The Literature of South Africa

HONORS

Ms. Ward, 10th Grade English, May 2013

Learning to Read Critically Facts v. Interpretation To non -critical readers, texts provide facts. Readers gain knowledge by memorizing the statements within a text.

To the critical reader, any single text provides but one portrayal of the facts, one individual’s “take” on the subject matter. Critical readers thus recognize not only what a text says, but also how that text portrays the subject matter. They recognize the various ways in which each and every text is the unique creation of a unique author.

A non-critical reader might read a history book to learn the facts of the situation or to discover an accepted interpretation of those events. A critical reader might read the same work to appreciate how a particular perspective on the events and a particular selection of facts can lead to particular understanding.

What a Text Says, Does, and Means: Reaching for an Interpretation

Non-critical reading is satisfied with recognizing what a text says and restating the key remarks.

Critical reading goes two steps further. Having recognized what a text says , it reflects on what the text does by making such remarks. Is it offering examples? Arguing? Appealing for sympathy? Making a contrast to clarify a point? Finally, critical readers then infer what the text, as a whole, means, based on the earlier analysis.

These three steps or modes of analysis are reflected in three types of reading and discussion:

What a text says – restatement

What a text does – description

What a text means – interpretation .

You can distinguish each mode of analysis by the subject matter of the discussion:

What a text says – restatement – talks about the same topic as the original text

What a text does – description – discusses aspects of the discussion itself

What a text means – interpretation — analyzes the text and asserts a meaning for the text as a whole

Goals of Critical Reading Textbooks on critical reading commonly ask students to accomplish certain goals:

to recognize an author’s purpose

to understand tone and persuasive elements

to recognize bias

Notice that none of these goals actually refers to something on the page. Each requires inferences from evidence within the text:

recognizing purpose involves inferring a basis for choices of content and language

recognizing tone and persuasive elements involves classifying the nature of language choices

recognizing bias involves classifying the nature of patterns of choice of content and language

Critical reading is not simply close and careful reading. To read critically, one must actively recognize and analyze evidence upon the page.

Implications For Reading To non-critical readers, texts provide facts. Knowledge comes from memorizing the statements within a text. To the critical reader, any single text provides but one portrayal of the facts, one individual's “take” on the subject. The content of a text reflects what an author takes as “the facts of the matter.” By examining these choices, readers recognize not only what a text says, but also how the text portrays the subject matter.

The first step in an analysis of a text, then, must be to look at the content, at the evidence for an argument, the illustrations used to explain ideas, and the details presented within a description. Not that any particular author/text is necessarily wrong. We simply recognize the degree to which each and every text is the unique creation of a unique author. That uniqueness is defined by choices of content, language and structure.

Critical reading thus relies on an analysis of choices of content, language, and structure.

What to Look For? Critical readers are consciously aware of the choice of content. They look at the content, at the evidence for an argument, the illustrations used to explain ideas, and the details presented within a description. That uniqueness is defined by choices of content, language and structure. . They distinguish between assertions of fact, opinion, and belief. They are aware whether evidence consists of references to published data, anecdotes, or speculation, and they evaluate the persuasiveness of a text accordingly.

Critical readers are aware of how language is being used. They notice whether a text refers to someone as a "bean counter" (no respect) or "an academic statistician" (suggesting professionalism), whether some is said to have "asserted a claim" (with confidence, and no need for proof) or "floated a claim" (without backing, as a trial balloon). And they draw inferences from the choice of language they observe.

Critical readers are aware of the structure of a discussion, both in terms of the movement of ideas from beginning to end and in terms of the relationship of ideas throughout the discussion. They distinguish between assertions offered as reason or conclusion, cause or effect, evidence or illustration. They recognize patterns of contrast and distinguish whether contrasting ideas are shown to be dissimilar, competing, or contradictory.

All authors confront three areas of choice:

the choice of content

the choice of language

the choice of structure

Choices must be made in each of these areas, and each choice contributes to the thought of the text as a whole.

SOURCE: Dan Kurland's www.criticalreading.com

What other themes have we discovered through our reading this semester?

What have we learned about the nature of evil?

What have we learned about power?

What have we learned about human behavior in times of conflict?

What have we learned about the way the individual acts alone versus in a group?

These are a just a few of the many possible literary subjects and thematic ideas. The point to remember is that a subject is not a theme: a subject is some dimension of the human condition examined by the work; a theme is a statement, direct or implied, about the subject. The thematic ideas about the subjects on the list are still fairly general. As a critical writer discussing a particular literary work, you'll need to bring your observations about theme closer to the work.

Universal Themes in Literature Abandonment Abuse Acceptance Acceptance of a Handicap Accepting change Adjusting to a new life Adoption Anger Appearances Appreciation of nature Being gifted Brotherhood Bullies Belonging Betrayal Bondage Bravery Caring for the environment Censorship Challenges Change Coming of Age Commitment

Communication Community Cooperation Cooperation/Teamwork Coping with loss Courage Courage and Honor Cultural Diversity Customs and Traditions Dealing with handicaps Death and Dying Denial Determination Discrimination Faith Diversity Doubt Dreams Effects of War Emotions Ethical Dilemmas Euthanasia Family & Relationships

Fear and Anxiety Fear and Courage Feelings Forgiveness Freedom Friendship Gender Issues Genealogy Getting Along Good vs. Evil Gratitude Grief Growing Up Guilt Heroes Heroism History Honesty Hope Humor Immigrants Initiation Injustice

Innocence and Experience Intergenerational Loyalty Making Choices Media Memories Morals & Values Patriotism Peace Peer Pressure Poverty Self-esteem Sense of community Sense of self Separation and Loss Social Change Survival Taking a stand Teamwork Trust Values Violence

1. The Individual in Nature

Nature is at war with each of us and proves our vulnerability.

