Reading 1: "The Sacrificial Egg"

"The Sacrificial Egg" by Chinua Achebe was an interesting read. The use of imagery throughout the story made some things pop more than they would have alone. For example, smallpox being described as a person, or rather an evil deity known as Kitikpa, painted a more vivid and lively picture in my mind than if it had just been described as a sickness. I also found this story to be more engaging because of the variation and blending of modern society and spiritual folklore. The author points out a few times that the main character is educated, seemingly in contrast to some of the village. Does this mean the main character knows more than the other villagers because of his education? Does it affect his understanding and the impact of the spreading smallpox medically? I'm not sure. The other thing that was noteworthy to me was the mixed belief of Christianity and spiritual folklore. The inclusion of both helped paint a picture of the culture, as well as the time in which the story seems to take place. As I was reading, I did find it harder to follow along at times, because I didn't always understand exactly what the reference was, an example being the "fleet-footed mask", but I also found this compelling because it allowed my imagination to fill in the blanks.