Achebe – IIAchebe – II

Monday QuizMonday Quiz

1. What’s the title of Ikem’s lecture?1. What’s the title of Ikem’s lecture?2. Of the peasants, the workers and/or the students, 2. Of the peasants, the workers and/or the students, who would Ikem trust to run the government?who would Ikem trust to run the government?3. What happens to Mad Medico?3. What happens to Mad Medico?4. How does Chris know that Ikem was murdered in 4. How does Chris know that Ikem was murdered in cold-blood, instead of shot by a police officer during an cold-blood, instead of shot by a police officer during an act of self-defense?act of self-defense?5. Who is Emmanuel?5. Who is Emmanuel?6. Why is Beatrice suddenly kind to Agatha?6. Why is Beatrice suddenly kind to Agatha?7. Who are the three green bottles?7. Who are the three green bottles?8. How does Chris escape the policeman who stops him 8. How does Chris escape the policeman who stops him at the check point?at the check point?

Gabriel OkaraGabriel Okara

Gabriel Okara – (1921 - ) Nigeria. His work deals Gabriel Okara – (1921 - ) Nigeria. His work deals with both colonial past and neocolonial present. with both colonial past and neocolonial present. The following poems contrast Western and The following poems contrast Western and African cultures, focusing on the differences and African cultures, focusing on the differences and underplaying the complementarity that is underplaying the complementarity that is possible between cultures and necessary to possible between cultures and necessary to create harmony in the world. He decries the create harmony in the world. He decries the mockery and rejection of his culture by the West mockery and rejection of his culture by the West and he describes how, in the neocolonial era, and he describes how, in the neocolonial era, the African elite is alienated from African culture the African elite is alienated from African culture and develops self-hatred.and develops self-hatred.

Piano and DrumsPiano and Drums

When at break of day at a riversideWhen at break of day at a riverside

I hear jungle drums telegraphing I hear jungle drums telegraphing

the mystic rhythm, urgent, rawthe mystic rhythm, urgent, raw

like bleeding flesh, speaking oflike bleeding flesh, speaking of

primal youth and the beginning.primal youth and the beginning.

I see the panther ready to pounce,I see the panther ready to pounce,

the leopard snarling about to leapthe leopard snarling about to leap

and the hunters crouch with spears poised;and the hunters crouch with spears poised;

Piano and DrumsPiano and Drums

And my blood ripples, turns torrent,And my blood ripples, turns torrent,topples the years and at once I’mtopples the years and at once I’min my mother’s lap a suckling; in my mother’s lap a suckling; at once I’m walking simpleat once I’m walking simplepaths with no innovations,paths with no innovations,rugged, fashioned with the nakedrugged, fashioned with the nakedwarmth of hurrying feet and groping heartswarmth of hurrying feet and groping heartsin green leaves and wild flowers pulsing.in green leaves and wild flowers pulsing.

Piano and DrumsPiano and Drums

Then I hear a wailing pianoThen I hear a wailing pianosolo speaking of complex wayssolo speaking of complex waysin tear-furrowed concerto;in tear-furrowed concerto;of far-away landsof far-away landsand new horizons withand new horizons withcoaxing diminuendo, counterpoint,coaxing diminuendo, counterpoint,crescendo. But lost in the labyrinthcrescendo. But lost in the labyrinthof its complexities, it ends in the middleof its complexities, it ends in the middleof a phrase at a daggerpoint.of a phrase at a daggerpoint.

Piano and DrumsPiano and Drums

And I, lost in the morning mistAnd I, lost in the morning mist

of an age at a riverside keepof an age at a riverside keep

wandering in the mystic rhythmwandering in the mystic rhythm

of jungle drums and the concerto.of jungle drums and the concerto.

You Laughed and Laughed and You Laughed and Laughed and LaughedLaughed

In your ears my songIn your ears my songis motor car misfiringis motor car misfiringstopping with a choking cough;stopping with a choking cough;and you laughed and laughed and laughed.and you laughed and laughed and laughed.

In your eyes my ante-In your eyes my ante-natal walk was inhuman, passingnatal walk was inhuman, passingyour omnivorous understandingyour omnivorous understandingand you laughed and laughed and laughed.and you laughed and laughed and laughed.

You laughed at my song,You laughed at my song,you laughed at my walk.you laughed at my walk.Then I danced my magic danceThen I danced my magic danceto the rhythm of talking –to the rhythm of talking –drums pleading, but you shut yourdrums pleading, but you shut youreyes and laughed and laughed and laughed.eyes and laughed and laughed and laughed.

You Laughed and Laughed and You Laughed and Laughed and LaughedLaughed

And then I opened my mysticAnd then I opened my mysticinside wide likeinside wide likethe sky, instead you entered yourthe sky, instead you entered yourcar and laughed and laughed and laughed.car and laughed and laughed and laughed.

You laughed at my dance,You laughed at my dance,you laughed at my inside.you laughed at my inside.You laughed and laughed and laughed.You laughed and laughed and laughed.

