Nathan Songs of Silence Essay Example for Free

Nathan Songs of Silence Essay The chapters of Songs of Silence hold together as a chorus of songs from one community, but shaped by the recollections of a narrator whose perspective ranges from the innocence of childhood to the maturity of a young adult who emerges unbroken from a failed relationship. One such chapters is ‘Nathan’ and here the narrator is the reflective adult with a sophisticated notion of the wide range if meanings ‘silence’ holds. Through the character of Nation she is able to present some aspects of this theme, which runs throughout the text in many different ways. Nathan acts strategically without words, but with potent meaning – revenge (poking Tony’s eye). Silence is a characteristic feature of Nathan’s personality, which is deep and profound even though he uses few words. The absence of words can mask/hide a great deal (still waters run deep). Nathan’s deep and profound silence was evident even from his birth and the close connection he had with his sister, the narrator – ‘†¦soulmates, welded together by our common need for silence.’ They both started speaking late. However, her silence was different from his – ‘he was a man of dark blue silences,’ while hers ‘hers was a silence of moons.’ Here the narrator suggests that contrary to the saying ‘silence means consent’, silence does not always mean ‘consent’ or agreement nor are all silent people to be treated the same. The ‘manna manna manna mahkita’ game establishes the communication between the narrator and Nathan. It has unspoken personal meaning for them and suggests that its ritual is saturated with almost religious or spiritual significance. It shows that codes of communication which may appear insignificant or meaningless to others looking on, may be a way of expressing connections that (known) words cannot express. The different silences of the siblings allow them to explore, define and find their own authentic selves in their own ways. (E.g. The narrator and the ants, Nathan and his tightfistedness with money). Silence, like money, can express identity.

Jamaican Culture and Society Essay examples -- American History

Jamaican Culture and Society I. Introduction- Retracing the Remnants of Colonialism: When discussing and analyzing contemporary Caribbean culture one must not fail to acknowledge the dreadful legacies of colonialism and imperialism. Contemporary Caribbean society, politics, and economics thinly veil the ramifications of a colonial and hegemonic past. Due to the remnants of colonial institutions such as slavery and the plantation system, the Caribbean has experienced a range of negative societal effects, namely the consolidation of a unifying cultural identity. The demise of colonialism in the Caribbean did not mark the end of social stratification based on racial and ethnic divisions. The prevailing racial distinctions and hierarchy that characterized colonialism via the institution of slavery have historically thwarted any systematic attempt to create a distinct national cultural identity. Thus, this study of the Jamaican culture and society will intimately relate racial ideologies and social class structures in order to illustrate the dynamics of the Jamaican cultu ral identity crisis. II. The Emergence and Implications of a Social Caste System: The post-colonial period in the Caribbean posed the challenge of creating nation states with thriving societies that would meet the desires and destinies of their inhabitants. Jamaica, which recently attained its independence from Great Britain in 1962, was indeed no exception to this challenge. In fact, Jamaica, like many of its Caribbean counterparts, "had an inordinate difficulty in creating and maintaining a strong, cohesive national sensibility" (Knight, 307). The difficulty of creating a cohesive national identity initially emerged in the post-emancipation period in J... ...liography- Excerpts taken from: Michelle Cliff’s essay, "If I Could Write This With Fire." Henriques, Fernando. Jamaica: Land of Wood and Water. Maggibbon & Kee: London. 1957 Knight, Franklin. The Caribbean: The Genesis of a Fragmented Nationalism. Oxford University Press: New York, 1990. Lawson, Winston Arthur. Religion and Race: African and European Roots in Conflict- A Jamaican Testament. Peter Lang Publishing: New York, 1996. Morris, Mervyn. "Making West Indian Literature" University of the West Indies 2013. Web 9 May 2015. http://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1280&context=anthurium Nettleford, Rex. Caribbean Cultural Identity: The case of Jamaica- An Essay in Cultural Dynamics. UCLA Publications: Los Angeles. Nettleford, Rex. Identity, Race and Protest in Jamaica. William Morrow & Company: New York, 1972.

