chuyển trong khát vọng/mong muốn của anh ấy to be reunited with Catherine and only
becomes more and more tormented by his longing for her. The last words he speaks are a lament that “it’s
unutterably too much for flesh and blood to bear, even mine.” “Điều đó quả thật không thể nào chịu đựng nổi
đối với một con người – ngay cả tôi cũng không thể.”

degrade (someone) = làm hạ thấp giá trị, làm nhục, cố tình khiến người đó kém cỏi hoặc tầm thường hơn.

Heathcliff’s actions significantly change other characters, particularly Hareton and Cathy Linton. He succeeds
in making Hareton an uneducated and lonely man who is ashamed of his ignorance. By forcing Cathy to marry
Linton, he changes her from a sweet girl into an embittered young woman một người phụ nữ trẻ đầy cay đắng/
oán hận.. However, their natural tendency towards love and kindness causes Cathy and Hareton to finally
reverse these changes as they find first friendship and then love. Their change also seems to influence
Heathcliff; once he accepts their feelings for each other, he seems finally able to let go of his quest for
vengeance and surrender to a death where he can be reunited with his beloved.
The narrative structure of Things Fall Apart follows a cyclical pattern that chronicles Okonkwo’s youth in
Umuofia, his seven-year exile in Mbanta, and his eventual return home. Each of the novel’s three parts covers
one of these periods of Okonkwo’s life. The novel’s three parts also map onto a gendered narrative structure
một cấu trúc tường thuật chịu ảnh hưởng của giới tính hoặc phản ánh sự khác biệt giới. that follows Okonkwo
from fatherland to motherland back to fatherland. This gendered narrative structure functions in counterpoint
with đặt song song để tạo ra sự đối lập, bổ sung hoặc tương phản. Okonkwo’s ongoing obsession with his own
masculinity. Despite every attempt to gain status and become an exemplar of một hình mẫu / một ví dụ điển
hình của …. traditional Igbo masculinity, Okonkwo suffers from a feeling of relentless emasculation cảm giác
bị tước đoạt nam tính một cách dai dẳng/không ngừng nghỉ.. Okonkwo’s struggle to achieve recognition
repeatedly draws him into conflict with his community, eventually leading both to his own downfall and to that
of Umuofia and the nine villages.
Part One of Things Fall Apart emphasizes Okonkwo’s coming-of-age and his attempts to distance himself from
the disreputable legacy di sản mang tiếng xấu of his father, Unoka. Okonkwo’s tireless efforts and singular
drive động lực/ý chí phi thường, độc nhất, khác thường, along with his local fame as a wrestling champion, go a
long way in đóng góp lớn securing him a place among the titled men of Umuofia. Yet Okonkwo’s zeal sự sốt
sắng mạnh mẽ để theo đuổi hoặc bảo vệ một điều gì đó. frequently leads him astray, as when he executes
Ikemefuna, the young boy who became his surrogate son on trai trên danh nghĩa after being surrendered to
Umuofia by another village to settle a violent dispute. When the clan elders decide it is time for Ikemefuna’s
execution, an elder named Ogbuefi Ezeudu warns Okonkwo that he should “not bear a hand in [Ikemefuna’s]
death.” không nhúng tay vào việc giết anh ấy.
Thông dụng, trung tính:
 go against conscience
 violate one’s conscience
  act against one’s conscience
📌 Văn chương, mạnh hơn:
 be contrary to conscience
 offend the dictates of conscience
 fly in the face of conscience (idiomatic, nhấn mạnh sự chống đối rõ ràng)

Despite this warning, a moment of panic ultimately drives Okonkwo to bring his machete dao rựa / dao phát
quang /məˈʃɛti/ down on his surrogate son: “He was afraid of being weak.” At other points in Part One,
Okonkwo shows himself quick to anger with his wives and short in patience with his children. His obsession
with upward mobility sự thăng tiến, khả năng vươn lên địa vị xã hội hoặc kinh tế cao hơn and traditional
masculinity tends to alienate others làm người khác xa lánh, tách mình khỏi người khác, khiến họ cảm thấy bị
loại trừ., leaving him in a precarious social position. ở trong một vị thế xã hội bấp bênh, không ổn định, dễ bị
lung lay.

precarious = bấp bênh, mong manh, dễ bị đe dọa, thiếu an toàn.

