Answer ONE of the following questions with 200-250 words; cite relevant texts to prove your point:
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| Source: http://african.culturextourism.com/introducing-south-african-arts-crafts/ |
1. ("The Moment before the Gun Went Off") What do you make of the fact that Lucas's mother is the daughter of parents who worked for the elder Van der Vyver?Although the story does not give us the details of the intimate relationship between the mother and Marais Van der Vyver, how might she describe it?
2. In "A Far Cry from Africa," what is the speaker's attitude toward colonial and anti-colonial violence? Does he condemn one side more than the other?
3. In "The Waiter's Wife," why does Samad wish that he could wear a sign around his neck that reads: "I AM NOT A WAITER. THAT IS, I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER"? What does this tell us about Samad, his past, and his adjustment to life in London?
59 comments:
2. In "A Far Cry from Africa," what is the speaker's attitude toward colonial and anti-colonial violence? Does he condemn one side more than the other?
Walcott was facing a moral dilemma between Africa and British. He condemn the colonial more than anti-colonial violence. But, on the other hand, he was confused about the attitude toward himself. Under the colonial in Africa, there were many innocent child killed. Walcott felt ill toward the effects. He took pity on them. At the same time, he did not totally agree with the rebels, Kikuyu, against the British in a savage and violent way. With the situation getting worse, the British take action as well. The slaughter which Walcott described it as "The violence of beast on beast is read as natural law, but upright man seeks his divinity by inflicting pain."In this poem, he suggested the complex identity, uneasy isolation, inner oppression, and colonial trauma. He wanted to get rid of the dilemma. However, he could not abandon both descent of his blood. If he turned to his passion to English, he would be unforgivable as a betrayer to Africa. He regarded the British as superman to civilize the African. Yet their immoral treatment made Walcott confused. He portrayed ethnic contradiction and colonialism throughout the poem as his mental reflection. At the end, he continually questioned himself without giving any answers.
49902064 張宏瑋
1. In “The Moment before the Gun Went Off”, Marais was suspected as the murderer of shooting his farm labor, Lucas, dead. There were two voices polarized to Marais, from the black who think that white men shoot the black will fit exactly history of African, and from the white who believe Marais’ innocence and his generosity to the black. The dead man, Lucas, his mother is about thirties in a black dress, whose parents had been working for elder Van der Vyver when she and Marais were children. In the funeral, she didn’t look at Marais, the suspect, beside his wife, but stared at Lucas’ grave, and so did Marais. The man and woman stared at the same grave of Lucas in communication suggests that there existed something secretly between Lucas’ mother and Marais’ relationship. In the ending of the story, “The young black callously shot through the negligence of the white man was not the farmer’s boy, he was his son”, it sufficiently point Marais is Lucas’ father and Lucas’ mother is Marais’ mistress. But there is apartheid policy in South Africa in that time and because of Marais’ identity of politician, their relationship is not allowed to be spoken in public. No one can experience Marais’ road, and only he can live in his own sadness.
410002030_英美三-吳敏綾
3.
Samad wish that he could wear that sign around his neck because he had a lot of predicaments in his work and life after he and his wife left Bangladesh to live in London. They are Indian but London is full of white people. Therefore, they will not be esteem by anyone. Even more, Samad is older than other waiters and earned much lesstips so one of the waiters, Shiva, had grievance against Samad. I think Samad was frustrated in all the situations. For this reason, he would like to tell everyone that his ability is not only in this way. Samad wanted to express he was not just a nobody; he has been a student, a scientist and a soldier in the past. According this paragraph, I can know his life in his hometown might be colorful and totally different from now. It shows Indian immigrants’ grief. Also, he changed his religion belief. He was a Muslim but after he came to London, he thought Allah has forsaken him. For the sake of money to move north, Samad had no choice but to adjust himself to adapt to the life in London and the life in the work place.
410002066 謝孝昇 Sing
2. In "A Far Cry from Africa," what is the speaker's attitude toward colonial and anti-colonial violence? Does he condemn one side more than the other?
For my opinion, Walcott condemn the colonial more than anti-colonial violence. Walcott, on the one hand, has reservations about the Mau Mau revolt which scattered violence. On the other hand, he holds a firm stance against colonialism. He proceeded to transfer a colonial and anti-colonial war into his own "inner war." He looks like a poet who has taken part in both within and outside the situation, between the crack of the intrinsic origin and geographic outsiders. Although the theme of poetry is about Mau Mau incident, it is Walcott’s expression of complex emotions, a blending emotion which is confusing and unable to contain the opposition. In line 29 to 33, “…how choose / Between this Africa and the English tongue I Love? / Betray them both, or give back what they give? / How can I face such slaughter and be cool? / How can I turn from Africa and live?”, he agrees that black Africans, but he feels disgusted with the massacre of innocent people. He also feels hated on the insincere colonialist’s apology, yet he does express his love clearly on the English language. Indeed he keeps questioning himself without giving any answers. He reaches an impasse between Africa and British.
英美3
410002048
石睿凡
Q2
In my opinion, I think the speaker condemns colonial same as anti-colonial and the speaker expresses how he is torn between Africa and Britain. The speaker often describes himself as a half-blooded person. His both grandmothers are African and his both grandfathers are both European. Somehow, he hates British culture but he loves English. He uses English to emphasize Irish is also a victim of coloniasim. However, in “A Far Cry from Africa” he focuses on the brutal history between Africa and Britain. It is because he has blood of both sides. He is torn between the two options of the blooded Africa and the attacker Britain. In addition, the speaker points out that many natives do not want to learn English because it equals to accept their culture. Nonetheless, he refuses to embrace British culture, which is the colonialist ideology, but he thinks that accept English can be an advantage.
The speaker uses metaphors to describe the death, the destruction and the inhumanity that has occurred in both Europe and Africa. For example, he uses “colonel of carrion” as metaphor and “and “corpses are scattered through a paradise” as ironic statement. To sum up, he says that the full-blooded natives’ desire was to look and behave like the colonizers. However, they did not have to bear the burden of being genetically similar to the colonizers, and not only being torn between two cultures but “divided to the vein”.
2. In "A Far Cry from Africa," what is the speaker's attitude toward colonial and anti-colonial violence? Does he condemn one side more than the other?
In the poem, the speaker tends to condemn colonial more than anticolonial. “Statistics justify and scholars seize the salient of colonial policy.” The speaker admits the colonial policy reluctantly because it is acknowledged by authorities, and the colonized side cannot help but accept the truth. However, we all know Derek Walcott has British and African blood in his body at the same time; it is hard for him to face this dilemma and for one side. He acquires inspiration from British’s literary achievement, and remembers his growing-up place, where was colonized by Britain. Although it is difficult for him to choose, he still tries to convey his opinion toward the policy. “How can I face such slaughter and be cool”, “How can I turn from Africa and live?” Obviously, if he embrace the colonial policy and praise its civilization on Africa, he would be a betrayer to his mother land. Paradoxically, if he doesn’t agree or accept everything that might be good for Africa, he will be sorry for being a British. He loves both; he seems to stand alone on a crossroads, and being an undetermined man. Walcott has such great poetry because of his cross-cultural inheritance, the source of pain and ambivalence.
