Example Student Final Project Papers

Humanities 211
Culture(s) & Literature of Africa
(Oral Arts & Film)
Prof. Cora Agatucci

6 October 1998: Learning Resources
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/SocSci/1998/ss-981006.html

Example Student Final Project Papers
HUM 211, Winter 2003, Prof. C. Agatucci
SHORT CUTS (on this webpage):
Ben Helliwell, "The Shona People and Their Music"
Ike Mundell, Critical Analysis: Out of Africa
Tanya Walker, "Female Genital Mutilation"

Crystal Freeman, Nervous Conditions: Critical Edition
Cora's Online Reserve: Restricted to Cora Agatucci's Students given Password-Protected Access

See also: Final Project Directions
URL: http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum211/finalproject.htm

Crystal Freeman
Go to: Crystal Freeman, Nervous Conditions: Critical Edition
Restricted to Cora Agatucci's Students given Password-Protected Access
http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci_articles/examplefinalfreeman_files/dangarembga.htm

Ben Helliwell
HUM 211, Prof. C. Agatucci
Final Project Paper
20 March 2003

The Shona People and Their Music

            The Shona people make up three quarters of the population of Zimbabwe, while the remaining southwestern portion of the country is primarily made up of the Nguni-speaking Ndebele. A portion of the Shona population extends into Mozambique (NAY). The country of Zimbabwe has been home to the Shona for many years. In the twelfth century, Shona built in stone, during the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries, the kingdom of G! reat Zimbabwe emerged, during the mid fifteenth century, the Munhumutapa Empire arose, and after this empire was overrun by the Changamire, hundreds of small Shona states became the primary form of political organization (NAY).

            Beginning in 1890 and continuing until 1897, Cecil Rhodes’s British South Africa Company colonized the area, and in May of 1895, the area became known as Rhodesia. In 1980, the country gained its independence from British colonial rule and renamed it from one of the greatest achievements in African history (Allen). Zimbabwe in this African language means stone dwelling, which is derived from the great collection of stone walls and palaces built from twelve hundred to about fourteen-fifty AD (NAY). It is of great importance that this country took its n! ame from such a prominent period in history. It shows how much their ancestors are valued and the importance of their history. Naming the country Zimbabwe really emphasized their African past and not their white, colonial past.

            Mbira is a very unique style of African music which has been played for over a thousand years by certain tribes of the Shona people (Allen). The Mbira expresses all aspects of the Shona culture, both sacred and secular. It is most importantly used to get in touch with the spirits of the deceased at all night ceremonies. At these ceremonies, many different spirits are contacted in order for guidance to be given on family and community matters and exert power over weather and health. Mbira is widely used for many other things such as to bring rain during drought, cure illnesses, weddings and celebration, Independence Day, and to bring! about a peaceful mind and strong life force (Allen).

            Although the mbira was originally used in a limited number of Shona areas, today it is popular throughout Zimbabwe. Mbira is desired for the general qualities it involves: peaceful mind and strong life force (Murungu). The Shona mbira is rapidly becoming known around the world, due to tours of by both traditional musicians and Zimbabweans electric bands which include the mbira instrument which is often referred to as a thumb piano in America.

            During Zimbabwe’s colonial period, missionaries taught that mbira was evil, and the popularity of mbira in Zimbabwe declined (Berliner). However, Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980 has created a subsequent rise in mbira popularity. Communities are reminded by their traditional musicians that mbira is played to ecourage the spirits which protect the land and the people of Zimbabwe. The popularity of Shona mbira music continues to! rise as more and more foreigners are adopting their style.

            In Zimbabwe, a Shona mbira piece consists of a basic cyclical pattern which includes numerous intertwined melodies. The rhythm and melody have extensive possibilities of variation in the traditional improvisational style. This variation of rhythm and melody creates an interesting balance in the music which shows both a clear identity and great expressiveness.

            The mbira instrument consists of twenty-two to twenty-eight metal keys mounted on a hardwood soundboard (Berliner). Originally, the metal keys were smelted directly from rock containing iron ore, now they are often made from sofa springs, bicycle spokes, car seat springs, and other recycled steel materials. A large calabash resonator is usually used to amplify the mbira by placing it inside. The mbira is played with two thumbs stroking and the right forefinger strolling up. Each instrument has a range of three octaves, or just a few more.

