From the very beginning of the story, one theme that was quite evident is one of death.For example, on the very first page they spoke about the death of Beka's great Granny.Then they went on to talk about the death of Toycie who was a friend of Beka. Death was depicted by the killing of the flies and mosquitoes on the verandah.
Another theme that was raised was one of racism and discrimination. After Beka won the essay competition she was told that only people such as bakras, panias and expatriates would be awarded prizes.We also see some racism when her mother refered to Vellor as a "half-crazy coolie woman." In Beka's dream she was told "Jump nigger gail, jump!" This was a reminder to her that she was black.
Beka's dream was a symbol of what was happening in her life.She shouted out for help but yet no one could hear her and she felt voiceless. Beka was afraid,her fear was due to the fact that she had to show people what she was capable of in her education and also that she was no longer the child people once knew and that she was maturing. A symbol of Beka's fear,in her dream, was when she looked downwards at the filth beneath her on the bridge.She was at the edge of something but something else was blocking her or keeping her back.The dream was an obvious technique used by the author to symbolize Beka's fear for failure.
At the beginning of the story we also see another theme that is raised, one of status .A clear example is when Beka’s mother made the statement that Beka would change from a “flat rate Belize creole” into someone of “high mind.”This may suggest that Beka’s family were of a lower class and that they were not so well off because they spoke of “hard times.” Beka’s mother strives for the European way of life and she tries to identify with the whites in anyway possible. She did so by planting rose bushes that were not fit for the Belizean climate. The rose bushes were a symbol of high class to Lilla because she saw them in European magazines, which were usually months old by the time she got them. It is noticed that the rose bushes were struggling to grow and eventually died later on in the story.
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Yes you did post the first blog Dana but you only covered work from the first three chapters which I did in class. What about chapters 4 - 6? Maybe you or someone else in the class can share some light on these issues.
ReplyDeleteam i think i posted the 3rd blog not sure though
ReplyDeleteAre we allowed to edit our blogs?To add more information.
ReplyDeleteor do more than one?
Do not edit your original blog all you need to do is add a new posting or make an additional comment attached to the original posting.
ReplyDeleteContinuation....
ReplyDeleteThroughout chapters 1-6 we can see Beka maturing. She showed on interest in politics by questioning her father,which showed that she was displaying interest in what was going on in her country. Another sign of her maturing was when she recognized "change" within herself,and took it upon herself to stop lying.Beka also wanted to prove to her parents that she was no longer a child but a maturing young lady,she tried to prove this by doing household chores. When Beka fails her exam her father tells her that she is similar to the bougainvillea outside their house,"all flash and no substance."When Bill Lamb cuts down the tree that Beka planted herself,it was a symbol of the change that was taking place in Beka.
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