LITR 5831
World / Multicultural Literature: Tragedy & Africa
Lecture Notes
Readings: Buchi Emecheta, The Rape of Shavi (1983) , complete
Bacchae Presentation Six (lines 1126-1431): Caryn Livingston
Nietzsche,
Birth of Tragedy,
Chapter 11, pp. 54-59
notes
+
Birth of Tragedy Glossary;
Discussion: Heather Minette Schutmaat
Allegory: symbolic characters, didactic
Bacchae Presentation Six (lines 1126-1431):
1126
DIONYSUS: [admiringly, as he
escorts Pentheus from the doors]
You
look just like one of Cadmus's daughters.
1130
you look like a bull leading me out here,
1130
with those horns growing
from your head.
Were you once
upon a time a beast?
It's
certain now you've changed into a bull.
DIONYSUS:
The god walks here. He's made a pact with us.
[cf. Nietzsche
on confusion of actor / hero & Dionysus as god]
1137
PENTHEUS:
How do I look? Am I holding myself
just like Ino or my mother, Agave?
1142 PENTHEUS: [demonstrating his dancing steps]
[Dionysus begins adjusting Pentheus's hair and clothing]
now that I've transformed myself for you.
1155
DIONYSUS:
Once you see
those Bacchic women
acting modestly,
[confusion whether Bacchic women are "girls gone wild" or consciousness-raising]
once you
confront something you don't expect,
you'll consider me your dearest friend.
1161
[Dionysus observes Pentheus trying out the dance step]
DIONYSUS:
Your mind has changed. I applaud you for it.
1174
I'll use no force
to get the better of these women.
I'll conceal myself there in the pine
trees.
1180
I can picture them right now,
1180
in the woods, going at it
like rutting birds,
clutching
each other as they make sweet love.
1192
Follow
me. I'm the guide who'll rescue you.
When you return someone else will bring you back.
PENTHEUS:
That will be my mother.
1198
PENTHEUS:
You've really made up your mind to spoil me.
DIONYSUS:
To spoil you? That's true, but in my own way.
PENTHEUS:
Then I'll be off to get what I deserve.
1200
1201
DIONYSUS: [speaking in the
direction Pentheus has gone, but not speaking to him]
You fearful, terrifying man—on your way
to horrific suffering.
1210
CHORUS 1:
Up now, you hounds of madness, [hounds
of madness = maenads as furies?]
1210
go up now into the
mountains,
go where Cadmus's
daughters
keep their company of
worshippers,
goad them into
furious revenge
against that
man, that raving spy,
all
dressed up in his women's clothes,
so keen to glimpse the Maenads.
1230
CHORUS:
Let justice manifest itself—
1230
let justice march, sword in
hand,
to stab him in the throat,
that godless, lawless man,
1265
cast your deadly noose upon
that hunter of the Bacchae,
as the group of Maenads brings him down.
[Enter Second Messenger, one of Pentheus's attendants]
1278
SECOND MESSENGER:
Pentheus, child of Echion, is dead.
CHORUS:
O my lord Bromius,
Now your
divine greatness
is here made
manifest!
1280
SECOND MESSENGER:
What are you saying? Why that song?
Women, how can you now rejoice like this
for the death of one who was my master?
CHORUS LEADER:
We're strangers here in
1291
CHORUS:
Dionysus, oh Dionysus,
he's the
one with power over me—
not
1305 The stranger was our guide, scouting the way. [The stranger = Dionysus]
1309
a valley there shut in by
cliffs.
Through it refreshing waters flowed, with pines
1310
providing shade. The
Maenads sat there,
their hands
all busy with delightful work—
1321
on that hill, a pine tree stands.
If I climbed that, I might see those women,
and witness the disgraceful things they do."
Then I saw
that stranger work a marvel.
He seized that pine tree's topmost branch—
it stretched up to heaven—and brought it down,
pulling it to the dark earth, bending it
as if it were a bow
1336
So that pine
towered straight up to heaven, with my king
[my
king = Pentheus]
perched on its back.
1342
some voice—I guess
it was Dionysus—
cried out from
the sky, "Young women,
I've
brought you the man who laughed at you,
who ridiculed my rites. Now punish him!"
As he shouted this,
a dreadful fire arose,
blazing between the earth and heaven.
1357
His mother Agave with both her sisters
and all the Bacchae charged straight through
the valley, the torrents, the mountain cliffs,
pushed to a god-inspired frenzy.
1360
1375
catch the climbing beast up there,
stop him making our god's secret dances known."
Thousands of hands grabbed the tree
and pulled.
They yanked it from
the ground. Pentheus fell,
crashing to earth down from his lofty perch,
screaming in distress
1382
His priestess mother first began the slaughter.