In addition to narrating Okonkwo’s struggle to build a distinguished reputation, Part One also provides a broad
view of the precolonial Igbo cultural world. Achebe showcases numerous Igbo cultural values, religious beliefs,
and ritual practices to provide the reader with a sense of the Igbo world. By the end of Part One, however, both
Okonkwo’s life and the life of his community teeter chao đảo on the brink of disaster. The first blow comes
with the death of Ogbuefi Ezeudu, the oldest man in the village, and the same man who warned Okonkwo
against killing Ikemefuna. The second blow comes when, during Ezeudu’s nighttime burial, Okonkwo’s gun
misfires and kills Ezeudu’s sixteen-year-old son. The ominous manslaughter một vụ ngộ sát đầy điềm gở / gieo
rắc dự cảm xấu of Ezeudu’s son forces the remaining village elders to burn Okonkwo’s huts, kill his livestock,
and send him and his family into exile for seven years.

Exiled for committing a “feminine” (i.e., accidental) crime, Okonkwo retreats from his fatherland to the land of
his mother’s kin, a retreat that Okonkwo finds deeply emasculating cảm thấy bị làm mất hết nam tính / sức
mạnh / quyền lực một cách sâu sắc.. This personal sense of emasculation parallels larger cultural and historical
changes, as white Christian missionaries begin to infiltrate xâm nhập, the lower Niger region, including both
Umuofia and Okonkwo’s site of exile, Mbanta. The personal and historical senses of emasculation come to a
head đạt đến đỉnh điểm, căng thẳng tột độ, buộc phải được giải quyết. when an old friend from Umuofia visits
Okonkwo in Mbanta to inform him that his eldest son, Nwoye, has abandoned traditional Igbo beliefs and
joined the Christian faith. Realizing that this event constitutes a major rupture in his patrilineal line, Okonkwo
disowns Nwoye.

Tách nghĩa:

 patrilineal line = dòng dõi theo cha, huyết thống nam (con trai nối nghiệp, kế thừa tên tuổi, tài sản,
truyền thống của cha).
 patrilineal /ˌpætrəˈlɪniəl/
 rupture = sự đứt gãy, rạn nứt, tan vỡ.
 a major rupture in his patrilineal line = một sự đứt gãy lớn trong dòng dõi cha truyền con nối của
anh ta.

By the time Okonkwo and his family leave Mbanta, the growing presence of foreigners in Umuofia has already
created deep internal divisions những chia rẽ sâu sắc bên trong (một tổ chức, cộng đồng, quốc gia, nhóm…).. In
addition to the missionaries who arrived in his absence, government officials also begin to filter in, installing a
foreign rule of law. The changes in Umuofia làm mất đi sự toàn vẹn compromise Okonkwo’s homecoming,
which he hoped would represent a new start. Finding himself once again in a passive, emasculated position một
vị thế bị làm mất nam tính, quyền lực, hoặc sức mạnh, Okonkwo grows increasingly furious with his fellow
Umuofians, who refuse to take violent action against the missionaries and force them out. Whereas others praise
the British for providing increased access to resources along with medicine and education, Okonkwo sees the
British as a cancer whose presence will eventually kill Umuofia and the nine villages.

Following another emasculating incident where colonial officers các quan chức/viên chức thuộc địa throw
Okonkwo and others in jail and set a steep bail khoản tiền bảo lãnh rất cao, nặng nề, Okonkwo takes an
uncompromising position giữ một lập trường cứng rắn, không nhân nhượng. in favor of tradition. His final acts
of violence—murder and suicide—cement the novel’s tragedy. This tragedy is, once again, deeply gendered
chịu ảnh hưởng sâu sắc bởi giới, hoặc bị quy định mạnh mẽ theo khuôn mẫu giới.. In the law of Umuofia, an
intentional killing constitutes a “masculine” crime. Although Igbo tradition does not explicitly code suicide as a
“feminine” crime, killing himself is an unspeakable act that strips Okonkwo of all honor tước bỏ hết danh dự
của Okonkwo.. Thus, his suicide brings a final instance of emasculation, as he will be denied the honor of a
proper burial.

Trong phân tích văn hóa / gender studies 🎭

 explicitly coded = được thể hiện, đánh dấu rõ ràng (thường là các yếu tố giới tính, ý thức hệ, chính trị).

