Dangaremba and the character of Tambu!

Dangaremba helped me with a connection so great that I never felt I would have in this story. The character Tambu in a way resembles myself alot, which is very interesting. Though I feel I have some of Nyasha as well, but more of Tambu and how she was "trapped". Tambu becomes more of a rebel in a good way to me by standing up to her father. She attends school over the word of Jerimiah, which is her father. He felt she should take n role which did not include school. Myself on the other hand, people have always told me what I need to do in school as far as majors. Those majors were things I did not want to do, and finally i chose my own path of a career. Also she had beeen trapped in the colonial mindset in which I think every human on earth has one way or another done something similar. I find myself today doing things and wearing different clothes I thought I would never wear. Nyasha reflected the old Tambu to me because she was not allowed to attend school , and Babamukuru trapped her in his rule. In my earlier days of high school I elt the same way , not being alowed to do many things, and was driven down one path.

Achebe

Chinua Achebe is said to be one of the best writers from Africa. Going in before reading any of his work I must say I was doubtful to believe so. Also not being use to his style of work I thought I would have a hard time understanding. I believe Achebe had a theme of womens perspective like no other I have read before. Though in "Girls at War" , some of the things I read like when Gladys began selling herself showed me that this was the "power" that women had in Africa. Her character to me changed from good to bad. This is what I admired from Achebe. Achebe showed the progression of one female character. She went from a very strong woman, to more of an all or nothing do or die type character. Yes she had downfalls not being able to do what she wanted, but she found other ways to help. Once those were over is when she began trying to make her money her way which turned her into the slick, fast, greedy type to me. Although there was few ways for her to survive, I just felt she could of done it another way.

The Rabbi's Cat

In the comic , The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar, I see the actual cat as the most interesting and important character. I believe in a way that the cat can be seen Sfar in a way. We see this through the actual graphics of this comic. The cat being the most complex character both through literal terms as well as graphic. Also being Sfar both illustrated and wrote this great piece, makes my claim even more reasonable to believe that is him. This also showed us the kind of personality that Joann Sfar had through the cat. The cat was very smart, and could also be very hilarious at some points in the comic. I thank the author for doing this, and expressing himself through the cat which made this even more enjoyable!

Ngugi Wa Thiong'o Stories

Ngugi Wa Thiong'o had a different perspective compared to other authors I have read this quarter. I feel a major theme in 2 of the stories involving women. Being a man I will naturally take a mans point of view and side. In "Wedding at the Cross" and "Minutes of Glory" helped me connect more on a female's side, and more of a female approach. In the end of "wedding at the cross" in a way I kind of felt a since of pride and was happy with the ending. I was happy because it was as if the woman was actually misrable and could not speak for herself, but at the end she finally did. In "Minutes of Glory" I felt that Beatrice was colonized and trying to be someone she was not.

Nadine Gordimer

Nadine Gordimer is very unique in her 3 readings of "good climate, friendly inhabitants", "Six feet of the country", and "Amnesty". All of these pieces center around the Apartheid. Theses stories have changed my life and how I now look at the South African Apartheid, in which I also did my presentation on. Thanks to the presentation and the 3 stories I now have a better understanding.

   The story that reached me the most was "Six Feet of the Country". Gordimer used the man who owned the farm in an unique way. After going over the story in class it made even more sense to me. It also angered me even more that one man could possibly think that way. That one man could talk down on another human , and during a funeral you would be hitiing a golf ball!  Gordimer wrapped the story around the system of the South African Apartheid. In the end of the story even the farm onwner could not get the original body back because of lack of power, and after seris of letters, arguments, the ones who actually cared could not either

"Stranglehold of English Lit"

In the poem there are many questions asked that even strike me to think. I can now look in their perspective of how Africans were educated in Europe. The poem alone is an arguement that can be used. I feel more educated on the british rule in Africa. If Africans wanted to be educated they would have to leave their culture and dress into one they are not. Leaving had its own consequence of missing out on years of their culture. Although this is true I also feel when they come back to their culture there is another consequence that is positive. Which is being able to teach ones who never left.