410121064 Yuki (Khulan)
3. In The Waiter's Wife, Samad really wants to wear a sign that said “I AM NOT A WAITER. THAT IS, I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER.” in order to let people know who he really is. People like Shiva (young and good looking waiter) think and see Samad as he is now- waiter, but no one is interested in his past. For other people, Samad is just an old man who is a waiter. Of course, for most of them, old waiter is not affectionate and helpful. That’s why he is always humiliated or ignored by others. Samad thinks that is not a right way to judge people as who they are now or how they look now. He wants to tell that he had been young like them too; he had been energetic and shiny like them too. He wants other people to know his value. He has been a student, a scientist, and a soldier. He did all the things that people do; he was not a waiter like this in all his life, but he was way better than this. He himself knows it, but others don’t. He is frustrated by people who constantly treat him unfairly or think him useless and invaluable. In a big country like England, an immigrant like Samad has no value at all; they seem invisible. They are working their butts off to earn money and feed themselves. They can’t enjoy their moments of life, but always encounters with disappointment and frustration
410121064 Yuki (Khulan)
3. In The Waiter's Wife, Samad really wants to wear a sign that said “I AM NOT A WAITER. THAT IS, I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER.” in order to let people know who he really is. People like Shiva (young and good looking waiter) think and see Samad as he is now- waiter, but no one is interested in his past. For other people, Samad is just an old man who is a waiter. Of course, for most of them, old waiter is not affectionate and helpful. That’s why he is always humiliated or ignored by others. Samad thinks that is not a right way to judge people as who they are now or how they look now. He wants to tell that he had been young like them too; he had been energetic and shiny like them too. He wants other people to know his value. He has been a student, a scientist, and a soldier. He did all the things that people do; he was not a waiter like this in all his life, but he was way better than this. He himself knows it, but others don’t. He is frustrated by people who constantly treat him unfairly or think him useless and invaluable. In a big country like England, an immigrant like Samad has no value at all; they seem invisible. They are working their butts off to earn money and feed themselves. They can’t enjoy their moments of life, but always encounters with disappointment and frustration
3. Samad cannot display his talent in his job. He has family to feed, but being a waiter, he does not do a good job. He is no longer handsome and young. In addition, he wants to share himself with others. He wants to let others know that he is not just a waiter who only needs to deliver food. Actually, except waiter, he can do other things. He can have better job which needs his knowledge, but he has no choice in London. Samad and Alsana leave away their native place to search the better life; however, everything is not easy to take. They have to get with new environment and look for job which can help their urgent need. Their helpless is hard to understand. In Samad’s situation, thinking of foreign laborers in Taiwan. They get rid of everything in their hometown coming here. People treat them as slaves. They should accept low salary and inhuman treatment. They do works which we do not want to. Perhaps, they are low-educated, but is it their fault? They cannot support themselves in their countries, so they come here, so-called paradise, finding their position. What do they get? The racism. Samad and Alsana do not know how to survive, and so do the foreign laborers everywhere nowadays.
2. With a racially and culturally mixed background, Walcott’s ambivalence reflects on the dilemma faced by the speaker in “A Far Cry from Africa”. British imperial brutality still shadows in the post-colonial society when Walcott wrote this poem. “A wind is ruffling the tawny pelt/ of Africa. Kikuyu, quick as flies, / Batten upon the bloodstreams of the veldt (line1-3)” The wind of colonialism ferociously sweep the wilderness and the tribe in Africa. What the colonial policy brings to the plain is endless pain. “The violence of beast on beast is read/As natural law, but upright man/Seeks his divinity by inflicting pain (line15-17)” While facing the brutal beast (British imperialism), the oppressed people tries to fight back and treat the colonizer in the same violent way. In fact, the speaker does not agree with violence imposed by both the colonizer and the colonized. However, he has to make choice in the predicament. “I who am poisoned with the blood of both/Where shall I turn, divided to the vein? (line26-27)” The dilemma caused by the identity brings a lot of pain to the mix-blooded speaker. With both African and European inheritance, Walcott is actually the same as the speaker in the poem. He struggles in the ambivalence and the embarrassment constantly, and being uncertain about his own identity.
#410002043 鍾亞筑
410002026 英美三 邱惠愉
2. In "A Far Cry from Africa," what is the speaker's attitude toward colonial and anti-colonial violence? Does he condemn one side more than the other?
The speaker’s attitude is toward anti-colonial violence. Because he thinks the imperialistic exploits of the British without compassion to African people, so it’s anti-colonial. If the colonial country just adopts to educate them, it can probably accept. On the contrary, the imperialistic countries treat African residents for immoral and cruel ways, which are difficult to accept and obey. After all, they are very different countries, which are different cultures. If imperialistic countries compel to colonize, they will cause serious problems. For example, “The gorilla wrestles with the superman” and “Of Africa. Kikuyu, quick as flies, batten upon the bloodstreams of the veldt. Corpses are scattered through a paradise. Only the worm, colonel of carrion, cries: “Waste no compassion on these separate dead!” To sum up, colonization will cause some problems, like appearing lots of corpses, which are probably innocent.
I think he does not condemn any side because both sides are related with him. If he chooses one side, it means he betrays another country and feels guilt. He cannot divide himself due to his blood mingling with two different cultures. So he is in a dilemma, he does not want to see the slaughter and betray both of them. In conclusion, he cannot divide his relationship into them so I think he struggles to find the identity.
410002001 英美三 陳若仙 Sandy
1. ("The Moment before the Gun Went Off") What do you make of the fact that Lucas's mother is the daughter of parents who worked for the elder Van der Vyver?Although the story does not give us the details of the intimate relationship between the mother and Marais Van der Vyver, how might she describe it?
When Lucas’s mother appears in Lucas’s funeral, there are some descriptions about Lucas’s mother. It goes that “The dead man’s mother is a woman who can’t be more than in her late thirties (they start bearing children at puberty) but she is heavily mature in a black dress between her own parents, who were already working for old Van der Vyver when Marais, like their daughter, was a child”. From these descriptions, the readers can know Lucas’s family has worked for Van der Vyver family within at least three generations. The readers can’t know what the mother is thinking about in the following descriptions about her. However, some of the descriptions still reveal something secret between Marais and Lucas’s mother. For example, “He, too, stares at the grave. The dead man’s mother and he stare at the grave in communication like that between the black man outside and the white man inside the cab the moment before the gun went off.” shows the secret communication between them, and it implies the sexual relationship as well. In the end of the story, the relationship is proven by the narrator: “he was his son”. If the mother would say something to describe the relationship, she might reveal the evil history that she was raped by Marais. Also, being oppressed by Marais many years, she might explode with the hatred of being raped and losing son.
410002051 喻柏樺 Marcus
2. In my opinion, Walcott was facing a moral dilemma between Africa and British. He condemns the colonial more than anti-colonial violence. But, on the other hand, he was confused about the attitude toward himself. He has reservations about the Mau Mau revolt which scattered violence. The speaker often describes himself as a half-blooded person. His both grandmothers are African and his both grandfathers are both European. There were many innocent child killed under the colonial in Africa. He took pity on them. He did not totally agree with the rebels, Kikuyu, at the same time, against the British in a savage and violent way. Walcott described the slaughter as "The violence of beast on beast is read as natural law, but upright man seeks his divinity by inflicting pain."In this poem, he suggested the complex identity, uneasy isolation, inner oppression, and colonial trauma. In fact, the speaker does not agree with violence imposed by both the colonizer and the colonized. However, he has to make choice in the predicament. “I who am poisoned with the blood of both/ where shall I turn, divided to the vein?” The dilemma caused by the identity brings a lot of pain to the mix-blooded speaker.
