Black Shack Alley, Zobel
Hello everyone! Week 6's reading is Black Shack Alley by Joseph Zobel, the longest book we have read so far. While past books were able to delve into topics in immense detail with only a small amount of pages, I liked that this reading had more space in order to fully explore its topics of colonialism, slavery, and growing up in this time. Specifically, it follows a boy growing up in Martinique, an island colonized by France, in the 1920s.
To touch on the inclusion of the glossary in the beginning of the book, I believe this inclusion was important, especially for a book that touches on colonialism. In this course we are reading translated versions of books that were originally written in romance languages, and including this glossary made me think about how we may be losing some of the original readings by reading translated versions. I think language is a very important part of culture and nationality that can be lost, so I really liked that some key terms were not turned into an english version, and it kept true to what the original author said. However, I also noticed that many of the terms were French, which speaks to the colonization of Martinique by France.
There were many parts of this book that were compelling but troubling that had me stop to reread and really think, and one of them was M'man Tine's description of her life. How her mother had died, then the only person who would take her exploited her for money, and then she was raped by the commander, and eventually had to send her daughter to join the petite bandes. These descriptions of life accounts were very powerful to me as we see the story that for generations they had lived in poverty and been enslaved. It highlights the injustices and intergenerational effects. I found that throughout the reading, and as Jo grew up, comments on the poverty and society he lived in went from innocent to more understanding. For example, in the beginning, his life is likely all Jo knows, living on the plantation, and M'man Tine wearing a dress with holes "that had become as perforated as a net." But as he grows up and goes to school, he begins to understand that by learning the past of Black people it reveals to him the challenges of current. This is shown in what I believe to be one of the most powerful quotes from his learning, "all the past of the black race, confronted with its present, was thus revealed to me as a challenge thrown out by history to this race, and such an observation made me throb with that vibrant pride that made people organize armed resistance."
My question for this week is: Do you believe the formal education he received was to thank for his realization and growth, or was his interest in learning outside of school more influential?
I too think M'man Tine highlights the set of struggles and sacrifice each generation makes for their family. To answer your question, I believe it was a bit of both. While getting an education provides a certain knowledge of real world events, there is a lot of learning of injustice and unfairness in the world outside the classroom. There is academic knowledge and there is knowledge from experience.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post, especially your comment about the glossary! In regards to your question, it's hard to determine the true extent that José's education had on his willingness to learn and ponder his growth. However, I am sure that it did have an effect of some sort. I agree with Isabella too, that both factors likely had an influence on his realization and growth.
ReplyDeleteHi, I also think that is is so important to keep traditions and languages alive throughout time. It is so easy to get lost in the world around you that people often forget their roots. I talked about how important oral transmission is to cultures and even at home I am always asking my grandparents to tell me stories and asking them questions about our culture and its traditions.
ReplyDeleteHi Samantha, I very much agree with your point about the importance of language in the novel. There are numerous examples where M'man Tine and other villagers in the neighbourhood share cultural beliefs, or superstitions with the next generation when they are in gatherings.This definitely ties into the idea of nationality since this shows how Zobel preserves his identity; he does not abandon his cultural roots despite receiving education in a French assimilative system, which I think is empowering.
ReplyDelete- Janae
"including this glossary made me think about how we may be losing some of the original readings by reading translated versions."
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a good point, and it also perhaps makes us think about what can and cannot be translated or communicated. We are after all in many ways very distant and different from Jose and his experience, and yet (as the last line in the book suggests) he has something he is trying to tell us.