. . . The Final Chapter In J.M. Coetzee's "Foe"

In the final chapter of "Foe" the narrative changes direction, as the narrator becomes the perspective speaker and the characters derived from Daniel Defoe's novel "Robinson Crusoe"(Susan, Friday and Crusoe) have subsided.  The last chapter seems to inherit a different voice.  The main character, Susan is no longer lending her perspective voice of her first hand experience of a mission to find her daughter and spending an entire year isolated with Crusoe and Friday on an island after being thrust at sea from a ship mutinied.  

As the narrative shifts, the voice appears to become the perspective of "Foe" speaking now in first person of the deaths of the main characters, "They lie side by side in bed, not touching.  The skin, dry as paper, stretched tight over their bones.  Their lips have receded, uncovering their teeth, so that they seem to be smiling.  Their eyes are closed" (153).  It seems as though the deaths of Susan and the captain necessarily lead the narration to the voice of Foe, as he is the only surviving voice able to describe the happenings in the final chapter.  Though Friday appears to barely be alive or awake, he has no tongue and could not take on the duties of speaking, he becomes a symbol,  reflecting the sounds and life of the island, " His mouth opens.  From inside comes a slow stream, without breath, without interruption.  It flows up through his body and out upon me;  it passes through the cabin, through the wreck;  washing the cliffs and shores of the island, it runs northward and southward to the ends of the earth"(157).  Though the narrative has completly transferred from Susan Barton's perspective to whom I believe is Foe, it is necessary for the completion of the journey of the main characters, whom are incapable of furthering their stories after death.  Though Susan has passed away her story can be told, though not exactly the way she intended, there is some hope.  

Though the story, appears to be a tragedy and a parody of characters from Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe"it captures a journey of a characters trapped by their own destinies.  Though the narrative takes on varying tones, Coetzee very cleverly inserts the voice of Foe in the end to perhaps suggest objectivity to the story.  I really understood the changing of narration as necessary, it allows the reader or audience to get a different perspective of Susan's attempt to not only find her daughter after being shipwrecked, but her journey in life with the captain, Friday and her attempt to thrust herself into life's relentless pursuit of happiness.  In the end it a story, within a story, told from the voice of Susan Barton in her exrtaordinary quest for her story to be told. 

The Strength of Women in "God's Bits of Wood"

"The battle between the women and the policemen in the courtyard of D'Niayene was a short duration.

Overcome by shear weight of numbers, the police beat a hasty retreat, and after they had gone the crowd that had gathered

in the compound also began to disperse. Some of the women, however, formed little groups and began patrolling the streets of the neighborhood,

armed with bottles filled with sand. Still caught up in the excitement of the fight, and a little drunk with victory, 

they accosted every man who appeared in their path" (p.109).

This passage introduces chapter nine, Dakar Mame Sofi, and really captures the essence of

of the strength of the women in God's Bits of Wood. There is a sense of female empowerment and a shifting

of gender roles, as the women become the soldiers and the physical enforcers of the movement. As Mame Sofi, leads her group of 

women toward the house of El Hadji Mabigue, she is filled with the leadership of a general or a leader. When approached by

the servant at Mabigue's home and referred to as a "good wife," Mame Sofi boldly confronts the man and refers to him as a "slave" asserting her

aggressive nature and will to proceed with her cause. As Mame Sofi, surpasses the feeble male servants at the

entrance, she boldly calls out "Mabigue! Come out! Come out if you are a man! You only have courage when your hiding behind

the toubabs! You made them close down the fountains, now come out here and see if you are man enough to make me close

my mouth!" Though she is a woman, Mame Sofi has become a leader, and leads not only her group of women, but the the

oppressed in Senegal. As the women remain gathered, in N'Diayene, the strike against the French management,

has evolved into a struggle for rights, not just for men, but for society as a whole. It is the women whom become the

activists and effectively cause change.

This particular passage exemplifies the women's influence not only in the struggle for equality but an uprising for women.

Though many of these women are old, they still posses the strength and the will to fight and are relentless. The women are also

very resourceful and very tactful as the second fight awaits them when the authorities are men on horses and Ramatoulaye speaks of turning herself in

the women regroup and strategize. As a voice in the crowd is heard yelling, "Ramatoulaye! Mame Sofi! There are spahis coming!"

