Module 1

Topic 2 Literary Works from Africa

Assessment #2
Read and analyze the assigned literary works from Africa then answer the
question/s for each literary piece.

Africa by
David Diop

Africa, my Africa
Africa of proud warriors in ancestral Savannahs, Africa
of whom my grandmother sings.
On the banks of the distant river,
I have never known you
But my face is full of your blood,
Your beautiful black blood which waters the wide fields.

The blood of your sweat,

The sweat of your work,
The work of your slavery,
The slavery of your children,
Africa, tell me Africa,

Is this really you? This black which is bent

And breaks under the load of insult,
This back trembling with red weals
Which says “yes” to the whip on the hot roads of noon.

Thus, gravely a voice replies to me,

Impetuous son, that tree robust and young,
That tree over there
Splendidly alone amidst white and faded flowers
That is Africa, your Africa which grows
Grows patiently, obstinately And
whose fruit little by little learn
The bitter taste of liberty.

Guide question:
 o Explain the last four lines of Diop’s poem in relation to Africa’s history of
colonialism and racial oppression (30 pts).
African colonialism's impacts are the topic of the poem. It covers which
was before Africa's history, then portrays the pain that Africans through under
colonization, and how Africa is beginning over, like just a newborn tree. The poet
continues his poem by highlighting the impacts of colonialism on the African
continent. However, he appears to be confident about, like such a young tree,
Africa is sprouting. That is Africa. That sprouts back patiently and determinedly.

ANTICIPATION
by Mabel Dove Danquah

NANA ADAKU II, Omanhene of Akwasin, was celebrating the twentieth

anniversary of his accession to the stool of Akwasin. The capital, Nkwabi, was thronged
with people from the outlying towns and villages.

It was at the night on the cocoa season, money was circulating freely, and farmers
were spending to their hearts’ content. Friends who had not seen long time were
renewing their friendship. They called with gifts of gin, champagne, or whiskey, recalled
old days with gusto and, before departing, having imbided, were happy. Coast costumes.
The men had tokota sandals on, their feet, and rich multicolored velvet and gorgeous,
hand woven, kente cloths nicely wrapped round their bodies. The women with golden
earrings dangling with golden chains and bracelets, looked dignified in their colorful
native attire.

The state drums were beating paeans of joy. It was four o’clock in the afternoon
and people were walking to the park where the Odwira was to be staged. Enclosures of
palm leaves decorated the grounds.

The Omanhene arrived in a palanquin under a brightly patterned state umbrella,

a golden crown on his head, his kente studded with tiny golden beads, rows upon rows
of golden necklaces piled high on a chest. He wore bracelets of gold from the wrists right
up to the elbows. He held in his right hand a decorated elephant tail which he waved to
his enthusiastic, cheering people. In front of him sat his “soul”, a young boy of twelve,
holding the sword of office.

After the Omanhene come the Adontehene, the next in importance. He was
resplendent in rich green and red velvet cloth; his headband was studded with golden
bars. Other chiefs came one after the other under the brightly colored state umbrellas.
The procession was long. The crowd raised cheers as each palanquin was lowered, and
the drums went on beating resounding joys of jubilation. The Omanhene look his seat on
the dais with his elders. The District Commissioner, Captain Hobbs, was near him; Sasa,
the Jester, looked ludicrous in his motley pair of trousers and his cap of monkey skin.
He made faces of the Omanhene who could not laugh; it was against custom for the
great Chief to be moved to laughter in public.
The state park presented a scene of barbaric splendor. Chiefs and their retinue sat
on native stools under state umbrellas of diver’s colors. The golden linguist’ staves of
offices gleamed in the sunlight. The women, like tropical butterflies, looked charming in
their multicolored brocaded silk, kente, and velvet, and Odaku headdress, black and
shiny, studded with long golden pins and slides. Young men paraded he grounds, their
flowing cloths trailing behind them, their silken plaited headbands glittering in the sun.
The drum beat on......