The Struggle Between Change and Tradition

As a story about a culture on the verge of change, Things Fall Apart deals with how the prospect and reality of
change affect various characters. The tension about whether change should be privileged over tradition often
involves questions of personal status. Okonkwo, for example, resists the new political and religious orders
because he feels that they are not manly and that he himself will not be manly if he consents to join or even
tolerate them. To some extent, Okonkwo’s resistance of cultural change is also due to his fear of losing societal
status. His sense of self-worth is dependent upon the traditional standards by which society judges him.
This system of evaluating the self inspires many of the clan’s outcasts những kẻ bị ruồng bỏ, bị xã hội xa lánh,
không được chấp nhận trong cộng đồng. to embrace Christianity. Long scorned, these outcasts find in the
Christian value system a refuge from the Igbo cultural values that place them below everyone else. In their new
community, these converts enjoy a more elevated status. The villagers in general are caught between bị mắc
kẹt/giằng xé giữa hai lựa chọn, hai lực lượng, hay hai hoàn cảnh đối lập. resisting and embracing change and
they face the dilemma of trying to determine how best to adapt to the reality of change. Many of the villagers
are excited about the new opportunities and techniques that the missionaries bring. This European influence,
however, threatens to extinguish the need for the mastery khả năng làm chủ, of traditional methods of farming,
harvesting, building, and cooking.

These traditional methods, once crucial for survival, are now, to varying degrees, dispensable có thể bỏ đi,
không cần thiết, không quan trọng. Throughout the novel, Achebe shows how dependent such traditions are
upon storytelling and language and thus how quickly the abandonment of the Igbo language for English could
lead to the eradication of these traditions sự xóa bỏ/nhổ tận gốc những truyền thống này..

Varying Interpretations of Masculinity những cách diễn giải khác nhau về nam tính.
Achebe’s Things Fall Apart presents varying interpretations of masculinity, contrasting Okonkwo’s rigid
ideal of strength with other characters’ more nuanced expressions of manhood.
→ Tác phẩm Things Fall Apart của Achebe đưa ra nhiều cách diễn giải khác nhau về nam tính, đối lập lý
tưởng cứng nhắc về sức mạnh của Okonkwo với những cách biểu hiện tinh tế hơn của các nhân vật khác.
Okonkwo’s relationship with his late father shapes much of his violent and ambitious demeanor tác phong/diện
mạo/ấn tượng toát ra đầy tham vọng.. He wants to rise above his father’s legacy of spendthrift, indolent
behavior hành vi hoang phí, lười biếng., which he views as weak and therefore effeminate ẻo lả, nhu nhược,
giống đàn bà. This association is inherent in the clan’s language—the narrator mentions that the word for a man
who has not taken any of the expensive, prestige-indicating titles is agbala, which also means “woman.” But,
for the most part, Okonkwo’s idea of manliness is not the clan’s. He associates masculinity with aggression and
feels that anger is the only emotion that he should display. For this reason, he frequently beats his wives, even
threatening to kill them from time to time.
We are told that he does not think about things, and we see him act rashly and impetuously hành động một cách
liều lĩnh, hấp tấp, bốc đồn. Yet others who are in no way effeminate do not behave in this way. Obierika, unlike
Okonkwo, “was a man who thought about things.” Whereas Obierika refuses to accompany the men on the trip
to kill Ikemefuna, Okonkwo not only volunteers to join the party that will execute his surrogate son but also
violently stabs him with his machete simply because he is afraid of appearing weak.

Okonkwo’s seven-year exile from his village only reinforces his notion that men are stronger than women.
While in exile, he lives among the kinsmen of his motherland but resents the period in its entirety. The exile is
his opportunity to get in touch with his feminine side and to acknowledge his maternal ancestors ổ tiên bên
ngoại / tổ tiên theo dòng mẹ., but he keeps reminding himself that his maternal kinsmen are not as warlike and
fierce as he remembers the villagers of Umuofia to be. He faults them for their preference of negotiation,
compliance, and avoidance over anger and bloodshed. In Okonkwo’s understanding, his uncle Uchendu
exemplifies this pacifist là ví dụ điển hình cho người/quan điểm hòa bình này hoặc tượng trưng cho thái độ hòa
bình này. (and therefore somewhat effeminate) mode.

Various cases exemplify this issue, namely… xxx, yyy. (ở đây “exemplify” là động từ, phù hợp với cấu trúc chủ–
vị).

