The Individual Oral

By: Nabia Nadeem and Ahad Asim

 Introduction
Literary text:
Non-Literary text:
Things Fall Apart by
13th (film) by Ava
Chinua Achebe
DuVernay

The Global Issue

Bitter effects of poverty on minorities facing difficulties in an imbalanced
society.
Field of inquiry: Politics, Power and Justice
Critical Analysis of Chapter #4

-“Anyone who knew his grim struggle against poverty and misfortune could
not say he had been lucky”

-Okonkwo calls a man with no titles “a woman”

-Okonkwo breaks the sacred week of peace by beating his wife

 Evaluation of Arguments
-Okonkwo’s past of poverty still impacts his behaviour and relationships
with those around him

-The author uses literary devices such as situational irony, personification,

proverbs, alliteration and imagery
 Discrimination Against Those will Lower Titles

-“The man who had contradicted him had no titles. That was why he had
called him a woman. Okonkwo knew how to kill a man's spirit.”

-Okonkwo’s own father was called agbala which means “a women”

 Okonkwo’s Hatred For his Father

-Okonkwo resented his father because he brought nothing but embarrassment

and shame.

- Okonkwo loathed his father’s weakness and inability to do something

meaningful in life, he was never able to experience a fatherly and son
relationship.
 Okonkwo’s Fear

-Okonkwo punishes his family over small matters fearing his family will
develop attributes similar to his father.

- Okonkwo deals with this fear of living in poverty and being called
degrading names associated with poorness through violence.
 Analysis Of The Documentary
The visual techniques and literary devices used in the documentary were the following:-

- Multiple shots and footage of impoverished communities and makeshift shelters

- Historical footage
- Symbolic imagery,
- Logical appeal (statistics and data)
- "There are 2.3 million people in prison in the United States, and almost half of them
are black men. Most of these men come from impoverished neighborhoods, where
there are few opportunities for education, employment, or advancement."
- Shows a general increase in poverty during the 1980’s

- It was said in regards to what Ronald Reagan said about how

government programs aren’t supposed to provide healthcare and
etc.
 Argument 1
● How people are losing job opportunities and college offers

- People being falsely accused of using crack cocaine or being accused of committing a crime will face jail
time.

- Effect on their record and since employers look at the records of people, this would result in them
potentially not acquiring a job thus they would face poverty.

- Willie Bosket, a young Black man jailed in the 1970s let down by a system that failed to provide him with
the resources and support he required to flourish.
 Argument 2
● Favouritism of people with a higher financial status

- The African Americans faced discrimination as they were labeled as a second class status
community therefore stripping their civil right

- Three black teenagers were falsely accused of using crack cocaine but due to their color they
were sent to jail for 10 years. During the investigation at the end it was concluded that the
teenagers weren’t guilty at all.

- Another example could be of Kalief Browder: Browder's case is an extreme example of a system
that is rigged against people of colour, especially those who are and cannot afford legal
representation.
 Argument 3
● House discrimination

- Minority populations endure housing discrimination, making it difficult for them to locate
safe and affordable homes. This can result in homelessness, poor living circumstances,
and instability.

- Redlining, a discriminatory housing practice that involves rejecting loans and other financial
services was seen in the documentary

- Discriminatory housing regulations and practises aided in the development of ghettos, or

regions of concentrated poverty and segregation.
 Conclusion
(How will poverty affect minorities if we don’t take action)

- Economic inequality can be worsened when poverty impacts minorities. This can have a number of
negative consequences, including diminished economic mobility, decreased social cohesiveness, and
greater political divergence

- Poverty can contribute to social exclusion because poor individuals and families may struggle to
access the same opportunities and resources as others in their society.

- Poverty may lead to crime and social unrest,it can heighten tensions between various racial and
ethnic groups.

- “Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the
actions of human beings”