People are out of place in nature and need technology to survive.

People are destroying nature and themselves with uncontrolled technology.

2. The Individual in Society

Society and a person's inner nature are always at war.

Societal influences determine a person's final destiny.

Social influences can only complete inclinations formed by nature.

A person's identity is determined by place in society.

In spite of the pressure to be among people, an individual is essentially alone and frightened.

3. Growth and Initiation

Manhood or womanhood is often established by an abrupt, random crisis, sometimes at an unusually early age.

Aspects of childhood are retained in all of us, sometimes hindering growth, sometimes providing the only joy in later life.

A person grows only in so far as he or she must face a crisis of confidence or identity. 4. Death

Death is part of living, giving life its final meaning.

Without love, death often appears to be the only alternative to life.

By the time people understand life, there is too little left to live.

5. Change

Change generates additional change.

Change is inevitable.

Change is necessary for growth.

Change can be evolutionary or revolutionary.

Literary Devices Allusion: An allusion is an implied or indirect, brief reference to a famous historical or

literary figure or event. This is usually used as an analogy to help explain something that may be difficult to comprehend.

Examples: 1. If you take his parking place, you can expect World War II all over again. 2. “Will history repeat itself? Will David once again defeat Goliath?” (91).

Euphemism: The substitution of a mild or less negative word or phrase for a harsh or blunt

one. The goal is to put something bad or embarrassing in a positive or neutral light. Many terms referring to death, sex, crime, and excremental functions are euphemisms.

Examples: 1. “pass away” instead of “die” 2. “hatless snake” instead of “circumcised genitalia” 3. “relieve oneself” etc. instead of “sh*t”

Motif: A recurring/dominant element, theme, image, idea, or pattern in a work of art.

Litotes: A kind of understatement, where the speaker or writer uses a negative of a

word ironically, to mean the opposite. Examples: 1. She's not the friendliest person I know. (= she's an unfriendly person), 2. not a bad singer (= pretty good singer) 3. “she asked, not unkindly” (33). (=nicely –Mevrou -almost concerned?)

Bildungsroman: A German term for a genre of literature that concentrates on the metaphysical,

moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the protagonist usually from childhood to maturity. Sometimes it is referred to as a "Coming of Age Story."

Juxtaposition: The arrangement of two or more ideas, characters, actions, settings, phrases,

or words side-by-side or in similar narrative moments for the purpose of comparison, contrast, effect, suspense, or character development.

Microcosm: A small, representative system having analogies to a larger system in constitution, configuration, or development.

Diction: The writer’s choice of words and ways of arranging the words Example: Courtenay’s use of music terminology, boxing parlance, and litotes.

M X O L I S I N Y E Z W A

THE POET’S FAILURE

we had words in us that we never said.

we could stand in these waterless alleys

and march into the wet rain.

we smelled like starved rogues, we stank

like dying corpses

sailing the warm winds of our silence,

searching in reckless shelters to cool our lips.

we struggled begging conciliation

down the trodden tracks of cold hurricanes

seeking out lost igloos,

we had words within these day-long blues –

driven by cold emotions into the shades and shadows

of a dying land, we had words that choked to be said –

and we never said them.

© 2000, Mxolisi Nyezwa From: Song Trials Publisher: University of Natal Press (Gecko Poetry), South Africa ISBN: 0 86980 9768

(South Africa, 1967– )

Mxolisi Nyezwa is the editor of Kotaz, a truly multilingual South African journal. He was born in 1967,

New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

This poem was taken from his highly acclaimed debut collection Song Trials (Poetry Gecko 2000).

Mxolisi Nyezwa shifts South African lyrical poetry into powerful and strange landscapes.

His works are associative poems which move rapidly through multiple dimensions. They encompass the

spiritual, the political and bleakness of the everyday with the fluency of language and a compelling

“deftness of image”.

“Nothing’s Changed” by Tatamkhulu Afrika

Small round hard stones click

under my heels,

seeding grasses thrust

bearded seeds

into trouser cuffs, cans,

trodden on, crunch

in tall, purple-flowering,

amiable weeds.

District Six.

No board says it is:

but my feet know,

and my hands,

and the skin about my bones,

and the soft labouring of my lungs,

and the hot, white, inwards turning

anger of my eyes.

Brash with glass,

name flaring like a flag,

it squats

in the grass and weeds,

incipient Port Jackson trees:

new, up-market, haute cuisine,

guard at the gatepost,

whites only inn.

No sign says it is:

but we know where we belong.

I press my nose

to the clear panes, know,

before I see them, there will be

crushed ice white glass,

linen falls,

the single rose.

Down the road,

working man's cafe sells

bunny chows.

Take it with you, eat

it at a plastic table's top,

wipe your fingers on your jeans,

spit a little on the floor:

it's in the bone.

I back from the

glass,

boy again,

leaving small mean O

of small mean mouth.

Hands burn

for a stone, a bomb,

to shiver down the glass.

Nothing's changed.

Vocabulary

Port Jackson

trees trees imported from Australia

bunny chow bread stuffed with pilchards or similar -

a poor man's hamburger

Tatamkhulu Afrika was brought up in Cape Town, South Africa,

as a white South African. When he was a teenager he found

out that he was actually Egyptian-born, the child of an Arab

father and a Turkish mother.

