Global Issue in WNNN and ‘Embarrassment of Riches’ Reflection

 Global Issues Document (w/ questions & annotations)

 

What did you find easy about this task? What did you do well?

I found it quite easy to find extracts from both texts that were in relation to my global issue. I think I did well with the overall larger ideas. I was able to formulate my thoughts and support my ideas through both the texts.

 

What did you find challenging about this task? 

The most challenging part for me in this task was to dig deeper, I know I answered the questions asked but I don’t think I went into as much depth as I should be aiming for. This is something I need to work on overall in this class, my analysing skills aren’t bad but I think they could use some improvement in terms “how” or “why” a text might have a certain feature. 

 

What do you need to practice more in order to overcome this challenge(s)?

To overcome this challenge, I need to focus on looking at the smaller details and really unpack every idea I think of. I honestly don’t know what practical steps I can take to reach this point but I think reading more texts and trying to really focus in on the “how” or the impact a text may have might help.

What are some new perspectives you gained after your close study of the extracts?

After studying Monbiot’s “Embarrassment of Riches”, I was quite intrigued to read about the psychological impacts of being rich and how that takes away people’s empathy. I am not a very money-driven person to begin with but reading that essay opened my eyes and actually see that having a lot of money and being wealthy means people can afford things doesn’t mean its the best for rich people either because it takes away their emotional connection with other people. We all always think about how the rich being rich affects the poor, but the essay shows how wealth is bad not only for the poor and the environment but also bad for the rich themselves. 

In what ways is the kind of knowledge we gain from the study of language and literature different from the kind we gain through the study of other disciplines?

I believe the subject of language and literature is one that is very subjective. Unlike sciences and mathematics, there isn’t one right answer and a specific or ‘correct’ way of doing things. The knowledge we gain in language and literature is more about context and communication. Using context, we can study the effect or impact of a piece of writing. But its also a subject where a person\’s identity influences what impact it has which one against shows that its a subjective subject. It is about how we communicate using words and how that has changed over time.

 

Connections to TOK:

In TOK, we focus a lot of what we know and how we know what we know. With language and literature, a lot of it has to do with our identities, what we take away from a subject like this (not taking into consideration the technical things like grammar) depends a lot of who we were, our values and cultures and etc. So how we know what we know is a difficult question to answer because it will differ depending on who is asked. In TOK, we have also looked at bias and perspective and I think that while studying language and literature, it is so important to distinguish our perspective from the author and characters\’ perspectives. One’s experiences and backgrounds can really impact how they understand a text and it might differ from the author\’s initial intent. This is quite similar to TOK in the sense that TOK follows the same idea but focusing on what knowledge is and how it is gained rather than actually focusing on specific content. Perspective is a common concept discussed in both L&L and TOK.   

 

 

Connections to CAS:

 

The main connection I can see between Monbiot\’s essays and CAS is the idea of advocacy. Monbiot\’s is an environmental and political activist so naturally, advocacy is something quite common in his writing. His opinions and ideas show that there is change that is necessary in different areas and many times he even goes on to give a \’solution\’ to the issue he mentions.

Global Issue in "We Need New Names" & "Embarrassment of Riches"

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo is a novel that follows the journey of a young Zimbabwean girl, Darling, through her childhood in Zimbabwe and America after she emigrates there to live with her aunt in hopes of a better life and captures her experiences and struggles.

“Embarrassment of Riches” by George Monbiot is an essay that talks about  how the people who become rich are only because of the poor and how a lot of the environmental issues present in our current world is because of the actions of the rich. Monbiot raises some negative traits about people who are rich and mentions his thought on the idea that money brings happiness.

Field of Inquiry: Politics, Power & Justice

Broad Global Issue: Wealth gap

From “Embarrassment of Riches”:

“…Even when they mean well, the ultrarich cannot help trashing the living world.

The disastrous effects of spending power are compounded by the psychological impacts of being wealthy. Plenty of studies show that the richer you are, the less you are able to connect with other people. Wealth suppresses empathy. One paper reveals that drivers in expensive cars are less likely to stop for people using pedestrian crossings than drivers in cheap cars. Another revealed that rich people were less able than poorer people to feel compassion towards children with cancer. Though they are disproportionately responsible for our environmental crises, the rich will be hurt least and last by planetary disaster, while the poor are hurt first and worst. The richer people are, the research suggests, the less such knowledge is likely to trouble them.

Another issue is that wealth limits the perspectives of even the best-intentioned people.”

