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Anansi - LITERATURE NOTES
ABOUT ALISTAIR CAMPBELL
IMPORTANT TERMS
Middle passage, slave trade, origin of Anansi.
MAIN SUMMARY
This is the story of a little girl, who is chained in the hold of a slave ship destined for Jamaica. She shares her story with the woman that she is chained behind and the son of the captain of the slave ship. She is comforted by the voice of the woman, who she never actually sees, who introduces her to Anansi, the trickster, who eventually becomes a source of strength when she eventually ends up on the auction block in Kingston Harbour, Jamaica.
SETTING
CHARACTERS
Girl
Woman
Boy
Captain
- Alistair Campbell was born in Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands.
- He is a poet, playwright and novelist.
- more ...
IMPORTANT TERMS
Middle passage, slave trade, origin of Anansi.
MAIN SUMMARY
This is the story of a little girl, who is chained in the hold of a slave ship destined for Jamaica. She shares her story with the woman that she is chained behind and the son of the captain of the slave ship. She is comforted by the voice of the woman, who she never actually sees, who introduces her to Anansi, the trickster, who eventually becomes a source of strength when she eventually ends up on the auction block in Kingston Harbour, Jamaica.
SETTING
- The play opens on the West African Coast in 1791, with the acquisition of the 'cargo', or slaves.
- The bulk of the story occurs in the cabin, where the captain and his son converse, and the hold, where the girl and the woman (slaves) converse.
- The story ends in Kingston Harbour, on the island of Jamaica, with the girl being auctioned.
CHARACTERS
Girl
- The protagonist of the play.
- She is a very frightened and confused little girl, who is mentored by the woman that she is chained with.
Woman
- The lady who is chained with/ to the girl.
- She mentors the girl by introducing her to the Anansi stories that eventually gives her strength.
Boy
- He is the captain's son.
- He questions the morality of the slave trade and highlights the cruelty of the treatment of the slaves, during the Middle Passage, by asking uncomfortable questions.
Captain
- He represents the views of the capitalists of the day.
- He saw the slaves as valuable cargo and nothing else
- His only concern was to ensure that the slaves were a profitable investment for his employers.
summary
The Good Ship Hope, West African Coast, 1791.
The Cabin
The boy questions his father about the people that he sees. He is confused about how the people on the shore could be labelled as cargo. The captain, his father, is very short with him and does not facilitate any discussion about the boy's query.
On Deck
A very confused 'cargo', in the form of a little black girl, asks a sailor panicked questions. The sailor does not understand her but urges her to go down the hatch because he cannot throw her down there and damage the cargo.
The Cabin
The boy reads his father's log and highlights that they had docked on the West African coast yesterday and are going to the Indies. He wonders about the people on the shore, who were herded like cattle and in distress. He noticed an old woman who stood stiff, proud and calm. She reminded him of his grandmother. He decides to tell his diary his secrets.
The Hold
The little girl , and the other occupants of the hold, are fearful and filthy. She articulates her confusion and despair and a woman tells her to hold on.
The Cabin
The captain dictates a log for his son to transcribed. It states how he branded and documented the slaves and that they have been insured. They are exercised daily and fed porridge once a day. He is happy that only three out of forty slaves have died.
The Hold
The woman tells the girl that she should use her ears, instead of her eyes, when she laments that she cannot see the woman. The girl tells her about a spider that she sees, then the woman tells her an Anansi story.
The Forest of Stories
1. Naming the Stories
The little girl is transported into her imagination by the woman's story. Tiger approaches Anansi and tells him that he's been thinking about stories. He wants to tell the stories of the animals' fame, power and deeds. He wants to call the stories 'Incredibly Grand Magnificent and Wise Beyond Belief Tiger Stories'. Anansi states that it would be better for it to be called by a lesser animal, like himself, because people would be amazed when they discover that the story is about Tiger. Tiger refuses this suggestion and states that this will only happen if Anansi achieves the impossible; bring Mr. Snake to him, tied to a pole.
2. Tricking Snake
Anansi sets two obvious traps for Snake, which he easily figures out. Anansi tells Snake that he was trying to save his reputation. He informs Snake that he was trying to save his reputation. The animals think that he is short, so he has been trying to measure him, to prove them wrong. Anansi tells him that they plan to give the prize for the longest animal in the jungle. Snake proposes that he and Anansi cut down a tree and tie him to it, then take him to the Longest Creature of the Year Committee. The plan was executed and Anansi delivered Snake to Tiger, who relented and named the stories after Tiger.