            Two mbira are often played together in interlocking parts. These parts include a kushaura (leading) part and a kutsinshira (intertwining) part (Berliner). The leading musician starts playing his mbira part at the point in the cycle that he hears at that moment. After a few notes or cycles, the kutsinhira player enters in the point in the cycle that he hears. Mbira players claim that they hear mbira continuously, even when the instrument is not actually being played, both when awake and while dreaming.

            Mbira players and listeners are both added into the vocal part of the musical mix. The lead singer is often one of the mbira players or a vocalist who is a member of the mbira group. Response vocals may be added by other mbira players or anyone else present (Allen). Mahon’era and magure singing styles use the voice as a musical instrument, imitating the mbira melodies, and responding with them. It is traditional Shona belief that mbira singing, as well as mbira playing and dancing are inspired in a person directly from the spirits.

            The mbira has been estimated to exist in Shona society for the past thousand years. Great tradition and history have been made from this mystical instrument. One of the most incredibly striking parts of mbira music is how much authenticity and individuality it carries. There is so much music being made today that carries no sense of the true voice of heart and spirituality. Especially in America, it seems as though a lot of the music has been manufactured to the specifications of a cliché or popular genre. It deeply gladdens ! my heart to see the significance that mbira music plays in the soul, spirit and mind of the Shona people and that it hasn’t turned into a genre of cliché and money making. The music of the Shona people seems to reveal much about the nature and the values of their society.

Works Cited

Allen, J. 2003 Mbira: A Musical Immigrant from Zimbabwe. U.S. Department of State.

            http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/blackhistory/a020073.htm

Berliner, P. 1978. The Soul of Mbira. Chicago, U of Chicago.

Murungu, S. 1995. Mbira and Shona Spirituality.

            http://www.tiac.net/smurungu/mbira_shona_spirit.html

New African Yearbook: Political History of Zimbabwe.

            http://www.ds.dia.pipex.com/town/terrace/IPU/nay/zimbhist.htm

© 2003, Ben Helliwell

Ike Mundell
HUM 211, Prof. C. Agatucci
Final Project Paper - Critical Analysis
20 March 2003

Out of Africa

            Winner of seven Academy Awards, including 1985’s Best Picture, Out Of Africa is the story of Karen Blixen and her travels in Africa. Based on her writings after returning to Denmark, Out of Africa is a love story of both Karen Blixen and her true love, Denys Hatton, and a love for Africa’s land and people. The movie is based on the books “Out of Africa: Shadows on the Grass”, written by Karen Blixen under the pseudonym Isak Dinesen, and “Silence Will Speak”, the story of Denys Hatton, written by Errol Trzebinski. The film follows the story in the books almost identically and is a fascinating account of the life of Karen Blixen and the barriers she had to overcome during her time in Africa.

            The movie focuses on the seventeen years Karen Blixen spent in Africa between 1913 and 1930. Her letters that are compiled to make up the book “Out of Africa” are extremely detailed and revealing about her time in Africa. As in real life, the movie starts with Blixen arriving in Kenya for the purposes of marrying her cousin Baron Bror Blixen. A friend before they met in Kenya to wed, this marriage was a marriage of convenience. The Baron held the title and Karen had the money they needed to take advantage of the wild south of Africa and be cattle ranchers. Like many Europeans of the time, they came to Africa to exploit the untouched natural resources and people. But, this was not the case because Baron Blixen decided before Karen showed up that they would instead grow coffee, a risky venture at such a high altitude and Karen’s first barrier to overcome.

            With the adventure of growing coffee came the task of gaining a workforce. For this Karen turned to the native people, the Somali. This is where the barriers of being a woman in a traditional British controlled society first come up. In order to get a workforce, Karen must offer the promise of treating workers fairly. The chief of the clan is a bit stirred at having to deal with a woman, but gives in to her proposition, giving permission for his people to work for her. Being a woman was also a challenge later in her life and the movie, when her husband, Bror, goes off to defend the country from an ensuing war. Left to run the coffee plantation alone, Karen finds the strength to commit to the job. She fights off a lion during the night with a bullwhip and later shoots an attacking lion with a rifle, gaining confidence as an independent woman and proving her worth to the Somali.

