In this chapter, the Africans debate the wisdom of the strike that has just begun. Identify some of their concerns and relay what underlying divisions among the Africans that those concerns reveal.
In this chapter, the Africans debate the wisdom of the strike that has just begun. Identify some of their concerns and relay what underlying divisions among the Africans that those concerns reveal.
February 11, 2009 at 2:53 am |
The main concern seems to be whether or not the strike will accomplish what the workers hope it will. There does not seem to be a very strong voice saying that these improvements are not needed. So within that debate there are two camps: those who think the strike will work, and those who do not. The affirmative side seem to have only one point of view, that of the majority of the young workers. But those who do not think the strike will work have the support of both some older people, and younger ones who are attached the French bureaucracy. This last group reminds me of the archetype set up by Mr. Johnson.
February 11, 2009 at 3:17 am |
I think the major concern of the workers is if the strike will repeat the last strike, and cause many deaths in the African community. In general, the people opposed to the strike are the older citizens, who claim to have much more knowledge than the younger generation so they know what the true repercussions of the strike would be. The younger generation is in favor of the strike because they are fired up and in the moment and only want to act out of their anger. Both sides have valid points, and this argument reflects underlying divisions between young and old. The older generation is more concerned with tradition and rational thought and the younger generation is concerned with emotions and strength.
February 11, 2009 at 10:32 pm |
The main division amoungst the railroad workers on strike is wheather or not the essence of secession from colonial authority is a good idea or not. The group that looks more willing to stay with the French is the youger generation because of the europeanization they have grown up into. The middle aged to elder group seem to be more radical and want to defy because of the wrongdoings their colonial leaders had laid out for them. The reason they are more sessesionist based is because they can remember a time when there possible was not as much colonial structurization. This will overrides the benefit of trade that europe has provided.
February 17, 2009 at 12:39 am |
The older generation are the ones who are have more concerns about the strike as this was not really a problem for them when they were growing up like Fa Keita mentioned in the last chapter, “even we old people must learn, and recognize that the things people know today were not born with us” (11). The younger generation, on the other hand, are the ones that are really leading this fight. I think the concern for the older generation is whether this will work or not and what the consequences will be where the younger generation are acting more on instinct. However, there also seems to be problems with rank. Boubacar, a blacksmith, wants to fight and has much pride, I think, while people like Bachirou, seems to look down on certain people and works more closely with the Europeans doesn’t really want to because of his connections and is also a bit of a coward.
February 18, 2009 at 4:39 pm |
There seem to be several concerns about the nature of the strike. The older generation is concerned about the strike because they are afraid of a repeat of the strike of 1938. Meanwhile, the younger generation fears that the Europeans are stronger, have more control and more resources, and the strike will not be an effective way to achieve their goals. These differing concerns from the older and younger generations reveal the division between the generations. In past novels that we have read there has been the utmost respect for the elders from the younger generation, and while that respect is still present, a lot has changed and the younger generation no longer automatically defers to their elders. To me this division shows the progression of African culture from Things Fall Apart to God’s Bits of Wood. The division between generations is unprecedented in African culture and demonstrates the multitude of changes that have occurred since the arrival of the Europeans in Africa. They are concerned about the strike for different reasons, but the biggest concern for the culture should be the new division between generations, something the culture has never before seen.
February 19, 2009 at 3:41 am |
There is some fear from the older generation that the new strike will be like the last, bloody and destructive. The other reason some of the villagers are suddenly opposing the strike that was already decided on is because they are in with the French bureaucracy. Joey’s comparison to Mr. Johnson is very accurate. The one character who works with the french bureaucrats is said to be more foreign that “monsieur le directeur”‘. There is a divide between the older, “wiser” generation and the younger more impulsive generation however in this chapter the divide becomes clear between those africans who associate with the french and those who do not. Niokoro was displeased that her grand daughter was speaking french in the first chapter; that is when the conflict is introduced. in the second chapter it becomes a divide in loyalty; will an african be loyal to their own people and the cause of the strike or will they side with the french and become foreigners to their people?