On Board
The Hold
The woman speaks to the girl regarding her intention of passing on Anansi stories to her, the same stories that her mother told her. She encourages her to be strong in the way that Anansi is strong, on the inside.
The Cabin
The boy reads his diary but his father does not want him to do so because he believes that diaries are for girls. The boy clarifies that his father keeps a diary, but his father tells him that it is a log. The boy explains that the log tells a story, but the father then clarifies that it tells the only story that counts, one that says that money makes the world go round.
The Hold
The woman and the girl talk. They discuss being sick, yet healthy, and the fact that their captors do not see them as human. They notice a sailor and a boy exploring the hold. The visitors stop to assess the woman and the sailor comments that she must be watched and if she looks any sicker, she must be thrown over the side. They destroy a spider web when they leave. The woman is pleased that the girl understands that she should weave the web and wait. The girl is on the verge of panicking because their captors are throwing away people, so the woman introduces a new story.
The Forest of Stories
1. The World Blotted Out
The animals are in a panic because Mancrow is coming to devour their eggs and wreak havoc. He brings despair and death.
2. The Proclamation
The king makes it known that Mancrow has returned. He proclaims that whoever can save them from this threat will receive untold wealth and the hand of his daughter, in marriage.
3. The Initiation
Soliday tells his gran that he is off to hunt the Mancrow. She gives him six arrows, each representing something; hope, wits, fear, anger, name and secret.
4. The Battle
Solioday fires the arrows in the order that he was given and collects a feather, as proof of his victory. Anansi comes out of his hiding place and steals a feather.
5. The Reward
Anansi gets to the king first and the banquet begins. Anansi is fine with food as his reward, instead of one of the king's daughters. The king has trouble finding a few of his daughters because some of them were eaten by Mancrow. The true winner eventually arrives and Anansi sneaks off , but is pursued by the king's servants. He tricks them and escapes, and Soliday gets his prize.
On Board
The Hold
The story ends and the girl is calm. She asks the woman why Anansi looks for trouble and her answer is to sharpen his wits. The girl asks the woman what happens to the people who are not thrown away. The answer is that they sell them. She asks because she wants to know what will happen to her and confirm that she will not be thrown away.
On Deck
The boy sits and cries on deck, ad the sailor asks why. The boy asks the sailor what colour is God. The boy does not see the difference between himself and the girl. The sailor tells him that slaves are beasts and that God gave them dominion over the beasts. He proclaims that he is just doing his jobs when he throws away the slaves.
The Cabin
The boy reads his diary aloud and is caught by his father, who orders him to throw it away.
The Hold
The sailor and the boy visit the hold. The girl is inspected but when the sailor gets to the woman, the boy crumples in agony. He is carted off by a displeased sailor. The girl is worried that the woman is sick and questions why the slaves are hated. The woman's answer is that they see the thing they hate the most in the slaves - a soul. The woman distracts the girl with another Anansi story.
The Forest of Stories
1. Down by the Pool
Anansi tricks Tiger into shedding his coat and fat. He achieves this by telling Tiger that he can take him to a cool cool pool, but when he gets there, Anansi tells him that he cannot swim in his skin and fat. Tiger strips and swims, while Anansi cooks with Tiger's fat. Rabbit comes along, curious about the food and, seeing an opportunity to scapegoat someone, Anansi tells him about the Best Song About Tiger Contest. He gives Rabbit a song to go and enter at Song City. Anansi would have done it, but he says he cannot sing. Tiger belatedly realizes that his fat and skin are missing and Anansi says that he has a hunch where it is. Anansi told Tiger that he fell asleep in the heat.
2. Song City
Rabbit makes it to Song City. They do not know about the contest but they let him sing anyway. Tiger approaches and thinks that he has found the thief. He makes his identity known, but Anansi casts doubt on his claim to be Tiger. Anansi says that if he is Tiger, the skin would fit him. Of course, the skin does not fit, so Tiger runs after him.
