Midterms
#4 ~ J to R (alphabetized by
author's last name)
Student
Midterm Discussion Papers
Student Writing, Hum 211, Winter
2002
Short Cuts to
Student Midterms on this webpage:
Joe Madraso,
"Hum 211 Midterm" [Traditional
Male Attitudes toward Women
in Keita: The Heritage of the Griot]
Kim McCue,
"The Tragic Life of Okonkwo"
Linda McCue,
"How and Why Did 'Things Fall Apart' for Okonkwo?"
Sheila Miller, "Okonkwo: The Man and His
Beliefs"
Sarah Milne, "Midterm Report" [on
Keita: Heritage of the Griot]
Sonya Rosenberg,
"African Culture: Remembering the Past and Celebrating the Future"
[Thematic Comparison of Keita: The Heritage of the Griot, I Is A Long
Memoried Woman,
and Things Fall Apart]
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Jim Madraso
Hum 211, Prof. C. Agatucci
28 February 2002
HUM 211 Midterm [Traditional Male Attitudes toward Women
in Keita: Heritage of the Griot]
For my midterm paper I have
decided to use primarily the same topic as I used for discussion one, yet to
expand on it. I found the most
interesting aspect of the movie, Kieta: The
Heritage of the Griot,
to be the interactions between the traditional men and the way they
treated women. I was especially
intrigued by Djeliba’s interactions with Sitan, Mabo’s mother.
In the opening scene of the movie we get a quick glimpse as to how a
traditional Mande tribes man would treat a woman.
Djeliba is leaving the village when his woman asks where he is going.
Djeliba replies by saying only “I will return…soon”.
(“Kieta: The
Heritage of the Griot,” Film
Notes..., Hum 211 Course Pack online).
From Djeliba’s reply or lack there of I am left feeling that perhaps
Djeliba does not even think enough of his own woman to dignify her question
with an adequate response.
The remainder of Deliba’s encounters with women,
happen to be with Sitan. From
their very first encounter I got the feeling that Sitan was opposed to
Djeliba’s visit. On the surface Sitan remains polite toward Djeliba, asking
Djeliba to stay in the house instead of sleeping outside. (“Kieta:
The Heritage of the Griot,” Film
Notes..., Hum 211 Course Pack online).
Soon however, it becomes quite clear that Sitan is less than
thrilled about Djeliba’s mission as is depicted by the following dialogue:
Sitan
demands: “He’s come to initiate Mabo.
Is that all right?”
Boicar:
“What do you have against that?”
Sitan: “Mabo is
taking exams. He shouldn’t be
disturbed. You know that.”
(“Kieta: The
Heritage of the Griot,” Film
Notes..., Hum 211 Course Pack online).
What I found to be particularly interesting about this scene;
however, was not the dialogue but the way that Boicar, Sitan’s husband,
reacts to her concerns. Following
the disgussion:
Boicar shakes his head and leaves her. Shot of Boicar lying awake in bed. Sitan goes in to check on her sleeping son.
As she returns to their bedroom, Boicar quickly turns over and pretends
to be sleeping….(“Kieta:
The
Heritage of the Griot,” Film
Notes..., Hum 211 Course Pack online).
From Boicar’s reaction I am left with the suspicion that maybe
the teachings of his Griot growing up have led him to view women in a more
ancient tribal manner.
I believe that Sitan jumps to the same conclusions that I have.
Sitan actually seems to be afraid of what Mabo might learn from Djeliba,
his Griot. In all honesty maybe Sitan should be worried about what
Djeliba might teach her son. Sitan has obviously been raised in the ways of
the westerners, she sees no importance to Djeliba’s teachings.
To Sitan Djeliba’s teachings are merely stories to be dismissed
common fairytales and myths. Sitan views the ancient tribal life style as not
only a waste of time but as a waste of one’s life. Sitan wants only the best
for her son and she feels that Djeliba may in effect brain wash Mabo into
living a primitive tribal life. Another feeling that I got simply from Sitans
interactions, not from any of the dialog, was that Sitan felt Djeliba was
sexist. I don’t know how far along the feminist movement is in Africa but I
assume that in the cities it is pretty well established. There was an obvious
difference in a woman’s status in the tribe as opposed to our society. Even
though Djeliba was a guest he at times he bossed both Sitan and Mabo around,
customs that I am sure are normal back in his tribe but Sitan gives him some
pretty nasty looks. She has every
right to feel the way she does. If
Mabo takes to heart everything that Djeliba tells him then he might begin to
view his mother in another light, as an inferior.
