Umuofia Virtual Village-Reflection

           Personally, I did not learn many things about the other characters in the novel through this simulation process due to different factors. To begin with, during the simulation of Umuofia, I did not think as the other characters and didn’t have to respond towards the situation as them so I could not anticipate what they would do or how they would react. Moreover, some characters didn’t clearly respond to the situation just like they would on the novel so I could not extend my knowledge about them. For example there is one part in the simulation process where the one who was impersonating Ezinma states that his “brother will die. I am extremely sad.” I don’t really feel that, so I could not expand on what she might be really thinking. Nonetheless, I did get to understand that every character in the novel stands in a different place and each one has an individual opinion regarding every situation. In my case, I did learn more about Reverend Smith and I also got to reinforce my previous knowledge about him. When thinking like him and responding to situations like him, I clearly noticed that my character has no acceptance towards other cultures or beliefs that are not pertaining to Christianity, and he will not listen to those who do not follow him. He follows exactly what God says, and wants everybody to do so. In part, I already understood this by reading the novel, but this simulation has helped me grasp this information even further.

            During this virtual simulation, characters responded the way they did because within the novel they already had a predetermined role and a specific behavior towards situations. What I mean by this is that students just had to take over the role these characters played in the novel and bring their way of thinking and talking into the simulation with the whole class. My character, Reverend Smith, would not be open to the Ibo culture within this simulation because he hadn’t acted that way in the novel. Therefore, it was pretty to anticipate how characters would react to the situations imposed by the Village Crier, given the fact that they had to play them as if it were part of the novel.

            My personal experience towards the Umuofia Virtual Village and the reading of the novel were pretty similar, but some aspects were different as well. It was very similar given the fact that Reverend Smith, the character I had to represent, had the beliefs and followed certain rules throughout the novel, and I tried to portray those same rules and beliefs during our virtual simulation of the story. The difference comes that within the novel there is already a predetermined reaction by the character because the event has already occurred and the book is written already. During the simulation I was able to take into consideration a reaction the character might have taken within the novel, but I also had the chance to add on to it and make the reaction for subtle or stress the importance of my character within the event even more. Throughout the simulation I though of more reasons to why we as Christians should build a school; more reasons than what one can read in the novel.  

            Taking part of this Umuofia Virtual Village built on my previous knowledge of the novel to a certain extent. Based on the reaction I had as Reverend Smith, and the reactions other characters had regarding the situations imposed in the simulation, I was able to get the big picture. With the big picture I mean that I could relate to different events of the novel and try to explain why characters reacted the way they did, based on what students responded throughout the virtual novel done in class. This activity also helped me see what were some of the most important parts of the novels, as they were the situations the Village Crier imposed on the characters, and also since we had to locate these within the novel so that we could fix ourselves within it. For example when we had to located the sacred python on page 157, and then relate to it as our character would.  On the other hand, this activity did not lead to improve my knowledge regarding the historical facts on which the novel is based since history was not touched throughout the activity. At no moment during the simulation did someone relate what we were doing to historical events, neglecting me from learning more about it.