On Board
The Hold
The girl loves that Anansi story. The woman gives her another riddle and the boy approaches. The girl is fearful that the sailor will take the woman away. The woman tells her not to worry and the boy tries to calm her. She sings Anansi's song to comfort herself.
The Cabin
The captain dictates to the boy. They have sighted Jamaica and he is relieved because they've only lost 150 slaves and 12 crew members on the journey. He intends to throw the stick overboard because their presence, among the healthy, will lower the value of the 'goods'.
Kingston Harbour
They arrive at Kingston Harbour and the slaves are placed on the auction block. The boy is doing the ledgers for the captain because he is sick. The girl is traumatized by the situation but finds strength in submersion in an Anansi story. It begins: There was a mean lady who quenched her thirst with people's tears. Her children, Dog, Cat and Crab ...
The Forest of Stories
1. Quenching Her Thirst
Dog, Cat and Crab placed an ad in the Forest News for a girl to be a helper. They discussed how she would be worked until she cries. The mean old lady asks the children if the helper will not want wages and they say no, because the ad also stipulates that at the end of the week, if the girl manages to guess the old woman's name, the girl will get half of everything that the old lady owns. Anansi arrives, disguised as a girl, and gets the job. He cries from just hearing the amount of work that he has to do.
2. At the River
Anansi tricks Crab into giving him the old lady's name, for a kiss. Anansi then goes to the old lady and requests his reward. The old woman gets so angry that she turns over her calabash of tears when Crab admits to being the culprit. It sticks to his back. The girl then re-enters the auction.
Kingston Harbour
The girl is sold at the auction, but she implores the reader to remember her.
The Cabin
The boy questions his father about the people that he sees. He is confused about how the people on the shore could be labelled as cargo. The captain, his father, is very short with him and does not facilitate any discussion about the boy's query.
On Deck
A very confused 'cargo', in the form of a little black girl, asks a sailor panicked questions. The sailor does not understand her but urges her to go down the hatch because he cannot throw her down there and damage the cargo.
The Cabin
The boy reads his father's log and highlights that they had docked on the West African coast yesterday and are going to the Indies. He wonders about the people on the shore, who were herded like cattle and in distress. He noticed an old woman who stood stiff, proud and calm. She reminded him of his grandmother. He decides to tell his diary his secrets.
The Hold
The little girl , and the other occupants of the hold, are fearful and filthy. She articulates her confusion and despair and a woman tells her to hold on.
The Cabin
The captain dictates a log for his son to transcribed. It states how he branded and documented the slaves and that they have been insured. They are exercised daily and fed porridge once a day. He is happy that only three out of forty slaves have died.
The Hold
The woman tells the girl that she should use her ears, instead of her eyes, when she laments that she cannot see the woman. The girl tells her about a spider that she sees, then the woman tells her an Anansi story.
The Forest of Stories
1. Naming the Stories
The little girl is transported into her imagination by the woman's story. Tiger approaches Anansi and tells him that he's been thinking about stories. He wants to tell the stories of the animals' fame, power and deeds. He wants to call the stories 'Incredibly Grand Magnificent and Wise Beyond Belief Tiger Stories'. Anansi states that it would be better for it to be called by a lesser animal, like himself, because people would be amazed when they discover that the story is about Tiger. Tiger refuses this suggestion and states that this will only happen if Anansi achieves the impossible; bring Mr. Snake to him, tied to a pole.
2. Tricking Snake
Anansi sets two obvious traps for Snake, which he easily figures out. Anansi tells Snake that he was trying to save his reputation. He informs Snake that he was trying to save his reputation. The animals think that he is short, so he has been trying to measure him, to prove them wrong. Anansi tells him that they plan to give the prize for the longest animal in the jungle. Snake proposes that he and Anansi cut down a tree and tie him to it, then take him to the Longest Creature of the Year Committee. The plan was executed and Anansi delivered Snake to Tiger, who relented and named the stories after Tiger.
On Board
The Hold
The woman speaks to the girl regarding her intention of passing on Anansi stories to her, the same stories that her mother told her. She encourages her to be strong in the way that Anansi is strong, on the inside.
The Cabin
The boy reads his diary but his father does not want him to do so because he believes that diaries are for girls. The boy clarifies that his father keeps a diary, but his father tells him that it is a log. The boy explains that the log tells a story, but the father then clarifies that it tells the only story that counts, one that says that money makes the world go round.