The South African government began to classify every citizen

by color - white, black and coloured. Afrika turned down the

chance to be classed as “white,” and chose instead to

become a Muslim and be classified as “coloured.”

In 1984 the poet joined the ANC (the African National

Congress - the organization leading the struggle against

apartheid). Arrested in 1987, for 'terrorism', he was banned from

writing or speaking in public for five years. This was the point at

which he adopted the name he now uses, “Tatamkhulu Afrika”

which had previously been his ANC code name. This enabled

him to carry on writing despite the ban.

MAZISI KUNENE (South Africa, 1930 - 2006)

Mazisi Raymond Fakazi Mngoni Kunene served as South Africa’s Poet

Laureate, an avid anti-apartheid activist, and professor. His literary

achievements of Mazisi Raymond Fakazi Mngoni Kunene (1930-2006)

were among the most remarkable to have come from Africa in the

twentieth century. Although his death at the age of 75 seems to have

signified the closing of an extraordinary literary tradition in South

Africa, that of African Literature in the African Languages, his practice

of it in five decades, throughout the political tribulations of the country

in the second half of the century, brought about its greatest

efflorescence.

THEY ALSO ARE CHILDREN OF THE EARTH

Cursed shall be the one whose passage in this world

Evades humaneness, engenders greed and hoarding

Cursed is he wallowing alone in caskets of wealth and

Counting rosary beads of accumulated cars

To be human is to humbly cherish the sweat of your toil

In measured style of decency and appreciation

To be human is to consider the plight of the needy

As they also are children of the earth

Yes, men and women of this blessed land

NABO BANGABALO MHLABA IN ZULU

Akayena umuntu lowo onganananelani nabantu

Yena ogodle lokho akugodlileyo

Yena osenqohe phakathi kwemikhulu imithangala

Esenguye ngokubalisa izimoto zakhe

Umuntu ngumuntu ngoba ebusebenzele ubuntu bakhe

Ngokuba ebubekele imihla ngemihla

Waze wabenzela nalabo ababusweleyo

Ngokuba nabo bangabomhlaba

Nabo bangabafazi namadoda alelizwe

DENNIS BRUTUS

Nightsong: City

Sleep well, my love, sleep well:

the habour lights glaze over restless docks,

police cars cockroach through the tunnel streets

from shanties creaking iron-sheets

violence like a bug-infested rag is tossed

and fear is immanent as sound in the wind-swung bell;

the long day's anger pants from sand and rocks;

but for this breathing night at least,

my land, my love, sleep well.

Dennis Vincent Brutus (28 November 1924 – 26 December 2009) was a South

African activist, educator, journalist and poet. Brutus, imprisoned along with

Nelson Mandela in the cell next to his, was an opponent of the apartheid

South African regime.

Born in Harare, Zimbabwe to South African parents, Brutus was of African,

French and Italian ancestry. His parents moved back home to Port Elizabeth

when he was 4, and young Brutus was classified under South Africa’s

apartheid racial code as "colored." In 2008, Brutus was awarded the

Lifetime Honourary Award by the South African Department of Arts and

Culture for his lifelong dedication to African and world poetry and literary

arts.

KEORAPETSE KGOSITSILE

From a selection of poems titled: The Present is a Dangerous Place to Live

I. In the Mourning

And at the door of the eye

is the still voice of the land.

My father before my father

knew the uses of fire

My father before my father,

with his multiple godhead,

sat on his circular stool

after the day was done. At times even

between the rednesses of two suns,

knowing that time was not born yesterday.

The circle continues

Time will always be

in spite of minutes that know no life.

Lives change in life

At times even rot

or be trampled underfoot

as the back of a slave.

There are cycles in the circle

I may even moan my deadness

or mourn your death,

in this sterile moment asking:

Where is the life we came to live?

Time will always be

Pastpresentfuture is always now

Where then is the life we came to live?

Born in 1938, Keorapetse ‘Willie’

Kgositsile left South Africa in 1961 as

one of the first young ANC members

instructed to do so by the leadership

of the liberation movement. He was

a founding member of the ANC

Department of Education as well as

that of Arts and Culture. The recipient

of many poetry awards, he has also

studied and taught Literature and

Creative Writing at a number of

universities in the United States and in

Africa.

Willie Kgositsile’s poetry ranges from

the unambiguously political and

public to the lyric and confessional.

In addition to his unique poetic

voice, he is also a gifted teacher.

Among his publications is an

excellent book on teaching the craft

of poetry – not the ‘what’ but the

‘how’.

KEORAPETSE KGOSITSILE

From a selection of poems titled: The Present is a Dangerous Place to Live

IV. Mirrors, Without Song Do not tell me, my brother, to reach

out and touch my soul. My soul is

inside and thin

and knows your death too

Does it matter then how

often my teeth are seen

when I laugh less and less?

Morning does not wake up

with my eye out the window

moaning, or mourning,

a thing or day gone to waste

I die in the world

and live my deadness

in my head, laughing

less and less.

Do you see now

another day, like a slave,

shows its face to be nothing,

nothing but a mirror of the death of another?

When I laugh, my brother, less and less

do not tell me to reach

out and touch my soul. My

soul is inside and thin

and knows your death too.

Poetry Analysis

T.P.C.A.S.T.T. is an abbreviation for a style of poetry analysis. Each of the letters stands for a step in the analysis process. You will use this format and our discussion of critical reading strategies to analyze a South African poem. Plan to write between 3-4 sentences on each particular element using the TPCASTT method. TITLE -- Examine the title before reading the poem. Is the title significant? How does the title prepare

readers for what is to come in the poem? What might the poem be about?