Mame Safi calmly replies, "Well, we'll give them the same kind of reception we gave the policemen!" It is Mame Sofi's leadership qualities

that gives the women a newly discovered confidence. As the women prepare for the second wave of resistance, they have become

the tactful military and devise a very valuable technique as they prepare their only weapons of jugs and straw to ignite on fire and scare the horses

of the on-coming men on horses. Mame Sofi, quietly replies to her women fighters, "Now go out, and line up on both sides of the street. Don't light

any of the straws -wait until I give the signal". This passage speaks volumes about the courage of the women and the leadership

of Mame Sofi, as they successfully repel the resistance.

It is the women that are the strength in God's Bits of Wood. It is a common theme in Sembene's books and movies, that 

the women are very influential in progressive change, whether it be Faat Kine being a successful business woman or Mame Sofi being a strong

symbol of military type leadership, the women are the stronghold in society and a symbol of empowerment. Though

there is a terrible, cyclical strike that plagues the land in God's Bits of Wood, the women symbolize hope and change.

100 days till eterntity

 Tragic love, loss of youth and innocence, and the cycle of genocide in Rwanda plagues the characters in Nick Hughes's film, 100 days.  The two main characters (Baptiste and Josette) are young lovers, trapped in a war torn society as Rwanda is being thrust into the grasps of genocide by a the Huttu's.  It is a ferocious cycle of events that unfortunately plagues not only the Tutsi tribe, but the entire country.

When the two young lovers are introduced, they are hopeful and looking towards the future.  There is a sense of innocent newness, to Batiste and Josettes's relationship, that is abruptly overshadowed with despair, when the Prefet declares genocide on the Tutsi people.  Through very precise camera jump cuts the scenes abruptly transition from a seemingly hopeful scenario of youthful love to hopelessness, despair and an act of genocide.  This technique of camera cuts, is effective when the lovers are shown together, in a seemingly ideal young love, interrupted by the Prefet's message of destruction.  The use jump cuts effectively show dualistic points of views of the atrocity of genocide and sets the tone for the feelings involved in such a inhumane act.  To further capture the emotions of characters, very intense use of close-up, reveal the the ominous nature of the invaders, in particular the scene where there is an intense close up of the Prefets's facial expression when he proclaims "We are going to clean out the whole country" when referring to the genocidal attack on the Tutsi's.  The camera holds his expression and shows the harshness in his eyes and his malicious intent without use of dialogue.    The use of close-up effectively captures the emotions of the characters, the official's ominous demeanor is revealed through the intensity of his eyes and the dim lighting of the background.  The use of close-ups also conveys a message of loss of youth and innocence in Batiste. When Batiste finds his family has been killed, the camera captures his empty, saddened expression in his transition from hope of love to a reality of despair.  The camera also captures, Josette's loss of innocence, when she is raped by the priest and gives birth to a child she feels is not her own, her expression is devastated and deeply saddened.  Using close-ups and effective timing of jump-cuts, the characters pull and tug at the emotions of the audience and allow for the viewer to really feel for the characters and their situation.  

         Though camera use was a vital asset in conveying the emotional state of the characters in 100 Days, I found the strength of the youth to be a sign of hope.  When the children are sent to to be burned at the gas station, they are together in survival and though they are preyed upon they stick together and that showed, that the youth has strength.  Although the children are in the middle of such a dreadful predicament, they represent the future. 

                 

  

A reflection of a changing africa in Faat Kine

       Faat Kine is a non-traditional story about a strong, successful African woman, in a male patriarchal society.  Faat Kine represents the changing of old colonial traditions to a modern ideal of equality and female empowerment, in post colonial times in Senegal Africa.  Though the story of Faat Kine incorporates political, social and economic aspects of modern Africa, it is a coming of age story of a woman and her quest for true love and prosperity.

       As the story takes place in the city it depicts a picture of Africa, very different from the traditional native country.  Using very lengthy camera pans of the city and the city life, Ousmane Sembene captures the active lifestyle of the people of Senegal.  There is strong use of close ups of characters to create a sense of intimacy.  Though there are many camera switches from character to character, the audience is kept enthralled  by the intensity of the close up.  The camera captures the emotions of each character with the use of intense camera close up and focus.  Sembene uses a very modern technique of camera shots to incorporate objects as symbols, as  the camera captures many still pictures of African leaders panned in Kiines's very extravagant home.  This is a technique used to fuse the history of a male dominant society and the modern female empowerment in modern day Africa.  The camera is used as a device to bring the audience into the experience of the characters, in particular Kiine and her childern's lives.