410002039 Kendrick
Q2
Derek Walcott often described himself as a “mongrel”; both grandmothers were African and both grandfathers were European. He hated the English culture but loved the English language and empathized with the Irish for they were also the victims of colonization. Therefore, I think the speaker condemns colonial same as anti-colonial.
As a colonial subject, Walcott would have been seen by the colonizers as an “other”, and as half-European, Walcott would have been seen as different from the completely indigenous peoples. While these full-blooded natives would also have learned Standard English along with the French Creole and emulated British culture, their hybridity would not be as extreme as Walcott’s background. As a person of mixed blood and having family members that were European, Derek Walcott would have had a First World upbringing in a Second World country.
As half-European and half-African, Walcott was privileged to bear both horrible histories. The full-blooded natives’ desire was to look and behave like the colonizers. However, they did not have to bear the burden of being genetically similar to the colonizers, and not only being torn between two cultures but “divided to the vein”. Derek Walcott uses his genetic hybridity and cultural hybridity to express the extremity of his unhomeliness.
In "The Waiter's Wife," why does Samad wish that he could wear a sign around his neck that reads: "I AM NOT A WAITER. THAT IS, I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER"? What does this tell us about Samad, his past, and his adjustment to life in London?
Samad wish that he could wear a sign because he wants to show everyone who he really is. He feels that he needs to tell everyone about himself. He would like to tell everyone that his ability is not just only in this way. He want to prove that he is not just nobody but somebody. He had a family to feed, he tried to be strong since he is not that handsome and well than before. He wants to show others that he can do better than these. He can do more than just a waiter. Once he said: "I mean, I am educated. I am trained. I should be soaring with the Royal Airborne Force, shelling from on high! I am an officer!” And this might sound like his sign that explains why he's not really a waiter.
3) Samad wishes that he could wear that sign around his neck, because he is eager to be understood by people surrounded him. As an immigrant from Bangladesh in London, London is his new home. When he tries to become the part of the new culture, he is lost in a lot of struggle, bitter and difficulties. In a white man society, Samad and Alsana own different ethnicity, race and belief. Most people wouldn’t care these difference for immigrants’ angle like them. Moreover, doing a lower class job makes them further alienate themselves. When Samad faces dilemma in his job, a waiter of a restaurant, no one give him space and chance to tell about himself. He tries hard to have conversation with guests; however, it brings other waiter’s sneer and scold. His emotion of grievance attains the peak.
“I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER. I HAVE BEEN A STUDENT, A SCIENTIST, A SOLDIER. MY WIFE IS CALLED ALSANA. WE LIVE IN EAST LONDON BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE NORTH. I AM A MUSLIM BUT ALLAH HAS FORSAKEN ME OR I HAVE FORSAKEN ALLAH. I’M NOT SURE. I HAVE AN ENGLISH FRIEND – ARCHIE – AND OTHERS. I AM FORTY-NINE BUT WOMEN STILL TURN IN THE STREET. SOMETIMES.’’
The above excerpt shows he want to be regarded as the regular person like most
white people. He also has been a student, a scientist, a soldier, not just one of the oldest waiters in the restaurant, and no one would give him great tips.
410002041 張芮甄
410102015 鄭茗尹
1)
Lucas’s grand parents have already worked for the elder Van der Vyver just like Lucas’ mother does since they were children. It indicates that the inequality relationships between black and white have been continuing since the apartheid era, and we can guess the white in that time have done lots of sordid things on the black. While the parents was standing beside the grave of Lucas, they hold Lucas’ mother as if she were a prisoner or a crazy women to be restrained because they know the foul facts that Lucas was Marais son, and they can understand how painful and suffering inside their daughter turbulent heart. However, she just remains silent, and stares at Lucas’ grave while Maris is staring at the grave, as well. Their souls communicate in silence about this forbidden secret that cannot be told in public. While Lucas was still alive, Marais didn’t recognised him as a son, but just ignored the cheesy fact he have raped Lucas mother. Until he realised he killed him accidentally, he bursts into tears due to his fear and guilty of killing his own son. Meanwhile, Lucas mother, is staring the grave in silent to convey her surge of fury and pain within her mind.
410002011 李彥儀
1.
Marais always take Lucas to hunting, but he shoots Lucas to death by accident. This accident makes him very shocking and sad. He provides money for Lucas’s funeral and his wife. However, he could not tell out the truth that Lucas is his son. We could see the evidence from the funeral. Lucas’s mother is the woman who looks heavily mature in black dress between her parents who were working for old Van der Vyver. Her parents hold her like she is a prisoner or a crazy woman to be restrained. However, she does nothing but stares at the grave as Marais does. It is just like a communication between them when they both look at the grave and says nothing. Obviously, there are some secrets between them. A secret thing obeys the aparthied policy at that time. When we look at the end of the story, we could know the truth that Lucas’s mother is Marais’s mistress.
410002011 李彥儀
1.
Marais always take Lucas to hunting, but he shoots Lucas to death by accident. This accident makes him very shocking and sad. He provides money for Lucas’s funeral and his wife. However, he could not tell out the truth that Lucas is his son. We could see the evidence from the funeral. Lucas’s mother is the woman who looks heavily mature in black dress between her parents who were working for old Van der Vyver. Her parents hold her like she is a prisoner or a crazy woman to be restrained. However, she does nothing but stares at the grave as Marais does. It is just like a communication between them when they both look at the grave and says nothing. Obviously, there are some secrets between them. A secret thing obeys the aparthied policy at that time. When we look at the end of the story, we could know the truth that Lucas’s mother is Marais’s mistress.
49902005英美四蔡宗翰:
2)
The speaker’s attitude toward colonial is negative. In Africa, under the colonialism, lots of children are facing unmerciful treatment. Kids are killed for unfair reasons.
The speaker’s attitude toward anti-colonial is negative, too.
In Kikuyu’s case, the way he rebels the colonizers is too radical. He only shows brutality and violence. However, the speaker might prefer a more reasonable way for each other to deal with the tension between European and African.
Consequently, he cannot choose any side of them because the dilemma disturbs him. “Between this Africa and the English tongue I Love?” and “Betray them both, or give back what they give?” both send a message that he is struggling.
He hates the colonialism, yet he likes English; he wishes African not to be ruled by England, nevertheless he wants African to learn the advantages of the England.
To sum up, his attitude is vague. He both admires and despises them at the same time. The speakers’ emotion is too complicated. So that is the reason why he can’t lean more on one side.
410102060 英美二 陳俊承
2. The speaker condemns the ugly British colonialist who exploits Kenya aborigines brutally, describing graphically in the poem that the colonialized is labored to death, squeezed out of the blood by the colonialist, and the ground is all covered by the rotten corpses. . However, the speaker combines African and European descents, facing with the dilemma that he criticizes the cruelty, inhumanity of the British colonialism; simultaneously he appreciates the so-called civilization of western culture. Ultimately, the speaker would succumb to temptation to be benefited from the financial western civilization, but trying to play on others’ sympathy by pointing out how much the colonized has suffered from the colonialism. It’s a win-win situation!