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PARAPHRASE -- Translate the poem into your own words. Resist the urge to jump to interpretation. A failure to understand what happens literally inevitably leads to an interpretive misunderstanding. In the space below, rewrite each line in your own words. You are paraphrasing, not summarizing. Your paraphrase should look like the original poem (not in paragraph form). If you need more space, please use a separate sheet of paper.

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CONNOTATION – Connotations are the associations that a word or phrase implies other than simply the dictionary definition. Examine the poem for meaning beyond the literal. Look for: imagery, symbolism, irony, understatement, oxymoron, allusions, effect of sound devices (alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme). What specific devices are used in the poem and what effect do they have on the meaning?

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ATTITUDE -- Tone: Examine both the speaker’s attitude. Look for: speaker’s attitude toward self, other characters, and the subject. Poet’s attitude toward speaker, other characters, subject and finally toward the reader. Is the speaker angered, passionate, melancholic? Why? How do you know?

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SHIFTS -- Note shifts in speaker, attitudes. Look for: occasion of poem (time and place), key words (ex. but, yet), punctuation (dashes, periods, colons), stanza divisions, changes in line and/or stanza length, irony (sometimes irony hides shifts), effect of structure on meaning. Where does the narrator’s voice change or shift? Why?

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TITLE -- Examine the title again, this time on an interpretive level. How does the title of the poem enhance the meaning of the poem? Does it mean something different than what you originally thought?

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THEME -- First list what the poem is about (subjects); then determine what the poet is saying about each of those subjects (theme). Remember, theme must be expressed as a complete sentence.

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Poetry Analysis

Use your T.P.C.A.S.T.T. analysis to craft a well-written analysis of your assigned poem.

PROMPT: Reread your poem carefully. Then write a well-developed essay in which you analyze how

poetic devices help to convey the speaker’s attitude toward his subject matter.

GRADING: Essays that are successful offer a persuasive analysis of the poet’s use of literary devices to

convey the speaker’s attitude toward his subject matter. The essay provides a convincing

reading of both the complex attitude of the poet and his use of poetic devices. The essay

demonstrates consistent and effective control over the elements of composition in language

appropriate to the analysis of poetry. The textual references are apt and specific. The

student is perceptive in his/her analysis and demonstrates writing that is clear and

sophisticated.

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by Bryce Courtenay Reading Schedule:

Chapters 1-3 pages 3-51 Due: Monday, May 6th

Chapters 4-6 pages 52-101 Due: Friday, May 10th

Chapters 7-10 pages 102-206 Due: Thursday, May 16th

Chapters 11-15 (end of Book 1) pages 207-320 Due: Monday, May 20th

Book 2 pages 323-457 Due: Wednesday, May 29th

Book 3 pages 461-end Due: Wednesday, June 5th

Assignments: For each of the six assigned sections, you will post reactions and reflections to our

website. For some of the reading sections you will be asked to develop your responses into blog

posts. For others, you will be asked to respond to questions posted on the "Discussion Forum"

portion of the site. Follow the directions and schedule on the next page. For both types of

responses you will focus on the questions, connections, and interpretations that the reading

raised for you. This online component is not only a place for you to interact with the text and start

to develop your interpretations, but it is also a space to collaborate with your classmates, helping

all of us better understand the intricacies of the text.

The Power of One BACKGROUND NOTES FROM INTRODUCTORY PRESENTATION:

http://tinyurl.com/poprezi

Apartheid in South Africa Translated from Afrikaans, apartheid means 'apartness'. The term is used to describe the legalized racist policy of the National Party (NP) between 1948 and (officially) 1994. Its roots can be found in South Africa's earlier policies of segregation. Apartheid went further than segregation in formally regulating racial classification, relations, and divisions. It saw black people as backward and uncivilized, and needed to be kept apart from white people. The only relationship that black people were allowed to have with white people was one in which they served them. Black people were discriminated against in almost every sphere of life. Racist laws dictated where and how they could live, travel, work, go to school, marry and socialize.

The basic philosophy of apartheid was simple. Although South Africa was a unitary state, the Nationalists argued that the people did not constitute a single nation but was made up of four race groups, namely white, black, Coloured and Indian. These races were further divided into 13 'nations’. White people comprised English and Afrikaans language groups. The black population was divided into 10 ethnic groups. This made the white race the largest one in the country. The NP justified the racism as necessary, supporting its view with evidence of conflicts between races and cultures around the world. It justified the discrimination using Christian theology and racist theories of white superiority and black inferiority.

How did it Apartheid affect peoples' lives? Apartheid law was divided into two main groups, namely petty apartheid and grand apartheid. The first petty laws aimed to regulate everyday life in racist ways, to create a racially divided and unequal way of life for South Africans. Examples of petty apartheid laws are the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act 55 of 1949, which made marriages between whites and people of other races illegal. The Immorality Amendment Act 21 of 1950 went even further to forbid sex between a white and a black, Indian or Coloured person.

Grand apartheid separated races on a large scale, by forcing people to live in different places according to their race. This required race classification and was achieved through the Population Registration Act 30 of 1950. According to this law, all South Africans had to be classified as white, black, Coloured (mixed race) or Indian, and their race was then recorded in their identity passes. Official teams or Boards were set up to decide the fate of those people whose race was considered uncertain. This caused much heartache especially for Coloured people whose unique mixed race features often led to families being split up after members were assigned different to races. Every year, people were reclassified racially. In 1984, for example:

518 Coloured people were defined as White 2 whites were called Chinese 1 white was reclassified Indian 1 white became Coloured 89 Coloured people became African

Interestingly the word 'African' was never used by the authorities. The problem was it translated back in the Boer language into the word Afrikaner, which was the very name the white Dutch descendants called themselves. Africans were referred to by white officialdom as black or Bantu.

