Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A Solid Home

A Solid Home
    By: Elena Garro
The short play consists of a family that is buried together.  They talk about the life they lived before they died and the life they living now as dead people.  They explain to Lydia a 32 year old girl who just passed away that she has to wait. She’s confused as to what and why they have to wait.  They then continue to explain to her that she would be able to see everything except her home , they also explain to her that she would become different things and object and until she doesn’t learn to be everything she won’t be able to go to the other world with god.  Lydia says she want a solid home but she doesn’t realize till the end that she does have a solid home, her tomb.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Suicide of Olunde

Death and the King’s Horseman
            By: Wole Soyinka

There are many reasons why Olunde decided to commit suicide. First he wanted to show his people that at the end he didn’t betrayed them.  He wanted to show them that even though he went off to study with the “enemies” he still carried his traditions and beliefs. Second he was kind of obligated to do so, since his dad wasn’t able to commit suicide the ritual was that the son kills himself to hold the kings horse. Lastly Olunde wanted to save his father's house from shaming itself. He wanted to be remembered as an honored man. He wanted to be respected and be a hero to his people.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

definitions

Yoruba: a member of a Negroid people of W Africa, living chiefly in thecoastal regions of SW Nigeria: noted for their former city statesand complex material culture, particularly as evidenced in theirmusic, art, and sculpture. first used in 1841.

British colonial admission:
From the beginning of the creation of the Central Provinces in 1861 it was the goal of the British administration to construct a governmental system providing for the improvement and development of the area. The Government of India Resolution establishing the Central Provinces noted that the previous forms of administration -- of the Saugor and Narbadda Territories under the control of the North-Western Provinces, and a separate Province of Nagpur -- did "not present that unity, completeness and efficiency which are requisite in order that justice may be done to the condition and prospects of Territories so largely capable of improvement." Therefore the Government intended to create a new provincial administration encompassing those two areas Which would provide the new province "with the greatest advantage t the management of the resources and to the development of the capabilities of the whole area." Part II examines the activities of the British provincial government to develop the Central Provinces during the six decades from 1861 to 1921. Though the Government resolution creating the Central Provinces end.

Niegera:
officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast in the south lies on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean. The three largest and most influential ethnic groups in Nigeria are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. In terms of religion Nigeria is roughly split half and half between Muslims and Christians with a very small minority who practice traditional religion.

Wole Soynka:
Wole Soyinka (born Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka in 1934) is Africa's most distinguished playwright, winning the Nobel Prize for literature in 1986. A Yoruba, he studied first at the University College of Ibadan, then at Leeds University in England, where he came under the influence of the brilliant Shakespeare scholar G. Wilson Knight. The fifties were a period of great experimentation in the theater, both in France and England, and Soyinka was involved with various productions in Great Britain before returning to Nigeria, having been commissioned to write a play to celebrate that nation's independence in 1960 (A Dance of the Forests). It was a lyrical blend of Western experimentalism and African folk tradition, reflecting a highly original approach to drama. He has always emphasized his African roots, dubbing his early theater troupe "Masks," to acknowledge the role Yoruba pageantry has played in his work.

Proverb: to a breid popular epigram or maximum adage
African Proverbs offer wisdom and poetry in just one sentence. Proverbs play an important part in African cultures all across the continent. The beauty of proverbs is the universality of their meaning, everyone can relate to them in some way, on some level. Yet they are also uniquely African and help us gain an insight into African culture. African proverbs can convey wisdom, truth, a discovery of ideas, as well as life lessons.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Dealth and the Kings horseman

Dealth and the Kings horseman
                                By: Wole Soyinka

What I understood from the play was that Elesin Oba was destined to die due to traditions and rituals. Elesin was a well known respected man. He had a lot of pride and courage. He said he wasn’t afraid of death “I am master of my fate. When the hours come watch me dance along the narrow path glazed by the soles of my great precursors. My sole is eager I shall not turn aside.” (pg  ) He was also very demanding. He wanted the beautiful women who distracted him. He knew she was getting married but still demanded to have her,He wanted her.