410102052 英美二 葉靜芝
2)
In this poem, we can observe that the speaker seems to condemn colonial more than anti-colonial, for instance, the speaker says “Only the worm, colonel of carrion” (Line 5) and “the drunken officer of British rule” (Line 29). However, the speaker is suffering because his double identity—the English and the African. Despite he knows that what those English colonial do is cruel and the polarization between England and Africa, he cannot choose either the English side or the African side. His hybridity and identification of these two countries result in his struggling. From the ending part of this poem, the speaker says “how choose/between this Africa and the English tongue I love? /betray them both, or give back what they give? /how can I face such slaughter and be cool? /how can I turn from Africa and live?” (Line 29-33). Through these words, we can feel that how painful and struggling the speaker is. Although he seems to condemn the colonial side more than the anti-colonial side and shows his sympathy toward the anti-colonial side, the truth is that the speaker cannot make the decision. To him, it is too cruel to make a choice. I think the speaker’s biggest hope must be the end of this war and the peace between the English and the African.
410002049
英美三 劉玉華
I think that Derek Walcott condemns colonial more than anti-colonial violence. Because Walcott’s grandmothers both are black and his grandfathers both are white. He lives under a conflictual structure. He has been given an English tongue which he loves on the one hand, and on the other, he cannot tolerate the brutal slaughter of Africans with whom he shares blood and some traditions. His conscience can not allow him to do such injustice. “A Far Cry form Africa” talks about the violence in Africa and his own pain. We can see from the sentence “I who am poisoned with the blood of both, where shall I turn, divided to the vein?” Walcott feels foreign in both cultures because his mixed blood. Walcott depicts Africa and Britain in the standard roles of the conqueror, although he portrays the cruel imperialistic exploits of the British without creating sympathy for the African tribesmen.I think he hopes for the peace and realizes that what the country does to Africa is not right and even is an inhuman behavior;he knows that it is still so far from it, but he still want to say something about it . So he names the poem “A far cry from Africa.”
Name: Lily Wong
student number: 410002065
‘‘A Far Cry from Africa’’ by Derek Walcott discusses the events of the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya in the early 1950s. The attitude of the poet to the Mau Mau uprising is controversial: writing from the colonial dominion of St. Lucia, he sympathizes against the anti-colonial impulse of the rebellion; yet, he cannot accept the Mau Mau violence, at times directed against their own people who did not share their same views. In line 7-10, where earlier the speaker seemed to blame the victims, he now blames those who forced the colonial system onto Kenya and polarized the population. They cannot justify their actions, because their reasons will never matter to the “white child” who has been murdered because of his color—in retaliation by Mau Mau fighters or to the “savages,” who are deemed worthless, or expendable. "I who am poisoned with the blood of both, Where shall I turn, divided to the vein? I who have cursed The drunken officer of British rule, how choose Between this Africa and the English tongue I love? Betray them both, or give back what they give?" Walcott presents some graphic images of the conflict and asks how he can be expected to choose one side over the other, since he is of both African and European descent. He cannot condone the colonialism of the British, or the violence of the Mau Mau, because choosing either side would mean he is turning against that part of himself.
2. In "A Far Cry from Africa," what is the speaker's attitude toward colonial and anti-colonial violence? Does he condemn one side more than the other?
In "A Far Cry from Africa," it can explain far away Africa or the deep calling from Africa. In the beginning of poem can show speaker’s contradictory mind of being a black poet. In the poem, the narrator describe the blood scene happened in Africa grasslands. Which can show the colonized people’s sorrow in Africa. The colonial policy only bring the colony endless pain. When people are oppressed, they may try to fight back. Using violence way is the last ending. The speaker’s attitude is condemns the colonial violence. But his dilemma of identity let him confused about how to believe which side is right. Even he knows what cruel things that English had done to African. The double identity let him confused. In the end of poem, it can describe the speaker’s pain and struggling. Although we know the speaker’s attitude condemns the colonial side more than anti-colonial side. He cannot do the choice between them. But we still can see the speaker’s sympathy to oppressed people.
410002055 陳詩婷
410102027 陳雅慧
2. In "A Far Cry from Africa," what is the speaker's attitude toward colonial and anti-colonial violence? Does he condemn one side more than the other?
I think the author suffers from his own background and he can’t choose one side. Derek Walcott is an Africa and European descent, so there is always a conflict in his mind. “The drunken officer of British rule, how choose; Between this Africa and the English tongue I love? Betray them both, or give back what they give? How can I face such slaughter and be cool? How can I turn from Africa and live?” From the last stanza of the poem, we can see his complicated attitude towards the British Empire and Africa. No matter which side the author chooses, he maybe consider to be turning against one part of himself. In my opinion, actually he doesn’t choose any side. I think he condemns the colonialism of British Empire also the revenge of African people. Although he love and learn English tongue and literature, he still can’t accept their cruel treatment toward Africa and the people who live there. He criticizes the massacre of black people and the destruction of the ancient African culture. However, he doesn’t agree the revenge of African people on white people as well. I think the poem can be regarded as the self-identity exploration of the author while he still can’t get the answer in the end.
410102017 黃少軍
2) In this poem, Walcott was very confused because he contained both African and British blood. He felt sorrowful about the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya which mentioned in this poem, and his attitude toward colonial and anti-colonial violence was very contradictory and struggling. He used some words that describe the event in very vivid ways. For instance, in line twenty four and twenty five “A waste of our compassion, as with Spain, The gorilla wrestles with the superman.” However, I think in some part of his heart contain the blood of anti-colonialism. He hated what British had done to Kenya; he mentioned “What is that to the white child hacked in bed?” “To savages, expendable as Jews?” This showed his grief and indignation. But he also mentioned his contradiction in last stanza; he thought that he was poisoned with the blood of both. In my opinion, last two lines were really touching “How can I face such slaughter and be cool?” “How can I turn from Africa and live?” He could not choose one side more than the other, for example, if he had chosen British to support, it means that he was turning against to his African side.
410102055 英美二 黃佳珏
3. In "The Waiter's Wife," why does Samad wish that he could wear a sign around his neck that reads: "I AM NOT A WAITER. THAT IS, I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER"? What does this tell us about Samad, his past, and his adjustment to life in London?
In "The Waiter's Wife," Samad would like to prove that he is more than a waiter. As different-colored immigrants from Bangladesh to London, Samad and his wife, Alsana, try to find a better life in the new world. However, it is very hard for them. For Samad, he is no longer a student, a scientist, or a soldier. Also, he thinks that his religion doesn’t work anymore. He is religious, but his ALLAH doesn’t help his go through the difficulties. Besides, he is not as charming as how he was in the past. The honor and the glory disappear in his life since he left his homeland. The fact makes Samad feel disappointed, and he would like to let people know his knowledge, his wise, and his ability. He tries hard to show that what he can do is more than what a waiter can do. Therefore, he talks to the customers in the restaurant about what he thinks he shares his wise with them. However, in everyone’s eyes, he is just an old, boring waiter who cannot be compared with a handsome, young one. Of course, he cannot get good tips. Moreover, he cannot avoid being insulted by others.