From “We Need New Names”:

Pg 265 and Pg 268-269

 

In WNNN, the pages mentioned above contain the interaction and conversations between Kate, Darling and Eliot. In these pages, Darling\’s poverty even after moving to America is seen and it also shows the contrast of her life and Eliot and Kate’s life. We see what seems to be Eliot’s wealth and how it seems to talk away his ability to feel for Darling (like Monbiot mentions the richer you are, the less you\’re able to connect with people) as he misses his drink cap and leaves it where it is for Darling to pick up. He also wants to go hunt in Africa and wants to learn Darling’s language (which shows Monbiot\’s point of the rich can\’t help but thrash the world for their own good). Darling also mentions how Eliot has been all over Africa but has only ever seen the animals and parks which also supports Monbiot’s ideas being presented about rich people not being able to connect with others. In addition to that, although Darling invalidates Kate\’s struggles thinking her struggles have been significantly worse, the readers also see that Kate doesn’t really sympathize with Darling either.

Refined Global Issue: the unnoticed impact of wealth gap on the rich and the poor

NoViolet Bulawayo

Elizabeth Zandile Tshele, under the pen name NoViolet Bulawayo, is a Zimbabwean author. She was born in 1981. She grew up and completed high school in Zimbabwe and then moved to the U.S to do university.  NoViolet Bulawayo is the author of Hitting Budapest, We Need New Names and Country Country.  She has won several awards for her works.

We Need New Names is a novel about a 10 year old Zimbabwean girl named Darling, her childhood in Zimbabwe and her life after she emigrated to America in hopes of a better life.  Because the protagonist is Zimbabwean like NoViolet Bulawayo herself, it is a common misconception that the story is pulled mostly from her own experiences. According to Bulawayo, Darling’s life was nothing like her own, especially while living in Zimbabwe. Bulawayo describes her childhood as ‘normal and beautiful’ whereas Darling\’s life seemed to be full of hardships and trials. Darling\’s move to the U.S. seems to intersect with Bulawayo’s life after she moved to the states making the book semi-autobiographical. Like Darling, when Bulawayo had moved to the states, she had to conform to a new mindset, a new way to act and a new way of everything altogether. She had to learn to adapt to a new culture and new life. The language used in the novel is also inspired by Bulawayo’s own culture as she refers to language as being fluid and a ‘living beast’. Although the beginning of the novel shows a life of Zimbabwean child during this time of unrest due to political issues in the country that Bulawayo cannot relate to, the novel is still an expression of her identity. We can see this when we look at the second half of the book, where the cultural shift relates quite a lot to Bulawayo\s move to the U.S and her having to adapt to new ideas and culture. 

It is worth mentioning that originally the novel was meant to be from an adult’s perspective. Darling was a minor character, but Bulawayo soon came to realize that writing it from a child\’s perspective would make the story less political and more straightforward. Writing about the rather dark and serious topics from the point of view of an adult would take away from the main ideas she was trying to portray because they were her own emotions and anger towards the political state of Zimbabwe. This seems to once again show that the novel isn\’t entirely an expression of Bulawayo\’s identity because although the latter part of the novel is pulled from a lot of Bulawayo\’s own experiences, she did not want her own views and emotions to take away from the story’s intent.

 

We Need New Names Discussion

In class today, we had a more general discussion on We Need New Names, looking at the story as a whole rather than going into depth about a specific chapter or topic. We covered many topics during this discussion, from creativity and perspective to cultural assimilation, NGOs and power and politics.

We had many interesting conversations in this discussion. An example of this would be the lack of use of quotations. We, as a team, weren’t really sure as to why the author chose to do that but one of the reasons behind the author’s choice my have been because this is from the point of view of a very young girl who no longer went to school. Maybe, the lack of quotation is a representation of how her mind processes everything and works but this is once again questioned because she still does not use quotations even after getting older and getting educated in the US.  I also found it very interesting to talk about what it means when one is excluded from a community.  We had a discussion on how people’s reaction to being excluded can depend on many things like their attachment to the community, their personality , the community they are being excluded as well as the situation which causes them to be excluded. We talked about NGOs and how although intention can be good, that doesn’t mean the delivery of the actions is right and therefore making the work ‘good’.  One last thing I found extremely interesting was how the author never explicitly says the story is in Zimbabwe but rather a country in Africa which conforms with western mindset and ‘the single story of Africa’. But later, we see Darling in the US where she seems to constantly talk about how Africa isn\’t one just one country. This makes me question why the author chose to not disclose where Darling was from.

I don’t necessarily think my overall understanding of the book has changed through this discussion but it did definitely open my eyes to things that I had slightly noticed but didn’t think much of.  It helped me go more in depth about certain topics, clear some confusion about certain things and also raise some new questions. I think this discussion was very helpful and opened my eyes to see the story as a bigger whole in comparison to before as previously, we were focusing more on smaller sections of the novel rather than the whole thing.

 Discussion Questions and Notes

We Need New Names Chapter 5

 What does the title tell us?

The title of chapter 5 is “How they appeared”. Just based on the title, much can’t be taken away about the chapter if the story is being read for the first time.  The use of the pronoun they, however, does help readers automatically sense the shift in point of view. The title seems to be a very good representation of the situation in the chapter. Referring to Operation Murambatsvina, using the word appeared really shows the reality of how things happened so unexpectedly and left so many people homeless.