            The biggest challenge Karen faced in the movie and her life was the barrier she had to overcome to relate to the native Somali people as a white woman. Farah was Karen’s manservant for the days she spent in the Ngong Hills. In the face of the racial rules of the time, Farah, by many accounts, was Karen’s best friend in Africa. He was a proud Somali and stood as her translator with the Somali people. “Because I spend most of my time in Somali circles and have come to speak like Friday in “Robinson(Crusoe)”, the Somalis call me Arda Volaja- which is supposed to mean everything good, wise, etc” (Dinesen, Letters from Africa ). With these strong attempts to understand and relate to the Somali people, Karen found herself breaking the barriers that once stood between her and the natives.

            Karen also befriended a Somali boy named Kumante. He was found in his village, a sore on his leg taking the life out of his limbs. Karen took a liking to the boy and like many of the natives, he was asked to come to her house to receive not only medical attention, but schooling. “She sought a cure for him, then employed him, and now he is another immortal” (Trzebinski). She became a close friend with Kumante, continuing to correspond with him long after she left Africa.

            The most trying barrier for Karen to overcome was her relationship with Denys Hatton. A friend of her husband and the area’s people, Karen met Hatton early in her stay in Africa. As she found herself falling out of love with her husband, Bror, and when he left the plantation to fight the oncoming war, she was forced to confront her feelings toward Hatton. He shared a love of Africa with his love for Karen in the movie. The romance they shared went far beyond physical ties. They were sharing a love for Africa, literature, the arts, as well as a love for each other. Eventually divorcing her husband, Karen gives in to her desires to be with Hatton. They spend some remarkable time together, including a plane ride, sweeping the beautiful landscapes of southern Africa. Their love was strong, passionate, and complicated, but eventually ended when Denys Hatton died in a plane crash near Mombassa on May 14, 1946.

            Following the death of Hatton, Blixen returned to Denmark. Her plantation having failed, her money run out, and her true love dead at a young age, Karen had one more barrier to overcome. She found the way to do that by writing extensive letters to friends and family and eventually publishing an account of her entire time in Kenya. The movie Out of Africa was a wonderfully told love story of a woman and a man, and a woman and a land. The African people and areas are romantically displayed in this film, a true joy to watch through and through. Karen Blixen’s life is a remarkable tale of one woman’s journey of self-discovery, through love and hate, confusion and comprehension, black and white.

Works Cited

Dinesen, Isak. Letters From Africa. Chicago: The UP of Chicago, 1980.

Dinesen, Isak. Out Of Africa and Shadows on the Grass. New York: Vintage International, 1989.

Dinesen, Isak. Tania. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1967.

Out Of Africa. Dir. Sydney Pollack. Perf. Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Videocassette. MCA/Universal Home Video, 1985.

Trzebinski, Errol. Silence Will Speak. Chicago: the UP of Chicago, 1977.

Tanya Walker
HUM 211, Prof. C. Agatucci
Final Project Paper
20 March 2003

Female Genital Mutilation

     I am choosing to write my paper on Female Genital Mutilation. Hum.
211-Culture and Literature of Africa presented to me many issues through
African literature that at times seemed inhumane or even barbaric. I
took this course in an effort to try and become less ethnocentric and
find an appreciation of cultural practices which were not of my own. As
this course is ending, I feel I have found a deeper appreciation for
many African cultural practices, but there is still something that I
just cannot bring myself to agree with. This is the treatment and
oppression of African women by men. Through my studies on Female Genital
Mutilation, I had hoped to find a valid explanation for this procedure
that is so frequently being done to women and female children. Instead,
I found something deep within myself that wishes this mutilation would
come to an end. Allow me to provide you with the facts.

