Bokomoko

What I found interesting about chapters 15 and 16 were the return of Bokomoko. I was wondering why the author had decided not to introduce his character physically into the novel, but merely left him as an idea and rumored figure throughout the story. The women keep discussing him, the men ponder his return, Touti reevaluates her morals for this guy, but we don't ever really get the whole picture of who this character is. His elusive character in the novel almost gives him a profit like presence when he returns to Thies. I wondered why the author brought him back just as the strike was taking a turn for the better, or so the men thought by the reactions of the French. I also found his character intriguing because he does have a mysterious way about him. I thought it was interesting how upon his arrival his own uncle was unsure if he had actually been there or if he was merely dreaming. Bokomoko's character came off to me as more of a spirit-like character. He came off as elusive and mystical and his presence gave the people hope, like a profit does. I think that his presence in the novel is suppose to signify a change in events and that he will make a difference in the course of the novel, and hopefully pick up the pace a little. I'm a little tired of this dried out sob story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrN4nSmqDh8&feature=related some fun African jams

The Apprentices

In chapter 13 a new band of heros are introduced into the story. In this chapter the apprentices enter center stage and truly give an astounding performance. At first they are shown just being regular teenage boys wanting to have fun and entertain themselves. As the chapter progresses however, the boys seem to be swept with an overwhelming autonomy that drives them to take the initiative and help their village. The boys set out on hunting escapades and are mostly successful in their endeavors. The townspeople are joyous about the incoming food, regardless of what it is, and the boys feel like their importance in the community is validated. But it is not the meager food supply being drawn in that is truly propelling the strike forward. It is the destructive behaviors of the apprentices that really has the French on their toes. What I found interesting about this chapter was that despite all of the efforts of their adult counterparts, the apprentices were the ones who really showed that they were merciless and not a force to be reckoned with. I also was humored by the fact that the boys probably had very little intention of inflicting terror with their homemade arsenal, and in reality were probably just trying to kill time and have fun. The impact of their actions however were that the French were incredibly alarmed by their vandalism and struck with fear that the targets would soon become their posh flower boxes or small children. I appreciated the symbolism of glass that the author used in this chapter. From my own perspective I saw the glass as a symbol of fragility as well as european customs and modernized manufacturing. I found that it was very effective that the apprentices used homemade slingshots to destroy machine manufactured items like cars and lamp posts. The juxtaposition of the two worlds really came to light in the scenes where the boys go into town. I also think that having this event come at this point in the story was advantageous because it symbolizes the start of the French starting to crack. Also the authors description of the glass being shiny and broken also seems to me like this is serving as a parallel to the strikers view of the French.  

and the cracks begin to show;;

My sentiment towards chapter 12 was that the author had decided to finally emerge from the depressing exposition of the book and finally depict a change of pace in the momentum( or lack there of) of the strike. Chapter 12 serves as a turning point for the Senegalese in their battle against the French's oppression.Up until this point in the book the efforts of the strikers seemed to be at a dead halt. The French were consistently asserting their dominance and exhibiting their control advantageously. Until chapter 12 there is really no sign that the French are by any means breaking down or willing to compromise. Because the book is written from the perspective of the strikers for the most part, we do not really have any intel on how the French men are handling the situation or how desperate they are to get the strikers to comply with their needs and unfair regulations. I think this choice was interesting because the author has written chapters from the perspective of the French, but the presence of these chapters in the story do not occur often. By doing this the author effectively allows the reader to feel as though they are in the shoes of the strikers, and just as clueless to the efficaciousness of the strike. By not including the sentiments of the French explicitly, the reader subconsciously is able to relate to the mindset of the strikers because the struggles of their daily lives are being over exploited. So far in the novel, the story has been all about the French's successful oppression of the strikers. It is for this reason that the incident between Doudou and Isnard is such a turning point in the plot. The French are shown becoming more vulnerable and in this particular scene the strikers are given the upper hand and thus adding momentum to their efforts to gain respect and fairness from the white men. The fact that Doudou rejects Isnard's proposal for a large sum of money and a high position just goes to show how dedicated the strikers are to their cause. So who said the strikers were the eggs again? Maybe it's about time to reconsider.  

