Ngugi

Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, a renowned politically controversial author form Kenya, finds tactful ways of expressing his opinion about colonialism. This is by far my favorite author all the readings. One short story in particular is the “Minutes of Glory”. This story was about a women who change who she was, in order to be something she’s not. I can relate because I too almost lost myself. I was a freshman in High School and at a very impressionable age, where I was trying to fit in. It was a popular group of adolescence at the school who were called the “F.E.D”. These kids threw all the parties, very popular, adored by all. I became jealous and wanted to get as much attention as their were. They were known to always wear all white Air Force Nike’s on Wednesdays , so I decided to beg my mother to buy me those shoes. I understand how she felt to change they appearance to get attention. It’s hard to not be the center of attention or not being noticed.

The text agrees with the everything I believe. I see the message that Ngugi was illustrating in his stories. The colonization of the mind is a brutal and inferior state of mind. I feel it was wrong for the European countries to go to Africa and claim it for their own. In Ngugi’s short story “Decolonizing the mind” expressed how the minds of the Africans are tarnished by a completely different culture. Ngugi states, “The fact is that all of us that opted for European- the conference participants and the generation that followed them- accepted that fatalistic logic to a greater or lesser degree. We were guided by it and they only question which preoccupied us was how best to make the borrowed tongues carry the weight of our African experience by, for instance, making them ‘prey’ on African proverbs and other peculiarities of African speech and folklore”. This shows how the power of Europe has effected Africa.

I feel Ngugi’s stories were powerful and political at the same time. It opens the mind and makes one feel the pain of the African people. The mind is a powerful device and Ngugi shows how it can easily be persuaded. I liked how he was not afraid to take charge and challenge the authority.

Achebe

Chinua Achebe, author of “The Madman”, “An Image of Africa“, and “Girls at War” has summed up the colonization that goes and went on in Africa. In his short story “The Madman”, he describes how society can make one believe that he or her is or isn’t something. Like Nwibe, I was made out to seem crazy. I was in high school at the time and a kid by the name of Cashmier, was known as the “crazy emo” of the school. After gym, I noticed that my brand new shoes were missing. Highly infuriated, I knew I couldn’t walk around the school with holes in my socks, so I was forced to wear these spiky boots. Everyone looked at me different, some actually disowned our friendship. People were calling me an emo all day because I was not what they expected me to be. After a while, I started to believe them. Although I wasn’t a crazy emo, with me walking down the hallway with silvery spiked boots , said otherwise. The way I was presented to society made it believable. This was essentially the message Achebe stated in this story.

I agreed with everything Achebe was wrote about in his stories. In the short story “An Image of Africa”, he illustrates how the America and Europe view Africa in a way in which it shouldn’t. I feel it is wrong to only judge Africa by what is presented on television. Americas often think of Africa as a place of starving children, poverty everywhere, and AIDS, which makes it hard to stem away from the negative stereotypes. I’m actually guilty of these acts of stereotyping and after reading this story, my attitude changed. As stated by Achebe, “For reasons which can certainly use close psychological inquiry, the West seems to suffer deep anxieties about the precariousness of its civilation and to have a need for constant reassurance by comparing itself to Africa”. This quote shows how upset the author is about the preconceived notions about Africa. I believe all people should be treated the same and never be judged in any way. This text strengthened my belief in support for all. According to Achebe, “ Africa is to Europe as the picture is to Dorian Gray, a carrier onto whom the master unloads his physical and moral deformities so that he may go forward, erect and immaculate. Constantly, Africa is something to be avoided just as the picture has to be hidden away to safeguard the man’s jeopardous integrity”. This simply shows how people in Africa are upset with the tainted impression of Africa. I personally love how Achebe used the analogy of Dorian Gray because I fell the same way about Haiti.

Overall I absolutely loved the readings of this author. His aggressive style of writings made it informative and enjoyable. These short stories were meant to artistically in inform the reader about the African’s people view of things.