For each paragraph, write in 1 sentence WHAT it is about (topic or focus):

– Coming to Paradise was not a choice, they had to do it.

– They all arrived to Paradise in different ways, some in groups, some alone but all broken and messy.

-They started to use whatever it was they could find to build a house, all reassuring themselves it’ll be okay.

– Valuable things and the past got left behind.

– Their history got left behind.

– People didn’t speak for a while, but when they did, it was full of shock and betrayal.

– They had not expected their own brothers to betray them, they\’d have preferred it were from the white people.

– The children were confused but began getting used to it.

– MotherLove tried to bring up their spirits, she brought alcohol and didn\’t let the struggle show.

– The men tried to stay strong and not show emotions, but they were grieving on the inside.

– The women saw and knew, and so they comforted their families.

WHAT is the main idea being communicated in the whole chapter?

The main idea of the chapter is to show what brought the people to Paradise in the first place and the struggles they, along with so many other people, dealt with after being left homeless.

What point of view is being used? And what is the effect of this on the readers?

The point of view being used in the chapter is 3rd person. This separates this chapter and makes it stand out because, before this point, all the chapters were from Darling’s perspective using words like I and we.  Because the chapter is in third person point of view and uses the word they throughout, we are able to see how collectively how everyone, including Darling, ended up in Paradise.

 

HOW does the author communicate the main ideas using literary devices?

The author uses enumeration to list off and break down the struggles people had to deal with then they came to Paradise. Each of the paragraphs in the chapter seems to focus on one specific idea or component relating to the struggle which goes on to show how there were so many different elements to the entire situation. 

Similes and metaphors are used quite a bit in the chapter. Some examples of similes include “They appeared single file, like ants. In swarms, like flies. In angry waves, like a wretched sea“, “…and for a long while they walked around in silence, like the returning dead” and “Their voices came back like tiptoeing thieves in the dark…“. All of these similes use words that hold a dark or negative connotation. Using words like flies and wretched helps the readers to realize how dark and bad the situation was. Readers can also imagine the tense atmosphere of Paradise with the imagery of angry waves and swarms like flies. Some examples of metaphors in the chapter include “…shards of glass people” and “Solid, Jericho walls of men“. The metaphors have a similar effect as the similes where the words used to give the readers a sense of how sad and dark the entire situation was.

The author uses parallelism in the chapter to reinforce certain ideas. An example of parallelism is “They appeared one by one… They appeared single file, like ants… They appeared in the early morning… They appeared…” The repetition of appeared creates a rhythm and reinforces the idea given in the very first paragraph when it is said that “Coming would mean that they were choosers“.  Having the parallelism helps the understand the main idea of the chapter.

Tricolon is also used in this chapter. Examples of this include “They appeared one by one, two by two, three by three” and “they appeared in the early morning, in the afternoon, in the dead of night“. This allows the author to emphasize her points and make it more emotive as well as memorable for the readers. Using tricolon makes the readers feel something lingering which speaks a lot to the readers.

 

HOW does the author’s choice of diction help communicate the meaning?

The verbs used in the chapter are relatively simple like come, check, appeared, passed, build with a few verbs that carry some negative connotations like killed and steal. Keeping the verbs simple was effective since the literary devices alongside the adverbs and adjectives were extremely powerful. The adverbs and adjectives used in the chapter are very dark like angry, wretched, evil which help create imagery and help the readers understand the main idea of the chapter which showcases the darkness and gravity of everything before Paradise became what we see it as through Darling’s eyes.

HOW does the diction in this chapter differ from the diction used in chapters narrated by Darling? Give examples of the differences and suggest why they are different.

The chapters narrated by Darling are clearly through the perspective of a young child talking about her day to day life, both whenever she is in Zimbabwe as well as when she moves. This makes her use informal language, slang and colloquialism. This particular chapter differs from the rest of the chapter significantly because it is very formal, almost sophisticated and it seems to cover a longer period of time while talking about a larger group of people. The constant use of they gives this idea. The change of diction is very effective because it gives the readers contexts and helps them to zoom out and see things from a larger viewpoint than just seeing day to day life through Darling’s eyes.

We Need New Names POV

 There are 3 chapters in the novel that are NOT told from Darling’s point of view:

Ch 5 “How They Arrived”

Ch 10 “How They Left”

Ch 16 “How They Lived”

What is different about these chapters – in addition to the different narrative point of view?

Other than a different point of view, these chapters are also written in a completely different style. These specific 3 chapters seem to be written in a more proper and precise manner with mature language and an overall different style in comparison to the other chapters. These chapters talk about the struggles Darling went through but from an outside point of view rather than her own point of view which would reflect the mind of a young girl.