Fire & Water

In chapter nine we see the women of Dakar finally reach their breaking point. Tired of playing the passive timid women they are expected to be, the women finally take matters into their own hands. After enduring long spans of time without food or water the women could no longer manage to merely meander around town begging for food and water. They knew in their hearts that if they wanted to get things done, they needed to take more drastic measures. I think that the brutality caused by the women shows the inner struggles that they have been dealing with that are finally coming out, and the rage is being directed at the Frenchmen. Despite the graphic details depicted in this chapter that pertains to the women's actions, the main thing that stuck out to me was the symbolism of fire and water. When the police come to arrest Ramatoulaye, Mame Sofi proposes that the women light fires to spook the horses. Although they could have spooked the horses in many ways, like making loud noises I found it interesting that the author used fire. In my own interpretation I thought that the fire was an allegory to the strike itself. The Senegalese were the ones who ignited the flame and now it was quickly burning way out of their control. Just like the fire the strike was started by the Africans wanted to protect themselves from the oppression being brought upon them by the French. The Senegalese workers thought that the strike would benefit them and eventually have a positive outcome, just as Mame Sofi thought that they could combat the Frenchmen on horses with fire and win the overall battle, making them go away. But the reality of the situation was much more harsh than they had expected. The strike had left many families devastated, hungry, thirsty, and even more poor than they had started. Similarly, women thought that lighting the fire would help them achieve their purpose of getting rid of the Frenchmen when the result ended up harming them and their community. Fire also has a negative destructive connotation that has the potential to get out of hand. These aspects of fire are what lead me to believe that fire is a good symbol of the might of the strike and its potential outcomes. It also resembles that the Senegalese people are less in control of their actions. In contrast, the French fight the Senegalese with water. When the women are at the police station the Frenchmen decide that the way to get rid of the women is to blast them with water from fire hoses. I thought it was interesting that the author chose this method because metaphorically, they are trying to extinguish the fire of the strike. Also the symbolism in choosing water as their weapon represents the control that the French have in the situation. Literally it exhibits that they have control over a vital resource that they have not been providing. Metaphorically, it shows the controlled and effective methods that the French use to assert their power.

“No, woman; it was your son who said, “Our world is opening up” (87)

Chapters seven and eight highlight the intergenerational struggle in God's Bits of Wood.In Chapter seven we see Niakoro and her husband, Fa Keita arguing over a statement that their son(Bakayoko) had said. Bakayoko's mother says that because of the strike the "world is falling apart" and in response Fa Keita says “No, woman; it was your son who said, “Our world is opening up”. These statements while addressing the obvious issue of the European’s impact on the African society, also bring up the topic that is a motif in the book; The struggle between the older generation versus the younger ones. Yes, it is true and clear that the Europeans caused civil conflicts and attempted to impose their own "progressive" cultural elements into African culture, which in turn may be causing some to feel as though the “world” is going to “fall apart” because for elders like Niakoro, to watch the younger generations submit to an Eastern European way of life is heartbreaking. To know that the culture that they have been keeping  alive for years and passing on to their children as a precious gift is now being left behind. To the elders, this is potentially the worst thing that could happen, for it is those traditions that Niakoro and the other elders clung to so tightly. Meanwhile, for the younger generation they see the new way of life, the books, the education as an opportunity to broaden their horizons and expand there knowledge. They are also offered an alternative to their native culture, whereas the older generation only has their strong rooted beliefs to think about, the new wave of ideology is just coming across as corruption to a culture they held so high in their esteems for so long. But to the youth they are just learning the ways of their own people when an external force is trying to push them away from what they were taught to believe by their parents and peers. So although Fa Keita’s words may have held optimism and an open minded outlook towards his son's cause, for people like Niakoro this influence is hardly a positive one. Either way, both statements hold elements of truth in them simply because of the reality of the situation. Personally, I would have to side with the elders on this one though. The younger generations may feel like their rebellious actions are right, but the word from the wise seems to make more sense in the given situation because it is more realistic as opposed to optimistic. 

