Personal Reading Study :: English Literature

Personal Reading Study Personal Reading Study – â€Å"Cry Freedom† by John Briley Q: Choose a novel in which a relationship between two different characters is developed. Show how the developing relationship between Steve Biko and Donald Woods explores the theme of racism and how the novel portrays the effects of racism in South African society. In your answer you must refer closely to the text and to the themes explored, characterisation and Key incidents. â€Å"And towards that day, when the isolation that creates hostility becomes the closeness that permits friendship, let us join in the song of South Africa†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As the above quotation suggests ‘Cry Freedom’ by John Briley, is a fascinating study of the real life relationship between Donald Woods and Steve Biko. The author employs a variety of literary techniques to demonstrate how two very different men with disparate lifestyles become close, and how their relationship develops under complex circumstances. In my essay I will show how the relationship between Steve Biko and Donald Woods develops and I will also explore the portrayal of the theme of racism and the effects it has on the society in which it exists. Briley portrays this through his characterisation, the themes explored and the key incidents throughout the novel. John Briley has successfully engaged my interest in the developing relationship between the two protagonists. Before their first meeting I believe that Donald Woods was not very sure of what he thought of blacks in South Africa and how much freedom they should be allowed to have. It seems to me that Donald Woods, as a white liberal and an editor contradicted himself many times. An example of this is, â€Å"He did not believe blacks should be given the full right to vote.† But a few sentences later there is a quotation saying, â€Å"When he caught the Government violating those basic ethical premises, he struck at them with a pen so sharp and so precise that his paper was quoted from one end of South Africa to the other.† I believe that in these quotations Woods contradicts himself as he believes blacks should not be given the full right to vote yet when he caught the Government violating those ‘basic’ ethical premises he would argue with them. It seems to me that Woods is not too sure what he believes is acceptable for blacks, and how far they should be allowed to go in the justice system. Furthermore, before their first meeting Woods did not approve of Biko’s black consciousness principles. He believed that Biko’s principles were all about black prejudice and that he did not want everything to be fair in South Africa but instead to be the way the

A History of the Globe Theatre

The Globe Theatre, also well-known as Shakespeare’s theater and Elizabeth’s theater, is one of the oldest theaters in Europe. Researchers divide its history in two periods: the old Globe and the modern Globe.The old Globe was built in 1599. From 1599 to 1608 or 1609 the Globe playhouse was the home of the Chamberlain-King's company and the only theater where it publicly presented its plays in. London.The Globe was imitated by Henslowe, the Globe magnate, and lauded by Dekker, the playwright. Upon its stage Shakespeare's major tragedies enjoyed their first performances. Located among the stews and marshes of the Bankside, it drew across the Thames its audience, men and women, gentlemen and journeymen, sightseeing foreigners and native playgoers (Adams 2).Shortly after the 26th of February, 1599, construction of the Globe commenced under the supervision of Peter Streete, the man with whom Philip Henslowe and Edward Alleyn contracted a year later to erect the Fortune theat er along the same lines. From Streete's building schedule for the Fortune, we can estimate that the Globe took twenty-eight to thirty weeks to complete, and thus the earliest opening date would have been in late August or early September, 1599 (Adams 2-3).Yet the playhouse signifies more than a physical structure for the presentation of plays. It has become the symbol of an entire art. Its construction initiated a glorious decade during which the company achieved a level of stability and a quality of productivity rarely matched in the history of the theater.So rich was the achievement that virtually all interest in the Elizabethan drama radiates from the work of these years. Circumstances attendant on the building of the Globe playhouse were instrumental in developing the distinctiveness of this endeavor.The new playhouse itself was regarded as the last word in theaters. Alleyn and Henslowe modeled the Fortune upon it. In the design of the theater there were significant changes from former playhouses (Adams 20, 22). It was a theater built by actors for actors.To subsidize it a new financial system was instituted which more fully than heretofore interrelated theater and actors. Furthermore, young men had recently taken over the entire enterprise, playhouse and company. Until 1597 James Burbage had maintained some connection with the Lord Chamberlain's men (Adams 84). Builder and owner of theTheatre, lessor of Blackfriars, he had exercised a strong influence on the course the company took. One more significant change occurred at this time. Either a dispute with his fellows or an irrepressible wanderlust led the leading clown, Will Kempe, to break with the company (Binelli 56).Apparently before the stage of the Globe was painted and the spectators admitted, he severed his connection with the Lord Chamberlain's men, though he had been among the original five who had taken a moiety of the lease on the projected playhouse. After his departure, there followed a perio d of great stability in the acting company. In the entire decade there were only two replacements, owing to the deaths of actors, and three additions with an expansion from nine to twelve members in 1603 (Adams 83, 96).I suppose that until now the discussion of the Globe playhouse has proceeded from dramatic function to theatrical realization. No one really can reconstruct the design of the Globe playhouse.All hypotheses, some reasonable, some farfetched, lack supportive materials and proofs about construction and design of the theater. Each scholar, selecting for his research certain scraps of evidence, has painted a hypothetical image of the Elizabethan playhouse.Following John Adams, it was

Media Development in Kenya - 3691 Words

MEDIA DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA 1960 TO LATE 1990 This article highlights the role of Mzee Kenyatta’s nation building press and Media in the â€Å"Nyayo Republic† in developing media in Kenya. Kenyatta’s reign was characterized by less stringent controls of the media. Moi on the other hand towered Kenya’s political scene during his regime and greatly impacted the direction the media took through his relations with them and the policies that his government put in place. Of interest is the fact that Kenya had just acquired its independence and the perception of a one nation, one people would prevail, however the country set out with political fall outs, emerging oppositions and ethnicity issues. Both regimes used the media and state resources to†¦show more content†¦McChesney (1998, p. 25). On the other hand the government indirectly supported the mainstream media by frustrating the alternative media. A few alternative media survived after their collapse at independence. They became increasingly vocal, disillusioned with the pace of change and the political rifts among the political elite. In 1966 Odinga fell out with Kenyatta after being expelled from the ruling part, subsequently there was a major crack down on the emergent alternative English- language media, such as the Christian publication Target. Several underground publications, including Pambana, Mwananchi and Mzalendo had no known official offices. The government viewed alternative media as a threat to its nation building project, as Kenyatta’s aim was to establish â€Å"the nation rather than the ethnic group as the pre-eminent political community† Ndegwa (1997, p.606). The Nation and The Standard directly and indirectly participated in promoting the government’s political project of nation building. Despite being mild government critics they appropriately popularized the state’s invented mythologies which gave a major boost to Kenyatta’s regime. They adopted the use of references to the president as Father of the Nation and to Kenya as a family. As Father of the Nation, he appropriated the title Mzee. This title came with a broadly agreed upon hierarchy of relations, one that was culturally legitimate and enhanced political legitimacy. Therefore its referents were highlyShow MoreRelatedThe Realization Of National Food Security1663 Words   |  7 Pagesthese people living on food relief. The government of Kenya with the support of various organizations has worked to ensure that the Kenyans are food secure. In 2008, the Kenyan government launched the Kenya Vision 2030 which was a long-term development blueprint for the country. Its objective ia mainly to create a globally competitive and prosperous country with a high quality of life for everyone by the year 2030. 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