An_Analysis_on_the_Cultural_Strains_Present_on_the_African_Short_Stories__The_Invitation_,__Coming_of_Age__and__Call_to_the_People_

An Analysis on the Cultural Strains Present on the African Short Stories "The Invitation", "Coming of Age" and "Call to the People" Introduction Culture holds a great importance in a certain society. It determines individual and group of specific period, race or people. It is also what binds them. Culture is what determines the people of Africa and the one that binds them. For how many years of existence, Africa, though the world she was into had denied its existence, had flourished their culture. It is seen in their literary works. Their writers look into the richness of their cultural heritage, their economic, social and political values. Some explore the conflict of old and new and effect of change on traditional African life and the search for identity in the African world. Others ignite the spirit of the Africans to pursue political freedoms. This paper will discuss about the function of the African short stories which is to tell the world about their traditions and cultural strains in the chosen work of John S. Kado (Coming of Age), T.M Aluko (The Invitation) and Peter Abrahams (Call to the People). Coming of Age by: John S. Kado Summary The boy awoke with an unusual silence in the air when suddenly a sound of warning horn was heard. It is the sign that the important day for the brave youths has come. It is the day when a group of youths was going to be tested and enlisted in the tribe’s defense force as men. The boy hurried himself, rushed from his hut and caught a hen to offer a sacrifice to his dead ancestors. He butchered the hen with an ancestral knife, then put his back on the sun and threw the dying hen towards the sun-rays. They believe that their ancestors live in there. After the deed, he goes to the "oak of the ancestors" where the test was to be. There was a big crowd waiting in there when he arrives. Not long after, the African drums started to beat which signals the start of the test. The test start with the whips on the backs till the blood appears and no one is allowed to shake or cry. The drum-beats that were heard regulate the speed of beating. The first boy passed, but the second one did not. When his turn came, he felt the pain on top of his forehead and his back was paralyzed instantly. But as the beating went on, he no longer feel the pain and he believes it was his ancestors doing. He believes that the ghost of his dead ancestors had clustered on his back to received the beatings. Then finally the blood came and the test was over- he had passed the test. He was then carried home to nurse his back. He was afterwards given the best food- fried mutton and gifts from his relatives. After eating he went to sleep to avoid the pain and took an opium to fall asleep quickly. Cultural Strains The cultural strains present in the story are classified according to materials, beliefs and practices. As for the materials, they use horn as warning sound of an event about to start. They use a skin cloak as a garment and they live on huts. They use hen- healthy white hen, for sacrifices on their dead ancestors and an ancestral knife to kill the hen. They have drums which they use in the test, they use opium to fall asleep quickly, and the best food that is served is fried mutton. As for the beliefs, they believe in spirits- dead ancestor’s spirits and they believe that their deed ancestors live in the sun. In the story, people practice giving sacrifices to the dead. They have a test given for the youths who wished to be enlisted in the tribe's defence force. After the test, best food is given to the one who passsed and their relatives give them present or gifts. The Invitation by: T.M Aluko Summary Titus Oti, an English- educated engineer, was visited by his mother Deborah with a buba or a child on her back. He asked whose child it was and her mother told her it was his father's elder sister's child. Titus was disgusted seeing the child without a cloth and a napkin in it. He then asked what her mother wanted and her mother gave him a letter. It is an important letter according to the one who lended her letter. The Letter was from the Harvest Committee of All Souls Church. It says that the committee selected him to be the chief opener at the Bazaar Sale that year and that they were writing him formally to acquaint him with his decision. However, Titus refused even though her mother told her that they will make a way to produce the needed money for the opening. He then let out a complain about money matters because since he came back in Nigeria he was asked for money and more money for the expenses. Titus then drives her mother home. On the way, they had nearly met an accident because Titus mind was on the expenses and the savings he and Bola, his fiancee, agreed to have. There was an argument between Titus and the driver of the lorry but they both went on their ways afterwards when the police word was mentioned. Later, on the evening, a refusal letter from Oti household was brought at the vicarage. Together with the letter were two guineas, a contribution to the bazaar by Titus. Pa Joel, the vicar and the head of the extended family of Titus said that Titus can never write such letter which means to him as insisting on bringing dishonor to the family and disgrace to the memory of his late father. In addition, he wanted to talk to Titus first. However, Titus decision is final and the arguments that Pa Joel and her mother presents to him did not waver it a bit. Nevertheless, a compromise was made. They tell that Titus, together with the family is honored to accept the invitation but Titus will transfer such honor to Pa Joel with the help of Deborah and his kinsman brother Simeon Oke. They reasoned out that Titus will be having an important consultation with the director of P.W.D. in Lagos that the same day of the bazaar. Cultural Strains The cultural strains reflected in the story are classified according to materials and practices. As for the materials- they use car, lorry and motorcycle as a means of transportation. They send letters to the recipient