Language as a Sign of Cultural Difference

Language is an important theme in Things Fall Apart on several levels. In demonstrating the imaginative, often
formal language of the Igbo, Achebe emphasizes that Africa is not the silent or incomprehensible continent that
books such as Heart of Darkness made it out to be. Rather, by peppering the novel rải rắc, điểm xuyết, nhấn
nhá khắp cuốn tiểu thuyết. with Igbo words, Achebe shows that the Igbo language is too complex for direct
translation into English. Similarly, Igbo culture cannot be understood within the framework of khuôn khổ của…
European colonialist values. Achebe also points out that Africa has many different languages: the villagers of
Umuofia, for example, make fun of Mr. Brown’s translator because his language is slightly different from their
own.
On a macroscopic level một cấp độ vĩ mô / tổng thể, it is extremely significant that Achebe chose to
write Things Fall Apart in English—he clearly intended it to be read by the West at least as much, if not more,
than by his fellow Nigerians. His goal was to critique and emend phê bình và chỉnh sửa the portrait of Africa
that was painted by so many writers of the colonial period. Doing so required the use of English, the language
of those colonial writers. Through his inclusion of proverbs, folktales việc tích hợp thành ngữ và truyện dân
gian, and songs translated from the Igbo language, Achebe managed to capture and convey the rhythms,
structures, cadences cadences” /ˈkeɪ.dən.sɪz/ có nghĩa gốc là nhịp điệu, giai điệu, and beauty of the Igbo
language.
Hoàn toàn có thể dùng “a macroscopic level” trong IELTS Writing Task 2, đặc biệt khi bạn muốn nêu nhận
xét tổng quát, phân tích vấn đề ở cấp độ rộng hoặc xã hội học.
🔹 Ví dụ trong bài IELTS Task 2:
1. Giải thích hiện tượng xã hội / vấn đề toàn cầu:
  At a macroscopic level, urbanization has led to both economic growth and environmental challenges.
→ Ở cấp độ tổng thể, quá trình đô thị hóa vừa mang lại tăng trưởng kinh tế vừa gây ra những thách thức
về môi trường.
2. Phân tích trong giáo dục / văn hóa / chính trị:
 At a macroscopic level, government policies on education influence social mobility across the country.
→ Ở cấp độ tổng thể, các chính sách giáo dục của chính phủ ảnh hưởng đến khả năng thăng tiến xã hội
trên toàn quốc.
💡 Tip:
 Khi dùng macroscopic trong IELTS, bạn nên giải thích hoặc làm rõ nghĩa tổng thể / toàn cục, để giám
khảo hiểu ý bạn.
 Có thể thay thế bằng overall level / broad perspective / large-scale perspective nếu muốn nhẹ nhàng,
dễ hiểu hơn.

Generational Divide khoảng cách thế hệ

Things Fall Apart spotlights nhấn mạnh, làm nổi bật, chiếu rọi two significant generational divides. The first
divide separates Okonkwo from his father, Unoka. Unlike his son, Unoka is not a warrior, nor has he
distinguished himself as a man in any other way. Instead, Unoka prefers to drink and play music with friends.
For a hypermasculine man một người đàn ông cực kỳ nam tính like Okonkwo, Unoka’s lack of drive is
shameful, and Okonkwo dismisses bác bỏ, loại bỏ his father as a coward.
Just as Okonkwo is divided from his father, he is also divided from his eldest son, Nwoye. Nwoye has much in
common with his grandfather Unoka, especially with regard to his lack of interest in war and his love of the
arts. Nwoye resists his father’s expectation that he become an accomplished warrior. He also feels drawn to his
mother’s stories, which Okonkwo sees as an effeminate waste of time một sự lãng phí thời gian ẻo lả / nhu
nhược. Eventually, Nwoye escapes his father’s expectations and his wrath by running away and converting to
Christianity. Although Okonkwo feels ashamed of both his father and his son, the novel suggests that Okonkwo
is perhaps more of an anomaly một điều bất thường, dị thường, khác biệt than either Unoka or Nwoye.

Pride
Okonkwo’s greatest weakness is his pride, which is constantly under threat both from within his community and
from without. Okonkwo takes pride in his achievements. This pride is justifiable, since he has accomplished a
lot. Not only has he proven himself among Umuofia’s fiercest warriors, but he has also climbed Umuofia’s
social ladder faster than any of his peers. Yet Okonkwo’s pride also makes him quick to disdain others who
don’t live up to his high standards. For instance, Nwoye’s apparent lack of masculine qualities leads Okonkwo
to worry about his own legacy and be aggressive towards Nwoye.