Durring the scene that Binto is introduced:
Mabo explains to Djeliba that Bintou does the kitchen work and
“everything”—all the housework. His
mother only cooks when Bintou is sick.
(“Kieta:
The
Heritage of the Griot,” Film
Notes..., Hum 211 Course Pack online).
Djeliba replies by saying:
“The world has changed. . . . In the old days, when a woman
didn’t know how to do housework, she didn’t find a husband. But your mother is marvelous,” Djeliba reassures Mabo. (“Kieta:
The
Heritage of the Griot,” Film Notes..., Hum 211 Course Pack
online).
Simply from Djeliba’s reaction not from anything he said I felt
that Mabo was not reassured, that from then on he seemed to question his
mothers authority more than before.
The final interaction I find to be by far the most intriguing.
As direct reaction to Mabo and two other boys getting in trouble for
skipping school their teacher, Mr. Fofano, informs their parents.
In informing Mabo’s parents that he is the one responsible for the
boys skipping class Mr. Fofano is accompanied by the other boys fathers.
The following altercations take place:
Sitan blames Djeliba,
explaining to Mr. Fofano that the “Old man came from the village to initiate
Mabo” and now “Mabo only lives for that story.”
Mr
Fofano feels she is right to be concerned, and tells “Mr. Keita, Mabo has
really changed.” (“Kieta:
The
Heritage of the Griot,” Film
Notes..., Hum 211 Course Pack online).
I found it rather fitting that Sitan immediately tries to connect
with Mr. Fofano a clearly westernized person like herself.
Sitan clearly feels that her opinion has no clout with her husband, so
she tries to win the support of Mr. Fofano in hopes that the opinion of
another man will convince her husband that Djeliba should discontinue the
story. However:
Boicar is defensive:
“Djeliba Kouyate is the griot of my father . . . and my grandfather.
For centuries the Kouyates have been the griots of the Keitas.”
(“Kieta:
The
Heritage of the Griot,” Film
Notes..., Hum 211 Course Pack online).
Boicar’s traditional thinking is most defiantly not persuaded by
Mr. Fofano’s concerns or even his wife’s concerns. So in a last ditch effort:
Sitan
laughs at her husband: “Times
have changed.”
Sitan then tearfully
declares she herself will leave, and refuses to be calmed. Mr Fofano, the fathers, and the boys leave.
Djeliba packs up his hammock and himself prepares to leave.
When Sitan comes back outside, Boicar trying to stop her, Djeliba
addresses her. (“Kieta:
The Heritage
of the Griot,” Film Notes..., Hum 211
Course Pack online).
Djeliba: “All
right, I’m going.
With Djeliba’s departure I am
finally comfortable thinking that he is not the male supremacist that he might
have portrayed as in the beginning of the story. Djeliba is concerned only with teaching the past not with
creating the future. By Djeliba
leaving when he does I think that Sitan’s feeling of self-worth is unharmed
and her position of authority intact.
© Joe Madraso, 2002
Joe: Check Hum
211 Discussion #4 Forum - You've got at least one Response!
http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/discussions/disc4_frm.htm
Kim McCue
February 28, 2002
The
Tragic Life Of Okonkwo
Okonkwo
was a strong and powerful man. He had very important values
and beliefs. Okonkwo use to watch his father and always said that he
would never be like him. Okonkwo's father had caused Okonkwo to have
three major stages of tragic events occur in his life. The first one being
growing up with his father and watching his father fail. Second, Okonkwo
lived his life with anger, hate and fear. The final step was the tragic death
of Okonkwo. Living the life that this strong and powerful man had lived
was very hard and never accepted in his own eyes.