The second element of grand apartheid was the Group Areas Act 21 of 1950. Until then, different races coexisted in most towns. This Act ended racially mixed residential areas. It defined where people had to live and work and each race was allocated its own area. People had no choice but to move, and this Act provided the base for forced removals in later years.

An anti-Bantu education protest, 1955. (Photograph by Drum Photographer © BAHA)

An example of a passbook. (Source: http://www.ms-

starship.com/journal/jan01/27.htm )

Apartheid and Education The Bantu Education Act of 1953 created a separate educational system for black students under the management of the Department of 'Bantu' Education. According to H.F Verwoed, who was the Education Minister at the time, the purpose of 'Bantu' Education was to prepare African people for a subordinate role under white minority rule. According to a report in the Afrikaans newspaper Die Burger , Verwoerd had the following to say on equality in 1953:

"When I have control of ‘Native’ education, I will reform it so that the "Natives" will be taught from childhood to realize that equality with Europeans is not for them." (H F Verwoerd South African Prime Minister from 1958-1966)

Pass laws The movement of black people was severely limited. Black people could only stay in 'white' South Africa if they possessed documents proving they had permission to do so. Indian people were barred from being in the Orange Free State province. The laws restricting the movement of people were known as 'Pass Laws'.

The first pass laws were introduced in 1760 when slaves in the Cape were made to carry them. The Urban Areas Consolidation Act of 1945 together with the Natives (Abolition of Passes and Coordination of Documents) Act of 1952 were key legislation. The Urban Areas Act outlined requirements for African people to 'qualify' to live 'legally' in urban areas in White South Africa. In order to do so they had to have Section 10 rights. These rights were based on whether:

a. The person had been born there and resided there continuously since birth; b. The person had worked continuously for ten years in any prescribed area for any employer; or lived

continuously in any such area for a period not less than 10 years; c. The person was the wife, unmarried daughter, or son under 18 years of age of an African falling into

classes (a) or (b), and ordinarily resided with him, and initially entered the area lawfully; or d. The person had been granted a permit to remain by a labor bureau.

Divide and Rule. The Role of the Bantustans or Homelands When the NP came into power in 1948, its aim was to achieve a white supremacist Christian National State and to enforce racial segregation. The key elements of enforcing racial segregation were:

The classification of the population into African, Coloured, Indian and white racial groups; Strict racial segregation in the urban areas; Restricted African urbanization; A tightly controlled and more restricted system of migrant labor; A stronger emphasis on tribalism and traditionalism in African administration than in the past; and A drastic strengthening of security legislation and control.

These ideas were to form the foundation on which the 'Homelands' policy was developed. Territorial segregation was not new. There existed the 'reserves' that had been created under the British administration in the 19th century. But under H.F. Verwoerd's rule, land was seen as a way to control the increasing movement of black people into the city. Black people could work in the cities but were to live in their own separate areas. The plan was to create 10 national states out of these homelands.

Bantu Authorities Act of 1951 and the Bantu Self-Government Act of 1959

The Bantu Authorities Act of 1951 was the first piece of legislation introduced to support the government's policy of separate development with respect to the 'Bantustans'. It made provision for the establishment of Tribal, Regional and Territorial Authorities in the 'reserves'. Tribal Authorities were set up and positions were given to Chiefs and Headman who became responsible for the allocation of land, the welfare and pension system and the development of money that trickled down to their areas. However, uncooperative traditional leaders were faced with harsh penalties and were often deposed, as was the case with Chief Albert Luthuli when he was dismissed from his position as Chief when he refused to resign from the African National Congress.

The Bantu Self-Government Act entrenched the government's policy of separate development as it provided the political and geographic shape of South Africa. This map saw South Africa as a white center with a cluster of black states along its borders. The principle of ethnicity became established in law. This law paved the way for the government to forcibly remove blacks from their long-time homes and forced them to resettle in assigned areas. The introduction to the Act read:

"The bantu people of the Union of South Africa do not constitute a homogenous people but form separate national units on the basis of language and culture."

Instead the government broke down the assigning of people to specific areas based on their tribal/culture heritage and language:

Kwa Zulu Zulu speaking and Nguni people

Lebowa Northern Sotho speaking and Pedi

Gazankulu Si Tsonga speaking "Shangaan"

Qwaqwa South Sotho speaking "Ba Shoesoe"

KaNgwane Swati speaking and Nguni people

Kwa Ndebele Ndebele speaking and Pedi

Transkei Xhosa speaking

Bophuthatswana Tswana speaking

Venda Tshi Venda speaking

Ciskei Xhosa speaking

The government justified its policy on the grounds that South Africa was made up of different 'nations':

"The government's policy is, therefore, not a policy of discrimination on the grounds of race or colour, but a policy of differentiation on the ground of nationhood, of different nations, granting to each self-determination within the borders of their homelands - hence this policy of separate development" (Chairperson of the Bantu Affairs Commission, 1968

Learning Literary Devices:

Imagery: Definition – _________________________________________

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Example from The Power of One - ______________________

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What is the effect?___________________________________

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Tone: Definition – _____________________________________

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Example from The Power of One - __________________

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What is the effect? _______________________________

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Irony: Definition – _____________________________________

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Example from The Power of One - __________________

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What is the effect? _______________________________

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Archetype: Definition – _________________________________________

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Example from The Power of One - ______________________

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What is the effect?___________________________________

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Are people products of their environment?