Touti's Decision

Chapter five brings about one of the novel's motifs, which is the cultural clash between the French and the Senegalese. We don't necessarily see two characters  arguing with one another on a certain issue, but we see how one of the characters, N'Deye Touti feels as though she is isolated in a culture that is alien to her. N’Deye’s conflict can be summarized in one phrase, ” N’Deye herself knew far more about europe than she did about Africa” (58). Yes N’Deye acts as if she is a, “…prisoner in the place that should have been her home” (58). And yes her intellect and standards of marriage do not directly correlate with those of her peers. But It is important to stress that despite these thoughts that she has, N’Deye seems to hold Africa dear in her heart. This is exhibited by her strange relationship with Bakayoko that subconsciously strengthens her hidden love for Africa. Bakayoko advocates a message of european resistance, but most importantly a message of accepting the African culture, and N’Deye seems to accept this message when she says to Beaugosse, ” Have you noticed that in the whole time we have been talking we haven’t spoken a single word in Oulof?” (63) I think that N’Deye's two relationships in the story each symbolize a part of her, which makes her decision a bit more difficult. She knows that in her decision on which partner to choose, she will ultimately decide which part of her personality is more prominent, leaving the other side of her in the dust.

Eggs Against Stones?

I must admit i'm getting really into this book. I love the polarity of the plot and characters and how the perspectives of the same events are conveyed through the eyes of the two conflicting groups. As I was reading chapters three and four one phrase really stuck out to me. When Hadrame says "This strike is a war of eggs against stones" (42) it really got me thinking; I know that he meant that the Senegalese people were the eggs and the French were the stones but who is the true stone? By just reading the first few chapters you get a gist of what life is like for the senegalese. They work hard for very little pay. They endure daily hardships. They stand up for what they think is right even if it involves suffering. The Frenchies? They are sitting in their nice offices contemplating about how they can put down the strike. They don't want to pay their hard working employees pensions or give them a family allowance because it is means to create a larger family and take more money from the already incredibly wealthy corporations. Personally I think that the Senegalese people are going to turn out to be the stones here. Although at this point in the book it seems as though some of the characters are taking drastic measures in attempts to put food on the table for their families, in retrospect they know that this is a cause worth fighting for. As chapter three draws to a close it says how "the men began to understand that if the times were bringing forth a new breed of men, they were also bringing forth a new breed of women." Both men and women are becoming stronger than ever maybe not physically because the good majority of the characters are famished but mentally they are stepping up to the unjust situation. As for the French they are merely sitting in their money thinking that it can control everything around them. But when the battle wears down to will power, I feel like the French are going to end up being scrambled eggs.

What about you guys? Got any ideas?

My Humble Thoughts on the First Two Chapters of God's Bits of Wood

 Naturally, when God's Bits of Wood was assigned I was a bit skeptical about how interesting it was going to be or how much I was going to take away from the book. After Crime and Punishment I have grown to have a negative outlook for the books this quarter but after the first few chapters, God's Bits of Wood was starting to grow on me. I love books with a complex plot and this one is definitely starting to stir up some complexity. I enjoy having to think about the various plot lines that are going on and sorting out in my head how things went down as opposed to being stuck in one person's objective reality like in Crime and Punishment. I also think that Ad’jibid’ji's character is refreshing. Her quick wit and sparky attitude amuses me. I can relate to the fact that she is intelligent beyond her years and is always questioning authority figures and thinking that she is right. Her character has an interesting dynamic that challenges the cultural norms of her setting, which is normally to respect your wise elders. She defies the typical stereotype of african women which I like. I'm glad to see a strong woman character so early in the book, especially taking into account the setting.