The Stranglehold of English Lit

History repeats itself

The poem “The Stranglehold of English Lit” by Felix Mnthali, in actuality opened my eyes to impact the European civilization had on the African culture. It is an amazing and repulsive feeling to know how powerful a society can operate. In the text, Mnthali makes references to the author Jane Austin, which complicated the poem for me. Later I realized that Jane Austin is a British author and was used to state and express the anger, the African people had toward the British. I have a tremendous amount of sympathy for the Africans. When my grandparents came from Haiti and the Dominican Republic to attend the North Carolina A&T, they were told that the education they received in their secondary school was ethically wrong. I remember my grandfather telling me, in the most ghastly voice, how he had to suppress his cultural beliefs to obtain the knowledge of North American culture. Although this isn’t as severe as the British and African conflict, it still shows the impact of one nation has on another. I feel that it was wrong for the British to impose there beliefs on the Africans. Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, Author of “Creating Space for a Hundred Flowers to Bloom”, States “European languages of course and the cultures these have carried will have shaped the dominated in similar ways. The fax, the telex, the computer, while facilitating communications, also mean the instant spread of information and culture across national boundaries”. This quote tells me how the African people are coping with the inflation of these new crazes and growing in the modernization period, but in the back of their minds there is a missing spot in the heart of what it means to be “true” African.  He also goes on to say “Television images via satellites enable the whole world to experience the Palestinian uprising in the Middle east, the struggled for Amandle’ in South African, the mass uprisings and calls for democratic accountability to the people in Eastern Europe, at the same time”. Ngugi tells how media is down grading the African society and causing people to undermine them. Reading the poem repeatedly often reminds me of the story of Christopher Columbus coming to America. He came to a land already inhabited by natives and automatically implemented the British rulings. Consequently, in retaliation to this appalling act, the 13^th colony went missing. This end result had a very similar solution to the animals in the story “Gentleman of the Jungle” by Jomo Kenyatta. Like the story of Christopher Columbus, this poem and the other readings changed my opinion about the British involvement in different cultures. I was unaware of the severity of the matter, and became deeply concerned with the knowledge I obtained. On the other hand, being a non-violent individual, I don’t agree with Jomo Kenyatta’s approach with killing the people who oppressed them (British). Ngugi’s message in his story, sends the perfect message, to acknowledge all the cultures and not excluding no one. I thoroughly enjoyed the poem and the stories. It hit important points, such as the colonialism and how it affected many lives. The beauty of the message was illustrated through allegories, personifications and heated mind boggling literature.   

Zorro

The graphic novel of Zorro by Wagner and Francavilla is the most innovative and passionate book I’ve read. With its intricate artistic detail and use of Spanish throughout the story, Diego, otherwise known as the capped crusader Zorro, really came out of the book. This story had many elements to it, including, a love story, and a quest for revenge, and a tale of the riches to rages and back to riches. More importantly this novel symbolizes the struggles between the peons and the oppressed minorities which are the powerless, compassionate, weak, scared, victimized and poor.  This includes poor Mexicans, Native Americans, Jews, and Romani (gypsies), against the Spanish colonizers as wealthy, unjust, power hungry, abusive, racist, hierarchical, and evil.

The controversy between theses two parties has been an issue for many years and Isabel Allende, author of the novel Zorro, brought the issue to light. The graphic novel’s illustrations were so intimate and clear, the words had become ineffective. Like the saying goes“A picture is worth a thousand words”, the book became the ideal obsession. I had no idea that the separation between the “real” Spanish and the others were as severe as it was portrayed in the graphic novel and the book. I’ve starting reading the book and Allende goes into so much detail about the unlawful activity the government exemplifies. I enjoyed the characters because it not only became relatable, but also gave a sense of security to how there is always somebody watching and protecting those who are demoralized.

Borges!!

Jorge’s Luia Borges’s short stories have been read throughout the world, and most recently in the classroom. His psychoanalytic writing styles have sparked an awakening within me to the fact that the concept and nature of time can create an alternate reality. Also he proves that the power of imagination can take on a form of its own to make it believable to the person creating to illusion. In Borges’s short story “Gospel According to Mark”, he criticized the Catholic Church in Latin America. After reading this, I agreed with his message of the lack of knowledge of within the church. We are so far in depth with the science aspect of the supernatural, instead of the faith segment. In the short story “Emma Zuntz”, Borges explained a reality that a girl created to avenge her father’s death. I’ve been in the position where I had intensified a particular situation and created a plan to set up an individual. I believe his writings are images of the truth where the struggle of intellect and ignorance, purpose of art and the power of the imagination co exist.

