So, after reading the first two chapters of God’s Bits of Wood, which I will now be calling GBOW (just to make things easier), I decided to review the chapters on Spark Notes, just for clarification purposes of course. But apparently Spark Notes doesn’t want anything to do with this book. That’s right, no spark notes. I actually have to read the entire book with no assistance. Although, after painfully getting through the 600 page novel that is Crime and Punishment this mere 250 pager seems more than doable. Plus, at least after the first 2 chapters I actually found myself interested in the plot. Especially the little girl Ad'jibid'ji. Ad’jibid’ji is clearly in limbo between the Europeanized Bamako generation and her elders’ generation which clings to the old traditions of the culture. As the strike develops history will be recalled and the elders advise against a strike because of the lives that were lost in past strikes. But since Ad’jibid’ji’s generation has a different view of the strike, they crave immediate action and want rapid change. They do not focus on past events- even if the strike could be dangerous. Although the younger generation respects the elders, especially Mamadou Keita, and have heard about the outcome of past events they want the strike and display fierce enthusiasm for the cause. This devision shows a major difference between the elders of the society and the younger generation. I belive Ad’jibid’ji’s character will provide critical insight for us as readers and help us understand the relationship between the respected elders and the excited younger generation. I really hope that she doesn't get too mixed up in the violence that will become of this novel, though from end of the second chapter i'd say it isn't looking to good.
Do you think that Ad'jibid'ji's's and the others' disregard for the events of the previous generation has any greater meaning? I'm also confused as to whether this ignorance is completely lamentable or in contrast a somewhat favorable thing.
ReplyDeleteAlso about Ad'jibid'ji's's and others' disregard for the events of the previous generation; do you think the younger generation's want for immediate gratification with no thoughts about lessons of the past or consequences in the future can apply to the same generation in America (our generation)? Do you think this plays into our habits of drinking and doing illegal drugs? Do you think if America's teens were put in a similar situation, they would act the same way?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jake, I definitely think that Ad'jibid'ji's's generation can serve as an allusion to our generation and youth movements before us. Ad’jibid’ji is clearly in limbo between the Europeanized Bamako generation and her elders’ generation which clings to the old traditions of the culture. As the strike develops history will be recalled as elders advise against a strike because of the lives that were lost in past strikes. But Ad’jibid’ji’s generation has a different view of the strike, they crave immediate action and want rapid change. It is a common ideology among the youth to not worry about the possible negative outcomes of a situation when there is a shining beacon of opportunity gleaming above them.
ReplyDeleteThroughout reading this blog post, I agreed with mostly everything, and so my comment has to be more of an inquisitive nature... You say that Ad'jibid'ji is caught in limbo between generations. Throughout the rest of your argument I could not infer your standpoint here. The main question I have, I suppose, is whether you belive this to be 1. Necessary 2. Effective. While the term limbo had more of a negative connotation to me, specifically, wasn't exactly sure how you view the role that this generation plays. Is it required for such a generation to exist to bring about change, and/or how do they contribute? Or, if it were to mean the other extreme, why does nothing come of this generation in "limbo"?
ReplyDeleteBut, as a final comment I would say that this seems to indeed be one of the more prevalent themes in the book, and I assume that the exploration of my question (and your analysis) will be part of the rest of the story.