"Things Fall Apart" By: Chinua Achebe

'Things Fall Apart" tells the story of a man named Okonkwo and how his life changes when faced with different obstacles. He begins as this strong warrior who was more than determined to not turn out anything like his father. He was very well-respected in his tribe and also admired. One of his shortcomings was that he never showed any type of feelings because he looked at as a sign of weakness. There were a few times in the story when he showed that softer side, but always in private. When he took part in the killing of his adpoted son, he saw it as doing right by the boy. When his daughter was sick, he watched over her even though he was not supposed to. Those two examples prove that he was definitely capable of expressing feelings, but didn't let it show based on his own selfish pride. Throughout the story you can see the rise and fall of Okonkwo and how it is affecting him. When he was exiled to his motherland, he felt like he was losing himself, because he didn't have the same power he once had. He had high hopes for his return to his tribe, but that was soon ruined when he realized that things were no longer the same. A possible theme for this novel could be power versus powerlessness. An example of this is when Okonkwo went from being one of the most important men in the tribe, to not being able to rally against the missionaries that were taking over. The battle that was primarily man vs. self became too much for him to handle and he had to take drastic measures. The men of the tribe had to discover their comrade hanging from a tree after he took his own life. Even though suicide was frowned upon in the tribe, it is believed that he would have rather shamed himself by committing suicide than to let the missionaries rule over him.

"The Namesake" By: Jhumpa Lahiri

When Jhumpa Lahiri wrote the book "The Namesake," it was clear that it was about the struggle of Gogol Ganguli and his attempts to find himself. But after reading the story, Gogol wasn't the only person trying to find himself. His mother, Ashima, also felt lost and had to search to find who she really was. When Ashima moved to America with her husband, she made sure she never forgot her Bengali heritage. She never considered America to be, but more of a place she was living for the time being. When her kids were born she was already nervous about them growing up in a lonely country, and did everything she could to make them feel comfortable. When Gogol was born and given his name, it was a special time for his parents, especially his father. But as Gogol grew older, he was not aware of the significance and despised his name. From the moment he changed his name to "Nikhil," things in his life began to slowly crumble. He spent his life trying to figure out where he belonged in the world and hurt quite a few people in the process. It was as if he was not sure whether he was American or Bengali and he felt like he had to choose. In actuality, he merely just needed to embrace the two harmoniously because they were both key factors in who he was. One example of his struggle was his relationships. Each one took a turn for the worse when both of his cultures were beginning to collide. His relationship with Max was a tricky one, because it was during that time that his father died and he showed tremendous guilt. He was so fixated on her world and her family that he completely ignored his own. When his father passed he tried to do a better job of accepting his Bengali culture, and it was then that he met Moushimi. They were married, but there problems arose because they were different and at the same time, very much alike. There loved was centered around their shared culture, but neither one of them truly knew who they were as an individual. As for Ashima, she wanted to stay true to her country no matter what. But as the story progressed she also showed moments of growth. For example, she became more supportive of her children's relationships when her culture didn't too much believe in true love. She didn't love her husband in the beginning, but their love grew over the years and it was very evident how much she cared about him. By the end, she was pretty much a new woman. She viewed things a tad bit differently. She never let go of her Bengali culutre, but she did make room for her new American one.

"The Overcoat" By: Nikolai Gogol

"The Overcoat" tells the story of a man who basically is defined by his overcoat. In the beginning of the story he is teased by his co-workers for his ratty old overcoat. When he finally decides to get a new one he becomes a different person inside and out. After leaving a party he is robbed of his new coat, which causes him to lose himself. In this story, it was as though Akakiy was allowing the overcoat to be more than something to keep him warm. He looked at it as more of a way to show his identity and what type of person he was. With his original coat, he was picked on and not really respected, but that all changed when his new coat was made. The fact that it took so much to get the new overcoat probably made it more special, but the person he transformed into was quite different. He began to feel like he was a part of society and no longer made fun of. However, when his coat was stolen and he was in need of help, no one was there for him. He lost that feeling of acceptance when people turned their backs on him. His identity was taken right along with the coat and it ended up killing him. When he became a ghost and started to seek his revenge, he somewhat gained that sense of self back, but it never got him the one thing that he wanted back, which was his overcoat.

"A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" By: Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This very imaginative story, that is a mixture of realism and fantasy, is about a couple who discover an old man with wings lying on their land. As the story goes on the couple begin to exploit the old man for their own benefit. People come from all over to see the winged creature and they charge admission. Once the town moves on to the next attraction, they no longer have a need for the old man. This story is one that can be interpreted in many different ways. One example is as a depiction of human nature and how human behavior effects others. The old man was treated as nothing more than a tourist attraction and the couple is using him for their own financial gain. The actions of the couuple show how humans can sometimes have a tendency to be selfish and ungrateful. When the old man was no longer popular to the town Pelayo and Elisenda looked at him as a nuisance. Even though the old man provided them with a new home, more money than they know what to do with and, and basically a better life than what they had before, they never showed any appreciation. Elisenda was glad to see him leave her life. Another example was the way the town treated the old man. To them he was a freak, not a real person, and that is exactly how they treated him. Since he failed to fulfill their need for attention, they were cruel to him. Since humans crave attention from others, the Spider Girl that came to town became a the favorite. The old man in the story may have been considered an angel to some, but to others he was just a dirty old man with wings. Determining what he is and his purpose for being there is just another part of the story to explore. There is not set explanation for this story and the mind is able to come up with as many interpretations as it wants.