Okonkwo
grew up with a low life father. " When Unoka (Okonkwo's father)
died he had taken no title at all and was deeply in debt." (Chapter 1,
Page
6) Okonkwo watched his father go into debt. Whenever Unoka did receive
money he would go out and buy palm-wine. He never took care of his
responsibilities. "Unoka was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable
of thinking about tomorrow." (Chapter 1, Page 3) Unoka owed every
neighbor money and managed to always borrow more, yet "his wife and
children had barely enough to eat." (Chapter 1, Page 4) His father's
failure
had lead to Okonkwo's success. He refused to ever be anything like his
father. Okonkwo started work early. He ended up taking care of his mother
and siblings at a young age, because his father wasn't do it. Okonkwo
didn't let the life his father led, bring him down instead, he strived off it.
He
proved to his clan that he was nothing like his father. He became a great
wrestler, which made his clan respect him. "He was still young but he had
won fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages." (Chapter 1, Page
6) Okonkwo started his farming off rough. He had managed to get a
neighbor to lend him yams to start his farming. However, the few that he
had planted died because of the dramatic heat. Okonkwo did not let this
get the best of him. Instead of giving up, Okonkwo went out into the farm
and tried again. This time he was successful. Okonkwo was now a great
farmer, wrestler and managed to hold down three wives. This may sound
like he had a great life, however, Okonkwo's success got the best of him.
Okonkwo
lived his life with hate, anger and fear. He wanted so bad to be
nothing like his father, but little did he see that he was becoming a man
that was weak. He was becoming what he hated about his father and
more. Okonkwo didn't stop to see the people that loved him. He was so
filled with anger and fear and he believed that showing affection was a
sign of weakness. "Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His
wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper,
and so did his little children." (Chapter 2, Page 9) Okonkwo had made his
effort to not be anything like his father gets the best of him. He obsessed
so much over being strong and not showing anyone weakness that he
hurt the people he cared about. He pushed his wives and children away.
His clan and closest family members had started to lose respect for him.
He however didn't like the fact,
he always wanted to be on the top,
therefore, and he would beat his family members for stupid reasons. Such
as his wife picking leaves off his banana tree to wrap the food. He ended
up beating her for it. He partook in killing a man that called him father,
which caused the clan to ban him for seven years. Okonkwo lived his life
like a roller coaster. He was at the bottom, managed to raise himself to the
top
then became so caught up and didn't see what was going on around him that he
fell down to the bottom again.
Okonkwo's
life had become so meaningless. When Okonkwo moved back
to the clan, no one greeted him, or was happy that he was back. He had
noticed something new. The white man had come in and gave the clan a
new form of living, with government. Okonkwo didn't like this change. He
thought that since he had lost all respect, that if he got rid of this new
form
of life that he would gain all respect and power back. No one in the clan
agreed with Okonkwo's plan. They all liked the way things were being
done. Okonkwo could not live with the white man. He despised them. So
he killed the British messenger thinking he would gain everything that he
had lost back, however, this just pushed everyone away. Okonkwo was
now alone, and had no power, no respect and no one that was on his side.
He lost everything. Okonkwo saw what happened in his life as a
weakness. He tried throughout his life to not be weak like his father, now
that he was, he did not feel or see a reason to live. Okonkwo committed
suicide.
The
tragic events that Okonkwo went through were more than just
coincidence. He had let his father and his father's way of living ruin his
life.
He became so obsessed with being this human he had made up in his
mind, that he didn't realize that no one could be that perfect person. He
did not realize that he was following so much in his father's footsteps that
he lost everything that he worked so hard for.
© Kim McCue, 2002
Linda McCue
February 21, 2002
African Literature
Mid Term Discussion Paper
How and Why Did
“Things Fall Apart” for Okonkwo?
In ‘Things Fall Apart” there are numerous reasons
that things fell apart for Okonkwo. It
is apparent that it all started back when Okonkwo was a
child. From the very beginning
of Okonkwo’s life, he grew up watching his father,
Unoka, who was described as a lazy,
easy going, and selfish man who was deeply in debt, and
died with no titles or respect
from his family or the clan. (Part 1, Chapter 1, Page 6)
Okonkwo then set his mind and standards high to achieve
much greatness and respect,
through fear of becoming anything like his father, Unoka.
[His whole life was dominated
by fear, the fear of failure and weakness.] (Part 1,
Chapter 2, Page 9)
It was important for Okonkwo to have a place and a title
in the clan. The clan in
Umuofia, where Okonkwo lived, believes that a man is
great and wealthy if he has many
wives and holds great titles within the clan. These
titles were not just given they were
bought and earned.