Why has Bulawayo included these chapters in the novel?

I think the reason, why Bulawoy included these chapters in the novel, is to bring awareness to the readers that yes, this story is fiction and about Darling, however, the topics that are talked about in those chapters reflect what reality is for many people. Talking about topics like colonization and immigration in the manner Bulawayo did in those specific chapters makes the message of the story so much more powerful.

Why are they put in the places they are?

These chapters are spaced out quite evenly (making in appearance at around the 1/3 mark of the story) and they are usually put in place before or after Darling experiencing something to show whatever it is Darling is experiencing from a wider perspective. This shows the readers that these are real problems and not just Darling\’s or simply conflicts in a fictional piece of literature.

How does their inclusion affect the reader (what does it help us to understand or realise or imagine – about the characters, the setting, the culture, the plot and/or the themes)?

As mentioned above twice already, I think that the inclusion of these 3 chapters is extremely eye opening for the readers as it forces them to think about and realize how this fiction talking about Darling\’s struggles and issues is a representation of reality. Immigration, colonization, its effects, struggling with one\’s identity and losing parts of one\’s culture are all things that are reality for so many people.

Why couldn’t Darling tell us this information instead?

Keeping in mind that Darling is one person, with a very specific identity and very specific life experiences, if these chapters were told from her perspective, we would miss the bigger picture. Yes, Darling is dealing with all these issue, however, the way she sees it may not actually be a fair representation of the overall theme of these chapters. It was important for these chapters to be told from a larger perspective than that of a young girl because her perspective may contain some unnecessary elements that could take away from the overall effectiveness of main message of the chapters.

We Need New Names Reflection

 Zoom Discussion:

In our zoom discussion, several interesting ideas came up. A quite common thing I noticed was how, although we were all discussing what the main concept of the last couple chapters should have been, it seemed as though all concepts were utilized and central to the chapters in one way or another. I personally do not think that there is one main dominant concept to the last two chapters however I do think that identity, culture and perspective are all dominant to the chapters. The reason why I feel this way is because Darling\’s culture alongside her experiences makes up her identity which in turn also shape her values and perspectives on different situation. Overall, in my opinion, identity, culture and perspective are the most evident concepts in the final two chapters of We Need New Names.

 

How can reading be TRANSFORMATIVE for the reader?

I personally am a strong believer of how transformative reading is. We all are only exposed to so much of the world, and we only see so many perspectives and ideas. Reading introduces and exposes us to ideas and concepts that may not be introduced to us otherwise. “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one” is one of my all time favorites quotes is by the author of A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin. This quote shows us that through reading, we can gain many new experiences and perspectives. One of the best parts about reading and it being so transformative is being able to pick the topics you’re interested in and explore different perspectives and ways to looks at those topics.

We Need New Names is a story that follows the journey of a  Zimbabwean girl named Darling through her childhood and teenage years while she struggles with her identity. We see her life in Zimbabwe as well as what her life becomes when she moves to America and is shown that the American Dream isn\’t as dreamlike as everyone back home had thought in their heads. This novel is very transformative for me as a reader and I would assume that many people can agree. The novel talks about Zimbabwe and can inform readers like me, who know nothing about Zimbabwe, about what life is like in Zimbabwe and what kinds of things we all should be aware of. The novel also covers rather dark topics like sexual assault, racism and death which can not only inform readers but also helps us become aware of these issues. Being able to resolve such issues in the world is only possible if people are educated and aware of them first. Given my background, this story has caused me to reflect and think about many things. It has forced me to consider perspectives and see things through Darling’s eyes which would not have been possible otherwise. For such reasons, I would consider reading We Need New Names  quite transformative for me.

 

 

We Need New Names Brainstorm

 Global Issues (Global Areas)

–  Socioeconomic status  (politics, power, justice)

Darling lived a comfortable life before she was pushed into poverty and had to live in Paradise. 

People in Paradise had dreams of living in \’Budapest\’ or America and that was their ultimate goal.

Even in America, the people who had come from Africa lived a very minimal life and nothing as glamorous as they thought.

– Gender inequality (culture, identity, and community)

At the beginning of the book, Darling mentions how the first child is \’supposed\’ to be a boy.

The households in Paradise also seem to be very patriarchal as her father goes to work.

Concepts

– Identity – the story really focuses on Darling as a person and her entire childhood journey

 – because it is about a Zimbabwean girl, the story probably is from the experiences of the author herself

 – character development is shown of Darling and her friends

– Culture – talks about Zimbabwean culture and traditions

 – mentions of  religion (Christianity)

– also mentions stereotypes of other African countries (while teenage Darling was talking with her African friends in the US).

– Representation – fictional, however, talks about what reality is for many people

 – presents many different people, different mindsets and etc.

 – the  people are represented is through Darling’s eyes but the differences in them is very evident