410102039英美二 鄭巧俞
question2:
In my point of view, the speaker condemns both colonial and anti-colonial violence. Even though he has the mixed-race background between Africa and British, he is still wishing to see peace and harmony in this indecisive and troubled state. “What is that to the white child hacked in bed? To savages, expendable as Jews?” From these two sentences, it mentions that there are many innocent people involved in this chaos rebellion. No matter you are African or British, if you are a person with nothing power to fight the opponents, the only thing you can do is waiting for help and enduring the horrible endless situation. It is without doubt that triggering a war must ruin the whole society. On one hand, although the colonial who claim that they can bring the civilization for savages fight for their right policy, the behaviors they perform are actually like the violent beasts to crush everything. On the other hand, although the anti-colonial party looks like righteously fight for their country, they hurt a lot of innocent guys in the process of rebelling. Therefore, in the end of the poem the speaker expresses his indecision between these two parties, he cannot simply support the uprising in ordinary and cool way. “How can I face such slaughter and be cool? How can I turn from Africa and live.”,
3. In "The Waiter's Wife," why does Samad wish that he could wear a sign around his neck that reads: "I AM NOT A WAITER. THAT IS, I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER"? What does this tell us about Samad, his past, and his adjustment to life in London?
In the story “the waiter’s wife”, Samad wants the other people knows that he is not a waiter, he can be better than a waiter. And his wife, Alsana, wants a better life. But, they are the immigrants from Bangladesh to London. So it’s hard to have a better life. Samad is no longer young and charming anymore. When they left their homeland, Samad’s honor also left, too. He feels so disappointed and frustrated. He wants to show how good he is and let other people knows that he has wise and ability. Let people knows that he just not a waiter. So he will chat with his customers to show how good he is. However, in the customers eyes, he just an old man not like other handsome, young guy. And in the end, he still can’t get good tips. He also can’t avoid to get insult by the other people.
#410102061 胡靜
2)
The speaker is confused by both colonial and anti-colonial violence and despises them all. In first stanza, the speaker describes a horrible and cruel and brutal scene covering the African continent created by Kikuyu for revenging the whites. He feels uneasy about these merciless salutary. Line 7 and 8, “Statistics justify and scholars seize/ The salients of colonial policy” suddenly points out that the aim of the violence is against colonization. However, the action is too cruel that shows the irony aspect of Kikuyu people’s revenge: they are similar to the colonizer in an ugly way. The speaker questions further in the second stanza, comparing human beings with beasts, “The violence of beast on beast is read
As natural law, but upright man/ Seeks his divinity by inflicting pain” that is it right for Kikuyu to gain justice by slaughtering the British? Growing between two different cultures, he cannot approve either side’s violent practice. He feels alienated for both sides because of his hybrid identity, according to line 26. The speaker is deeply disappointed by the anti-colonial movement from the Kikuyu people while he did not want the colonial government back. Therefore, the speaker starts to doubt that which side he should take with.
生科三 劉珈延 410013014
1)
Although the story “The Moment before the Gun Went Off” does not give us the details of the intimate relationship between the mother and Marais Van der Vyver, we still can find trails from the story. “The dead man’s mother is a woman who can’t be more than in her late thirties (they start bearing children at puberty) but she is heavily mature in a black dress between her own parents, wo were already working for old Van der Vyver when Marais, like their daughter, was a child. The parents hold her as if she were a prison oa a crazy woman to be restrained. But she says nothing, does nothing. She does not look up, she does not look at Van der Vyver, whose gun went off in the truck. She stares at grave. Nothing will make her look up, there need be no fear that she will look up, at him…The dead man’s mother and he stare at the grave in communication” According to this paragraph, it’s obvious that the dead man, Lucas’s mother is the daughter of parents who worked for the elder Van der Vyver, or she would not stare at the grave.
3)Why does Samad wish to wear a sign around his neck that reads: "I AM NOT A WAITER. THAT IS, I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER" it's because he wants everyone who despise him knows his background, knowledge and his life experience. He is not just a waiter, he is more than being a waiter. However, who cares about it? His relative boss, colleagues and customers all look down on him because he is too old and not attractive and young anymore. Samad didn't get used to live in London,at first, he thought his life will get better after immigration,and he even said so to his wife, however, survival in a huge western country isn't always easy. It's a kind of sadness that people who just as Samad might have dreams,ambitions and expectations for life at first or when they were young, however, they can't keep them anymore. Because they found out they have to condescend to survive and make a living which is the basic for human beings to exist on the world. They have to work hard to earn a little money,sometimes,being exploited and mistreated by their supervisors or colleagues,but they can't say anything. It's a grief for people who like Samad, they are somebody, but they are nobody as well.
410102056 英美二 張文馨Wendy
In the early 20 century, the first English immigrants forced Gikuyu to leave the land after entering Kenya. Therefore, an east African ethnic group called Mau Mau fighters intended to drive the European power out. Unfortunately, the English colonials started to slaughter anti-colonials. Some Gikuyu wanted to be neutral, and some instead helped English colonials fight Mau Mau fighters.
By this poem, we can know that the war is very terrible. Gikuyu fighters are like “flies batten upon the bloodstreams of the veldt.” And the war affects whole Kenya and the neighbor countries where are like “a paradise that corpses are scattered through.” On the one hand, the speaker has reservations about Mau Mau fighters; on the other hand, he has anti-colonialism, so he turns a colonial and anti-colonial war into an inner war. The speaker is between blood insider and geographical outsider because he agrees black Africans, but he hates that innocent people including Whites are slaughtered. So, he not only abhors the camp defenders who support colonialism, but also shows us that he love English. The speaker said that he is “poisoned with the blood of both” and asks himself “where shall I turn?” He cannot figure out his situation, and which is just like the result of the war no one knows.
410102056 英美二 張文馨Wendy
In the early 20 century, the first English immigrants forced Gikuyu to leave the land after entering Kenya. Therefore, an east African ethnic group called Mau Mau fighters intended to drive the European power out. Unfortunately, the English colonials started to slaughter anti-colonials. Some Gikuyu wanted to be neutral, and some instead helped English colonials fight Mau Mau fighters.
By this poem, we can know that the war is very terrible. Gikuyu fighters are like “flies batten upon the bloodstreams of the veldt.” And the war affects whole Kenya and the neighbor countries where are like “a paradise that corpses are scattered through.” On the one hand, the speaker has reservations about Mau Mau fighters; on the other hand, he has anti-colonialism, so he turns a colonial and anti-colonial war into an inner war. The speaker is between blood insider and geographical outsider because he agrees black Africans, but he hates that innocent people including Whites are slaughtered. So, he not only abhors the camp defenders who support colonialism, but also shows us that he love English. The speaker said that he is “poisoned with the blood of both” and asks himself “where shall I turn?” He cannot figure out his situation, and which is just like the result of the war no one knows.
410002038 英美三 陳蕙玉
2. In "A Far Cry from Africa," what is the speaker's attitude toward colonial and anti-colonial violence? Does he condemn one side more than the other?