Okonkwo started early in life working for his place in
the clan. He was a wealthy farmer,
and had three wives, which earned him a high stature in
his clan. Okonkwo had taken two
titles and had shown incredible prowess in two
“Inter-Tribal Wars”. (Part 1, Chapter 1,
page 6) Although Okonkwo had great wealth and power, he
was filled with much anger,
and he believed that showing any emotion other then anger
was sign of weakness. (Part 1,
Chapter 4, Page 20) [Okonkwo ruled his house with a heavy
hand. His wives, especially
the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his temper, and
so did his little children.] (Part 1,
Chapter 4, Page 20)
It was Okonkwo’s fear and need for power, wealth, and
his continued obsession of not
wanting to be like his father that began his long journey
downhill, of why “Things Fell
Apart’ for him.
Things started to fall apart during “Peace Week”,
when he beat his youngest wife heavily
for not being home at mealtime. This was a cultural
taboo. (Part 1, Chapter 4, page 21)
This angered the priest, Ezeani, he told Okonkwo: [“You
have committed a great evil”.]
He then continued and said; [“The evil you have done
can ruin the clan. The earth
goddess whom you have insulted may refuse to give us her
increase, and we shall all
perish”.] (Part 1, Chapter 4, Page 22)
Okonkwo would start to lose respect from his fellow
tribesman in the clan. He made
many enemies in the clan. He would hear his enemies say:
[“He had no respect for the
Gods of the clan and that his good fortune had gone to
his head.”] (Part 1, Chapter 4,
Page 22)
Okonkwo’s anger struck again, when he fired shots from
his gun at his second wife for
only cutting a few leaves from the banana tree to wrap
some food. Okonkwo said: [“Who
killed this banana tree?”] (Part 1, Chapter 5, Page 27)
Okonkwo’s anger would strike a third time, which would
prove to be another step down,
when he partakes in the killing of his friend, (whom he
was attached to) Ikemefuma.
Okonkwo partook in this killing of his friend, Ikemefuma,
despite the warnings from
“Ezeudu” (who was the important elder) to not partake
in the killing. Ezeudu said to
Okonkwo; [“That boy calls you father. Do not bear a
hand in his death.”] Ezeudu
continued and said; [“Yes, Umuofia has decided to kill
him. The Oracle of the Hills and
the Caves has pronounced it. They will take him outside
Umuofia, as is the custom, and
kill him there. But I want you to have nothing to do with
it. He calls you father.”] (Part 1,
Chapter 7, Page 40) Okonkwo did this because he needed
and wanted to avoid looking
like a coward in front of his tribe, and he needed to
hold on to any respect that he had left
from his fellow tribesman. (Part 1, Chapter 7, page 42)
Okonkwo’s whole life that he built was falling apart.
His repeated anger bursts led to him
being banished from the tribe for seven years, due to the
killing of Ikemefuma.
Okonkwo’s continued obsession of not wanting to be like
his father still yet continued in
his life. Okonkwo
has difficulties living in harmony with the white man when he returns
from his seven-year banishment. It angered Okonkwo that
the white man brought
changes to his village. The white man broke down the Igbo
culture, which broke the
village’s spirituality, and brought the arrival of the
mission, and also brought
government. This angered Okonkwo. (Part 3, Chapter 20,
Page 12)
Okonkwo made an attempt to regain his respect and power
within his clan. He lashed out
and killed a British messenger to regain the respect he
so desired back from his fellow
tribesman, thinking that they would join with him in the
killing. It backfired though,
because his fellow tribesman did not feel the same way
that Okonkwo did, they in fact
strayed away from Okonkwo out of fear. (Part 3, Chapter
24, Page 144)
By this time Okonkwo’s life as he knew it was falling
apart. He lost all respect from his
family and fellow tribesman, just as his father had.
Everything that he worked so hard for
seemed to have fallen apart. His life as he knew it was
over.
I think Okonkwo started feeling as though he no longer
belonged. He was lost. He felt
alone and powerless, which was a sign of weakness. (His
worst fear of all!) I think he felt
there was not reason for him to live, and committing
suicide was his only alternative. So
he killed himself, and that is the reason that I feel why
and how “Things Fall Apart” for
Okonkwo.
