A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women Essay Example for Free

A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women Essay To Women, we travel back to a Nigerian village in postcolonial Africa. The story enlightens the audience about the dichotomy of traditionalism versus modernism and the ways in which different cultures interact. It ends by revealing the true meaning of culture; the real quality in a society that arises from a passion for what is excellent in arts, manners, and customs. Overall, the play discusses the role of women within this Nigerian village and largely examines the conflict of whether it is better to advance with the rest of the world, or to hold on to the traditions that truly make a society independent and beautiful. The play begins with Yemoja, the most important woman in the village, in a house with Daisy and Ruth, two feminist western-educated scholars. They are the primary antagonists in the play. At this early stage, we see that Daisy and Ruth are not fond of Yemoja. Daisy and Ruth are leaders of the â€Å"Better Life for Rural Women† campaign, which inspires women to believe that they are not only equal to men in many ways, but are even superior in others. The two of them select Yemoja as the mediator between the village and the western world that they are so desperate to force upon the women. The movement causes a great disturbance in the village between the men and women, and especially with Yemoja’s husband and father. Back in Daisy’s home, she has been getting into many disagreements with her family. Her husband Okei, disagrees with her passion about the feminist movement and they frequently fight about it. Her mother-in-law, Sherifat, still encourages Yemoja to participate in the village’s traditional tribal rituals. Sherifat expresses that it would a terrible fate if Yemoja attempts to assimilate to the modern culture and loses her roots. As the story goes on, Daisy becomes estranged from her daughter Bose, as Bose is beginning to understand more and more the culture of the village and becomes closer to Yemoja and Sherifat. Towards the end of the play, the villagers organize a march, for which Daisy gives Yemoja steps to teach to the rest of the women. It becomes clear to Yemoja at that point that western culture is not for them. Daisy and Ruth’s superior arrives to enlighten the women about her ideas of feminism. She is the one that will decide whether or not the movement has succeeded or not. When it is time for Yemoja to perform the dance, however, she and Sherifat perform one of the Idu rituals instead. Bose even joins in the dancing. Ruth falls and becomes extremely injured while Daisy is thrust into the middle of the action. The play ends here in a beautifully tragic scene as Ruth chokes to death while the rest of the villagers celebrate having revitalized their culture. Tess Onwueme’s play was delightfully written and captivating to any audience. The story was intriguing and definitely matched it’s title. Now I see that, Tell It To Women, is a statement on how the women of the village are always being told to do or be something. Whether it is by Daisy and Ruth or by their husbands, the women never really find their own voice until the very end. We see in the first movement, Sherifat telling the chorus of women that being a wife is â€Å"meaning that a wife deserves to be treated like a daughter and not something that you possess. † Yet, throughout much of the story, we see the women being treated like servants and as subhuman to Daisy and Ruth, the village men, and western civilization as a whole. However, I believe that even as a woman, the author was at times, very objective in her portrayal of feminism. She was able to write a play that showed both the positives and negatives of modernism, while advancing the ideals of traditionalism. She does all this without losing sight of what is most important to women of a small village like that. At one part she even has Ruth say â€Å"these rural women are very gullible, you know. All you need to do is make them feel they are important†¦ we need them anyway, maybe even more than they need us. † The author is commenting here on the passive-aggressive attempts of Daisy and Ruth but also shows that the village women do not actually need to be modernized. Perhaps here, the author is a little biased because she is making Daisy and Ruth out to be selfish and slightly cruel. To a western reader, the play was not very easy to read. The names of the villagers were at times tongue tying and I found myself changing opinions about a character because I in fact, thought they were another. Onwueme also does not really explain the native African dialect and proverbial expressions that are used, which was slightly confusing as well. Many play-writes include footnotes at the bottom of the page to explain vernacular that is not known to the reader and that would have been very helpful here. That being said, the true meaning of the play was present the entire time. The clash of cultures and the lingering pains of colonialism in Africa come through wonderfully in the author’s interpretation. In one eloquent line we see that colonialism left its mark of the villagers. Sherifat says to Daisy that â€Å"it’s easier for those who inflict the pain on others to forget. † Tell It To Women, while at times was hard to follow, beautifully captured the struggle of traditionalism versus modernism and is a true mark of feminism. Overall, I thought that the play was well written and captivating. Even as a man, when sometimes it is hard to understand the desires of women, let alone women of another culture, I was able to grasp the true value of this play. It enlightened me about African culture and the roles of men and women in society. I believe Onwueme did a tremendous job in exposing the struggles of postcolonial Africa in an artful representation.

Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain Essay -- Papers

Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain Dunkirk began the 24th May 1940, when French and English soldiers were trapped on the beach of Dunkirk fighting a losing battle against the Germans. So the British launched a desperate attempt to evacuate them back to British soil where they would be safe, known as operation dynamo. Soldiers were rescued from the beaches in France by the thousands; overall 350,000 were brought back to England with 139,997 French, almost all the BEF were saved. I am going to read through all the sources and decide whether I agree with AJP Taylor's interpretation of the result of Dunkirk. To en able me to answer the question I will use a variety of sources from paintings, photographs, written extracts and a short video clip. It is important to look at each source and conclude the successes and disasters about Dunkirk. All the sources were made by British people therefore they may come across as biased. Source A is a contemporary painting created by Charles Cundall, it shows the troops being rescued from the Dunkirk beaches. It is a secondary source, because, Charles Cundall wasn't actually at Dunkirk when it happened, this makes the source less reliable because it is an artist's impression. This source shows a lot of deliverance that also fits with my knowledge such as the many soldiers being rescued via pleasure boats, fishing boats etc to be rescued. There are big boats, small boats with all different appearances, because the public helped in this desperate attempt to evacuate the British and the French and save thousands of lives. In the background you can see the moles, which also became useful, they allo... ...ctics include the fact that the British soldiers buried themselves in the sand to prevent the Germans seeing them. Therefore I conclude that looking back at my statement 'Dunkirk was a great deliverance and a great disaster' I think that there was not sufficient evidence to support this quotation because I sources that I have read apart from one have been totally biased towards Britain. The only exception was source F this showed both sides and point of views and contained sufficient evidence although it would because it was written by AJP Taylor. Most of the other sources lacked evidence and didn't fit with my knowledge and were used for propaganda to boost morale. However taking into account that evidence was more for the patriotic feel, which boosted morale on home front, therefore balanced deliverance of Dunkirk.

Food Recipes

bread Ingredients 1 packet (2 1/4 tsps) active dry yeast 1 cup warm water (110 – 120 degrees) 2 Tbsp. milk, room temperature 1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar 3 Tbsps. melted butter, room temperature 1 tsp. coarse salt 3 cups bread flour (spooned and leveled) 4 quarts of water 1/2 cup baking soda Coarse salt to taste 2 Tbsps. melted butter Directions †¢In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, combine the yeast, water, milk, brown sugar, and butter. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes so the yeast come alive. †¢Mix in the coarse salt, then the flour, one cup at a time. The dough will be tacky. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray or coat with oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, flip to coat on both sides, and cover with plastic wrap for 30 minutes. †¢After 30 minutes, knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Return the dough to the bowl, flip to cover both sides, and re-cover for an hour, or until roughly doubled in size. †¢Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bring 4 quarts (16 cups) of water to a boil. Gently deflate the dough and cut in half using a sharp knife or bench scraper. Shape each half into a round loaf. †¢Slowly add the 1/2 cup of baking soda to the boiling water (it will bubble).Place one piece of dough onto a large slotted spoon and gently lower into the boiling water. Use the spoon to flip the dough in the boiling water for around 20 seconds, then lift the dough out of the water with the slotted spoon – allow the excess water to drip back into the pot. †¢Set the dough onto a greased baking sheet. Repeat the water bath with the remaining dough. Sprinkle both rounds with coarse salt, then slash an X on the top of each with a sharp knife so the bread can expand while it bakes. †¢Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through. †¢Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter.

