Aminata – good character. trusty. of African beginning. close and introspective yet good at speaking to those comfy with. ( Amina female parent of Mohammed the Prophet )
This is a really specific and careful pick of a name for the character. Aminata in the novel is all of these things. She is a good individual but in a really bad state of affairs and forced to make some really bad things. At bosom. Aminata is a good. trusty individual. Peoples could “talk without end” ( Page 67 ) to her. as there is an aura of trust that she gives away. Aminata likes to be by herself. and cherishes minutes in which she can merely loosen up and be by herself. But she is besides good at speaking to people and easy winning them over. Whether it be the “stocky and snarly” ( Page 44 ) pregnant adult female or the “distasteful” ( Page 37 ) treasonist of Chekura. they all come along finally. Amina is the female parent of Mohammed. who is one of the most of import figures in Muslim faith.
“We Glide Over the Unburied
One twenty-four hours. if I of all time got place. possibly they would do an exclusion and allows me to go a djeli. or narrator. At dark. in the small town. while the fire glowed and the seniors drank sweetened tea. visitants would come from afar to hear my funny narrative. To go a djeli. you had to be born into a particular household. I used to wish that I had been. for the honor of acquisition and reciting the narratives of our small town and ascendants. Early in life. a kid born into the djeli household would be taught the narrative of the crocodile who carried off five kids. and of the adult male who was so rich that he had 17 married womans but so barbarous that each ran off. and of the first clip a adult male in our small town returned from Timbuktu with the cryptic Qur’an in his manus. It is said that when a djeli passed off. the cognition of one hundred work forces died with him.
When I was carried up the ladder and dropped like a poke of repast on the deck of the toubabu’s ship. I sought comfort by conceive ofing that I had been made a djeli. and was required to see and retrieve everything. My intent would be to witness. and fix to attest. Papa was non supposed to demo his girl how to read and compose a few lines in Arabic. Why did he interrupt the regulations? Possibly he knew something was coming. and wanted me to be ready. ” ( Page 55 )
1. Word picture – Aminata still has hope inside her that she will get away bondage. Yet she sees it as improbable and a far off event. 2. Word picture and Irony– Aminata feels abandoned and lost in her new scene. She longs for place. but the usage of ‘if’ means she understands the opportunities of it. Ironically. in the beginning of the book. ( when she is non stating the narrative ) Aminata says she no longer wants to return place. 3. Word picture – Aminata still feels like she belongs in the small town with her people. but that her experience has isolated her and made her different from everyone else. 4. Characterization – A narrator is person of wisdom and cognition who uses narratives to learn ethical motives and lessons. She feels like her ain narrative is incredible and unrealistic to all who were non at that place ( as most narratives ) . but has relevancy and a significance. 5. Emphasis – Here she emphasizes that she is speaking about her small town. even though it was already clear.
This shows its importance to her. 6. Here she is speaking about a cantonment fire. which represents integrity and company in the small town. 7. Relevance – Her narrative would be one of admiration and astonishment if recounted to her former tribesmen. This is relevant. as she does non recognize how common these abductions would shortly go. 8. Sarcasm – She hates how her race is treated merely because of their coloring material. yet accepts the fact that being born into the right household in her small town grants particular privileges off bounds to all others. 9. Word picture – Her current state of affairs lets her recognize how much she loves her people and sort. She would happen it an honor merely to portion her civilization with her people. 10. Symbolism – This narrative is told to kids to learn them of regard and equity. and that money is non the merely valuable thing in the universe. 11. Mention and Relevance– Timbuktu is a existent topographic point in Africa. It is relevant as it is a one time comfortable and unafraid metropolis. which fell and crumbled. 12. Word picture – Aminata is non unmindful and perfectly realizes the deficiency of regard in the manner she is treated. 13. Vocabulary – A name used in Central and West Africa for white people.
Context
This transition I taken from the really beginning of the following chapter of Aminata’s journey. It marks the terminal of her unreliable journey across Africa. and the beginning of her journey across the ocean to the new land. One twenty-four hours Aminata was populating peacefully in her small town as she had done her whole life ; the following minute her parents are killed in forepart of her. her small town is set on fire. and she is chained up for a long and unreliable hiking to the boat that will be her new place for the following twosome hebdomads. Aminata has had to age ten old ages in the span of a couple hebdomads. and mature plenty to last in this new status. After this transition. it will go on to depict her in-between transition and the hideous events that occur during it. This contemplation comes at a clip when Aminata has seen so many atrocious things. and they are get downing to truly impact her psychologically. She merely wants for simpler times. and inquiries why something like this could of all time happen.
