Function of Grandparents in African Culture
| 4373306 (M) | | Sanni Mohammed-HarunaAFRO 1023W - 001 |
[ The Representation of Grandparents in Caribbean Literature] | |
ID# _4373306_ (M)
AFRO 1023W – 001
11/06/2012
Essay 2
In numerous instances relating to francophone literature, the displaced African woman is often depicted as a strong, independent, and resourceful individual. Contrary to western depictions of the role females were to play during that time period, many African women endured such things as hard labor and an increased sense of responsibility about the household. Though the man is still one to play the dominant role in the majority of situations, women were not known to be overly submissive, but instead raised themselves to a level nearly equivalent to that of their male counterparts. In a similar vein, grandparents, and specifically grandmothers who evolved from their prior status as strong and independent, are also portrayed as caring yet resilient people in various pieces of Caribbean literature. Despite not being better represented among major African authors, grandparents are nonetheless pivotal characters of noteworthy contribution. Grandparents play a number of functions in the African community; most notable are the three primary roles of imparting values and cultural relevancies onto children, being a consistent and reliable fixture for the family, and taking on the responsibility of nurturing children; acting as an emotional, physical, and intellectual anchor for those in need. The instilling of morals and values into the children of a specific community is a crucial step in the preservation of a culture. Without the transmission of this information between generations, cultural principles and ideals become vague and the community’s sense of identity grows to be equally indistinct. This important role of acting as a preserver of values was often placed upon the child’s grandmother. The reason being that in African culture “grandparents
[ The Representation of Grandparents in Caribbean Literature] | |
ID# _4373306_ (M)
AFRO 1023W – 001
11/06/2012
Essay 2
In numerous instances relating to francophone literature, the displaced African woman is often depicted as a strong, independent, and resourceful individual. Contrary to western depictions of the role females were to play during that time period, many African women endured such things as hard labor and an increased sense of responsibility about the household. Though the man is still one to play the dominant role in the majority of situations, women were not known to be overly submissive, but instead raised themselves to a level nearly equivalent to that of their male counterparts. In a similar vein, grandparents, and specifically grandmothers who evolved from their prior status as strong and independent, are also portrayed as caring yet resilient people in various pieces of Caribbean literature. Despite not being better represented among major African authors, grandparents are nonetheless pivotal characters of noteworthy contribution. Grandparents play a number of functions in the African community; most notable are the three primary roles of imparting values and cultural relevancies onto children, being a consistent and reliable fixture for the family, and taking on the responsibility of nurturing children; acting as an emotional, physical, and intellectual anchor for those in need. The instilling of morals and values into the children of a specific community is a crucial step in the preservation of a culture. Without the transmission of this information between generations, cultural principles and ideals become vague and the community’s sense of identity grows to be equally indistinct. This important role of acting as a preserver of values was often placed upon the child’s grandmother. The reason being that in African culture “grandparents
Cited: * Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid * Butterfly in the Inner City by G. Pineau and K.L Rudolph * The Grandmother in African and African American Literature: A Survivor of the African Extended Family by Mildred A. Hill-Lubin * Sugar Cane Alley / Rue Cases-Negres (film)