        Though the use of camera and filming  is a vital aspect of Faat Kine, it is a story of a young woman's struggle to find love and raise two successful students, whom are educated and very well spoken.  She is a single mother and has two children by two different men, a curse in prior african traditions, but Kiine is able to survive and become successful despite her traditional shortcomings and eventually find love and with love she discovers trust and chivalry.  As Kiine confronts her prior love interests, she sheds her past foils, she finds true love in the end.  This is a symbol of old male patriarchal colonial tradition passing on and that is the beauty of Faat Kiine's struggle, she succeeds against the odds of political, traditional and economic strife to propel herself and her children into a better life.

 

Bryan Spencer's Everything Counts

   I have witnessed the deterioration of originality and individuality amongst my people.  I leave my homeland to earn a degree in engineering, only to return to my homeland and see my fellow brothers and sisters relinquishing their native heritage and natural selves, to a very artificial state of wearing wigs. Due to the lack of self identity and sense of pride, my countrymen wig wearers.  

       I argue and debate with my fellow brothers about their inadequate ideals of social belonging and self expression through this wearing of wigs.   It has veiled the essence of our culture and is absolutely a very common attribute in our culture today.  My brothers are often angered by inquiries, I feel they are too angry and will destroy me, so I maintain that if they applied such energies toward a solution for the revolution, their energy might be better placed.  Their is a definite war of the sexes in my homeland and it is a reflection of the loss of identity within my people.  

       Why don't the men and women of my country realize that these wigs are a  common norm because of their insecurities and their unwillingness to be their true selves to make a positive influence.  The people of the land are just disillusioned, I will start teaching soon and Fiifi will start his occupation, perhaps we will cause some change as I will wear my hair naturally.  

        As the first day of school arrived, I was prepared to tell the students what was what and  my hair is worn natural, unlike the dominant population of wig wearers.  I met my students at eleven o'clock a.m there were about fifteen or twenty students total, mostly girls, they all had such beautiful faces.  I know my country has been diluted by social and cultural unawreness, but hopefully I can reach the youth.      

PAFF Experience

. . . While at the Pan African Film Festival, I enjoyed various art exhibits from the African culture.  I engaged in cultured conversations with several people directly from africa and enjoyed their insight on the art work.  Many of the music and art exhibits were very entertaining and I really enjoyed the interaction of the many cultures in attendance.  I found that many of the art exhibits were very colorful, storytelling and authentic, the paintings were my favorite aspects of the festival.

The film I observed was called "Ezra".  It was a coming of age story of a young boy, kidnapped and made into a revolutionary soldier.  As Ezra is confined to a harsh enviornment of murder, deception and political strife, he is subject to the brainwashing of rebel forces.  Upon being kidnapped Ezra is separated from his family and experiences the loss of innocence at a very young age.  As a youth turned soldier Ezra finds himself in a moral dilemma, as he is sent on a mission to burn down his own families village were his parents were murdered.  It is this incident that conflicts Ezra and causes him to flee the revolution, in a desperate race for personal freedom.  Upon leaving the revolution Ezra pregnates a young, fellow female soldier, who is later killed, sending Ezra into an emotional break down.  He is then captured by authorities and questioned in front of the civil law.  Though Ezra is not found guilty of his war crimes, he reveals the harsh realities of the war and gives direct insight into his journey.

I also observed the program "Drum" the story of a sports journalist, turned activist named Henry.  As henry sees the corruption and suffering of 1950's South Africa, he confronted with the political strongholds of the government.  After consulting with a woman who's son has been missing, he is inspired by his wife to write about South Africa's turmoil in the magazine called "Drum".  Henry is assisted by his comrade, a photographer on his project, but Henry is later killed by the government, because he was about to expose the governments corruption. 

. . .characters in Things Fall Apart

. . . . .In Chinua Achebe's text Things Fall Apart, Mr. Brown is a missionary in the village, whom acts as a mediator to improve the relationships between the villagers and the Christians.  he is a peace maker of the land and is a device of compassion for the people.  He is very respected among the people of the village and is a spiritual leader.  

With his compassion he builds a school in an attempt to unite the community and educate the youth of the village.  he also builds a hospital to aid his people in their quest for longevity.  Mr. Brown is one of the main characters and a protaganist in the story, he represents the heart and soul of the land.  Though there is turmoil in the land he is the positive force of the future.