Thomas Paine s Common Sense Essay - 813 Words

Thomas Paine began writing Common Sense in late 1775 under the working title of Plain Truth. With Benjamin Rush, who helped him edit it, publish it, and suggested the final title, Paine developed his ideas into a forty-eight page pamphlet. He published Common Sense anonymously because of its treasonable content. Rush recommended the printer Robert Bell, promising Paine that, where other printers might say no because of the content of the pamphlet, Bell would not hesitate nor delay its printing. Paine and Bell had a falling out, but Bell still felt strongly about printing a second edition. Bell added the phrase Written by an Englishman to his second edition without Paine s permission. Paine had stressed that it was the Doctrine, not the man that was important. Paine wanted to remain anonymous for as long as possible and felt that even such a general phrase as Bell s addition would take attention away from the ideas in his pamphlet. This did not seem to matter; printed by Bell, Common Sense sold almost 100,000 copies in 1776, and according to Paine, 120,000 copies were sold in the first three months. One biographer estimates that 500,000 copies sold in the first year (in both America and Europe – predominantly France and Britain), and another writes that Paine s pamphlet went through twenty-five published editions in the first year alone. Aside from the printed pamphlet itself, there were many handwritten summaries and whole copies circulated. At least one newspaper,Show MoreRelatedThomas Paine s Common Sense941 Words   |  4 Pages  Thomas Paine, born in 1737 in Thetford, England, came to America in 1774 after meeting Benjamin Franklin and receiving a letter of recommendation. Once he reached the colonies, he became the editor of the â€Å"Pennsylvania Magazine† as well as begin his career as a political pamphleteer. Paine became a major voice for political issues through his works including, â€Å"Common Sense† and â€Å"The American Crisis†. Both of which addressed what the colonies were fighting for, a fresh start as a society and politicalRead MoreThomas Paine s Common Sense Essay1659 Words   |  7 PagesPamphlet, Common Sense, written by philosopher Thomas Paine in 1776, provided the insight that would soon play out to be a major role in the beginning of the American Revolution. Thomas Paine helped many of the colonists envision a future of control, unity, and self-reliance. He portrayed the colonists to be victims of Great Britain, the land in which most of the original colonists se ttled away from, and encouraged them to begin the war in which they would fight for their liberty. Common Sense caughtRead MoreThomas Paine s Common Sense1591 Words   |  7 Pagespages of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, he makes it very clear his feelings for the British Government. â€Å"The king is not to be trusted without being looked after†¦,† Paine states (page 6). He is trying to convey that the kind should not be able to make important decisions without someone going back behind him to check and make sure he is not messing anything up. He also goes on to talk about how the common people are wiser and more worthy of confidence than the crown. Expressing that the common peopleRead MoreThomas Paine s Common Sense Essay720 Words   |  3 PagesThomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense was first published in January, 1776. Paine emigrated to America in late 1774, just a few months before the Revolutionary War began. Upon entering America Paine quickly became involved in American politics. He also edited the Pennsylvania Magazine. 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Paine is redeveloping the American concept of rights and, thus, redefining its roots. By eliminating British ties in this pamphlet, he creates a â€Å"rights foundation† that relies on discourse and national institutionsRead MoreThomas Paine s Common Sense Pamphlet1719 Words   |  7 Pagesfigure to back their frustrations. Radical journalist and political animal, Thomas Paine, was the first to openly ask for liberty, in the Pennsylvania Magazine. Paine’s ordinary language appealed to the common folk, and allowed them to participate in colonial meetings; Their strength would be dependent on numbers. The published piece gave clear reason for the colonists to fight for their freedom. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense pamphlet asserted purpose to the impending ward on England, and inspired allRead MoreThomas Paine s Common Sense Assignment976 Words   |  4 PagesThomas Paine’s Common Sense Assignment Thomas Paine published Common Sense in January of 1776, and it was a motive that pushed for America to gain freedom from British rule. Paine used Common Sense as a way to explain to the Colonist just what Britain was doing to the colonies and what they were stopping them from achieving. Paine used language that colonist used in everyday life so that it was more appealing to them. Being that it was written in an easy to understand language and stated what theRead MoreAnalysis of Thomas Paine ´s Pamphlet, Common Sense846 Words   |  3 PagesCommon Sense Throughout time, events such as wars and assassinations have occurred that people today can describe as â€Å"a turning point in history†. However, not all turning points in history have to be wars, assassinations, etc. In fact, perhaps everybody acknowledges that Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense is a â€Å"turning point in history† because it inspired the United States Revolutionary War. Common Sense, a pamphlet, can be credited as to inciting the American Colonies to revolt against Great