“And, after all, our surroundings influence our lives and characters as much as fate, destiny or any supernatural agency,” writes Pauline Hopkins. Do the cultural, physical, and geographical surroundings shape the psychological and moral traits a character? Or are people born with something essential, something innate?

To prepare for our upcoming class discussion, spend some time thinking about the characters in The Power of One. Do the characters believe what they do, behave how they do because of the environment they are in, or instead, are the characters more than the beliefs of their culture? Use the space below to write a brief, text-rooted paragraph arguing your assigned position. Use examples to develop a position on whether or not a character is the product of his environment.

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What does a text-rooted paragraph look like? 1. Thesis Statement

EXAMPLE THESIS: It is evident from Power of One that people’s actions, behaviors, and beliefs are determined by their environment as evidenced by Hoppie when he…

2. First example/quotation

3. Inferences that can be drawn from the first example to support your thesis.

4. Second example/quotation

5. Inferences that can be drawn from the second example to support your thesis.

6. Third example/quotation

7. Inferences that can be drawn from the third example to support your thesis.

8. Conclusion statement (restating your thesis in a new way)

Are people products of their environment?

Discussion Guidelines: Your job is to participate substantively in today's discussion. How do you do that?

1. INDIVIDUAL PREPARATION: Be ready to discuss: did you prepare by finishing your group's assignment, reflecting on your reading, and writing the required text-rooted paragraph? Use ideas from your small group discussion during the large class discussion to further assist you.

2. USE OF EVIDENCE: Use direct quotations, paraphrases, and specific evidence from the text to support your comments.

3. MOVE DISCUSSION FORWARD: Discussion involves challenging fellow students, asking others to clarify their assertions, and asking questions of your fellow students - this enriches the discussion and illustrates your knowledge of the material as well. Do not simply restate what others before you have already said.

4. RESPONSE AND REFLECTION NOTES: Take notes during the discussion to use in responding to elements with which you agree and/or disagree.

Your participation today is worth 20 points.

Response and Reflection Notes:

Take note on the points and ideas that others bring up. What questions do you have about the ideas

discussed? Keep track of who makes points you agree and disagree with so that you can respond directly to

that person.

Microcosm Analogy - Compares two things, which are alike in several respects, for the purpose of

explaining or clarifying some unfamiliar or difficult idea or object by showing how the idea or object is similar to some familiar one.

Dichotomy- A division between two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or

ways of thinking; extreme opposites. Microcosm - A small representative system having analogies to a larger system in

constitution, configuration, or development.

Prison as Microcosm - Prison as a symbol of South African apartheid

Prison South African apartheid THE PRISONERS:

African Tribes in the prison Represent blacks in South Africa who are

make up a majority of the prison pop. considered lessers in culture; kaffirs

treated as lesser Make up a majority of the population with

separated in the prison no rights or power

hints at fighting between groups - Tribes are separated fighting Separated by into townships by the Bantu Homeland Acts Segregated and isolated – breaks down

communication (black vs. white entrances/access to education/access to housing and water and tribe vs. tribe)

Doc = German Represents those in South Africa who support Allies

Plays piano, educated = arts and culture Dutch support Hitler, want him to kick

Flawed = alcoholic English out of S. Africa

Outsider = only white prisoner we read of Conflict that whites in SA feel about Germany

Few whites in prison

Geel Piet = Coloured – mixed racial background Coloured group in South Africa

Ran prison black market (sugar, tobacco) This group has a little bit of power over

Spent majority of his life in prison blacks but hated by both blacks and whites

Beaten, not respected by other prisoners Tries to use its power to rise about the

Hated by both whites and blacks black/white segregation

“Limbo man of Africa” abuse the system in order to gain power,

Rare that he is a boxing coach only power in a small arena/system rare exceptions of people in this group that have real power

Prison South African apartheid

GUARDS - Afrikaans Represent the Afrikaans - Boers in roles of power as Authority figures – controlling this group instituted apartheid; rule specific areas they

have control of.

Lt. Borman

Captain Smit

Klipkop __________________________________________________________________________________ OUTSIDERS:

Peekay

Children boxers

Responding to the Power of One

SECTION OF TEXT

ASSIGNMENT RESPONSE TYPE

Chapters 1-3

BLOG PROMPT: Why do the Judge and jury hate Pisskop? Where does this hatred come from? How does Pisskop deal with this cruelty? What is the lesson or theme that the author most likely wants readers to learn about the nature of human cruelty and prejudice?

RESPONSE CRITERIA:

Completed before class on the assigned date – Monday, May 6th

The student responds to all parts of the prompt using clear, relevant details, examples, elaborations, and/or quotations to develop and support the central focus (thesis) of the blog response. The blog response is rooted in the text.

The blog response be at least two well-developed paragraphs.

Blog

Chapters 4-6

SAMPLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What is it that Peekay has learned about camouflage so far? How are the ideas of camouflage and adapting to change related to related to the “power of one”? What is the “power of one”?

RESPONSE CRITERIA:

Completed before class on the assigned date – Friday, May 10th Clear, relevant details, examples, elaborations, and/or quotations are

used to develop the central focus (thesis) of the response. The examples and details prove the thesis.

The student responds in a way that does not just answer the question, but moves the specific discussion forward.

The student will need to respond to at least two questions but may respond to more.

Discussion Forum

Chapters 7-10

BLOG PROMPT AND CLASS DISCUSSION: Are people merely products of their environment?

