talk like a 8th grader and use 8th grader vocabulary
(16 pts ) This unit focuses on literature from Africa and many of the texts have the shared theme of “Relationships are Complicated with Positive and Negative Aspects”. In at least two complete paragraphs, identify two texts that deal with the theme of “Relationships are Complicated with Positive and Negative Aspects” and fully explain how the author shows the complex relationships through direct characterization, indirect characterization, and plot events.
Grading rubric out of 16 points:
/2 Two Texts and Authors Clearly Identified
/2 Examples from Text 1
/2 Examples from Text 2
/2 Explanation of Indirect Characterization
/2 Explanation of Direct Characterization
/2 Explanation of Plot
/2 Correctly Cited Texts
/2 Grammar and Mechanics
In this unit, we've been studying literature from Africa, and a lot of the stories we've read have been about how relationships can be super complicated. They have good parts and bad parts. In this paragraph, I'm gonna talk about two texts that show this theme. The first text is called "The River Between" by Ngugi wa Thiong'o. In this story, there's a dude named Waiyaki who's caught in the middle of a conflict between two tribes. On one hand, he's cool with the Christian missionaries who want peace between the tribes. But on the other hand, he's loyal to his own tribe and believes in their traditions. So his relationships with both sides are mixed up and tough to figure out.
Another text that deals with this theme is "So Long a Letter" by Mariama Bâ. This story is all about this lady named Ramatoulaye, who's dealing with a messed up relationship. Her husband had another wife on the side, which caused a lot of pain and heartbreak for Ramatoulaye. She's torn between wanting to leave him for what he did, but also feeling like she should stay because of their kids and the norms of society. It's like her relationship with her husband has good parts, but also really terrible parts.
In both of these texts, the authors show the complicated relationships through different techniques. They use something called indirect characterization, where they give us clues about the characters without straight up telling us. In "The River Between," we see how Waiyaki feels torn between the two tribes because of how he acts and what he says. In "So Long a Letter," we can tell that Ramatoulaye is struggling with her decision to stay or leave because of her thoughts and actions. Like she's always thinking about what she should do and what's best for her and her kids.
The authors also use direct characterization, where they straight up tell us about the characters. For example, in "The River Between," the author tells us that Waiyaki is a smart and respected guy. And in "So Long a Letter," we learn that Ramatoulaye is a strong and independent woman. This helps us understand why they make the choices they do in their complicated relationships.
The plot of the stories also plays a big role in showing the complexity of the relationships. In "The River Between," there's a big conflict between the two tribes, and Waiyaki is in the middle of it all. The decisions he makes and the events that happen affect his relationships with both sides. In "So Long a Letter," the plot revolves around Ramatoulaye's struggle with her husband's infidelity and how it impacts her relationship with him and her own sense of self.
So yeah, these two texts, "The River Between" and "So Long a Letter," both do a great job of showing how relationships can be super complicated with positive and negative aspects. They use indirect and direct characterization, as well as the plot, to help us understand the complexity and conflicts that these characters face.