Women Driving the Fast Trains

The part of the book that has really caught my attention is gender roles. In class we have talked about how as the strike progresses that the gender role will also change. This becomes very prominent during the conversation between Ad’jibid’ji and her grandfather (the old one).

“‘Why do you always want to go to these mettings?’

‘I have to start learning what it means to be a man.’

The Old One had laughed until the tears came, shaking his head at the child. ‘But you are not a man!’

‘Petit pere says that men and women will be equal someday’”

This quote shows two things, that the roles of men and woman are changing, and that the younger generation is aware of it. Ad’jidid’ji is wants to do what is considered to be the role of the man, and she isn’t scared to be out of her comfort zone to do so.  In the future I can see her acting as a woman’s activist. Something that I thought was important to notice was her grandfather’s opinion on the subject of equal rights. Since he is part of the older generation, the idea that one day the gender of someone is not important is almost barbaric.

 What did you think about this conversation between Ad’jidid’ji and her grandfather?

Do you think that my generalization of the idea of the Grandfather is a stretch or realistic?

Children are 'God's Bits of Wood'

Authors choose their titles very carefully. The better known books have lightly obscure tittles. In American literature I think about: To Kill a Mocking Bird, Catcher in the Rye, or Animal Farm; all of these books have a title that is a little bit ambiguous to what the meaning has to do with the title of the book. God’s Bits of Wood is the same, where it’s not clear why Sembene Ousmane chose that title. In chapter four the reader learned the meaning of the title. This comes in context on page fifty-one when Houdia M’Baye is talking about her relationship with her husband and her kids (this goes back to gender roles). The narrator says, “She (Houdia M’Baye) had brought nine of ‘God’s bits of wood’ into the world, and her successive pregnancies had made her dull and listless.” (51) Through this passage the reader finally learns what the title means. ‘God’s bits of wood’ has to do with children. I find this analogy very fascinating because children are the way the world lives on and are so banal that one rarely pays attention how they (kids) are a gift from God.  I now also understand the cover of the book, which is of a Senegalese woman holding her baby. Before you read what the title meant what did you think it was about? What are some other books that come to your mind when you think ambiguous titles?

Gender Roles

In my previous post I looked at the similarities and differences between God’s Bits of Wood and Une Si Long Lettre. In chapters three and four I noticed some gender roles and how they have changed through the strike.  On page thirty-three, it talks about how in the Senegalese culture most of the time men have multiple wives. “In this country, the men often had several wives, and it was perhaps because of this that, at the beginning, they were scarcely conscious of the help the woman gave them”. This is the same as Une Si Long Lettre, I enjoyed seeing how two books from a culture very different to my own has similar story lines. The quote continues to say, “… he would seek the arms of his wife, without thinking or caring, whether she was the first or the third. Burdened shoulders, the listless walk, the woman become conscious that change was coming for them as well” (33-34). The chapter finalizes with a clarifying statement about the change about to arise; “And the men began to understand that if the times were bring forth a new breed of men, they were also bringing forth a new breed of women” (34). This final statement foreshadows evens that will occur in the upcoming chapters, what of, I don’t know yet, but I am looking forward to seeing the gender roles change as the time shall change.

Racism, Nationalism, and Pride!

As  I jumped into the reading of God's Bits of Woods I had some prior understanding of Senegal, and thier works (of writing). In the beginning ofthe year I had to read Une Si Long Lettre for French. Une Si Long Lettre focused on the thoughts of a middle aged woman and her feelings after the death of her husband. The social issues faced in the book were woman's roles in society, and polygamous relations.
Form the very start  it was known that the social issues being addressed in God's Bits of Woods are the racial tension, segregation, and hate (a very different issue in Senegal than of Une Si Long Lettre addressed). This hate is first seen on  page five when Ad'jibid'ji resonds to her Grandmother useing the french word, alors. Niakoro became angry and said, "alorss, aloss!... ...You speak to me, to your father's mother, and you say aloss! The white men say "aloss" when they call their gods, and my granddaughter talks to me in the same way!... ... I speak to you in Bambara, and you answer me in a language of savages!" This passage expressed Niakoro's abhorrence towards the French people, for they (the french) had taken her son and husband from her. The begginning of God's Bits of Woods gives a taste of the feeling that will arise throughout the book.
I am looking forward to seeing how the racism will prevode the native people of Senegal.