RESPONSE CRITERIA:

Completed before class on the assigned date –Due: Thursday, May 16th The student responds to all parts of the prompt using clear, relevant

details, examples, elaborations, and/or quotations to develop and support the central focus (thesis) of the blog response. The blog response is rooted in the text.

The blog response be one well-developed paragraphs.

Blog and Discussion

Chapters 11-15 (end of Book One)

SAMPLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What’s in a name? By the close of chapter 15, what names has the main character been called by? Is it significant that we still do not know his real name?

RESPONSE CRITERIA:

Completed before class on the assigned date – Monday, May 20th Clear, relevant details, examples, elaborations, and/or quotations are

used to develop the central focus (thesis) of the response. The examples and details prove the thesis.

The student responds in a way that does not just answer the question, but moves the specific discussion forward.

The student will need to respond to at least two questions but may respond to more.

Discussion Forum

SECTION OF TEXT

ASSIGNMENT RESPONSE TYPE

Reflect on reading Book Two

SAMPLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Do aspects of Peekay’s story fit our definition for myth and hero? If we think of Peekay as a modern hero, what is the lesson that he teachers readers? RESPONSE CRITERIA:

Completed before class on the assigned date – Wednesday, May 29th Clear, relevant details, examples, elaborations, and/or quotations are

used to develop the central focus (thesis) of the response. The examples and details prove the thesis.

The student responds in a way that does not just answer the question, but moves the specific discussion forward.

The student will need to respond to at least two questions but may respond to more.

Discussion Forum

Reflect on reading Book Three

ESSAY PROMPT: Throughout The Power of One, Bryce Courtenay raises the question of how much power people have over themselves and others. Peekay grows up with a number of influences on his life, but the mantra he continues to rely on is “the power of one: one heart, one mind, one body.” Is the Power of One a valid title? Was Peekay’s life constructed around this spirit of individualism, or was his life formed through the power and influence of others? Your task in this essay is to prove whether individuality and the power people have over themselves is more important than the influence and power others have over us. You will use specific examples (quotations) from The Power of One to prove your “big idea.” CRITERIA:

The student will turn in a typed, double-spaced essay on the assigned date – Wednesday, June 5th

The student responds to all parts of the prompt using clear, relevant details, examples, elaborations, and/or quotations to develop and support the central focus (thesis) of the blog response. The blog response is rooted in the text.

The essay will be at least 5 well developed paragraphs.

The essay will be set up using MLA formatting standards.

The essay is worth 60 points.

Literary Analysis Essay

ESSAY GRADING: Your essay will be graded holistically using criteria from the Keystone Expository Composition Rubric. The writing rubric contains five grading areas that you will need to think about when constructing and revising your essay. You can earn a score of between a 1-4 in each area (focus, content, organization, style, and conventions), with 4 being the highest score.

Scoring Domain Score Point 4 At this score point, the writer -

Score Point 3 At this score point, the writer -

Score Point 2 At this score point, the writer -

Score Point 1 At this score point, the writer -

Score point 0 At this score point, the writer -

Thesis/Focus establishes and sustains a precise controlling idea/thesis

displays a clear understanding of task, purpose, and audience

establishes a controlling idea/thesis

displays an understanding of task, purpose, and audience

provides an inconsistent idea/thesis

displays a limited understanding of task, purpose, and audience

provides a vague or indistinct controlling idea

displays a minimal understanding of task, purpose, and audience

provides no evidence of a controlling idea/thesis

displays no understanding of task, purpose, and audience

OR

does not respond to prompt

Content provides relevant content and specific and effective supporting details that demonstrate a clear understanding of purpose

uses sophisticated transitional words, phrases, and clauses to link ideas and create cohesion

provides relevant content and effective supporting details

uses transitional words, phrases, and clauses to link ideas

provides insufficient content and ineffective supporting details

may use simplistic and/or illogical transitional expressions

provides minimal content

uses few or no transitional expressions to link ideas

provides little to no content

does not use transitional expressions to link ideas

OR

does not respond to prompt

Organization chooses sophisticated organizational strategies appropriate for task, purpose, and audience

includes a clear and well defined introduction, body, and conclusion

chooses appropriate organizational strategies for task, purpose, and audience

includes a clear introduction, body, and conclusion

displays some evidence of organizational strategies

may not include an introduction, body, and/or conclusion

displays little evidence of organizational strategies

may not include an identifiable introduction, body, and/or conclusion

displays no evidence of organizational strategies

does not include an identifiable introduction, body, and/or conclusion

OR

does not respond to prompt

Style uses consistently precise language and a wide variety of sentence structures

chooses an effective style and tone and maintains a consistent point of view

uses precise language and a variety of sentence structures

chooses an appropriate style, tone, and point of view

uses imprecise language and a limited variety of sentence structures

may choose an inappropriate style or tone and may shift point of view

uses simplistic or repetitious language and sentence structures

demonstrates little or no understanding of style, tone, or point of view

uses repetitious language and simple sentence

structures

demonstrates no

understanding of style, tone, or point of view

OR

does not respond to prompt

Grammar/ Conventions

demonstrates command of standard English grammar and usage

demonstrates command of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling

demonstrates command of sentence formation

demonstrates control of standard English grammar and usage

demonstrates control of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling

demonstrates control of sentence formation

demonstrates limited or inconsistent control of standard English grammar and usage

demonstrates limited or inconsistent control of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling

demonstrates minimal control of standard English grammar and usage

demonstrates minimal control of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling

demonstrates minimal control of sentence formation

demonstrates little or no control of standard English grammar and usage

demonstrates little or no control of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling

demonstrates little or no control of sentence formation

Extra Credit Opportunities: There is so much history and so many personal stories to learn about as we study South Africa and its history

of apartheid. To help you become better acquainted with the people and history of this time, you'll have an

opportunity to do some independent exploring. Additionally, you can choose to read a book on mythology as

we will be talking about the hero’s cycle more during our reading of The Power of One. Below you will find a

movie and book recommendation list. Select one book or movie, either from this list or one you discover on

your own, have both Ms.Ward and a parent/guardian sign the attached permission form, and start reading