Okonkwo’s exile in Mbanta also deals a serious blow to his pride. When he returns to Umuofia he wants to
restore his pride by defending his home against European influence. Okonkwo explains his position with an
analogy: “If a man comes into my hut and defecates /ˈdef.ɪ.keɪts/ = đi vệ sinh, bài tiết phân on the floor, what do
I do? Do I shut my eyes? No! I take a stick and break his head.” Okonkwo eventually resorts to violence to
defend his pride, and this violence leads to his tragic downfall.

sự tương tự, phép so sánh, sự ví von giữa hai sự vật, hiện tượng nhằm làm sáng tỏ hoặc minh họa ý tưởng.

Repression
Throughout Things Fall Apart Okonkwo struggles with repressing his emotions kìm nén cảm xúc của anh ấy /
đàn áp cảm xúc của bản thân.. He represses his emotions because, more than anything else, he fears appearing
weak and effeminate. Over and over in the novel Okonkwo’s inner struggle to quash all emotional responses
leads him to express himself with excessive cruelty. The narrator comments on this internal tug-of-war cuộc
đấu tranh nội tâm, frequently. In Chapter 4, for instance, the narrator explicitly addresses the theme of
repression: “Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the emotion of anger. To show affection
was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength.” Okonkwo’s belief that anger is the
only appropriate emotion for a man to show causes significant problems for him, his family, and ultimately his
community.
For example, when Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna against the advice of Ogbuefi Ezeudu, he does so because “He
was afraid of being thought weak.” But Okonkwo’s brutal killing of his adopted son breaks the heart of his
blood son, Nwoye. This act deepens an already-existing wound between Okonkwo and Nwoye, one that never
gets healed. Throughout the novel, emotional repression leads to damaging—and eventually, for Okonkwo,
tragic—outbursts of anger and violence.

Drum Language
Drums play an important role in Umuofia. Throughout Things Fall Apart the narrator emphasizes drums’ ability
to generate excitement and even communicate specific information. Drums often signal the initiation of a
ceremony. For example, a persistent drum beat sets Umuofia’s annual wrestling match in motion, and the sound
fills the village until “their sound was no longer a separate thing from the living village. It was like the pulsation
of its heart.” The narrator explains that drums speak in their own “esoteric languagengôn ngữ khó hiểu, chỉ
dành cho một nhóm người hiểu biết đặc thù.,” a language that villagers learn early in life.
In one telling example, the narrator transcribes ghi chép, chuyển lời nói thành văn bản, phiên âm. the drum
language phonetically theo cách phát âm, dựa trên âm vị học.: “Go-di-di-go-go-di-go. Di-go-go-di-go. It was
the ekwe talking một cách nói ẩn dụ, chỉ âm thanh của trống Ekwe dùng để truyền tin hoặc ra lệnh trong làng
Igbo to the clan.” The narrator waits several sentences before translating the drum’s message: “Somebody was
dead.” But more important than the message is the medium. By transcribing the drum language, the narrator
elevates it to a status similar to the other languages that appear in the novel: English and Igbo.

Ethnographic Distance
The term “ethnographic distance/ˌeθ.nəˈɡræf.ɪk ˈdɪs.təns/ = khoảng cách dân tộc học” refers to a method in
anthropology where the anthropologists distance themselves from the culture they are studying in order to make
sense of that culture. At several points in the novel, the narrator, who otherwise seems fully immersed in Igbo
culture, takes a step back in order to explain certain aspects of the Igbo world to the reader. For example, when
Okonkwo’s first wife calls out to Ekwefi in chapter five, Ekwefi calls back from inside her hut, “Is that me?”
This response may seem strange to non-Igbo readers, so the narrator explains the cultural logic of Ekwefi’s
response: “That was the way people answered calls from outside. They never answered yes for fear it might be
an evil spirit calling.” The Igbo world is full of spirits that may have evil intentions, and answering “Yes” to a
call from outside could inadvertently invite vô tình tạo cơ hội / mời gọi / dẫn đến one such spirit inside.
Throughout the book the narrator uses ethnographic distance to clarify elements of Igbo culture to a non-Igbo
reader. The narrator borders two worlds: one African and one European.

