As Leah became older and more mature, however, she was able to recognize that things were not all alright in the Congo, as well as in her own household. Leah became aware of the abuse passed from Nathan to the rest of the family. Thus began her search for justice. Leah was also able to spot the differences between life in America and life in the Congo. For example, when Leah learned that in rubber plantations the Belgian foreman would “cut off the workers’ hands if they hadn’t collected enough rubber by the end of the day,” she stated, “Could this be true of civilized white Christians?”…
For the duration of this paper, a “slave” is defined as one who is non-consensually subjected to work or to captivity with little to no pay, and “consensual agreement” is understood to not be coerced and to possess a reasonable degree of autonomy. By this standard, Abina is clearly distinguished as a slave, though it is not clear if she maintains this status for the entirety of her life. While she was bought and sold as property by her first husband Yaw Awoah, she…
The ramifications of Leopold’s crimes in the Congo could be felt long after his death in 1913. Although he sold the Congo to the Belgium government after the truth regarding his atrocities could not long be denied there was much work that needed to be done to change the fate of the Congolese people. Business remained to be practiced in the same manner as under Leopold’s direction, and because of this many of the Congolese people remained enslaved, only in a different form. Because there wild rubber sources had been depleted, cultivated rubber began the new resource in which people were forced to work on rubber plantations.…
A big political event happened in book two is that the Congo gained its own independence from Belgium. Patrice Lumumba is the new elected leader in the country There is a parallel between the way Nathan rules his household, the way king of Belgium rules the Congo and Mobutu's dictatorial control of the country. For example Nathan’s sense of authority over his family members, where they are not allowed to speak when he is speaking, everyone follows his order. In book two Nathan made a significant decision regarding the begging of his wife and the desire of wanting to go home of his girls.…
Oppression in The Battle of Algiers The Battle of Algiers, directed by Gillo Pontecorvo follows the course of the Algerian war that continued from 1954 to 1962. It was known that Algerians wanted to be free from control of the French government that was present in Algeria at the time. The film captures the struggles of the Algerians as the continued to fight for their autonomy. As a result of the ongoing violence, oppression was felt by both the Algerians and French settlers.…
Majority of the opportunities that come along in one’s life as a child, comes from their parents, but in Mariatu’s case, the parent figures in her life do not provide her with any, and if anything, they question the ones that she makes herself. Mariatu expresses to Yabom, one of the social workers, that she wants to go to Canada and that she dislikes living in England. In order to go to Canada, Mariatu needs a Canadian visa and therefore return to Sierra Leone to acquire one. Yabom informs her that, “‘There isn’t even a Canadian consulate in Freetown-- I don’t know where this woman expects you to fill out the paperwork. You’ll likely never leave Freetown again.…
Hecuba, the queen of Troy, becomes a slave and must live among the common women in the POW camp. She loses everything: her husband, her position, her home, even some of her children. I found Hecuba particularly moving because of her deep concern for the fate of her children. Her character prompted me to think about women in our world today who lose everything - their reputations, their monetary possessions, and most importantly their loved ones - because of…
When Salva was 11 he was forced to abandon his home and family and flee to safety because of war. He had to grow up adapting to new areas all across Africa. “ The walking began again. Salva shook with terror inside and out… Every movement in the grass was a lion stalking”(40).…
Edward Said once wrote that the concept of exile is “the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place.” While his general claim is that exile “can never be surmounted,” Said adds that it can potentially be an “enriching” ordeal. In the African tragedy, Things Fall Apart, author Chinua Achebe presents the impact of such a detrimental experience through his protagonist, Okonkwo. Throughout the novel, Okonkwo’s struggle to gain respect and improve his social status eventually consumes him when he is challenged by the cultural differences and the conflicting beliefs of masculinity. When Okonkwo endures the physical exile bestowed upon him in his motherland, Mbanta, he is also mentally exiled from the other tribe members.…
The word nommo means word in the Kilango language, but it has a much bigger picture. Nommo is what makes everything exist as it is. The name of something is the reason it is so different than any other thing. Rachael’s name in the Kilango village is Mvúla, which means termite. They think of her as this because the termite is very pale, as is Rachael.…
In his article entitled, "National Culture and Liberation" Amilcar Cabral discusses the vital role the development of a collective cultural identity possesses in regard to national liberation, especially during the decolonization process of African countries. First, the author begins noting that colonialism requires the foreigners to "...practically liquidate the entire population of the dominated country, thus eliminating all possibility of that kind of cultural resistance; or to succeed in imposing itself without adversely affecting the culture of the dominated people, that is to say, harmonizing the economic and political domination of these people with its cultural personality" (Cabral 12). This quote exhibits the threatening nature of…
The colony of Algeria was one of many that was established by the French in order to rectify their diminishing image on the international spectrum. Throughout history, the nation of France has seemed to be in the shadows of Great Britain as well as struggling to keep up with their advancements. Throughout the 19th century, France experienced its fair share of losses, bad leaders, and through their eyes, national embarrassment. The revolution began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s which marked the beginning of a New France. The new republic signified a New France and imperialistic pursuits were one way they intended to regain the stature that they had lost and longed for throughout the course of history.…
Olaudah Equiano, a victim to the malicious slave trade, gives vivid detail and insight into the world of slavery from a slave’s point of view. The article studied was written by Equiano himself, an Ibo prince who was seized from his homeland of Africa and thrust into a cruel life of bondage at the age of only eleven. Equiano writes of the hardship of his voyage overseas in the late years of the seventeenth century. Part of his story is shared in this article, the story of an African male going from slavery to freedom. He records and shares his story in 1789 as he worked to further the Church of England after purchasing his freedom from a Quaker merchant.…
Exile is the state of being barred from one’s native country, typically for political or punitive reasons. Exile is seen as alienating, cause (someone) to feel isolated or estranged, or enriching, improve or enhance the quality or value of, but is a controversial statement whether it is justified or not. Palestinian American literary theorist and cultural critic Edward Said has written that “Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted” (Said). In the novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe illustrated the problems and consequences faced towards Okonkwo and the concept of exile, as it relates to the Igbo culture.…
He stated, “The white man of America will not, to any organized extent, assimilate the (black man) because in so doing, he feels that he will be committing suicide.” Thus, Garvey concluded Blacks needed to return to Africa. He sent emissaries to Liberia to negotiate a massive return. Garvey saw Liberia as a bridgehead for the liberation and unification of all of Africa.…