(or watching). Once you've finished, write a 2-3 page report on your selected piece. Your written report

should NOT be a book report. Instead it is a narrative reflection that incorporates a THEME from the movie

or text and connects it to what we have been studying. Finish this assignment by JUNE 7th, and you can earn

up to 10 extra credit points!

MOVIES: Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony is a 2002 documentary film depicting the struggles of black South

Africans against the injustices of Apartheid through the use of music.

Confronting the Truth is a 73 minute documentary about the work of commissions in Peru, South Africa, and East Timor in telling the truth about what has happened and working towards reconciliation.

Cry Freedom (1987) is the story of Steve Biko’s murder in police custody and the risks a white journalist takes to tell this story.

In My Country (2004) dramatizing the "Truth and Reconciliation" project and the spirit of "ubuntu" ("I am because we are"), in contrast to "eye-for-an-eye" justice.

Invictus (2009) This drama based on real-life events tells the story of what happened after the end of apartheid when newly elected President Nelson Mandela used the 1995 World Cup rugby matches to unite his people in South Africa.

Sarafina! (1993) is the engaging story of the Black youth uprising in Soweto.

South Africa Close-Up" (2004) is a documentary about two teenagers living in South Africa.

21 Up South Africa: Mandela's Children (2006) The concept of the Up Series -- documentaries that revisit a group of children every seven years -- is brought to post-apartheid South Africa. Here, filmmaker Angus Gibson interviews 11 young people of various races and backgrounds as they turn 21. The result is an insightful look at how they've changed and the issues they face such as crime, race relations, education and the AIDS epidemic -- which has killed three of the original 14 children.

Finding Joe (2011) Various artists come together to celebrate the legacy of scholar Joseph Campbell, whose work exploring the power of myth enlightened the world. Among those interviewed are Deepak Chopra, Tony Hawk, Mick Fleetwood and Rashida Jones

The Power of Myth (1988) In this PBS series, journalist Bill Moyers leads viewers on a journey into the mind and spirit of legendary teacher and masterful storyteller Joseph Campbell, who discusses the need for modern myths that fit our ever-changing world. Campbell also addresses people's search for a hero in their everyday lives; the role of love, romance and sacrifice in myth and in practice; and the concept of eternity in the context of various religions.

BOOKS: Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton is the story of a white father forgives the father of the black man who

kills his son.

July's People by Nadine Gordimer is a classic. For years, it had been what is called a "deteriorating situation." Now all over South Africa the cities are battlegrounds. The members of the Smales family - liberal whites - are rescued from the terror by their servant, July, who leads them to refuge in his village. What happens to the Smaleses and to July - the shifts in character and relationships - gives us an unforgettable look into the terrifying, tacit understandings and misunderstandings between blacks and whites

Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane is written with courage and conviction. Mark Mathbane's reveals the extraordinary memoir of growing up in a world under apartheid.

The New Century of South African Poetry edited by Michael Chapman is the ultimate overview of South African poetry, reaching from its earliest manifestations in the oral culture of the land's indigenous inhabitants to the complexities of post-apartheid verse. It includes translations from the country's many languages, discovering hitherto hidden voices as well as placing in context the best-known names of our rich poetic heritage.

Spud by John van de Ruit is one you'll want to pick up. It's 1990. Apartheid is crumbling. Nelson Mandela has just been released from prison. And Spud Milton - thirteen-year-old, prepubescent choirboy extraordinaire - is about to start his first year at an elite boys-only boarding school in South Africa. Cursed with embarrassingly dysfunctional parents, a senile granny named Wombat, and a wild obsession for Julia Roberts, Spud has his hands full trying to adapt to his new home. Armed with only his wits and his diary, Spud takes readers of all ages on a rowdy boarding school romp full of illegal midnight swims, raging hormones, and catastrophic holidays that will leave the entire family in total hysterics and thirsty for more.

The Power of Myth This book is written as an interview between journalist Bill Moyers and legendary teacher and masterful storyteller Joseph Campbell, who discusses the need for modern myths that fit our ever-changing world. Campbell also addresses people's search for a hero in their everyday lives; the role of love, romance and sacrifice in myth and in practice; and the concept of eternity in the context of various religions.

INDEPENDENT PROJECT APPROVAL FORM Name:_____________________________________________________________________________________

Block:___________________________________ Date:__________________________________________

Title of Book/Movie:_________________________________________________________________________

Author of Book/Movie:________________________________________________________________________

How will you obtain a copy of this book/movie?__________________________________________________

Short description of book/movie (if not on Ms. Ward's recommended list):____________________________

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Two reasons for selecting this book/movie:

1)_________________________________________________________________________________________

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2)_________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________ By signing this form, both the student and parent/guardian understand that the student is committing to obtain the above book or movie on his or her own. It is important that parents and guardians review the independent book or movie selected by the student, especially if it was not selected from Ms. Ward's recommended list, to ensure it is appropriate for class. This extra credit project is due ___________________.

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Student's Signature Date

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Parent/Guardian's Signature Date