“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.