The Hold
The woman and the girl talk. They discuss being sick, yet healthy, and the fact that their captors do not see them as human. They notice a sailor and a boy exploring the hold. The visitors stop to assess the woman and the sailor comments that she must be watched and if she looks any sicker, she must be thrown over the side. They destroy a spider web when they leave. The woman is pleased that the girl understands that she should weave the web and wait. The girl is on the verge of panicking because their captors are throwing away people, so the woman introduces a new story.
The Forest of Stories
1. The World Blotted Out
The animals are in a panic because Mancrow is coming to devour their eggs and wreak havoc. He brings despair and death.
2. The Proclamation
The king makes it known that Mancrow has returned. He proclaims that whoever can save them from this threat will receive untold wealth and the hand of his daughter, in marriage.
3. The Initiation
Soliday tells his gran that he is off to hunt the Mancrow. She gives him six arrows, each representing something; hope, wits, fear, anger, name and secret.
4. The Battle
Solioday fires the arrows in the order that he was given and collects a feather, as proof of his victory. Anansi comes out of his hiding place and steals a feather.
5. The Reward
Anansi gets to the king first and the banquet begins. Anansi is fine with food as his reward, instead of one of the king's daughters. The king has trouble finding a few of his daughters because some of them were eaten by Mancrow. The true winner eventually arrives and Anansi sneaks off , but is pursued by the king's servants. He tricks them and escapes, and Soliday gets his prize.
On Board
The Hold
The story ends and the girl is calm. She asks the woman why Anansi looks for trouble and her answer is to sharpen his wits. The girl asks the woman what happens to the people who are not thrown away. The answer is that they sell them. She asks because she wants to know what will happen to her and confirm that she will not be thrown away.
On Deck
The boy sits and cries on deck, ad the sailor asks why. The boy asks the sailor what colour is God. The boy does not see the difference between himself and the girl. The sailor tells him that slaves are beasts and that God gave them dominion over the beasts. He proclaims that he is just doing his jobs when he throws away the slaves.
The Cabin
The boy reads his diary aloud and is caught by his father, who orders him to throw it away.
The Hold
The sailor and the boy visit the hold. The girl is inspected but when the sailor gets to the woman, the boy crumples in agony. He is carted off by a displeased sailor. The girl is worried that the woman is sick and questions why the slaves are hated. The woman's answer is that they see the thing they hate the most in the slaves - a soul. The woman distracts the girl with another Anansi story.
The Forest of Stories
1. Down by the Pool
Anansi tricks Tiger into shedding his coat and fat. He achieves this by telling Tiger that he can take him to a cool cool pool, but when he gets there, Anansi tells him that he cannot swim in his skin and fat. Tiger strips and swims, while Anansi cooks with Tiger's fat. Rabbit comes along, curious about the food and, seeing an opportunity to scapegoat someone, Anansi tells him about the Best Song About Tiger Contest. He gives Rabbit a song to go and enter at Song City. Anansi would have done it, but he says he cannot sing. Tiger belatedly realizes that his fat and skin are missing and Anansi says that he has a hunch where it is. Anansi told Tiger that he fell asleep in the heat.
2. Song City
Rabbit makes it to Song City. They do not know about the contest but they let him sing anyway. Tiger approaches and thinks that he has found the thief. He makes his identity known, but Anansi casts doubt on his claim to be Tiger. Anansi says that if he is Tiger, the skin would fit him. Of course, the skin does not fit, so Tiger runs after him.
On Board
The Hold
The girl loves that Anansi story. The woman gives her another riddle and the boy approaches. The girl is fearful that the sailor will take the woman away. The woman tells her not to worry and the boy tries to calm her. She sings Anansi's song to comfort herself.
The Cabin
The captain dictates to the boy. They have sighted Jamaica and he is relieved because they've only lost 150 slaves and 12 crew members on the journey. He intends to throw the stick overboard because their presence, among the healthy, will lower the value of the 'goods'.
Kingston Harbour
They arrive at Kingston Harbour and the slaves are placed on the auction block. The boy is doing the ledgers for the captain because he is sick. The girl is traumatized by the situation but finds strength in submersion in an Anansi story. It begins: There was a mean lady who quenched her thirst with people's tears. Her children, Dog, Cat and Crab ...