Things Fall Apart Protagonist

Okonkwo is the novel’s protagonist. He’s a gifted athlete and a well-respected warrior, and he possesses a drive
to achieve personal distinction among his peers. một cách hiểu/phán đoán về nam tính bị phóng đại Okonkwo’s
personality frequently brings him into conflict with others. For instance, his excessive commitment to
masculinity comes to a head đạt đến đỉnh điểm, bùng phát when he takes responsibility for executing his own
adopted son, Ikemefuna.

The killing of Ikemefuna has familial and communal repercussions hậu quả/ hệ quả đối với gia đình và cộng
đồng.. For one thing, it breaks the heart of Okonkwo’s eldest son, Nwoye, who had loved Ikemefuna like a
brother and feels betrayed by his father’s brutal action. The killing of Ikemefuna also has a symbolic connection
to the event that leads to Okonkwo’s exile—an event that affects the Umuofia community at large. Prior to
Ikemefuna’s execution, Ogbuefi Ezeudu had warned Okonkwo against participating in the killing. Okonkwo
ignores this advice. After Ezeudu dies, Okonkwo accidentally shoots and kills Ezeudu’s son during the burial.
The ominous manslaughter of Ezeudu’s son represents a crime against the earth goddess that can only be
cleansed by burning Okonkwo’s compound đốt phá khuôn viên / nhà cửa của Okonkwo, and forcing him into
exile.

Over the course of the novel, Okonkwo grows increasingly at odds with the other members of Umuofia and the
rest of the nine villages. As European missionaries and civil servants begin to infiltrate the region, Okonkwo
wants to protect Igboland against foreign influences. While he longs to maintain traditional values and defend
his people’s pride, other members of the nine villages feel increasingly attracted to what the Europeans have to
offer. Okonkwo cannot accept the sense of emasculation that comes with the invasion of Europeans into Igbo
territory, and he becomes furious as his fellow villagers flock to the missionaries to take advantage of health
care and education.

This conflict reaches its climax following the most emasculating event sự kiện làm mất mặt, làm mất quyền lực
hoặc danh dự nam tính nghiêm trọng nhất; Okonkwo experiences in the novel, when the British arrest him and
several other villagers. For Okonkwo the arrest is the last straw, and he wants the villages go to war. But when
Okonkwo draws first blood by killing a British messenger, Okonkwo’s peers reject the act, signaling that
Okonkwo and his values are no longer relevant. Sensing his final defeat, Okonkwo takes his own life.
Themes and Symbolism

Journey to the West is rich in themes and symbolism, many of which are deeply rooted in Chinese philosophy,
Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. /kənˈfjuːʃəˌnɪzəm/ = Nho giáo
The Quest for Enlightenment
At its core, the novel is an allegory for /æn ˈæl.ə.ɡɔːr.i fɔːr/ = một phép ẩn dụ cho… the spiritual journey toward
enlightenment. Each character’s personal flaws and strengths represent different obstacles and aids on this path.
Xuánzàng’s unwavering devotion and humility sự tận tụy kiên định và khiêm nhường, despite his occasional
naivety sự ngây thơ/ thiếu kinh nghiệm thỉnh thoảng,, represent the ideal qualities of a spiritual seeker.

Human Weaknesses and Virtues

The disciples, particularly Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing, embody hiện thân, thể hiện, cụ thể hóa
various human weaknesses such as pride, greed, lust, and anger. Their interactions and growth throughout the
journey illustrate the importance of overcoming these flaws through discipline, perseverance, sự kiên trì, bền bỉ,
không bỏ cuộc and faith.

The Power of Cooperation

The success of the pilgrimage hinges on phụ thuộc vào, dựa vào the cooperation between the pilgrims, each of
whom brings unique strengths to the group. Their teamwork, despite their differences and occasional conflicts,
highlights the importance of unity and collaboration in overcoming challenges.

Buddhist and Daoist Philosophy

The novel is deeply infused with thấm đẫm, ngập tràn, Buddhist teachings, particularly the concept of karma,
the cycle of rebirth, and the quest for enlightenment. Daoist themes, such as the pursuit of immortality and the
balance of opposites (yin and yang), also play a significant role in the narrative.

