Respect and Stereotypes

     Having too much of a good thing almost always creates a bad thing, and pride does not escape this. Too much pride can cause overconfidence and cause you to lose sight of your goal. Things Fall Apart, a novel written by Chinua Achebe, talks about the life of Okonkwo, an African warrior who wishes to be the best. Since his father was a failure in the story, Okonkwo grew up dominated by the need to overcompensate and this leads to his ruin. There are many comparisons that can be made from the story Things Fall Apart, to the subject of North Korean censorship. There are even lessons that can be learned from the story’s plot line, which reflect similar elements. In Things Fall Apart, respect and pride were very important aspects of the story. Men were known for what titles they possessed and what accomplishments they achieved,“Age was respected among his people, but achievement was revered. As the elders said, if a child washed his hands he could eat with kings”(Achebe 48). North Korea can compare to this because their extreme nationality is enforced by their government's propaganda which makes their leader, Kim Jong-Il appear to be a hero. Media in North Korea constantly glorifies Kim, and because of this, some of North Korea’s civilians are left in the dark with no other opinions or sources. Since a central government network controls almost every aspect of the media, they are allowed to decide what types of information is allowed to be accessed by the people. The government’s pride and glorification of their leader prevents them from accessing real news, just as titles and the gift of respect kept Okonkwo from staying focused on what was important to him. North Korea tries with every last bit of its might to make people think it is an excellent country, when in reality their effort is one the of aspects that keep their country behind. 

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994. Print.