In this poem, Walcott depicts Africa and Britain as the vanquished and the conqueror, although he portrays the cruel imperialistic exploits of the British without having sympathy for the Africans. Besides condemning Britain, he characterizes the African Kikuyu in a negative light: "flies/Batten upon the bloodstream of the veldt" (line 2-3). The Kikuyu resemble primitive savages who abuse the fertile resources of their native plains. Walcott further explores a legitimate identity in the final stanza. He questions, "How choose/between this Africa and the English tongue I love?" (line 29-30). These lines reveal that the poet admires both African and English culture. He remains partial to the African terrain and way of life, while he prefers the English language and literature. The concluding lines of the poem deny the poet’s resolution of his dilemma: "How can I face such slaughter and be cool?/ How can I turn from Africa and live?" (line 32-33). Walcott's divided loyalties cause him to have a sense of guilt as he wants to adopt the "civilized" culture of the British, but cannot excuse their immoral treatment of the Africans. "A Far Cry from Africa" reveals the extent of Walcott's dismay through the poet's inability to resolve the paradox of his hybrid inheritance.
1) What does Katherine Mansfield's "The Garden Party" tell us about class relations?
In "The Garden Party," the writer presents the gap between the working class and the polite society in several situations. Also characters realize their different status and follow the unspeakable rule except Laura. However, only in that young age, Laura learns a lesson that people are separated into two kinds. The gap is made by the upper class people, for instant, Laura's mother, who gives her an idea that she is special as the "artistic one." The influence causes Laura tries to imitate her mother's voice to begin a conversation with workers, but she can't behave in that way. In the contrast, she wants to break through the line by making friend with those men whom would never be invited for a weekend supper by the family. Though there exists the class distinction, all of people seem accept this kind of relationship so does Laura. Until "a man killed," she becomes aware of what her family's thinking are totally wrong. Her family doesn't take the matter seriously because the man has nothing to do with them or even with their party. For them, this is only an accident that nobody has to sorry about it. In fact, these are their excuse for the killed man from the working class. The sense of superiority made people who are from the upper society condescend to other.
410002031 王佑文
410102021 英美二 柯思羽
3.
Samad and Alsana left Bangladesh and came to live in London to search the better life. However, the situation aren’t as easy as they thought. Samad can only find a job as a waiter in his cousin’s restaurant. Samad is too old to get through the whole work. He tries to talk to customer about biology and politics. He wants to share his story, that he has a life worth living and his educated knowledge. But, the waiters are to serve food and get tipped, they don’t need to talk to others. Other waiters look down on him, seeing him as nobody. Samad isn’t nobody, he is well-educated. He is not just a waiter. He is forty-nine but women still turn in the street. He thinks himself still a charming guy. According to this story, it can connected to the immigrants in Taiwan. They came to Taiwan to find works, to have a better lives or to marry Taiwanese. Nevertheless, some Taiwanese treat them badly, giving them the lower salary. On the other hand, those immigrants can’t get along with the different environment. There are many problems causing by that. Taiwanese government should think some matter of methods to solve.
410002017 胡沛涵
1. ("The Moment before the Gun Went Off") What do you make of the fact that Lucas's mother is the daughter of parents who worked for the elder Van der Vyver?Although the story does not give us the details of the intimate relationship between the mother and Marais Van der Vyver, how might she describe it?
Marais Van der Vyver was “the clever son of Willem Van der Vyver, who inherited the old man’s farm.” “The dead man’s mother who can’t be more than in her late thirties but she is heavily mature in a black dress her own parents, who were already working for old Van der Vyver when Marais, like their daughter, was a child.” The farm exists the three generations: the old Van der Vyver, which the parents of the dead man’s mother worked for; and the dead man’s mother and Marais Van der; and Lucas, the dead man.
The perplexity of the relationship between black and white is the product produced under the apartheid and the Immorality Act. The raping and filthy acts remain veiled. The dead man’s mother does not look up, “she stare at the grave.” “There need be no fear that she will look up; at him.” The struggle but intimate, hatred but love interweaved feeling made her silently, motionless stare at the grave; and so as Marais Van der Vyver. The staring so as to be “in communication like that between the black man outside and the white man inside the cab the moment before the gun went off.” She might be breakdown to the utmost as to be so numb and emotionless to say or act. This is her second time being strike by Marais. The first time being raped but due to the maternal love, the second time the deep grief of losing son and was under the hand of her sexual predator.
英美三 葉子菁 Jenny
Q1
The parents of Lucas’s mother work for the Van der Vyver family, and so do Lucas and his mother. In addition, the author uses the eye contact between Marais and Lucas’s mother toward Lucas’s death to describe their intimate relationship. Lucas’s mother work in the farm of Van der Vyver family including his parents “who were already working for old Van der Vyver when Marais, like their daughter, was a child” (1444). In a trip to hunt the kudu, however, Marais accidentally shot Lucas who is also his farm labor. This news will hit the headline because shooting the black man by a white “will fit exactly their vision of South Africa” (1442). But instead of the indifferent attitude on the dead, Marais weeps and is willing to “provide money for the funeral” (1444). Besides, when “the dead man’s mother and Marais stare at the grave in communication” (1444), it seems that there must be an intimate relationship between them. In the end of the story, the speculation is confirmed as it says that “Lucas was Marais’s son” (1445). Under the description of the accident, the author artfully discloses the secret that how could those outsiders “know that they do not know” (1445). The complex relationships among Lucas, Lucas’s mother, and Lucas’s mother’s parents, and Van der Vyver family also reflect the serious social problems in South Africa.
2. In "A Far Cry from Africa," what is the speaker's attitude toward colonial and anti-colonial violence? Does he condemn one side more than the other?
In my opinion, Derek Walcott tends to condemn colonialism more than anti-colonialism. He actually condemns the violence of the British government in the poem. We all know that he is both African and European blood so I think he tries to be partial. He loves the culture of British and local of Africa. However, he can’t to be blind to the colonialism. The British people seize the land of the African and replace the African’s government with their own. On the other hand, Derek Walcott also condemns the violence and savage of Mau Mau Uprising. In 15 to 20 lines in the poem, Walcott describes how Kikuyu seeks his divinity by inflicting pain. That’s not different to German doing the Holocaust for the Jew. That’s really horrible and so brutal in the civilized world. Derek Walcott faces the dilemma that he can’t accept the colonialism of the British or the savage of Kikuyu. In the end of the poem, “How can I face such slaughter and be cool,” He emphasizes on condemning the British government so I think he tends to condemn colonialism more than anti-colonialism.
410102035 英美二 黃雅婷
2) As a hybrid of African and British, Walcott has a predicament when he faced with the problem of colonialism. He tried to condemn colonialism. We can see at the first and second stanza. At first stanza, the following five lines, six to ten, was narrated on the side of colonists, ‘’Waste no compassion on these separate dead!” to ‘’To savages, expendable as Jews?’’. It shows that colonists didn’t sympathize with the African, thus, they feel superior. Walcott used this way to make us know the brutality of Europeans and also condemn the colonialism indirectly. The second stanza was narrated about the fightback of Kikuyu. Because Kikuyu couldn’t tolerate the colonialism anymore, they took revenge to kill British colonists which was called Mau Mau revolt. The whole event would happen was all because of the colonialism. Although Walcott didn’t condemn the colonialism directly, I thought that reader can realize Walcott against the colonialism. This is also Walcott’s dilemma, which was described at third stanza. He has the blood of British and African. One side is his favorite English, the other side is the brute colonialism. Hence, he was struggle that whether he should criticize British colonialism or not. But, I thought Walcott still condemn colonialism based on the whole narrative of poem.