The women are going to perform the celebrated Adowa dance. The decorated
calabashes make rhythm. The women run a few steps, move slowly sideways and sways
their shoulders. One dancer looks particularly enchanting in her green, blue, and red
square kente, moving with the simple, charming, grace of a wild woodland creature. The
Chief is stirred and throws a handful of loose cash into the crowd of dancers. She smiles
as the coins fall on her and tinkle to the ground. There is a rush. She makes no sign but
keeps on dancing.

The Omanhene turns to his head linguist.

“Who is that beautiful dancer?”
“I am sorry, I do not know her.”
“I must have her as a wife.”

Nana Adaku II was a fifty-five and he already had a forty wives, but a new beauty
gave him the same thrill as it did the man who is blessed - or cursed – with only one
better –half. Desire again burned fiercely in his veins; he was bored with his forty wives.
He usually got so mixed up among them that lately he kept calling them by the wrong
names.

His new wife cried bitterly when he called her Oda, the name of an old, ugly wife.
“This dancer is totally different,” thought the chief, she will be a joy to the palace.” He
turned round to the linguist:
“I will pay one hundred pound for her.”
“She might already be married, Nana.”
“I shall pay the husband any money he demands.”
The linguist knew his Omanhene: When he desired a woman he usually had his way.
“Get fifty pounds from the chief treasurer, find the relatives, give them the money and
when she is in my palace tonight I shall give her the balance of the fifty pounds. Give the
linguist staff to Kojo and begin your investigations now.”
 Nana AdakuII was a fast worker. He was like men all over the world when they
are stirred by feminine charm, shapely leg, the flash of an eye, quiver of a nostril, the
timbre of a voice, and the male species become frenzy personified. Many men go
through this sort of mania until they reach their dosage. The cynics among them men
with a little flattery, blend tolerance, and take fine care not to become seriously
entangled for life. Women, on the other hand, use quit a lot of common sense; they are
not particularly thrilled by the physical charms of a man; if his pockets are heavy and his
income sure, he is good matrimonial risk. But there is evolving a new type of
hardheaded modern woman who insist on the perfect lover as well as income and other
necessaries, or stay forever from the un-bliss of marriage.

By 6 p.m. Nana Adaku II was getting bored with the whole assembly and was very glad
to get into his palanquin. The state umbrella danced, the chief sat again in their
palanquin, and the crowd cheered wildly, the drums beat. Soon the shadows of evening
fell and the enclosures of palm leaves in the state park stood empty and deserted.

The Omanhene had taken his bath after dusk changed into a gold and green brocaded
cloth. Two male servants stood on either side and fanned him with large in his private
sitting room. An envelope containing fifty golden sovereigns was near him. He knew his
linguist as a man of tact and diplomacy and was sure that night would bring his wife to
help him celebrate the anniversary of his accession to the Akwasin Stool.

He must have dozed. When he woke up the young woman was kneeling by his feet. He
raised her onto the settee. “Were you pleased to come?”
“I was pleased to do Nana‘s bidding.”
“Good girl. What is your name?”
“Effua, my lord and master.”
“It is a beautiful woman, too. Here are fifty gold sovereigns, the balance of the rage
dowry. We will marry privately tonight and do the necessary custom afterward.” Nana
Adaku II is not the first man use the technique. Civilized, semi-civilized, and primitive
men all over the world have said the same thing in nearly the same words.
“I shall give the money to my mother,” said the sensible girl. “She is in the corridor. May
I?” the Chief nodded assent.
Effua returned.
“Nana, my mother and other relatives want to thank you for the hundred pounds.”
“There is no need, my beauty,” and he played with the ivory beads lying so snugly on her
bosom.