February 20, 2009 at 6:28 pm |
Although there are many people of the old generation who do not agree with the strike, there are many old folks who agree with the strike. Sounkare, the watchmen, is an example of someone who disagrees. He believes that the whole situation is “strange” and he strongly disapproves of the strike because he believes that the young people are wrong. Bakary, on the other hand, agrees with the concept of a strike. After sitting in on a meeting, he realized that the young people were advocating for things that were indeed beneficial to the old generation. It is important to stress that within the older generation this is a division of beliefs. Some of the older generation are starting to open there eyes to the young people’s beliefs.
February 21, 2009 at 8:41 pm |
The elders believe that the strike is not a good idea for the community. They remember the past strike and are afraid that lives will be lost again. Mamadou Keita represents the older generation when he asks the other Africans to think about the consequences of the strike before plunging into action. Although the younger generation respects the elders, especially Mamadou Keita, and have heard about the outcome of past events they want the strike and display fierce enthusiasm for the cause. This devision shows a major difference between the elders of the society and the younger generation.
February 22, 2009 at 5:22 am |
Some of the Africans particularly the elders are worried about the outcome of a strike. This is because they have witnessed great amount of pain and war when they were younger and do not want to repeat the past. The young ones do not know what they are getting themselves into. But will soon realize maybe a strike was not a good idea.
February 22, 2009 at 6:37 pm |
It is clear that the elders are timid by the strike, and completely disapprove, because of the actions and the results in the past strikes. It is seen as a corruption to their community and the majority of the elders are beginning to educate the younger generation that problems and conflicts will arise from the strike. However, the younger generation has been corrupted morally by the European colonization so for them to agree with the strike is somewhat normally because they’ve grown up in two separate era’s then there elders.
February 22, 2009 at 7:26 pm |
The controversy of the strike again highlights the differences of the generations. The older generation seems to be much more hesitant of the strike for fear of deaths and because of outcomes of previous strikes. There seems to be a difference of opinions between how the strike will turn out, because the younger generation seems to believe that if they stand together than they will get the outcome they hope for, while the older generation looks at reality, perhaps, and looks at the facts of the past. I think that, while this argument concerns the strike, between the lines this conflict is demonstrating the struggle between generations and within their own people, which may foreshadow future problems.
February 22, 2009 at 10:08 pm |
The concerns surrounding the strike are clearly made stronger by the generational differences in Thiès. While the younger generation—lead by Samba N’Doulougou, are in favor for going ahead with the strike, men that had survived the 1938 strike were much more cautious. Bachirou, an office worker, was especially against the strike, as he believed that as the last strike was a failure, it would probably happen again. However, it’s not only a difference of generation—with Bachirou, there’s another reason he wouldn’t want a strike being that he worked close with the Europeans and probably would not want anything to hurt that relationship—especially a strike.
February 22, 2009 at 10:57 pm |
The concern surrounding the strike is debated on whether or not it will effectively accomplish what the workers of the railroad want. Most of the workers have been convinced to go along with the strike, and the differences which they agree to go along with the strike, wary or not, or whether they completely disagree draw divisions among the Africans. The younger men in the strike are concerned about their equality, and want pensions just as the “white men” do and don’t seem to be too concerned about their lives at that moment. The older men, once the strike started, became concerned with how they would be able to support themselves on their almost no money, not to mention their families. Overall, these two concerns still revolve around whether the strike will be able to work and break the obedience that the Africans have shown to the white missionaries.
February 25, 2009 at 4:32 am |
I think the major concern which Niakoro addresses is that the response to the strike by the Europeans will only be violence or forced starvation of the people of Bamoko. “You have never seen a strike!…Soldiers will come, and there will be shooting”. On the other hand the “workers” of Thiès want to stand up to the “white masters”. I believe much of the division between the younger generation and the elders is simply because the elders witnessed the last strike and have an idea of what is going to happen. I do believe there is a cultural difference due to the influence of Europeans, but to contradict many of you, I honestly don’t believe it is necessarily displayed here. I think it’s just a matter of having vs. lacking wisdom.
February 25, 2009 at 10:35 pm |
there are a variety of concerns that are revealed in this chapter, one of which is the effectiveness of the strike at all, “suppose they refuse everything: the pay raise, the pensions, the auxiliary workmen… what can we do?” They are also very afraid of the violence and death that could occur because of the strike, mostly because of the precedent set by the last one. This strike opened up divisions between the young and old, the young frantically were trying to get the strike moving while the old warn them of the potential consequences of their actions, it also shows divisions between people who want to become more independant and become equal to the whites and the people who do not care about the europeans.