“Nadie rebaje a lágrima o reproche,  Esta demostración de la maestría, De Dios, que con magnífica ironía, Me dio a la vez los libros y la noche.” - Jorge Luia Borges

Nobody should think that I, by tear or reproach, make light Of the mastery of God who,
With excellent irony, Gave me at once both books and night.

Cortazar!!!!

Magical realism has been defined and translated as being many things. Magical realism is, more than anything else, an attitude toward reality that can be expressed in popular or cultured forms, in elaborate or rustic styles in closed or open structures. In magical realism the writer confronts reality and tries to untangle it, to discover what is mysterious in things, in life, in human acts. This is best defined by Julio Cortazar, a brilliant Latin American author. His short story “The Continuity of Parks” describes a twisted tale of a man, lover, and a killer. In my opinion at first, the story was a little too farfetched and complicated, because I was lacked the knowledge of his writing style. After analyzing the story in class it made more sense. I related more to Cortazar’s story “Our Demeanor at Wakes”, because it reminded me of my grandfather’s funeral. It was a competition of who can show the most remorse and who loved him even more. My experience wasn’t at the extent of the stories, but it was a terrible event.

On the other hand “Axolotl” was confusing and difficult to understand. I do understand that the story is about isolation can be alleviated by art, but I don’t understand how’s it being expressed through a salamander. Julio Cortazar is an amazing, confusing and political minded writer, but not of my taste.

Marquez!!!

The magnificent writing styling’s of Gabriel Garcia Marquez has a way of explaining everyday issues using supernatural and sarcastic elements. In his short story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”, Marquez explained how people classify others as by what they wish it to be, but not for what’s it’s worth. As men and women, the conventional way of thinking and assuming that un worldly objects can only look and be a certain way, over powers the “bigger picture”. In the story, the old man was indeed and angel, but because of his appearance and his lack of compassion for spectators, caused people to question his existence. I believe that Marquez brought up very debatable points within the church. The controversy between having faith and seeing has been a challenge within these spiritual institutions, including my own. I thoroughly enjoyed how Marquez, in an inventive kind of way, called out the people and church on how we ignore the blessings in front of our very noses. In the short story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”, the child had overcame his sickness, the family became sustainable and people had a since of hope. Marquez also illustrated how people can create delusive stories in there heads and make it a reality, as done in his short story “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” .
Marquez is by far the best Latin American writer in my opinion. His sagacious way of writing is music to my ears.

Reveiw of the Polpol Vuh

Roynald Wright
Professor Benander
28 ENG 222
08 January 2011

　

Review of the Popol Vuh

　

Throughout time, an ancient civilization has become extinct. This civilization was the Maya. The Maya civilization is credited with the building of truly awe-inspiring temples, pyramids and cities. They are known to have developed and thrived within a complex social and political order. This culture has been noted for it’s popular Mayan calendar. A whole culture has been wiped clean from text books, but the stories still remain. One book in particular is called Popol Vuh.. The Popol Vuh discusses the development of the world and mankind, and the struggles the Gods had with the coping with the way the “wood people”.
Being an avid Christian, I do stand by what I was brought up to believe, but comparing the Bible to the Popol Vuh did create and on going battle of similarities and differences in my head. The book of Genesis states that in the beginning there was nothing but heaven and he (God), who commenced to creating the earth and all its creatures. Not shunning the Mayan belief , but in the Mayan translation of the beginning of times, there were more then one God, which discussed and deliberated about the creation of man. This created some controversy in my head. How can it be more than one God and is it possible? Both the Christian and Mayan people believe that man and animals were created to worship and honor the creator, but in the Christian faith , men were not made out of wood. Another similarity is when God was very disappointed in humans, he sent a massive flood upon the earth as did Huracan, the God of the sea in the Mayan belief.
I do not completely disagree with the Popol Vuh and its belief system, but I feel that this book is a little farfetched. It puts me in a mind set of Greek mythology, which in my opinion, both are great to read about for literature purposes, but only for entertainment. I’m open to all cultures, only if documentation is involved.