“They think you must have noticed some extraordinary charm in me for you to have
spent so much money,” she smiled shyly at the Omanhene.
“But, my dear, you are charming. Haven’t they eyes?
“But, Nana, I cannot understand myself.”
“You cannot, you modest woman. Look at yourself in that mirror on there.” The
girl smiled mischievously, went to the mirror, looked at herself. She came back
and sat on the settee and leaned her head on his bosom.
“You are a lovely girl, Effua.” He caressed her shiny black hair, so artistically plaited.
“But my master, I have always been like this, haven’t I?
“I supposed so, beautiful, but only saw you today.”
“You only saw me today?”
“Today.”
“Have you forgotten?”
“Forgotten what, my love?”
“You paid fifty pounds.....and married me two years ago.
Guide questions:

1. What African customs and traits are revealed in the story? (20 pts)
African males can marry however many women as they desire.
African males are obligated to pay a wedding payment to the lady they
wish to marry. Relationships that had been inactive for a long time were
renewed.
2. Comment on what the author says about the attitudes of men toward
women and vice versa (20 pts).
Men's attitudes toward women are so favorable that they always say
flowery things to ladies they admire and thus are readily captivated by
gorgeous women. Women are less interested with a man's physical
appearance and more intrigued in guys who are wealthy.
3. Did you expect the story to end the way it did? What did you “anticipate?”
(10 pts).

However, I was surprised by the way the narrative ended since it is

difficult not to recall someone, especially if you just married her two years
ago.

TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
by Wole Soyinka

The price seemed reasonable, location

Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. "Madam," I warned,
"I hate a wasted journey--I am African."
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully.
"HOW DARK?" . . . I had not misheard . . . "ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?" Button B, Button A.* Stench Of
rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis--
"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.
"You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?" Her
assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. "West African sepia"--and as afterthought,
"Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT'S THAT?" conceding
"DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette." "THAT'S
DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused-- Foolishly,
madam--by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"--sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears--"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather
See for yourself?"

Guide Questions:

1. Define racism and stereotyping. How do they differ in meaning?

Discrimination occurs not just on an individual level, in which anyone can
be both an offender and a victim, as well as on organizational and cultural levels,
when activities that support one group's power over another are involved.
Stereotyping has the primary impact of influencing people's views and
interpretations of group members' activities, allowing them to experience
reinforcement of their stereotype-based expectations.

2. Create a profile of the landlady in the poem. How does the speaker use visual
and sensory imagery to communicate her attitude towards skin color? Cite
examples and textual evidence.
 From the first to the fifth line of the poem, the landlady's attitude toward
the speaker was regular, normal in the sense that it is a standard business chat
between strangers. The landlady was straightforward and to the point when
answering queries concerning the apartment's location and rental pricing. She
sweetened the bargain even further by promising less interference from her
because she does not reside in the building. However, by the sixth line, after
teaching her possible renter's color, her attitude had rapidly shifted to prejudice
towards blacks. At the end, the speaker’s joke about his “bottom raven black” may
have increased the irritation of the landlady to the point that she hangs up the
phone. That is maybe the author’s intention on ending the poem in this manner,
besides the humorous intention. It may be stated that her discriminating is for
the advantage of her other renters, who may have desired no black neighbors, but
she establishes the rules for all tenants and only her choice is final. Her skin color
inquiries in the next lines are all in capital, implying yelling or, at the very least,
an increase in loudness. These phone call questions and responses indicate the
landlady's chilly and rigorous attitude. She will not hesitate to deny renting based
just on skin color. By line 25, her tone had shifted to frustration at the prospect of
this economic opportunity not materializing.

3. How did the poet’s stylistic techniques such as short sentences and unusual
syntax highlight the theme?
The structure in each line delivers a new meaning and, perhaps, a distinct
visual picture, and the brief words are highly filled with the energy that he
observes in life. Let's study at a certain instance of syntax in literature together.
4. Does the community where you are currently living also makes you feel
unwelcome? Why or why not?
No because in the community here where I live in is very friendly and kind
who welcome even your friends politely and just like their family, it is like a
comfortable community without discrimination, racism or any other things
that will hurt your feelings.