The Forest of Stories
1. Quenching Her Thirst
Dog, Cat and Crab placed an ad in the Forest News for a girl to be a helper. They discussed how she would be worked until she cries. The mean old lady asks the children if the helper will not want wages and they say no, because the ad also stipulates that at the end of the week, if the girl manages to guess the old woman's name, the girl will get half of everything that the old lady owns. Anansi arrives, disguised as a girl, and gets the job. He cries from just hearing the amount of work that he has to do.
2. At the River
Anansi tricks Crab into giving him the old lady's name, for a kiss. Anansi then goes to the old lady and requests his reward. The old woman gets so angry that she turns over her calabash of tears when Crab admits to being the culprit. It sticks to his back. The girl then re-enters the auction.
Kingston Harbour
The girl is sold at the auction, but she implores the reader to remember her.
techniques
Juxtaposition
Definition - two concepts or ideas that are placed together, or side by side, with the result being that the differences between the two concepts/ ideas are highlighted.
1. The two children, the white boy and the black girl, are juxtaposed against each other. Though they share a similar confusion about what is happening around them, the contrast is seen in the positions of power. The boy is clearly situated in a place of power because his father is the captain of the ship and is caucasian. Contrastingly, the little black girl is a slave who is viewed as cargo. This juxtaposition highlights the theme of power and authority because the people in power are the white boy, captain and sailor and the people with no power or authority are the little girl and her fellow slaves in the hold.
2. The 'parenting' styles of the woman and the captain are juxtaposed. We see the captain, who is a blood related father, opting to NOT cultivate a nurturing relationship with his son. This is seen when he is constantly brusque with the child and refuses to educate him about the slaves. His behaviour is contrasted with the woman, who displays a maternal attitude, despite the fact that she is not related to the girl. This maternal attitude is seen in her deliberate decision to mentor and strengthen this child. This juxtaposition highlights the theme of love and family relationship. This is the case because we see that caring for a child is not dependent on being related to that child by blood. Families can be formed. The woman deliberately decides to foster the child that she is chained with, in the absence of the girl's blood mother. So people can make their own families and form 'family' bonds that are solidified in a decision to love a child.
Dialogue
Definition - The conversation between characters in a novel, drama etc and an exchange of ideas or opinions on a particular issue.
1. The dialogue between the boy and the captain, when he dictates what the boy should be transcribing, highlights the theme of racism. This is the case because the captain clinically outlines all his efforts to maintain the slaves, who he thinks are simply cargo. The fact that he unfeelingly speaks of branding human beings, and his nonchalant relief that only three out of a batch of forty have died, speaks to the fact that he does not view them as human beings. This is racist because he thinks that they are lesser than him, which places him as better than them. The thing that makes them lesser is the colour of their skins. The only individuals who are slaves, and deemed as lesser than the ship's crew, are the Africans taken from the West Coast of Africa, who are black.
2. The dialogue between the girl and the woman, in the hold, is supportive and nurturing. It is suffused with a maternal energy where the woman tells the girl that 'You owe it to your ancestor to live'. She tries to build mental strength in the child through introducing her to Anansi stories and provides comfort as well, by distracting the girl with riddles. This highlights the theme of love and family relationship because the woman adopts the little girl, who is motherless, and fortifies her with knowledge of her culture to make her strong. This is what family does. Eventually, the little girl start to call the woman mother, because the woman literally 'mothers' her, figuratively chains and bonds with the child, while literally being physically chained to the little girl. The fact that she can forge this bond, while not even seeing the child, highlights the theme of love and family relationship. They are not related by blood, but they become family.
Irony (situational)
Definition - A literary technique in which an expected outcome does not happen, or its opposite happens instead.
1. The relationship between the boy and the captain, his father, appears to be very formal and tense. The captain does not facilitate any discussion regarding the questions that the boy has as it relates to the treatment of the slaves. He does not seek to mentor and nurture his son, which is the expectation of a father/ son relationship. This is contrasted by the relationship between the girl and the woman. Despite the fact that they met on the ship, and have never seen each other during the journey, the woman, a stranger, both nurtures and mentors the girl. This is ironic because the father is displaying the opposite of the expected behaviour, while a stranger, who is not expected to be caring and maternal, is a better parent. This irony highlights the theme of parenthood because it shows the characteristic of a good parent, as seen in the contrast/ juxtaposition of the woman and the captain. It points to the fact that a blood relationship does not automatically equate to someone being a good parent. The fact that the woman is a better parent, over a shorter time span and no blood relationship, proves this point.
