Tuesday, March 20, 2012
"Busy Work"
The term "busy work" is often used in reference to meaningless, copious tasks. However, "busy work" may have some value for everyone. I think it is interesting that both Okonkwo and Sethe need to do something with their hands to avoid their thoughts. They use busy work as a distraction. Okonkwo says the the murder of Ikemefuna would not disturb him as much if it was planting season and when Sethe begins recalling ugly memories, she starts folding and re-folding sheets. I think it is true that having something to do, some type of busy work, is a good way to forget troublesome thoughts.
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6 comments:
I agree, but in that sense busy work could also be a problem. The characters use busy work to take their minds off of their problems, but in doing this they never really face their problems and thus never get over them. I also think that Paul D does so much "busy work" because he is so accoustomed to working all the time through slavery that now he does not know what else to do.
It does make sense to me that the characters have to focus their minds on something to avoid thinking about something else. Paul D said that while he was in the chain gang in Atlanta he had to work to keep himself from going insane. It strikes me as a very realistic way of handling the otherwise devastating effects of slavery. I doubt I'd be able to handle something like that any differently.
I agree that busy work is a great way to keep your mind off things. It is easy to become lost in work when there are more important things to think about. Busy work is an escape for Sethe and Okonkwo and I wonder if slaves ever did busy work to keep their minds off of their terrible circumstances.
I agree with this as well as it usually works for me. If ever my mind is stuck on something a little too much, I just try to do something else. If you compare it to the man from No Exit, he thought about his image entirely too much, and he basically went crazy. If they had a board game maybe they'd have been better off
The definition of "busy work" depends on the zeitgeist of the generation. For example, ts Eliot, wrote "the hollow men" describing his disillusioned generation with no purpose, no "busy work". The generation of Okinawa was depressing as well. There was no purpose, no reason to strive to live. The depressive environment reflect the zeitgeist of their generation
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