     Female Genital Mutilation, sometimes also referred to as female
circumcision, is a surgical modification of the female genitalia. There
are four forms of female genital mutilation. The first is called Mild
Sunna. It is the removal of the prepuce of the clitoris. It is
comparable to male circumcision when the foreskin is removed from the
penis. Next there is the Modified Sunna which is the partial or total
removal of the body of the clitoris. Then you have the Clitoridectomy
or Excision. This is the removal of all or part of the clitoris as well
as all or part of the labia minora. Lastly, there is Infibulation or
Pharaonic circumcision. This consists of a clitoridectomy and the
removal of the labia minora and also the inner layers of the labia
majora. The raw edges of the vulva are then sewn together with catgut
or brought together by use of thorns. A small sliver of wood or straw
is often then inserted into the vagina to prevent complete occlusion and
to leave a passage for urine and menstrual flow. (Prisoners of Ritual.
1989. pg.33) In Sudan, this procedure is also called Sunna after the
teachings of Mohammed, the prophet. (Prisoners of Ritual. 1989. pg.
33) The legs of the woman are then bound together from the ankle to the
knee until scar tissue forms, up to 40 days. The surgery usually occurs
between the age of one week and fourteen years. It is generally a
midwife who performs the surgery. A razor blade or kitchen knife is
used, usually without the use of anesthesia. A single blade is often
used on several girls. "Clitoridectomy appears to have been restricted
to those of high social rank. Infibulation seems to have been reserved
for slave girls. This was to prevent their getting pregnant. An
infibulated virgin fetched a far higher price on the slave market."
(Prisoners of Ritual. Pg. 28)

     Female Genital Mutilation most frequently occurs in Africa,
Malaysia, and the Middle East. In Africa, infibulation is often seen in
Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt and all along the coast of the red seas. Some
say the practice originated in Africa, others say it started with the
Muslims. We really don't know for sure when it began. It is assumed to
date back thousands of years. We do not know why the practice began
either, although we do have theories. One theory is that it began as a
need for population control due to the lack of water when these areas
became desert. It has also been said that it was as a result of
primitive man's desire to gain mastery over the female sexual function.
(Prisoners of Ritual. Pg. 28) The Bambara believed the clitoris was
poisonous. In Nigeria, it is believed that the clitoris is an
aggressive organ and if a baby's head touched it during childbirth the
child would die or develop hydrocephaly. The Tagonana of the Ivory Coast
believed that a woman couldn't conceive without the excision. The
clitoris was said to interfere with menstruation, impregnation and
childbirth. (Prisoners of Ritual. Pg. 39)

     Yet another belief is that infibulation represents a primitive
effort to prevent evil spirits from entering the woman's body through
her vagina. "Belief in evil spirits is a part of almost every religion
and this may be an example of an ancient superstition". (New York State
Journal of Medicine. Vol. 77 pg. 729) Circumcision was credited to
healing women of melancholia, nymphomania, hysteria, lesbianism and
excessive masturbation. (Prisoners of Ritual. pg. 39) Female
circumcision is considered to be an affirmation of her femininity
through removal of her more male elements. (ACOG. N.151. Jan. 1995)

     We know that many of these beliefs are still relevant to Female
Genital Mutilation today. The biggest issue to understand is that this
is a cultural practice. It is one of tradition, having nothing to do
with religion. Female circumcision is often accompanied by a ceremony
that brings one forth into adult society. Often the women are given
gifts at this time. It is a matter of local custom, family and honor.
It is also a sign of cleanliness. It is a viewed as a symbol of
virginity and faithfulness to the husband. There is also information
concerning Female Genital Mutilation in relation to a woman's
sexuality. "The belief that uncircumcised women cannot help but exhibit
an unbridled voracious appetite for promiscuous sex is prevalent in all
societies that practice female circumcision." (Prisoners of Ritual.
p.39) It is seen as a method of reducing the sexual response of women
in order to make them less likely to become sexually active before
marriage or to seek an extra marital affair after marriage. Sadly, I
also found information on how it increases male sexual pleasure and this
makes me question its value even more.