2. The fact that stories give the girl the courage to survive the crossing is ironic. This is the case because stories are not only intangible, they are often times reserved for children and deemed to be unimportant as a result. Therefore, the irony lies in the fact that such a seemingly insignificant phenomena has such a significant role in a child's survival. The theme of cultural preservation is highlighted by this irony because when the woman shares the Anansi stories with the girl, she is intentionally passing down the culture, through the stories, to the little girl. This not only aids the girl to survive, but also embodies cultural retention, leading to cultural preservation.
Symbolism
Definition - to imbue objects with a certain meaning that is different meaning from their original meaning or function.
The character Anansi is a symbol. He is a symbol of rebellion, a trickster character that disrupts the status quo by seeming to go along with it, but usually distorts it to his advantage. Anansi, as a symbol of rebellion, highlights the theme of courage. This is the case because this character takes a situation that is unfavourable to him and twists it to his advantage. When the woman gifts the girl with the knowledge of this character's deeds, it gives the girl the courage that Anansi possesses. If this little spider can be brave enough to use the status quo to gain an advantage, it proves that the girl can do the same. The reader sees her doing just this on the auction block. She steps outside of herself, and into the realm of stories, to give herself courage to mentally survive the traumatic auction. The story ends on a hopeful note that, though she will suffer on the plantation that she is doomed to, she will be in tact, mentally. The girl's last words to the reader are "Once upon a time there was a girl who got taken away. She lives in a story that never seems to end. Remember her." This final statement can be interpreted to mean that she will find strength and courage in the stories, despite the fact that she cannot escape her reality as captive and slave.
Characterization
Definition - A literary device that is used step by step in literature to highlight and explain the details about a character in a story.
Girl
The major characteristic that defines the girl is innocent. Her innocence is seen through the fact that she is ignorant about what is happening to her, as well as what is to come. She reacts by panicking and the woman soothes and distracts her with Anansi stories. It is these seemingly useless 'distraction' stories that ironically strengthens her, mentally, and gives her the courage to survive the crossing and the auction block. The theme of loss of innocence is highlighted by this character trait because her interaction with the woman prepares her for losing her innocence. The reader knows the horrific life that awaits the girl and gives the only weapon that she can, courage in the form of her cultural inheritance.
Woman
The woman can be described as maternal. To be maternal is to display the characteristics of a mother, the most relevant being a nurturer. This woman nurtures a child that she just met, and has never seen, because her birth mother is absent. She does so by imbuing her with the gift of the knowledge of the crafty and witty Anansi, and in so doing, communicates to her that she can display Anansi's characteristics in any situation, even one as daunting as the journey through the middle passage. The theme of love and family relationship is highlighted because the relationship between the woman and the girl proves that you do not have to be related by blood to become family. The two females forge a strong bond in the hold, based on their shared experience of the trauma of the middle passage, they truly become mother and daughter.
Boy
Like the girl, the major characteristic that defines the boy, initially, is innocence. The boy is literally confused about why people, human beings like himself, are viewed as cargo. The reader sees his innate goodness coming out when he distracts the sailor, in the hold, from closely examining the slave, who happens to remind him of his grandmother. We see him grappling with the concept of God and why the slaves are treated differently from him. Just like the girl, his defining trait also highlights the theme of loss of innocence. This is highlighted through the journey across the middle passage. The reader identifies the boy as confused at the beginning of the journey, questioning and confronting his confusion, by asking questions, and finally simply doing what is expected of him. This is a journey of loss of innocence because the audience/ reader sees how the hardened ship captain, or slave master is formed. The boy's father does not answer his question, but instead, brushing him off in a brusque fashion, thereby communicating that his issue is unimportant. It is a sailor who answers his queries and re-enforces the prejudices that absolves the boy of any guilt regarding treating human beings like property.
