ENG1501 - ASSIGNMENT 3 ESSAY SMALL THINGS

ENG1501 - ASSIGNMENT 3 ESSAY SMALL THINGS written by carmelaaltichiero1 Downloaded by: Gardner | Distribution of this document is illegal This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :51:56 GMT -05:00 QUESTION 1 Small things by Ntikeng Mohlele explores a number of different themes throughout the novel which creates certain types of internal conflict within the narrator. Firstly, I will be discussing the narrator’s internal conflict due to the meaning of his life and how his eighteen years imprisonment contributed to this. Secondly, I will be looking at the theme of love which leads to the inner conflict of trying to be accepted. Lastly, I will be discussing how the narrator’s internal conflict within society and inequality sparked due to his imprisonment. In the given paragraph the narrator’s internal conflict with being locked up for eighteen years creates a theme where the narrator questions and explores the meaning of his life. The narrator is faced with this internal uncertainty and confusion he has due to the eighteen-year imprisonment and he knows that he can’t change the way things are at the moment which makes him feel unvalued and misplaced within society. The narrator acknowledges that “he is not a Desmond Tutu. Or Nelson,” (Mohlele, 2013: 103) who contributed to change and new were to fit in and new what to fight for. The narrator has this “irresolvable anger” for what has happened to him and what has happened to others after the transitioning. The inner conflict the narrator’s experiences also stem from the fact that many people are left without jobs and homes all due to the transitioning and once again he can’t do anything about it. The narrator refers to “many walking dead, bruised by the revolution”, (Mohlele, 2013: 104) and through his diction we can also identify a bit of sadness. Through this statement the narrator doesn’t refer to people being actually dead but rather so badly affected by the change that they have nothing left and nothing to live for. The narrator expresses that he is not sure why he should live why is his life valuable, what does he have to live for? while he has nothing, “how is one expected to plead justification for one’s continues existence to gun wielding thugs. Another theme being explored within this novel where we can identify inner conflict will be that of love. Within this novel the narrator makes his love clear for Desiree and how this love inspires him to write poetry. He is in a constant battle to impress and win over Desiree, but she never really tells him that she loves him. The narrator tells us that “to this day, he falls hopelessly in love whenever he sees postman carrying mailbags” (Mohlele, 2013: 5) this reminds him of Desiree and his love for her. The narrator is constantly finding new ways to impress Desiree, “It took me time to learn her emotional compass” (Mohlele, 2013: 7), who still didn’t give him much thought nor appreciated his gestures. The narrators love for Desiree stretches throughout the whole novel. After being released from prison the narrator traces Desiree just to find out that she is married and as heartless as ever, “I trace Desiree through Mabel, her distant cousin” (Mohlele,2013: 45). The narrator refers to Desiree’s love being “much like a fugitive dodging police hounds”, (Mohlele, 2013: 46). This tells us that the more love she receives the more she pulls away. The narrator is faced with this constant battle for her love and acceptance. His imprisonment had no real justification, just like his love for Desiree. He was locked up for eighteen years and patiently waiting for his release. The same imprisonment applies to his love for Desiree. He has been waiting for her love for many years and never receive it. S - The study-notes marketplace Downloaded by: Gardner | Distribution of this document is illegal This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :51:56 GMT -05:00 S - The study-notes marketplace Within this novel the narrator also faces an internal conflict with society and how to fit in which creates the theme of inequality and class due to the transitioning from apartheid. The narrator finds himself homeless and “sleeping on park benches”, (Mohlele, 2013: 104). After his release from prison the narrator feels no need to be apart of society and contribute. The narrator struggles to find his place where he fits in and feels alone. The narrator has Benito as company but is worried about him and doesn’t have money for food. The narrator and Benito “worship the sun”, (Mohlele, 2013: 105), as it offers them some warmth during these cold winter times. The narrator thinks about “pawning some Wordsworth or Aristotle for bread and sour milk”, (Mohlele, 2013: 106) just so he and Benito can have some food. The narrator is homeless and only has Benito as company and his trumpet is his only valuable possession aside from his poetry and art. The narrator is once again placed in a position where he has to take action and control to get out of his position, but he feels invaluable and that he can’t make a valuable contribution to society. Just like his eighteen-year imprisonment where he kept quite and did as asked, he keeps sleeping on street benches without making a change and asking for help or seeing his art as a way out of his position. In conclusion the narrator’s experiences with love, society and finding the meaning of his life sparked a number of internal conflicts within the narrator. He was faced with many challenges and struggled to overcome and work through all of them. Downloaded by: Gardner | Distribution of this document is illegal This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :51:56 GMT -05:00 S - The study-notes marketplace Bibliography Mohlele, N. (2013 ). Small Things . Sunnyside: Jacana Media (PTY) Ltd.