410002034陶君山
3.
When we first see a person, we can only judge him or her by appearance, what they are doing now, and how they talks. Maybe one day you’re walking on a street, and you see someone is collecting garbage on the road, so you think he just some normal poor people. This is what Samad’s situation is. Everyone sees him just a normal waiter. Maybe his skin color is one of the main reason people look down on him. "I AM NOT A WAITER. I HAVE BEEN A STUDENT, A SCIENTIST, A SOLDIER, MY WIFE IS CALLED ALSANA, WE LIVE IN EAST LONDONBUT WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE NORTH. I AM A MUSLIM BUT ALLAH HAS FORSAKEN ME OR I HAVE FORSAKEN ALLAH, I'M NOT SURE. I HAVE A FRIEND—ARCHIE—AND OTHERS. I AM FORTY-NINE BUT WOMEN STILL TURN IN THE STREET. SOMETIMES." This is the release of what he has been through since he came to London. Though he tried to talk to the costumers, but nobody really seem to care. People like Samad tried to have a new life in a different society, but only end up struggling for survival no matter how good they were in their country.
410102019 李明倢
2. In "A Far Cry from Africa," what is the speaker's attitude toward colonial and anti-colonial violence? Does he condemn one side more than the other?
Derrick Walcott was born and raised in the West Indies, and his family is of African and European descent. Because the complex colonial history of the island and his genetic hybridity and cultural hybridity, he does not express all aspects of British and African culture; instead he focuses only on the brutal history of both. He thought both of colonial and anti-colonial violence are cruel. The Africans, associated with a primitive, natural strength, and the British, portrayed as an artificially enhanced power, remain equal in the contest for control over Africa and its people. “Corpses are scattered through a paradise.” The author uses the ironic statement to describe the death and inhumanity that has occurred in both Africa and Europe. Walcott’s divided loyalties engender a sense of guilt as he wants to adopt the “civilized” culture of the British but cannot excuse their immoral treatment of the Africans. The poem reveals the extent of Walcott’s consternation through the poet’s inability to resolve the paradox of his hybrid inheritance. He cannot accept the colonialism of the British, or the violence of the Mau Mau, because choosing either side would mean he is turning against one part of himself. In this poem the poet face the dilemma to search for his legitimate identity.
410002018
Mina
Q3.
According to the author’s background, Zadie Smith, she was part Jamaican and part English, she grew up as an “other.” Jamaica was a colony of Britain, and so Smith was born directly into a situation that made her “the other. Her race was not typical of the time.The Character, Samad,he was created in same kind of background--racial discrimination and lower classes. Samad exceedingly wants to integrate into society – to cross the boundary from being different and “other”. Samad doesn’t want to be seen as the “other” in London. He is saying that he has a story; he has a life worth living and being talked about in the past. He was a student, a solder, a scientist. The life he experienced in his own country was colorful .However, as he in London, he changed his religion ,tried to adapt the tough life and situation in the working class. He even doubted Allah-his belief and himself .He tried to do everything --moved to north, did best on work, had conversation or interaction to guests, in order to be a “normal person “ in London.However,he still be look down by the society.
410002046 蔡易紘
3) The reason why Samad wants to wear a sign is that he feels frustrated about the situation. First, they are Indians who leave to their country for London. Of course, they are looked down by white people. As a waiter in the restaurant, owing to his appearance and age, he is often despised by the other waiters because other waiters have to share tips with him. Moreover, his wife often scolds him about accomplishing nothing. It seems that he has no dignity at all. It’s a very serious problem for man. Some men regard the dignity as important as lives. However, Samad is ashamed of himself for his humble background. He wants to tell everyone he was a student, a scientist, and a soldier in the past. He shouldn’t be treated like that. It causes that he lacks of confidence about his religion because he is not blessed at all. Even though the situation is bad, Samad still has to stand up with it. In order to save enough money, what he can do is force himself to adjust. It reflects many people’s inevitable problem nowadays.
610202406 劉宇宸
2.
In “A Far Cry From Africa”, Derek Walcott presents his conflicts while facing different cultures which are both related to his hybridity background. The dilemma which makes Walcott contradicted cannot be chosen on either side for him. In fact, he disagree with the British colonialism and the cruel way to bully those tribesmen who own the land. Through some stanzas, we can notice that the white regime was declining then; however, those white men remain their sordid imperialistic exploits without any sympathy. Regardless of Kenya people’s outrage, British people claimed all the land in the name of the new British government. These two cultures conflict each other as if “the gorilla wrestles with the superman.”; as a result, Walcott seems more puzzled within two cultures which are crucial to him. As he says, “I who am poisoned with the blood of both, where shall I turn, divided to the vein? ”, which means the dilemma he always faces and the isolation of being a descent of Africa and Europe. Moreover, with the final stanza, he also states “How choose/between this Africa and the English tongue I love? ” that represent he loves both of the two country and hopes to see the balance between the two.
410002010 Carol 呂岳芳
Question 1
In The Moment before the Gun Went Off, the dead boy’s mother was the daughter of the farm workers who workws for the Van der Vyver family. Apparently, the white farm owner had killed the black boy. People in South Africa who want to take down the white men’s power would make the accident look like pure bullying and brutality. However, seeing is probably not a-hundred-percent-sure believing. In the funeral, Lucas’ mother didn’t cry or blame Marais for her son’s death. They both stared at the boy’s grave instead. They shared a secret that nobody knew. Though not specifically stated, the fact that Lucas is the son of Marais is obvious, as we can deduce from last line of the story. But to have a hybrid child is scandalous and Marias could never tell other people. No one would believe that he truly mourned for the boy’s death because no one knew the truth.
英美二 410102043 林萱怡Olivia
3. In "The Waiter's Wife," why does Samad wish that he could wear a sign around his neck that reads: "I AM NOT A WAITER. THAT IS, I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER"? What does this tell us about Samad, his past, and his adjustment to life in London
Because Samad wants to show others that he is not as simple as a waiter, he would like to wear a lettered sign. Although his race is not well accepted in British, he had tried hard to fit in the whole society. From the message “I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER. I HAVE BEEN A STUDENT, A SCIENTIST, A SOLDIER,” we can know that he had been educated, and had the experience of battle. He is not a fool, not a simple worker, and not just a waiter. He knew a lot as the cultured British people. And, the message “WE LIVE IN EAST LONDON BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE NORTH. I AM A MUSLIM BUT ALLAH HAS FORSAKEN ME OR I HAVE FORSAKEN ALLAH. I’M NOT SURE.” tells his religion and his dream. The message “I HAVE AN ENGLISH FRIEND – ARCHIE – AND OTHERS.” tells us that he is equal to the British people. He is also a human that he has the right to live and make friends. What’s more, the message “I AM FORTY-NINE BUT WOMEN STILL TURN IN THE STREET. SOMETIMES.” tells us that he has confidence on himself.