Compare and Contrast of Slavery Essay

Intro: During 18th century slavery, three regions of the country had slight to very different lifestyles as well as small to very common similarities. Slavery during the 18th century influenced how slavery went forth for the next century and a half. In this essay I will compare and contrast 18th century slavery in the Chesapeake, Low Country (South Carolina and Georgia), and the Northern colonies. 1. Chesapeake Region a. The early years of slavery in the Chesapeake region were lax. There were few black slaves at first and there were only a few slaves in the labor force. The first set of slaves in Virginia and Maryland were more indentured servants than true slavery. Before the late 1600’s there was a very thin line between black slavery and white freedom. In the early 1600’s slaves that had â€Å"Christian† names such as Pedro or Isabella were considered Christians so they were considered indentured servants and allowed to work off the price that was paid for them and then freed. They worked alongside white indentured servants. As time went on the slave, population there grew through natural reproduction. b. As some of the British planters became more successful and held more land in an effort of their own interest introduced the â€Å"Unthinking decision† (Chattel Slavery) which officially drew a line in the racial divide between Africans (Blacks) and Whites. The Chesapeake region was the first to have and enact â€Å"Slave codes† which would eventually carry across all regions partially and in its entirety. Bills of sale for slaves in regards to children of Black female slaves was instituted in the Chesapeake region saying that the children born to these women would be slaves for life because their mother was a slave. As the slave, codes kicked in slaves were deemed no more than livestock and inferior and could no longer become converts of Christianity taking away completely indentured servitude. It went on this way until slavery ended. c. Tobacco was the main source of prosperity in the Chesapeake region slaves worked in gangs in the tobacco fields because the owners thought it made them work faster. d. The slaves in this region lived in log cabins. 2. Low Country (South Carolina and Georgia) e. Slavery in the low country was somewhat different in the aspect that the slaves that arrived there were already Chattel. The slaves in the low country were mainly Black and Indian slaves and eventually all black as time progressed. The slaves in low country grew through the constant new arrivals of slaves from Africa. Slaves in the low country had a very high mortality rate due to disease, overwork, and poor treatment. Slaves in the low country retained more of their African heritage because there were so many of them and always fresh Africans coming in the ports. By the 18th Century, the low country had almost a 70 percent ratio of black slaves compared to white slave owners. Charleston was North America’s leading port of entry for Africans. f. The main crops in the low country were rice and corn compared to the Chesapeake region. g. The slaves there developed their own broken languages called Geechie and Gullah. h. Low Country showed a great deal of Creolization. This is the first sign of distinct classes between slaves. The creoles stayed in the same areas as whites because they were mixed race they had social and economic advantages over slaves that were on plantations but they were still watched all the time by whites. i. The slave houses in low country were made of tabby (a form of a concrete mortar mixture). j. In contrast to the slaves in the Chesapeake region, the slaves in low country had certain independence in their daily routines. Once they were done with their chores, their time was free to do what they chose without supervision. Although the slaves had this independence, the white people still had a â€Å"Negro Watch† to enforce curfew on the black people there. 3. Northern Colonies k. The Northern colony slaves were perhaps the least like slaves of the three regions. One of the main differences was organized religion. There was also the fact that during the 18th century there slave population in the Northern Colonies was a mere 4.5% compared to the 40% and higher in the south. Slavery was less oppressive due to the Puritan religious principles of the Northern region. l. The slaves lived in the house with their master and his family. The slaves also worked along side the master, his family, and the other slaves on the small farms. Most had two slaves per household on the rare occasion there some estates that had 50 or 60. m. Slaves in the Northern colonies were allowed to become Artisans, Shopkeepers, Messengers, Domestic Servants, and General Laborers. New England slaves had a huge advantage over slaves in the other regions they could legally own, transfer, and inherit property. They also had the least opportunity to preserve their African heritage because of their easier conditions. They also had the highest amount of mulattoes. 4. The commonality between Chesapeake, Low Country, and the Northern Colonies is the fact that no matter what slaves were still deemed less than whites. They still had to abide by the â€Å"Slave Codes†. Miscegenation was banned and strictly enforced everywhere. Conclusion: In comparing and contrasting the three regions there are more differences than commonalities when it comes to their areas. The commonalities are very strong in the fact that no matter how well or badly they were treated they were always deemed inferior to whites even the â€Å"mixed†, â€Å"Creoles†, or â€Å"Mulattoes†. In essence, slaves everywhere were under the same â€Å"Slave Codes† with the difference between the regions being how strictly they enforced.

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