© Linda McCue, 2002
SHEILA MILLER
HUM211 PROF. AGATUCCI
MIDTERM FINAL DRAFT
FEB. 27 2002
Okonkwo: The Man and His Beliefs
Achebe, Chinua. THINGS
FALL APART. Published by William Heinemann Ltd, 1958. Expanded edition
with notes, 2000. Johannesburg, South Africa. 2000.
Pages 1-148.
Why would a
life of strength and tradition end with suicide? Why would a man that had
lived through so much, end his own life? What drives a person over the edge?
In order to even start to answer these questions I must first show you the man
and his beliefs.
Okonkwo
as a small boy lived with his parents in an African village called Umuofia.
Umuofia is an Igbo society. In the Igbo society you are considered wealthy if
you have many wives, a large barn full of yams, and hold high clan titles.
Okonkwo's father, Unoka did not hold any titles, he had only one wife and was
in dept to everyone he knew (pages 4 & 6). Unoka was lazy (page 3) and he
died of an abomination to the earth god (page 13). Okonkwo was ashamed of his
father “he had no patience with
his father” (page 3 & 6). Through all of Okonkwos’ life he was driven
by the fear of being like his father (pages 9, 10, 13, 43…).
At an early
age Okonkwo started to make his own way in the world. He used yams borrowed
from a family friend to share crop his farm (page 14). He worked hard and long
to save everything he had in order to move up within the Igbo society. He also
had to take care of his mother and siblings because his father was a worthless
provider (page 16). It is much slower and a lot harder to sharecrop a farm
than it is to farm your own. It takes several years and a lot of sweat and
labor to make a start for yourself. Okonkwo was determined to make the start a
good one and to be somebody to look up to within his clan. In order to move up
in the clan and clam a title you must buy the title and put on a huge feast
for the clan. This kind of feast and title is expensive. Only clansmen with
money can buy the titles. Okonkwo wanted to achieve the highest of titles; but
the highest title seemed to always be just out of reach. No matter how hard he
worked or how well he planned things did not seem to workout for him.
Okonkwo
achieved all but the highest tile in the clan. He had three wives with several
children and a large compound that had a big barn full of yams. In the Igbo
society this was a sign of great wealth. Great wealth did not guarantee
Okonkwo the life he wanted. Even to those who have planed with great care
“Thing Fall Apart”.
Things
started to go wrong the moment a slave boy that had lived in Okonkwos’ home
was killed according to Igbo beliefs. The death of the slave affected the
whole family unit. Okonkwo and his oldest son had been very attached to the
slave boy (pages 20 & 21). Okonkwo tried to put the whole thing behind
him. A short time latter Okonkwo shot a man accidentally at the funeral of a
friend. For this tragic act he was banished from the clan for seven years
(pages 87-88). He took his family to the land that had been his mothers.
During the seven years that he was in exile the whole world around him started
to change.
White men
with their white religion came to Igbo land. They brought with them their
beliefs and government. The white religion converted a few Igbo people to
Christianity. Then it started moving into the villages of the clan. The white
religion did things that the clan had held as taboo. These actions were hard
for the elders of the clan to understand. Mostly the new religion preached
that the clans’ people should turn away from their beliefs and gods. It told
them that their traditions were wrong and that their gads were not real. This
did not go over well with the elders of the clan. The white government was
very different from the way that the Igbo people governed their clan. All of a
sudden the Igbo people were expected to follow the rules of the white
government. This was very hard for the clan to accept. Most of all it was hard
for Okonkwo to accept. The white government did not teach the clan what it
expected from them and it did not give the clan a chance to voice their
opinions. It came in and it took over their lives. When the Igbo people did
not follow the rules they were put in jails.
At the end of his seven years of exile Okonkwo and his family moved
back to his clan (part three). He had hoped that the clan would be as he had
left it. He had always felt that his clan was strong and brave (pages 8 &
9). He had seem the changes in his mothers land and so he felt that his
mothers clan had been week and lazy. Strength and bravery where things that
Okonkwo could understand. He had been a strong wrestler when he was young and
a great warrior as an adult. Standing up for what he believed and holding to
his traditional roots where important to him. So when Okonkwo and his family
arrived back at his home clan he was surprised by all of the changes. He soon
found that he could no longer be proud of his clan or of his village. In his
mind he seen his people as week and beaten. After living a life in fear of
becoming week and lazy he could not accept all of these changes.
