Each sister is incredibly different, and represents a different aspect of Western literature regarding Africa. Because each sister is so different, she is molded by Africa in different ways. Rachel is the egocentric aspect of Western literature regarding Africa. Rachel is Africa as background, Africa as blank space. Rachel is Heart of Darkness, Africa as medium for Western experience. She is Africa the unnamed, Kilanga the unnamed, her nephews unrelated. While Rachel would have liked to been untouched by Africa, she is shaped by it anyway. She has repressed most of her childhood, has clung to racism, and has a need for control. Africa also led her to give up meat.
Leah is connected to central Africa, to the culture of that region. She represents Western literature as repentance, as protest, as making amends. Leah cannot leave Africa, as there's no way for her live in America any longer. She does not like the culture there, and holds bitterness and contempt towards that country for its actions regarding Africa. Out of all the characters, Africa shapes Leah the most. Africa becomes a part of Leah's identity, and Africa makes Leah want to make things Right.
Adah is Africa the objective. She is the Western field guide, the history book. Adah is Africa the collection of biomes, Africa the overpopulated. She is Africa the survival of the fittest. Adah came to Africa and spent most of her time there in her books and in her brain. Nevertheless, she is shaped as well. Africa revealed to Adah the Way of things, making her question her Hippocratic oath, and question life and death.
Ruth May is the journal, open to Africa. She is the blank space that will be filled by Africa, and subsequently left in Africa. Ruth May carries nothing when she leaves, but a tree branch carries her. Africa gives her friendship, gives her excitement, and African Communist Boy Scouts. It also gives her death, or takes from her life.
This is a good post but it is rather brief. I think you could have had a more formal in depth introduction paragraph before diving into the analysis of each sister. Also your ideas are a little bit scattered. For example, at the end of the first paragraph you simply throw out the idea that Rachel gave up meat. Also I would argue that Africa had the same level of impact on both Leah and Adah just in different ways. Leah is more emotional and perhaps that is why the impact on her seems to be more profound. Overall you make some good points about how Africa impacted the girls. Good job.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the style in which you wrote this. It wasn't very formal, but I think that's okay and sort of the way Kingsolver herself would have written an analysis. I do think it may have benefited from some specific examples and textual evidence, but on its own, it's pretty effective already. Great job!
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