[his priestess mother = Agave, Pentheus's mother
She hurled herself at him. Pentheus tore off
his headband, untying it from his head,
so wretched Agave would recognize him,
so she wouldn't kill him. Touching her cheek,
he cried out, "It's me, mother, Pentheus,
your child. You gave birth to me
1391
But Agave was foaming at
the mouth,
eyes rolling in their
sockets, her mind not set
on
what she ought to think—she didn't listen—
she was possessed, in a Bacchic frenzy.
1397
tore his shoulder out. The strength she had—
it was not her own.
The god put power
into those hands of hers. Meanwhile
Ino,
her sister, went at the other side,
1400
ripping off chunks of
Pentheus's flesh,
while Autonoe
and all the Bacchae,
the whole crowd of them,
attacked as well,
all of them
howling out together.
1405
The women cried in triumph—
one brandished an arm, another held a foot—
complete with hunting boot—the women's nails
tore his ribs apart. Their hands grew bloody,
tossing bits of his flesh back and forth, for fun.
1410
1414
As for the poor victim's head, his mother
stumbled on it. Her hands picked it
up,
then stuck it on a thyrsus,
at the tip.
1420 She's coming here, inside these very walls, 1420
1427
The best thing is to keep one's mind controlled,
and worship all that comes down
from the gods.
Readings:
Buchi Emecheta, The
Rape of Shavi (1983)
Nietzsche, Birth of Tragedy, Chapters 9-10, pp. 45-54 notes + Birth of Tragedy Glossary; Discussion: Jeanette Smith
Instructor presentation: Aeschylus's Seven Against Thebes
Notes for Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes
SCENE > Oed's curse
7th gate: Eteocles x Polynices
10 do not be afraid . . . crowd of foreigners
10 Tiresias as herdsman of birds
39 each commander > gates
Chorus of Theban maidens
109 saved from slavery . . . torrent of men
149 hear rattle of chariots
181 Eteocles: don't go Dionysiac
230 man's duty . . . your duty silent, isnide house
256-7
ETEOCLES:
[256] O Zeus, what a breed you have made for us in women!
CHORUS:
[257] A breed steeped in misery, just like men whose city
is captured.
262 do not terrify men
271, 280 Eteocles's vow to sacrifice > action at 7 gates
Chorus 332 modest girls plucked unripe
375 Scout narrates action, gate 1
422 gate 2
526 fifth man, Northern gate
631 7th gate, your own brother
654 Eteocles: father's curses brought to fulfillment
677 chorus: don't be like your father
712 obey us women
719 Eteocles [exit]
792 city saved
804 city is saved but kings born of the same seed
810 men are dead
812 destiny, ill-fated family
845 funeral procession
861 Antigone and Ismene
957 antiphonal dirge--cf. opera
971-2 perished by, killed nearest and dearest [Aristotle on families]
1011-13 rewrite to set up Antigone
1032 Antigone previews action
Shavi
notes
Ch. 1 The Bird of Fire
Ch. 2 The Leper Creatures
11 “Things will never be the same again,” Patayon mouthed
16 [place / change] the bravery
found only in those of royal birth . . . .
the bird of fire heralded change
17 How come the Ogene priests hadn’t foretold this event?
29 [apocalypse] destruction for all the people of their own world
30 for no foreseeable reason
34 why should one human wish to monopolise her sorrow, or even her child? . . .
child of the community
36 What kind of people have we become . . . . How will it sound when future people learn that we treat visitors or
immigrants who land among us like animals?
37-38 They are immigrants, just like us.
38 their arrival was symbolic
Ch 6 The Cattle People
41 declared people of Shavi
41 “Here women are used as chattels, aren’t they?
Tell me, are you a slave or simply a serving maid?”
44 You have also heard our young people.
Maybe Ogene sent them to teach us something.
45 dignity commands more respect than position
47 All these may not be glamorous to the youth
47 if we could fly? We could extend
the borders of Shavi to take in Bordue, and Aflie . . . .
War isn’t progress
50
54 best house in town
54 typo
56 crystal, like a diamond
57 womb of earth
58 accept kindness
60 accept kindness
63 trust the humanity
64 picturesque ignorance + romantic; cf p. 73
66 these “savages” happened to be noble people who never forgot their past
history
67 learn to accept kindness without strings
Ch 9 The Dancing Queen
71 an isolated place, hidden from view by the surrounding desert and hills (cf.
Herland)
74 Christianity > slavery > mineral rights
76 no deformity; no means of artificially prolonging life.
Every living being had to be able to contribute something to the
community
77 the mother of my son, the woman who told the world I’m a man
78 dance, individuality, all women were people, just like men
84 keen on native girls / hates them
84 born into this; adapt
86 The fact that their culture’s different doesn’t make us more human than they
are.
87 I want to be able to choose the work I do
87 make slaves out of us. When a
white man lands in a place like this, he is always superior.
He makes the native his servant, not the other way round.