     Female Genital Mutilation has many consequences. First and
foremost, it is very, very painful. Immediate side effects include
infection, tetanus, shock, hemorrhage and even death. Long-term effects
include chronic pelvic infection, sterility, incontinence, depression,
urinary tract infections and damage to the urethra or anus. These women
experience pain during menstruation and urination. Menstruation can
take up to 10 days and urination can take up to a half an hour. The
consummation of marriage may take several months. It is sometimes
necessary to surgically reopen open the scar tissue. It's common for
women to experience little or no sexual sensation after this procedure.
Circumcision causes further problems during childbirth when it is then
necessary to further enlarge the vaginal opening. This is called
introcision. Often these women request to have the scar repaired and
sewn back together to recreate the tight introitus. This is done
following the birth of each child creating more scar tissue and again
posing further risk of infection. When considering matters of sterility,
it is evident that if the circumcisor or any of the girls being
circumcised are infected with HIV, these unsafe conditions are an easy
route of transmission among the already prevalently high African AIDS
population. (Warrior Marks. p.298)

     So, why then are these women allowing this to happen?
Unfortunately, I don't think they feel they have much choice. Many do
it out of fear that no man will want to marry an uncircumcised woman. A
woman who is not circumcised is considered "unclean" by local villagers
and therefore unmarriageable. In many African countries, a woman who is
not excised is considered illegitimate and cannot inherit money, cattle
or land. Women who are unable to marry may not bear children and
therefore cannot attain a position of respect. Many women believe that
infibulation is not only hygienic but also increases a women's
fertility. In some tribes it is performed to protect family lineage.
"Mothers look at the circumcision as something they do "for" their
daughters instead of "to" them as a means of securing their economic and
social future." (ACOG N. 151 Jan. 1995.) Many women do it for their
husbands because the men like it. Many feel that they are defending a
fundamental traditional value when they defend genital mutilation."
(Warrior Marks. Pg. 288) The ultimate penalty for defiance is total
ostracism. Women face serious potential hardships if they choose to
leave and find exile or choose not to circumcise their daughters.

     Many of these women feel that if they had the power to change what
is happening to women, they would. We must keep in mind that in Africa
there is already a tendency to modify the body. Facial tribal scarring,
for example, consists of 3 vertical stripes of flesh gauged deeply from
the cheeks. These alterations of the physical body are a normal,
natural part of African culture. One must then ask whether we even have
a right to speak against a traditional practice of another culture that
has been going on for thousands of years. Yet, If we know that it's not
medically necessary and it's not a question of religion, how can we view
this as anything but a violation of the rights and moral integrity of
women and children? There simply is nothing to validate the pain or
medical complications these victims endure as a result of circumcision.
In our own culture, by way of education, the male circumcision rate is
steadily declining. Insurance companies will no longer pay for
something that is purely a cosmetic alteration to the human anatomy. I
feel that if we can provide this information while remaining sensitive
to the needs of culture, maybe we can help these cultures to realize
that this procedure is more harmful than it is good. Due to the large
numbers of cases of female genital mutilation and the fact that deaths
have occurred, female genital mutilation is now outlawed in some African
countries such as Egypt, Kenya and Senegal. The problem is that this
has not reduced the number of girls mutilated each year because we don't
know when it is happening. This isn't something that is reported or
spoken of. Nearly one hundred fifty million females have undergone this
procedure and it is estimated that each year 2 million individuals are
still at risk. I am hoping that this information will grab at the
hearts of others and educate readers on the facts of Female Genital
Mutilation. With that, I devote this to my sisters in Africa in hopes
that this violation will one day come to an end.

Works Cited

1. Do They Hear You When You Cry. Fauziya Kassindja. 1998
2. Female Genital Mutilation. American College of Obstetrics and
Gynecologists Committee Opinion. Number 151. Jan. 1995
3. Female Genital Mutilation. Council of Scientific Affairs. American
Medical Association. JAMA Dec. 1995. Vol.274. No. 21
4. Infibulation in the Horn of Africa. Guy Pieters M.D.
Albert B. Lowentels M.D. New York State Journal of Medicine. April
1977. Vol. 77. Number 6. pgs.729-731

Student Name
HUM 211, Prof. C. Agatucci
Final Project Paper
20 March 2003

© 2003, Student Name

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