through a related person and they have telegraph pole. They drink ovaltine. They use kerosene lamp and put it in the table. They also smoke using pipe. They use guinea, pound and shilling as money. As for the practices, letters were handed to a related person to the recipient. It is carried, put in a knot tied on the head. Babies were carried or put at the back. They give donation to church and have a bazaar sale. They hire cook-steward with a salary of 4 pounds a month. The cook steward is allowed to give the excess food to his brothers or relatives. People, especially the older one, value family’s honor. Call to the People By Peter Abrahams Summary Michael Udomo was returning from England. He was a young man, an editor of a newspaper and talk about politics. On his return, he plans to fight for the freedom of his country. In the board ship where he was, he met a market woman who shares the same passion for his country. Selina, a market woman, shared his hopes and pledge tohelp him on whatever plans he has. Six months later, Udomo sought out for Selina. There was a dock strike in that time and he thought that the time was ripe to use the paper he edited to rally the people for freedom. Udomo then started to explain his plans and Selina sat and listened attentively while nursing her child. Udomo said that when he leave that night, he will go back to the paper and will write a call to the people to rise against the foreigners and demand the freedom to rule themselves. This paper will be printed and it will be all over the front page tomorrow. People will read it and surely he will be arrested afterwards. After that Selina and Adebhoy, his friend, will rally the people together with the leaders of the dock strike. When he was already in jail, they must not pay any fine for him no matter what happens. He said that he must stay in jail and serve his time for he will be the rallying point of the people. Selina’s duty is to keep the anger of the people and to build up a party that would lead them to freedom. After he had said his plans, Udomo went back to the paper. He was told by his two assistants that one of the directors has been there and read his front page for tomorrow and he wanted it to be changed, otherwise he would not give the permission to print it. Udomo sent a message to that director that he would comply to his wish but did the contrary thing. Later, the printing was done and Udomo went to Selina’s house in a taxi. Selena’s house were one of the few houses in the area that has an electric light. When he arrived in there, he was met by his friend Adebhoy and Selena and other people who came to meet him and willing to help him also. Udomo then gave Selena the copy of the printing and told that there were about ten thousand copies more in the taxi. Afterwards, Udomo was given accommodation- food and rest while Adebhoy read the paper to others. In the morning, The paper was all over the country. Men were conversing with each other near the fisherman’s boat, in the streets about the paper. People were starting to spread the news but with discreet because police were all over the town also. However, they had a secret place- a little room where people can fully know and understand what the paper says. Before someone can enter, men were first swore an oath of secrecy. Then, in the room, someone will read the paper and people were invited to join the Udomo’s party, the Africa Freedom Party. Each one pays a one shilling membership fee also. These were done all over the country, and members had grown more than 10,000 in the late afternoon. However, towards sundown the police had a raid and they got the first inkling of the reading and arrested the people in there. Nevertheless, two lawyers offer their help to defend the arrested. In here, people started to be united. The Africa Freedom Party launched that night with a total of A hundred thousand people. They were gathered outskirts of the town making a pledge for undying loyalty to the Africa Freedom Party and to its leader Udomo to follow him to freedom. Then an old man stepped to the improvised loudspeaker system and prayed in whispering voice to their ancestors to be with them in that great enterprise. Udomo, seeing the torches below in that prison on the hill above the governor’s place he was into, cried. Though he was smiling while crying, he then declares afterwards that he have unlocked the door to freedom. Cultural Strains The cultural strains present in this short story are identified according to materials, practices, and beliefs. The materials used in the story are- first, they have car and taxi as a means of transportation. They also have ships and boats and a harbor where this boats and ships were boarded. They have a market place. They also have a newspaper named the Queenstown Post. Typewriter was used to make a letter on a paper and they use a printer to reproduce a copy. People also uses jacket as a garment and they have shillings for money. They also drink liquor and is serve on visitors. They were electric lights in some area of the town but not in the whole area. Nets are used in fishing by the fishermen. And they have an improvised loudspeaker system which they use when there’s a big crowd. As for the practices, food and liquor is serve on visitors. They also have fishermen which mean one of the people’s occupations is fishing. And an elder leads a prayer to the ancestors. As for the beliefs, they believe in spirits- dead ancestors spirits. Conclusion Truly, Africans have a rich cultural heritage. From the materials they use down to the practices and beliefs that they have shown that they have develop their own identity. The story also, itself, shows how Africans went through- from the oldest beliefs and practices, to the colonization and finally to the pursuit of freedom. Anyone can say that African short stories reflect their life and the way they live as well as its culture. Reading such piece may actually add understanding for the people of Africa. Bibliography Nolen, BArbara. Africa is Thunder and Wonder. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1972 The New Book of Knowledge Encyclopedia (Africa)