Page 144 last paragraph describes the moment that Okonkwo knew for
certain that his clan would not go to war and that they would not follow him.
Was it too much for him to bear? Could he see no other way out? It appears to
me that he felt that suicide was better than living in shame. He was ashamed
of his father, his clan and what his life was changing into. I think that he
felt that he had no other choice but to die.
© Sheila Miller, 2002
Sarah Milne
Hum 211
2-27-02
Ms. Agatucci
Midterm Report [on
Keita: Heritage of the Griot]
Keita Heritage of the Griot was an excellent film, which I thoroughly
enjoyed. The story line intrigued
me with how it flashed back and forth with the story telling which was taking
place. I also felt that this film
had an underlying message, which I enjoyed, throughout saying that we all have
a path which we are suppose to follow and we all have someone or some higher
being that watches over us and helps guide us down the right path. In the following paragraphs I will be discussing the
character of the griot; about his good as well as bad points, and why I felt
that he was one of the most influential characters in this film.
In the beginning of Keita Djeliba is sleeping in a hammock and suddenly
awakes with a feeling that his time has come to make a journey. “Tell my friend Diaubra, I am on my way ” he exclaims to
his wife as he hurries past her to a boat which awaits him. He didn’t stop to say what he was doing or where he was
going he was in a hurry to start his mission to fulfill his duty.
I enjoyed this part because he didn’t even have someone directly tell
him it was time, he just knew. Djeliba
didn’t even hesitate or wait a minute he knows his job and he is willing to
travel many miles to complete it. To
me, this was a sign of a noble man, willing to drop everything to complete his
job, which he was assigned. I
believe that this was one good point of Djeliba. He was willing to travel so
far to do his job, which in my eyes deserves respect.
Djeliba makes his journey and finally arrives to Keitas home to begin
the “initiation” of Mabo. At
first Keitas wife, orange blossom, didn’t mind that Djeliba was there to
visit but as I will explain later in the paper Djeliba overstays his visit in
their home. “ You go to school?
That’s good go quickly” says Djeliba to Mabo.
In the beginning Djeliba encouraged Mabo to go to school but after
awhile Djeliba began to keep Mabo from going to school, which I found to be
ridiculous. “ Mabo will keep me
company. He’s not going to school.” You
could see how angry orange blossom was when Djeliba said this to Keita. This was definitely not the last time Mabo would not be
attending school. I feel that
Djeliba was not justified in keeping Mabo from school. There was no reason
that Djeliba couldn’t just tell him the story after his school days were
over. I believe that Djeliba’s
rudeness is due to his lack of
knowledge of the westernized cultures. Djeliba
is an intelligent man when it comes to telling stories about the past but he
needs to learn about and accept other cultures norms.
I think that Djeliba stepped way over the line when he had an argument
with Mabos teacher.
“….It’s a nice name. Do you know what it means?” says Djeliba
“ No I don’t know” replies the teacher.
“ That’s a pity you don’t know.
What can you teach to children without
knowing your own origin?”
“ I don’t have a griot at my service.”
“ The griots are in the service of everyone, you should know this.”
“ For your knowledge and mine are different. Why can’t you tell
Mabo his
story on the vacation?”
“Why can’t you teach on the vacation” replies Djeliba.
“ I don’t determine the school calendar!”
“ Who determines it then?”
“ …… The
government!”
“ What’s that?” says Djeliba
“ The leaders of the country, it is they who decide!”
“ … bring them here, I am waiting for them.”
When Djeliba started to argue with Mabos teacher you could tell that he
was not familiar with the western cultures.
Not only did he insult the teacher about not knowing what his name
meant, he questioned the man’s intelligence.
Then Djeliba argued with him about the vacation days and tells him that
he should teach on those days so he can tell Mabo the story on the school
days! Mabos teacher was there to
try and talk sensibly with Djeliba, and all Djeliba did was insult the man.
