Checking Out Me History Flashcards
1
Q
“Bandage up me eye with me own history
Blind me to my own identity”
A
"bandage" "blind" violent and aggressive verbs -as if he is wounded from the abuse of power -metaphorical
2
Q
repetition of “dem tell me”
A
Using his dialect
Celebrating his culture and roots through his language
Still using his language despite how uneducated people are about the history
“dem”
-white authorities
“want to tell me”
- sinister and disturbing
- they made their own version of it so no one will know of the real brutality and harm dealt
- and how significantly this affects people to this day
3
Q
“Toussaint de thorn
Toussaint de beacon”
A
“thorn”
- he was strong and tough and persistent
- exposed the imperfections in the world
- he didn’t pretend to be the ‘rose’
“beacon”
- leader of the Haitian revolution
- helping to liberate people
- offered light in a time of darkness
- role model
- represents the people with no voice
- needs to be recognised
indented
- reflects the need to look into these figures
- the detail reminds us we don’t know enough
4
Q
"Nanny see-far woman of mountain dream fire-woman struggle hopeful stream to freedom river"
A
“hopeful stream” juxtaposed with a river
- she has done something small but it lead to something impressive
- this is even despite limitations and the restrictive environment
- liberated people and gave them “freedom”
“fire”
- can be put out easily
- but leave permanent scars
- but she has resolve, passion and a desire to make a change
- fires spread easily
- so her influence must have been widespread
- but her scars were not remembered
5
Q
“jump over de moon”
“de dish ran away with the spoon”
A
mocking education systems for focusing more on nurses rhymes than such significant history