88 Why don’t you explain about being British, and deserving of respect, not like
coolies from nowhere.
89 [Ronje recognizes Asogba’s rank]
91 Such simple people would never be able to understand that women, grown-up
women, could be single
92 He could stand black people behaving badly, because that was expected—volumes
had been written . . . . But
how could one explain the behavior of blacks that went about their work with
dignity? Was it because they had
remained in Africa and had never been enslaved in foreign countries?
93 He thought, “Black people had no moral standards anyway.
In England and the West Indies, most black women raised their families
alone, because the women slept around . . . . “
94 what human would rape? She had
heard the elders say that things would never be the same after the arrival of
the leper people, and now she saw why.
96 the whole stability of Shavi will be affected
96 This is a case beyond men.
97 For the first time, she was confronted with human dirt, evil, indignity, and
violation. For this, she would need
a new set of rules, which Siegbo had not taught her. . . .
They must act quickly to save the fabric of Shavi life.
98 her mother transformed into a warrior; two senior women of Shavi
99 we must purify our land. This is
our war.
100 In fact, I intend coming back and studying the life of the people.
102 they trusted us with their best.
102 we’re all immigrants . . . . contribute
103 the man’s adaptability
104 don’t divorce; cows > family
104 rape Ayoko = rape Shavi
105 chosen race, romantic, illusion of the noble savage
106 black girl as object of use; he had only done what generations of his race
had done before. > dog that bit a human must be put down
107 50s = old for Shavi
118 how could he control people whose past he didn’t know?
120 learn their wizardry
123 The kriors would weave our names into Shavi’s history . . . .
128 these pregnant ladies. Now at
least we have a choice . . . .
129 belong nowhere
145 Their whole way of life will disappear
156 market saturated, no further responsibility
157 drought = test of strength
162 guns = England’s empire
168 humans communal at heart
174 people of Koo helped by their own albinos
176 Shoshovi: start all over again
178 we don’t have to run away
178 pondering about the future
review: novel as nationalism + modernity
Novel as dialogue + narrative
Novel as representing many contending voices of nation / group
+ narrative / myth of modernization
Things
124 nothing like this had ever happened
187 such a thing had never happened before.
194 administer justice just as it is done in my own country
203 Our fathers never dreamed of such a thing . . . .
But a white man never came to them.
Shavi
11 “Things will never be the same again,” Patayon mouthed
16 [place / change] the bravery
found only in those of royal birth . . . .
the bird fo fire heralded change
17 How come the Ogene priests hadn’t foretold this event?
30 for no foreseeable reason
36 How will it sound when future people learn that we treat visitors or
immigrants who land among us like animals?
66 these “savages” happened to be noble people who never forgot their past
history
94 what human would rape? She had
heard the elders say that things would never be the same after the arrival of
the leper people, and now she saw why.
96 the whole stability of Shavi will be affected
97 For the first time, she was confronted with human dirt, evil, indignity, and
violation. For this, she would need
a new set of rules, which Siegbo had not taught her. . . .
They must act quickly to save the fabric of Shavi life.
118 how could he control people whose past he didn’t know?
135 things weren’t going to be the same anymore.
Our young people have seen . . . .
141 since they came here things have changed. . . .
Think of our future . . . .
I’m talking about our future, not our past.
145 Their whole way of life will disappear
176 start all over again
178 pondering about the future
Christianity or Capitalism / spiritual or material motives
Christianity & Capitalism
sin & scarcity
grace & abundance
convert nature to capital
“universalist” religions x tribal, local religions
Shavi
129 belong nowhere
165 a place to regard as home
178 we don’t have to run away
178 lunatic religion + trading store $
p 10 the conquest of the earth
two theoretical impulses in western thought
"white man's burden"
1. convert world to Christianity--"every knee shall bow"
--?post-Christian or post-evangelical?
"Make the world safe for democracy"
Shavi
132 untouched noble savages need western ways sometimes
Shavi
137 clitorized
143 drought relief + help women
2. convert world to capitalism
Things
174 church, government, court, prison
religion trade government
176 custom = language
178 lunatic religion + trading store $
207 administrator, student of native customs; cf 181
208 book he planned to write
Shavi
27 “We have enough of everything”
47 if we could fly? We could extend
the borders of Shavi to take in Bordue, and Aflie . . . .
War isn’t progress
74 Christianity > slavery > mineral rights
76 no deformity; no means of artificially prolonging life.
Every living being had to be able to contribute something to the
community
156 market saturated, no further responsibility
157 drought = test of strength
158 in / dependence
160 x-work = less human
165 x-farm, > expand
Shavi—science
fiction, apocalypse, utopia
29 [apocalypse] destruction for all the people of their own world
71 an isolated place, hidden from view by the surrounding desert and hills (cf.
Herland)
104 rape Ayoko = rape Shavi
