ENG1501 - ASSIGNMENT 3 ESSAY
SMALL THINGS
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carmelaaltichiero1
www.stuvia.co.za
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https://www.coursehero.com/file/97589293/Stuvia-1028356-eng1501-assignment-3-essay-small-thingspdf/ 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 inn er 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 eigh teen 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 trans itioning 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 re fer 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 h e 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. T he 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 “m uch 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. Stuvia.com - The study-notes marketplace
Downloaded by: Gardner |
Distribution of this document is illegalThis study source was downloaded by 100000868288069 from CourseHero.com on 07-31-2023 02:51:56 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/97589293/Stuvia-1028356-eng1501-assignment-3-essay-small-thingspdf/
SMALL THINGS
written by
carmelaaltichiero1
www.stuvia.co.za
Downloaded by: Gardner |
Distribution of this document is illegalThis study source was downloaded by 100000868288069 from CourseHero.com on 07-31-2023 02:51:56 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/97589293/Stuvia-1028356-eng1501-assignment-3-essay-small-thingspdf/ 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 inn er 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 eigh teen 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 trans itioning 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 re fer 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 h e 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. T he 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 “m uch 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. Stuvia.com - The study-notes marketplace
Downloaded by: Gardner |
Distribution of this document is illegalThis study source was downloaded by 100000868288069 from CourseHero.com on 07-31-2023 02:51:56 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/97589293/Stuvia-1028356-eng1501-assignment-3-essay-small-thingspdf/
