Look at this nice school project, I would like you to imitate. It is an audio file in which the interviewer asks a reader to explain the novel and introduce it to promote its reading. What about carrying out the same project in our class? I want you to think of the things you liked about the novel and why you would suggest other readers to read it. This way we can create a “class interview”. One student will be the interviewer (let’s say Sara P.) and she will ask each of you a question (sorry Sara, you have a difficult task I know it! ) and you will answer. Then Sara will have to round up the interview and express her own ideas about the book.
Now listen to this audio file and say whether you agree or disagree with Nancy’s observations on the novel.
Now look at this other school project.
It is just fantastic. The students chose one of the major themes of the novel (oppression) and created a video clip with an interesting sequence of images, if not awesome pictures accompanies by meaningful music and words. I am left speechless at the capabilities that young people have. So, once again, think of a possible theme, and collect images that in your opinion best convey the theme you chose. Then choose a song or piece of music that can be used as soundtrack. You can create your own music if you wish, just as you did last year. You choose your own groups and you choose the theme you want to work on. Obviously you need to let me know who is going to do what.
Watch the following videos and bear in mind the following questions to ease your understanding:
Just like many Nigerian intellectuals, as you will see in Wole Soyinka, fought for democratic elections in Nigeria.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12925092
In this video the writer describes how she changed her writing after encountering African writers, whose books were not easy to find in Nigeria. She explains her experience as a “colonized” reader and the steps she had to take to “free” herself. This is an interesting video if you want to grasp the “complexity” of postcolonial studies. I am attaching the tapescript too, should you be interested in it.
Adichie the danger of a single story
I think that in Italy the fact of leaving is less than in other countries, as our English teacher pointed out; but this issue could happen if there is a difficult family’s situation ( for example divorce or separation of the parents), or the family has economical problems, or the boy in consideration is stifled by the school or what else and it becomes stressful for him: in fact not everybody is able to react in a good way and to overcome problems in a “normal” way. This would not be my case, but if i would decide to leave I’m sure i could resort to my relatives (my grandma, my aunt) or my dearest friends, i’m sure they would help me immediately! But i must confess that i wouldn’t know where to go in the case when i would have nobody by my side. I really don’t know what institution i could ask for help and i’ve never consulted any webpages, so i wouldn’t be prompt for the situation, but i think i would manage it by myself.
I think the two British webpages are very good made up: the titles aim directly at the point, the arguments catch readers’ attention and the information is well schematized. But i think that instruments like these blogs can’t possibly reduce or limit or help materially homeless people: it is a responsibility of the System first, and then even ours. We can contribute giving this poor young people money or even some food but it is the State the one who should protect and help this people to hope for a possible future. But unfortunately it is not done and for this reason the number of this poor people is increasing more and more, overall in the big cities.
I think a young like that feels naked, is smelly and perhaps he is even very hungry and thirsty. I think it is not an easy life, living on passers-by, sleeping on doorways.. and at the same time watching all around the world going on. I would really like to do something for these people but i’m sure my help would be not enough. It is not fair that some people have to accept ways of living like this one, but i think they first have to make other people (who judge them badly) realize that they are not ruining the landscape of the earth, but they can do something good like everyone.
baci baciiiiiiiiiii