I believe that Djeliba is a good- hearted man who means well. He just doesn’t seem to like the westernized cultures and
is unwilling to learn about them. An
example of this is not only in the conversation with the teacher but also at
the dinner table when the family was sitting down to eat spaghetti.
Djeliba was unwilling to eat with a fork and didn’t even want to try.
He is just a stubborn old man who is not willing to change his ways or
even think about new ideas. But
Djeliba wasn’t making his long journey to try out new things.
He was there for a purpose, which he attempted to complete but
couldn’t finish. I believe that
if Djeliba would have been more cooperative with their way of life and stopped
trying to do everything his way, things would have gone along more smooth and
he would have been able to finish his story.
Djeliba meant no harm when he was telling his story.
He traveled all that way so Mabo could learn about his heritage and
know that he is a descendent of a king. He
just went about it the wrong way. He
needed to familiarize himself with the westernized culture a little more and
he would have been better off. Djeliba
was an intelligent man, just not in that area.
Djeliba definitely did leave Mabo with a few pieces of good advice my
favorite was “ No matter how strong you are you always find stronger than
you.” This shows that Djeliba
was an intelligent man wise about the world, which sometime can be just as
good or even better than book smarts.
© Sarah Milne, 2002
Sarah: Check Hum
211 Discussion #4 Forum - You've got at least one Response!
http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/discussions/disc4_frm.htm
Sonya Rosenberg
HUM 211, Prof. C. Agatucci
Midterm Discussion Paper
27 February 2002
AFRICAN CULTURE:
REMEMBERING THE PAST
AND CELEBRATING THE FUTURE
"..To accept [the] past, as
a source not of degradation but of dignity; to assume its proper identity, as
one of victimization and suffering but also of courage and resilience and
creativity."
(McPherson, James M, "Involuntary Immigrants," 1995)
This critical ideal has been woven throughout each of the
major course texts: Keita: The Heritage of the Griot, I Is A Long Memoried
Woman, and Things Fall Apart, that we have studied this term.
All to often we want to forget about the past. Maybe
because it is painful or is filled with shame and ugly reminders. Sometimes we
allow our past to dictate our future, allowing circumstance or victimization
to keep us from celebrating all we are or could be. "My grandparents and
parents let our own culture and past fade away so that we as American children
would be able to blend in and not be the victim of racism." (Sanchez,
Brenda: Discussion #1 Forum, 2002). Yet African Culture amazes me time again
by proving : "Diversity is not an abnormality but the very reality of our
planet." (Introduction: Cross-Cultural Study: Some Considerations, Achebe,
Chinua.)
It is important each generation (within a culture)
recognize "the tremendous need to learn, to question, to strive to
perceive through that culture's eyes, the situations and history that have
shaped that culture" ("Cross-Cultural Study: Some
Considerations," HUM 211 Course Pack online). "Like the art of all
people, the art of Africans expresses values, attitudes, and thought which are
the products of their past experience..." (Giblin, James: "Issues in
African History," HUM 211 Course Pack online)
We have to think of "stories" differently, as
living and vital. African "oral narratives...are practical, flexible,
spiritual; these living "texts" have no single definitive version.
They vary, adapt, and change with performer, audience, time, place, situation
and need; and if they lose their relevance and power, their "memory"
is discarded" ("In Praise of the Word: Traditional African Oral
Arts," HUM 211 Course Pack online).
In Keita: The Heritage of the Griot, we see
Djeliba (through the use of Oral Arts) teaching Mabo about who he is.
Throughout this film there is a sense of urgency that Mabo know his roots
(past) and that he understand his heritage and culture through traditional
initiation vs. just schooling, etc. We see Mabo’s struggle to embrace
tradition (his past) and modernization (learning French, going to school,
etc.). I think a parallel can be drawn within a deeper context also, as we see
many in the African Diaspora struggling like Mabo to assume their identities
from both traditional as well as modern day influences.
In Things Fall Apart, Achebe portrays much of the
history and culture through conversations that take place between the
characters of the book.