英美三 陳奐霖 410002032
Q3
Being an immigrant from Bangladesh to London, Samad not only have to adjust to the life in London but also endure the colleague’s humiliation and his wife’s violence. In order to have the better life, Samad and his wife start to work in London. However, Samad is so old so he can only be a waiter in his relative’s restaurant. Besides, Samad usually suffer the humiliation from his colleague, Shiva, because he cannot earn a lot tips to share with others. Once Shiva shouted at Samad and said “You’re the worst of them! You’re the worst fucking waiter I’ve ever seen!” Alsana, Samad’s wife, is also the pressure on Samad’s life. Due to the gap of life style, they often have some quarrels, and Alsana would throw open every cupboard in the kitchen. With so many terrible things in life, the customers become the only people to confide in his life. Therefore, he could wear a sign around his neck that reads: "I AM NOT A WAITER. THAT IS, I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER" He kind of shows his glory of the past to enhance his sense of presence and superiority which he is lack in reality. He writes “I AM FORTY-NINE BUT WOMEN STELL TURN IN THE STREET. SOMETIMES.” In my opinion, Samad is just like the little puppy who wants to use the huge voice to scare the big dog but it is still a small and weak one in reality.
410002062 曾佩琪 Samantha
A Far Cry from Africa by Derek Walcott discusses the theme of dilemma to have duo identity and the anxiety caused by that identity which the poet could side with neither party. He thinks it is acceptable violence it is “natural law” of animals killing each other to fulfill the desire of eat and to survive; but human beings have been turned even the unseemly animal behavior into worse and meaningless violence. Beasts come out better than “upright man” since animals do what they must do, any do not seek divinity through inflicting pain. Walcott believes that human are unlike animals, who have no excuse, no real rationale, for murdering non-combatants in the Kenyan conflict. Violence among them has turned into a nightmare of unacceptable atrocity based on color. So, we have the “Kikuyu” and violence in Kenya, violence in a “paradise”, and we have “statistics” that don’t mean anything and “scholar”, who tends to throw their weight behind the colonial policy: Walcott’s outrage is very just by the standards of the late 1960s, even restrained. More striking than the animal imagery is the image of the poet himself at the end of the poem. He is divided, and doesn’t have any escape.
英美三_410002024_張巧宜
3. In "The Waiter's Wife," why does Samad wish that he could wear a sign around his neck that reads: "I AM NOT A WAITER. THAT IS, I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER"? What does this tell us about Samad, his past, and his adjustment to life in London?
Samad can not show his true self by being a waiter. As a waiter, he had often been looked down on by people. He wants people to respect him as a “person” not just as a server. He is not handsome and young anymore. As a result, he can not get as much tip as young waiter do. His social status as a waiter is also humble. Many people in this society despise waiters and waitresses. They will never recognize the social status of servers. Except for being a waiter, Samad is also a husband; a student, a scientist, and a charming man who will make woman turn in the street. He is more than a waiter. He has his self identities but most people neglect them. Besides, Samad is an immigrant from Bangladesh to London. It is hard for black people to live in a developed city. His skin color is also a vital reason for his bad condition. He tries hard to earn money, but his wife still has quarrels with him for financial problems. He wish to have people appreciate his knowledge or capability. But the current situation just gradually wears him down. All in all, Samad is struggling to be ”somebody” but he can only be “nobody” in this society.
英美四 49902008陳芷儀
3. Because Samad is high-educated in his home town. But being a new immigrant in London, he can only work as a waiter and he is too old and too slow for the career in the restaurant. He knows he is actually more than this --- a waiter while everybody treats him like just a waiter and not even a good-looking one. It is just now he have to tolerate and compromise this temporarily identity in the new home. As a result, he is definitely not enjoying his social status and have problems to adjust current situation to where he wants it to be. When Samad is seen as “the other”, which means a person or a group is seen differently from the dominant social group, this adds more obstacles to his new life. From the story, Samad’s nearly eager to and longing for joining the conversation of customers can tell us that in his heart, although being a waiter, he wants to show others that he is in fact more than they think. He is not like any waiter they see. I think part of him may be craving for comforts from people’s praise or sympathy towards him that he is too good for a waiter. He needs someone on his side and values him as much as he thinks he actually deserves.
410002014 蔡孟霖
2. The speaker probably talks about the Mau Mau incident happened in Kenya. The Kikuyu tribe was the largest in Kenya, and the most educated. And in 1951, some of them started a slaughter toward the European colonizers and many Africans who were loyal to the Europeans. The situation was so out of control that the British had to call the troops to deal with the conflict. Of course the colonizers’ violence toward the Africans was bad, but the violence the Mau Mau did was also hard to be forgiven. In the poem, Walcott presents some graphic images of the conflict and asks how he can be expected to choose one side over the other, since he is of both African and European descent. He cannot condone the colonialism of the British, or the violence of the Mau Mau, because choosing either side would mean he is turning against that part of himself. And come to think of this whole incident in a neutral and rational way, either side is evil. The people who suffered from the violent and the victim died in it are the most pitiful. So I think the speaker in the poem did not condemn in either sides.
410002002 姚山
Q1
The affair between Lucas's mother and Marais is a deep secret which cannot be told although Lucas neither lived nor died. From the lines, “The dead man’s mother is a woman who can’t be more than in her late thirties (they start bearing children at puberty) but she is heavily mature in a black dress between her own parents, who were already working for old Van der Vyver when Marais, like their daughter, was a child,” readers knows there were a history between them. First, her family has worked for Van der Vyver family for generations. Second, they were grown up together as the same ages. On one hand, to tell a dreamy and happy story, they might fall in love in their youth, have a kid, and then separate because of their polarizing social status and color. Of course, on the other hand, to tell a more miserable, possible and realistic story which is fitting in “their truth and their version of South Africa,” Marais would rape her. Readers don’t know details of their past. But from those lines about Marais’ wife, Alida, “She is always supportive, although he doesn’t seem to notice,” readers knows this couple are not intimate with each other. In contrast, when “He, too, stares at the grave. The dead man’s mother and he stare at the grave in communication like that between the black man outside and the white man inside the cab the moment before the gun went off,” the mother and Marais shared a moment.
41000A005台灣三 裴浩哲
1. ("The Moment before the Gun Went Off") What do you make of the fact that Lucas's mother is the daughter of parents who worked for the elder Van der Vyver?Although the story does not give us the details of the intimate relationship between the mother and Marais Van der Vyver, how might she describe it?
I think Lucas believes that Marais Van der Vyver killing her boy was an accident. Marais Van der Vyver, Lucas knows his personality toward black, when he even didn’t know the boy is his child. The mean point is not how Lucas feels about Marais, but is that fact that Marais killed the black people. White people probably not trust this tragedy was an accident, and they will consider that Marais killed the black people for some reasons. Perhaps, black people would believe the tragedy was an accident, because they are being slaves for long time. Blacks thought that they are merchandises for white, being killed is taking for granted for white. In this situation, Marais is worst guy in the stories, because nobody really trust him. The truth, Lucas is the only person who knows it, but the reason that she really know is the boy who was Marais’s son. Marais just killed his son in accident, than nobody truly believe it. Now the day, this race problem still exist in the country, and the tragedy will keep emerging anytime in South Africa. Even though there are no slavery for any races, they still have class consciousness in our mind, that’s the humanity.
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