But your laughter was ice-blockBut your laughter was ice-blocklaughter and it froze your inside, frozelaughter and it froze your inside, frozeyour voice, froze your ears,your voice, froze your ears,froze your eyes and froze your tongue.froze your eyes and froze your tongue.

You Laughed and Laughed and You Laughed and Laughed and LaughedLaughed

And now it’s my turn to laugh;And now it’s my turn to laugh;but my laugher is not but my laugher is not ice-block laugher. For Iice-block laugher. For Iknow not cars, know not ice-blocks.know not cars, know not ice-blocks.

My laughter is the fireMy laughter is the fireof the eye of the sky, the fireof the eye of the sky, the fireof the earth, the fire of the air,of the earth, the fire of the air,the fire of the seas and thethe fire of the seas and therivers fishes animals trees,rivers fishes animals trees,and it thawed your inside,and it thawed your inside,thawed your voice, thawed yourthawed your voice, thawed yourears, thawed your eyes andears, thawed your eyes andthawed your tongue.thawed your tongue.

You Laughed and Laughed and You Laughed and Laughed and LaughedLaughed

So a meek wonder heldSo a meek wonder heldyour shadow and you whispered; your shadow and you whispered; ““Why so?”Why so?”And I answered:And I answered:““Because my fathers and IBecause my fathers and Iare owned by the living are owned by the living warmth of the earthwarmth of the earththrough our naked feet.”through our naked feet.”

Agostinho Neto – (1922-1979) Agostinho Neto – (1922-1979) Angola.Angola.

A militant worker for Angolan independence, he A militant worker for Angolan independence, he served several terms of imprisonment under the served several terms of imprisonment under the Portuguese colonial regime. As president of the Portuguese colonial regime. As president of the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola, People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola, he lead his country to independence and he lead his country to independence and became its first president in 1975. His poetry is became its first president in 1975. His poetry is about the plight of the peasants and workers in about the plight of the peasants and workers in Angola. They are in a state of deprivation, cut off Angola. They are in a state of deprivation, cut off from the joys of life and relegated to a world of from the joys of life and relegated to a world of servitude by the bearers of “Western servitude by the bearers of “Western Civilization.” Civilization.”

NightNight

I liveI livein the dark quarters of the in the dark quarters of the worldworldwithout light, nor life.without light, nor life.Anxious to live,Anxious to live,I walk in the streetsI walk in the streetsfeeling my wayfeeling my wayleaning into my shapeless leaning into my shapeless dreams,dreams,stumbling into servitude.stumbling into servitude. -- Dark quarters-- Dark quarters worlds of wretchednessworlds of wretchedness

where the will is watered downwhere the will is watered downand menand menare confused with things.are confused with things.I walk, lurching,I walk, lurching,through the unlitthrough the unlitunknown streets crowded unknown streets crowded with mystery and terror,with mystery and terror,I, arm in arm with ghosts,I, arm in arm with ghosts,And the night too is dark.And the night too is dark.

Kinaxixi Kinaxixi (a working class (a working class residential area in Angola)residential area in Angola)

I was glad to sit downI was glad to sit downOn a bench in KinaxixiOn a bench in Kinaxixiat six o’clock of a hot evening at six o’clock of a hot evening and just sit there . . .and just sit there . . .

Someone would comeSomeone would comemaybemaybeto sit beside meto sit beside me

And I would see the black facesAnd I would see the black facesof the people going uptownof the people going uptownin no hurryin no hurryexpressing absence in theexpressing absence in thejumbled Kimbundu they conversed in.jumbled Kimbundu they conversed in.

Kinaxixi Kinaxixi (a working class (a working class residential area in Angola)residential area in Angola)

I would see the tired footstepsI would see the tired footstepsof the servants whose fathers are also servantsof the servants whose fathers are also servantslooking for love here, glory there, wantinglooking for love here, glory there, wantingsomething more than drunkenness in everysomething more than drunkenness in everyAlcoholAlcohol

Neither happiness nor hateNeither happiness nor hate

After the sun had setAfter the sun had setlights would be turned on and Ilights would be turned on and Iwould wander offwould wander offthinking that our life after all is simplethinking that our life after all is simpletoo simpletoo simplefor anyone who is tired and still has to walk.for anyone who is tired and still has to walk.

Western CivilizationsWestern Civilizations

Sheets of tin nailed to postsSheets of tin nailed to postsdriven in the grounddriven in the groundmake up the house.make up the house.

Some rags completeSome rags completethe intimate landscape.the intimate landscape.

The sun slanting through The sun slanting through crackscracks

welcomes the ownerwelcomes the owner

After twelve hours of slaveAfter twelve hours of slavelabor labor

breaking rockbreaking rockshifting rockshifting rockbreaking rockbreaking rockshifting rockshifting rockfair weatherfair weatherwet weatherwet weatherbreaking rockbreaking rockshifting rockshifting rock

Old age comes earlyOld age comes earlya mat on dark nightsa mat on dark nightsis enough when he diesis enough when he diesgratefullygratefullyof hunger.of hunger.