Colonial/Post Colonial Literature
My assignment is of 2 parts. The instructions for the first part are below:
PART 1:
Write a paragraph explaining how the issue/theme helps us to understand colonial/postcolonial
encounters and their consequences.
THEME 1: Folklore/magic/the supernatural. (This is for paragraph 1)
The story I want to use for this is “A Sound like Thunder.”
It has fantasy element. I will attach the story for you to read. Please read it and explain how the theme of folkore/magic/or the supernatural helps us to understand colonial/post colonial encounters and their consequences.
THEME 2: Ignorance/understanding. (This is for paragraph 2)
The story I want to use for this is “The Wind and a Boy”
The way Friedman dies is because of ignorance. I will attach the story for you to read. Please read it and explain how the theme of ignorance helps us to understand colonial/post colonial encounters and their consequences.
THEME 3: Gender Identity and/or gender roles.
The story I want to use for this is “Two Sisters”
I will attach the story for you to read. Please read it and explain how the theme of Gender identity/gender roles helps us to understand colonial/post colonial encounters and their consequences.
Paragraphs can be short (5 sentences max for each paragraph, min 3).
PART 2.
INSTRUCTIONS:
In Western culture we value a happy ending, or at least one that is resolved. It is possible that the conclusions of these stories offer a broad statement about cultural identity in postcolonial stories. In other words, what expectations, beliefs, or cultural practices make that story resonate for the culture of its readers? Why is the typical Western “happy ending” not necessarily appropriate?
For this essay, please choose five stories and discuss the connection between the resolution of each story (how things turned out) and the cultural identity of the character(s) involved. This essay may feel somewhat looser than a formal essay, yet it should include the necessary parts to carry the reader along: Each paragraph will read like a mini-analysis, and beyond that you will have an introductory paragraph that ties all of the paragraphs together, transitions between paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. In each discussion make sure to describe the story’s conclusion in a sentence or two, so I know that you have read it accurately.
You may write about any five stories.
I have listed these stories below for you. Please choose any 5 that you think would answer the essay prompt, and discuss the connection between the resolution of each story and the cultural identity of the character(s) involved.
1) A Wind and A Boy.
2) A Sound Like Thunder. (this story is in the zoila ellis pdf),
3) Two Sisters.
4) No Witchcraft for Sale.
5) The Ultimate Safari.
6) House Girl.
7) Old Chief Mshlanga.
8) Do Angels Wear Brassiers.
9) A Very old man with wings.
I have attached all these stories. Please read and choose any 5 that you think would answer this essay and where you see a resolution between each story and the cultural identity of the characters involved.
Please include an introduction that ties all of the paragraphs together, five short paragraphs for 5 stories, and a concluding paragraph. Total 7 paragraphs.
Paragraphs need to have a minimum of 4-5 sentences.
Thank you so much.
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FINAL CONCLUDING NOTES:
I have tried to make the essay instructions as easy as possible. I hope this is easy enough to understand.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
I have included Part I and Part 2.
Part 1 (three themes) should be less than a page (maybe half a page, maybe 3/4 of a page?)
Part 2 (7 paragraphs) should be 2 pages.
Please do read the stories, and don’t gather information from websites.
Information needs to be gathered from the stories.
Thank you so much.