Captain
The captain is a stock character that exists in the play to represent the views of the majority of Caucasians at that time. They do not question the status quo, but seek only to survive, as is seen in his preoccupation with ensuring that the cargo reaches its destination and that his bosses are satisfied. The captain literally goes with whatever is profitable for him.
Definition - two concepts or ideas that are placed together, or side by side, with the result being that the differences between the two concepts/ ideas are highlighted.
1. The two children, the white boy and the black girl, are juxtaposed against each other. Though they share a similar confusion about what is happening around them, the contrast is seen in the positions of power. The boy is clearly situated in a place of power because his father is the captain of the ship and is caucasian. Contrastingly, the little black girl is a slave who is viewed as cargo. This juxtaposition highlights the theme of power and authority because the people in power are the white boy, captain and sailor and the people with no power or authority are the little girl and her fellow slaves in the hold.
2. The 'parenting' styles of the woman and the captain are juxtaposed. We see the captain, who is a blood related father, opting to NOT cultivate a nurturing relationship with his son. This is seen when he is constantly brusque with the child and refuses to educate him about the slaves. His behaviour is contrasted with the woman, who displays a maternal attitude, despite the fact that she is not related to the girl. This maternal attitude is seen in her deliberate decision to mentor and strengthen this child. This juxtaposition highlights the theme of love and family relationship. This is the case because we see that caring for a child is not dependent on being related to that child by blood. Families can be formed. The woman deliberately decides to foster the child that she is chained with, in the absence of the girl's blood mother. So people can make their own families and form 'family' bonds that are solidified in a decision to love a child.
Dialogue
Definition - The conversation between characters in a novel, drama etc and an exchange of ideas or opinions on a particular issue.
1. The dialogue between the boy and the captain, when he dictates what the boy should be transcribing, highlights the theme of racism. This is the case because the captain clinically outlines all his efforts to maintain the slaves, who he thinks are simply cargo. The fact that he unfeelingly speaks of branding human beings, and his nonchalant relief that only three out of a batch of forty have died, speaks to the fact that he does not view them as human beings. This is racist because he thinks that they are lesser than him, which places him as better than them. The thing that makes them lesser is the colour of their skins. The only individuals who are slaves, and deemed as lesser than the ship's crew, are the Africans taken from the West Coast of Africa, who are black.
2. The dialogue between the girl and the woman, in the hold, is supportive and nurturing. It is suffused with a maternal energy where the woman tells the girl that 'You owe it to your ancestor to live'. She tries to build mental strength in the child through introducing her to Anansi stories and provides comfort as well, by distracting the girl with riddles. This highlights the theme of love and family relationship because the woman adopts the little girl, who is motherless, and fortifies her with knowledge of her culture to make her strong. This is what family does. Eventually, the little girl start to call the woman mother, because the woman literally 'mothers' her, figuratively chains and bonds with the child, while literally being physically chained to the little girl. The fact that she can forge this bond, while not even seeing the child, highlights the theme of love and family relationship. They are not related by blood, but they become family.
Irony (situational)
Definition - A literary technique in which an expected outcome does not happen, or its opposite happens instead.
1. The relationship between the boy and the captain, his father, appears to be very formal and tense. The captain does not facilitate any discussion regarding the questions that the boy has as it relates to the treatment of the slaves. He does not seek to mentor and nurture his son, which is the expectation of a father/ son relationship. This is contrasted by the relationship between the girl and the woman. Despite the fact that they met on the ship, and have never seen each other during the journey, the woman, a stranger, both nurtures and mentors the girl. This is ironic because the father is displaying the opposite of the expected behaviour, while a stranger, who is not expected to be caring and maternal, is a better parent. This irony highlights the theme of parenthood because it shows the characteristic of a good parent, as seen in the contrast/ juxtaposition of the woman and the captain. It points to the fact that a blood relationship does not automatically equate to someone being a good parent. The fact that the woman is a better parent, over a shorter time span and no blood relationship, proves this point.
2. The fact that stories give the girl the courage to survive the crossing is ironic. This is the case because stories are not only intangible, they are often times reserved for children and deemed to be unimportant as a result. Therefore, the irony lies in the fact that such a seemingly insignificant phenomena has such a significant role in a child's survival. The theme of cultural preservation is highlighted by this irony because when the woman shares the Anansi stories with the girl, she is intentionally passing down the culture, through the stories, to the little girl. This not only aids the girl to survive, but also embodies cultural retention, leading to cultural preservation.