In the other hand Simon Pilkings was a bit different. Although he was a powerful man with high authority he was ignorant. I say he was ignorant because he thought his religion was the only right one the rest didn’t make sense or mattered. He had no respect for other religions. He was going to lock up Elesin Oba just so that him and his wife could attend the ball.   He was very close mined. He thought just because Africans had their traditions and rituals they were “bastards.”  He was very stubborn and hard headed. He wanted everything his way.

Friday, March 11, 2011

NO SACO NADA DE LA ESCUELA!


No Saco Nada De La Escuela
                            By:  Luis Valdez

I believe Luis Valdez decided to name the play “No Saco Nada De La Escuela” because through the whole play this is the message he’s trying to give to the audience.  “The play argues that the educational system is irrelevant to the needs of the minority community, particularly in regards to the awareness of ones culture”. (Greenwalt, Pomo, Schultz, pg 763). So when he says he doesn’t get anything out of school, he’s talking about the minorities, meaning the American educational system doesn’t educate us about our cultures and backgrounds teaching us only of the American culture, forgetting our needs. There’s a line the professor says “I have here in my hand the book of American Knowledge. There is nothing here about chicken –o. in fact there is nothing in here about nothing” (pg 771) and the book had nothing but a dollar sigh. What I understand from this is that Valdez is trying to say that the schools only teach about the importance of finance and money but it doesn’t teach us the importance of our background, culture, roots; where we came from.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The role of strength and intellet in the play


Gross-Jean was the oldest of all. Had an iron arm; over confident indeed was the strongest of all. Although Gross- Jean was the oldest he did not have the brains. He was very confident about his strength but when it comes to a mental challenge he was defeated because for him all that matter was being strong. He thought he could defeat anything with his “iron arm”.
Mid- Jean was the second oldest. He was not considered to be strong. He was more into his books and his philosophy.  I would say Mid- jean was cleaver in his own ways, but very close minded to other things. As he said if he didn’t see it, it wouldn’t believe it. He was smart when it came down to his book and his beliefs but when it came down to the outside world he was very ignorant.  
Ti- Jean was the wisest of all three brothers. He wasn’t as strong as Gross- Jean but was so smart and sneaky that he didn’t necessarily need to be as strong as his older brother to defeat the devil. He wasn’t as smart and intelligent in books and philosophy like his brother Mid-Jean but he was “street smart”. Very open minded and aware of his surroundings.  Had a lot of knowledge. His mother always spoke to him about the world and he always listen, unlike his older brothers who were too busy thinking about becoming stronger (Gross-Jean) and about the books and own philosophies (Mid- Jean).

Monday, March 7, 2011

The Devil VS Ti-Jeans

In the play the devil is the antagonist,  round character very demanding, evil, Greedy and conniving. The devil is also presented as an old man, papa bois and plantere. In the play there are 3 brothers who live with their mom. They are very poor and want more money. The devil gives Ti-Jean job to do. Ti Jean is the youngest and wises of all also the protagonist. The devil challenged the brothers one by one to catch a goat and tie it down to a good tree; they all failed except for Ti-Jean. Ti-Jean then challenged the devil and did the opposite of what he asked.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Japan


The play is very short and a bit complicated. I like how loyalty plays a big role in the play. What I understood about the play was that the lord Yotitimo was trying to capture his brother Yoshitsune after he escaped from him. I guess he wanted freedom. I mean I would’ve done the same thing, after a while you need to become independent. The whole time Togashi who worked for the master Yotimo was blocking the roads so no prisoners could pass by. Benkei who worked for Yoshitsune came up with this brilliant idea to liberate him and it actually worked. At the end of the play although Togashi figured out the skeem he decided to let them go. For the simple fact that it fascinated him so much. He was so fasitnated by how loyal and determined he was. Loyal to his master and lord and determined to pass the road. This is why I said loyal plays a big role in the play. I would dare to say it’s the moral of the play. Loyalty