Critique of Authority
Journey to the West also contains subtle critiques of authority, particularly the corruption and inefficiency of
the bureaucracy, whether celestial or earthly. Sun Wukong’s rebelliousness and his frequent clashes with
heavenly authorities can be seen as a challenge to the rigid structures of power.
Literary Style and Structure

Journey to the West is known for its lively and engaging literary style. The narrative is fast-paced, filled with
action, humor, and vivid descriptions. The episodic structure of the novel allows for a variety of adventures and
encounters, each of which can be enjoyed independently while contributing to the overall narrative.
Wu Cheng’en’s use of language is masterful, blending classical Chinese prose with colloquial expressions kə
ˈloʊ.kwi.əl ɪkˈspreʃ.ənz/ = cách diễn đạt thông tục, lời nói đời thường, and dialogue. The novel also
incorporates poetry, which characters use to express their thoughts and emotions, adding a lyrical dimension to
the story.

Historical and Cultural Context

Journey to the West was written during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), a period of relative stability and
prosperity in China. This era saw a flourishing of literature, theater, and the arts, as well as a renewed interest in
classical Chinese culture and values. The novel reflects the syncretism /ˈsɪŋ.krə.tɪ.zəm/ = sự dung hợp, sự tổng
hợp tôn giáo hoặc văn hóa of Chinese religious and philosophical traditions, particularly the blending of
Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism, which was characteristic of the Ming period.
The novel also reflects the Ming dynasty’s fascination with the exotic and the unknown, as represented by the
journey to the distant land of India. The descriptions of foreign lands, creatures, and deities in the novel capture
the imagination and curiosity of the time.

Of course! Here's a 250-word version of the letter to your friend Linda discussing the theme of Things Fall
Apart:
Here’s a polished example of a letter you could write to your friend Linda:

Dear Linda,
I hope this letter finds you well. I recently finished reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and I wanted
to share my thoughts with you. I found the novel both engaging and thought-provoking, particularly in the way
it explores themes that are still relevant today.
One of the most prominent themes is the clash between tradition and change. Achebe portrays the Igbo
society as rich in customs, rituals, and values, yet these traditions are challenged by the arrival of colonial forces
and Christian missionaries. I was struck by how Okonkwo, the protagonist, struggles to maintain his personal
and cultural identity in the face of these changes. This theme made me reflect on how societies often face
tension between preserving heritage and adapting to new influences.
Another theme that resonated with me is masculinity and its impact on individual behavior and social
relationships. Okonkwo’s rigid interpretation of masculinity drives many of his decisions, often with tragic
consequences. His desire to appear strong and fearless sometimes blinds him to compassion and understanding,
which leads to personal and communal tragedy. This theme prompted me to think about the pressures of societal
expectations and how they can shape—and sometimes distort—our actions.
Overall, Achebe’s novel is a powerful exploration of human nature, culture, and change. I would highly
recommend it to you, as it offers both a gripping story and rich material for reflection.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts if you decide to read it!
Best regards,
[Your Name]

If you want, I can also rewrite it in a slightly more casual, friendly tone so it feels more like a real letter to a
friend, while keeping the discussion of themes. Do you want me to do that?
Here’s a sample letter you could write to your friend Linda about Wuthering Heights:

Dear Linda,
I hope you’re doing well. I recently finished reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, and I just had
to share my thoughts with you. It’s such a dark and compelling novel, full of complex characters and
intense emotions.
One theme that stood out to me is the destructive power of obsession and revenge. Heathcliff’s obsession
with Catherine drives much of the plot, leading him to manipulate, dominate, and harm those around
him. His desire for revenge consumes him and ultimately causes pain not only to himself but also to the
next generation. I found this theme fascinating, as it shows how unchecked emotions can ruin lives and
relationships.
Another theme I found striking is love versus social class and constraints. Catherine and Heathcliff’s love
is passionate and undeniable, yet social expectations and class differences force them apart. This tension
between personal desire and societal pressure highlights how social norms can control people’s choices,
sometimes tragically. It made me think about how external circumstances can interfere with true
connections, even when emotions are intense.
Overall, I think Wuthering Heights is both heartbreaking and thought-provoking. The characters are
unforgettable, and the story’s exploration of human emotions and social limitations is still very relevant
today. I would definitely recommend it if you haven’t read it yet—you might find it as intense and
captivating as I did!
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts,
[Your Name]

If you want, I can also rewrite it in an even more casual, friendly tone, so it reads more like a personal
letter to Linda. Do you want me to do that?