Symbolism
Definition - to imbue objects with a certain meaning that is different meaning from their original meaning or function.
The character Anansi is a symbol. He is a symbol of rebellion, a trickster character that disrupts the status quo by seeming to go along with it, but usually distorts it to his advantage. Anansi, as a symbol of rebellion, highlights the theme of courage. This is the case because this character takes a situation that is unfavourable to him and twists it to his advantage. When the woman gifts the girl with the knowledge of this character's deeds, it gives the girl the courage that Anansi possesses. If this little spider can be brave enough to use the status quo to gain an advantage, it proves that the girl can do the same. The reader sees her doing just this on the auction block. She steps outside of herself, and into the realm of stories, to give herself courage to mentally survive the traumatic auction. The story ends on a hopeful note that, though she will suffer on the plantation that she is doomed to, she will be in tact, mentally. The girl's last words to the reader are "Once upon a time there was a girl who got taken away. She lives in a story that never seems to end. Remember her." This final statement can be interpreted to mean that she will find strength and courage in the stories, despite the fact that she cannot escape her reality as captive and slave.
Characterization
Definition - A literary device that is used step by step in literature to highlight and explain the details about a character in a story.
Girl
The major characteristic that defines the girl is innocent. Her innocence is seen through the fact that she is ignorant about what is happening to her, as well as what is to come. She reacts by panicking and the woman soothes and distracts her with Anansi stories. It is these seemingly useless 'distraction' stories that ironically strengthens her, mentally, and gives her the courage to survive the crossing and the auction block. The theme of loss of innocence is highlighted by this character trait because her interaction with the woman prepares her for losing her innocence. The reader knows the horrific life that awaits the girl and gives the only weapon that she can, courage in the form of her cultural inheritance.
Woman
The woman can be described as maternal. To be maternal is to display the characteristics of a mother, the most relevant being a nurturer. This woman nurtures a child that she just met, and has never seen, because her birth mother is absent. She does so by imbuing her with the gift of the knowledge of the crafty and witty Anansi, and in so doing, communicates to her that she can display Anansi's characteristics in any situation, even one as daunting as the journey through the middle passage. The theme of love and family relationship is highlighted because the relationship between the woman and the girl proves that you do not have to be related by blood to become family. The two females forge a strong bond in the hold, based on their shared experience of the trauma of the middle passage, they truly become mother and daughter.
Boy
Like the girl, the major characteristic that defines the boy, initially, is innocence. The boy is literally confused about why people, human beings like himself, are viewed as cargo. The reader sees his innate goodness coming out when he distracts the sailor, in the hold, from closely examining the slave, who happens to remind him of his grandmother. We see him grappling with the concept of God and why the slaves are treated differently from him. Just like the girl, his defining trait also highlights the theme of loss of innocence. This is highlighted through the journey across the middle passage. The reader identifies the boy as confused at the beginning of the journey, questioning and confronting his confusion, by asking questions, and finally simply doing what is expected of him. This is a journey of loss of innocence because the audience/ reader sees how the hardened ship captain, or slave master is formed. The boy's father does not answer his question, but instead, brushing him off in a brusque fashion, thereby communicating that his issue is unimportant. It is a sailor who answers his queries and re-enforces the prejudices that absolves the boy of any guilt regarding treating human beings like property.
Captain
The captain is a stock character that exists in the play to represent the views of the majority of Caucasians at that time. They do not question the status quo, but seek only to survive, as is seen in his preoccupation with ensuring that the cargo reaches its destination and that his bosses are satisfied. The captain literally goes with whatever is profitable for him.
Contributor: Leisa Samuels-Thomas
Campbell, Alistair. Anansi. (UK) Oxford University Press, 1992.
https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/campbell-alistair-1925
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Middle-Passage-slave-trade
https://www.britannica.com/topic/transatlantic-slave-trade
https://literarydevices.com/symbolism/
https://www.google.com/search?q=juxtaposition+definition&oq=juxtaposition+&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j0l9.14412j1j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
https://www.google.com/search?q=situational+irony&oq=situational+irony&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512l9.6083j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
*Please note that the video for Anansi is a link. As such, it is NOT the property of bulbsoup.
