Choose two of the following essay prompts. Respond to each in a paragraph. Write your answer in complete sentences. (16 pts )
Prompt I. In both "Marriage Is a Private Affair" and "A Meeting in the Dark," young men fret that their fathers will disapprove of their potential wives. Compare these two stories by looking at how the personalities of the young men and their fathers help to shape the eventual outcomes.
Prompt II. Examine how white people and black people regard each other in "No Witchcraft for Sale," "The Moment Before the Gun Went Off," and "The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses." How do they help to both teach and support each other, and how do they fail? Think about what each group is trying to protect and when it withholds something from the other.
Prompt III. A theme that runs through the poems in this unit is that a sense of pride is important to a sense of self-worth. What do you think is the connection between this theme and Africa's history of colonial rule? Support your view with details from at least two of the selections you have read.
Prompt I: In both "Marriage Is a Private Affair" and "A Meeting in the Dark," the young men and their fathers play significant roles in shaping the eventual outcomes. In "Marriage Is a Private Affair," Nnaemeka, the young man, is deeply in love with Nene and believes that their love should be enough to overcome his father's disapproval. However, his father, Okeke, holds traditional views on marriage and believes in arranged unions. This clash of values between Nnaemeka and Okeke leads to a strained relationship and ultimately the decision for Nnaemeka to go against his father's wishes and marry Nene anyway. On the other hand, in "A Meeting in the Dark," John, the young man, is desperate to marry Wamuhu but fears his father's rejection due to their differing ethnic backgrounds. John's father, Silas, is portrayed as a strict and prejudiced man who disapproves of inter-tribal marriages. This fear forces John to keep his relationship with Wamuhu a secret, leading to tragic consequences. Both stories depict the conflict between the younger generation's desires for love and the traditional expectations of their fathers, ultimately showing the power of family dynamics in shaping the outcomes.
Prompt III: The theme of pride being important to a sense of self-worth in the poems in this unit is deeply connected to Africa's history of colonial rule. In the poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by Langston Hughes, the speaker celebrates the strength and resilience of African heritage despite the attempts of colonial powers to diminish their pride. The pride in their history and heritage becomes a source of self-worth and identity. Similarly, in the poem "A Far Cry from Africa" by Derek Walcott, the speaker grapples with his identity as both African and colonial. The speaker's pride in his African roots clashes with the violent history of colonization, but also fuels his sense of self-worth and desire to fight against oppression. Both poems highlight how the history of colonial rule attempted to erode the pride and self-worth of African people, but also how that pride persisted as a source of strength and identity.