Achebe writes, "Among the Igbo the art of
conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which
the words are eaten"· TFA, Pg 5, he writes this I believe in order to
express the importance of proverbs. When a society, as I believe, gets it’s
morals, common senses, and street knowledge thru the conversation of others
(like the Igbo’s earlier culture) it is important to keep it simple and be
entertaining, so that one will pay attention. Proverbs are meant to be simple
and easy to understand so that the point or the reasoning of its use can be
communicated. It is like when American children either through cartoons or
short books hear or see proverbs, like Aesop's Fairytales, these are created
to help a child of little educational development (reading/ writing) have a
tool to begin learning life lessons. For example: the narrator says "The
clan was like a lizard; if it lost its tail it soon grew another" · TFA,
Pg121, this proverb is stating that life continues on, life moves on and when
something is lost it is soon replaced. Achebe himself proclaimed in his
Bill Moyer interview, that he is caught in a sort of limbo between past
African culture and the modern English education he was raised in. It is
through his study of classic tragedies like Shakespeare that I believe he
follows and formats Things Fall Apart. In those European/ Greek
tragedies a story is told, but it is told through a heart and mind-
captivating vessel. These tragedies are meant to tell a moral or reveal an
aberration that can be detrimental to a society...I find that Achebe envisions
a bright future for African literature. Through his efforts and trail blazing
others will and have followed him. What Achebe would probably like more than
anything is to establish African pride in the hearts of indigenous Africans. I
also believe Achebe hopes to communicate the pain of a country losing its soul
to nations that want to steal and govern a people that does not belong to
them. Achebe as I believe wants the world to never lose the facts, the
identity and history of a culture that even with its questionable aspects to
remain beautiful in it origination and falling. I also think Achebe envisions
writers and artist to embrace the positive use of language and write the
stories and songs that will tell the real story of Africa not only the past
Africa but the present Africa. (Sanchez,Brenda: Discussion #3 Forum, 2002)
The past can teach us so much as individuals and as a
society. If Africans chose to forget their past or even begin anew without
reference to their rich tradition and culture so much would be lost today.
That is why I agree with the narrator Grace Nichols in I Is A Long Memoried
Woman "... it was the black beginning though everything said it was
the end."
It is a difficult process translating "orature"
into literature because a frequent casualty is the reconstruction of the
original meaning or intention. It is nearly impossible to capture the full
meaning of orature by narrowing it into written words. If you have ever tried
to write your feelings, or what you’re thinking, it can be difficult to
truly express your emotions because written words can be lacking. Most
Africans are oral based and express their "oral art" in a variety of
ways. Dance, percussion, singing (call and response), proverbs, praise-poems,
and storytelling are examples of oral art form. Many of these oral forms can
not be expressed literally and if there is an attempt to translate, [one] must
keep in mind that the original meaning, or intention, could be altered. (Hall,
Kilmeny: Discussion #1 Forum, 2002)
It is critical that the African Story is told by
Africans not just left to interpretation or translation. "…oral
cultures produce powerful and beautiful verbal performances of high artistic
and human worth which are impossible once writing has taken possession of the
psyche," states Walter Ong (In Praise of the Word: Traditional African
Oral Arts). Only an African can take us deeper in our understanding of African
culture and teach us the value behind statements about Cross Cultural Study
(of Africa) such as: "… what we need to all remember, regardless of the
culture we find ourselves within…to strive to perceive through that
culture’s eyes…" (A Message from Ron Mpho Shea Solberg,
Cross-Cultural Study: Some Considerations). I believe this is one of the
treasures we can cling to from our past: To be able to share insights from our
experiences, ourselves, our culture, etc. and celebrate these foundations in
ways only an individual from that culture can (in this case only an African
can share about his/her experience, culture, etc).
Our whole experience in HUM211 has been one of
experiencing African culture and literature from the perspective of an
African. Remembering the past and celebrating the future of Africa. Studying
the uprooting and replanting of a culture and people. I believe that this is
the dream many from the Black Diaspora echo with Grace Nichols when she reads,
"I must construct myself a dream one dream is all I need to keep me from
the borders of this darkness". (One Dream, pg.39) This dream that they
would one day tell their story in their words, through their arts, and then
assume their proper identity as a people rich in heritage, courage, and
creativity.
© Sonya Rosenberg, 2002
Sonya: Check Hum
211 Discussion #4 Forum - You've got at least one Response!
http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/discussions/disc4_frm.htm
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