This quote is a very straight forward example of how Okonkwo's father affected him.Because Unoka was gentle and unaccomplished he was jokingly called a woman. This led Okonkwo to have strict ideas on what a man can or can't be. In Okonkwo's mind if he isn't tough, aggressive, and titled he's not really a man. This fear that Okonkwo holds is his hamartia. It's what will lead to his downfall. As the novel progresses we see areas where his obsessive need to be 'masculine' causes issues. Such as when he attacks his wife during the holiday of peace. Okonkwo is so scared that his wife will change her views of him that he attacks her. This harsh view of masculinity doesn't correlate to that of the rest of his clansman. When he meets with them to discuss what will happen with Ikemefuna he goes against their suggestions. All the men suggest that if Ikemefuna is to die Okonkwo shouldn't be the one to kill him let alone go with them. Okonkwo doesn't want to look weak so he goes with and is the one who ends up killing Ikemefuna despite his emotions towards the matter. The following article discusses how your childhood can directly affect your emotional state as an adult. http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/12/19/371679655/some-early-childhood-experiences-shape-adult-life-but-which

From this quote we can see the outcome of all the guilt and shame David felt for having homosexual relations. David believes that he is going to die due to the nonredeemable actions he's done. His journey to death has already begun due to this as well. I think that the societal judgments of homosexuality caused David to have negative thoughts about his life and body in the end. When he was with Hella he could push it aside but now that he is alone he's faced with the harshness of his reality. That how he's been living his life is 'wrong'.

The ambiguous ending has many different meanings. Perhaps the most easy to see is; David is unable to escape the feelings he has for men. In the start of the novel after David's relations with Joey he feels immense guilt and shame. When Hella leaves him for Spain his relationship begins with Giovanni. Upon her return David gives up Giovanni to be with her. Like he is tossing Giovanni away. But once Hella leaves David once more he is left to think about his relationship with both. The note about Giovanni blows back against David which is symbolic of David's inability to let go of his attraction towards men.

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The character of the housekeeper, along with Miss Morstan can be seen as a symbol of women's role in this time period. Miss Morstan shows the more social role of women wheres the housekeeper can be seen as how many men assume women act. The housekeeper is easily upset and hard to calm down. This is often how men saw women. They saw them as hysterical and unable to control their emotions. Miss Morstan shows another side of women's roles. As soon as she is introduced she is described as well looking and pleasant. She holds herself with an air of dignity. This is how women were meant to present themselves compared to the housekeeper who showed how women were assumed to really act. Another important ole Miss Morstan's character plays is that of the love interest. In this time period women were to aspire only to marriage. It was important that men were interested in them. This can be seen in the interactions between herself and Watson. Without knowing each other prior Watson becomes infatuated with her merely because she is there and available. The fact that Miss Morstan is a main character yet she is overlooked also shows how women were only perceived in society as an option for marriage. While being overlooked Miss Morstan stays passive and quiet furthering the idealistic view men had of women. Doyle cleverly uses both these characters to emphasize the static role for women in that society. The writers of Women In Literature describe the general role of women in the Nineteenth century. This shows that Doyle's use of his female characters accurately depicts the expected norms forced on women of that time.