Checking Out Me History Flashcards
‘Dem tell me wha dem want to tell me’
referring to the Europeans that are trying to teach him their history.
The subject, verb, object form in the sentence show how the Europeans have the power.
Blind me to me own identity’
Refers to a violent way of removing eyesight, taking away who he is and his past.
The use of Caribbean dialect is not wrong English but shows how language can be a beautiful way of expressing who you are and your culture.
‘A slave with vision’
Toussaint was able to see beyond his slavery and had a hope and a dream where his people weren’t forced to be slaves.
contrasts ‘blind’ and shows the power of historical figures and the power of identity.
‘See-far woman’
Nanny de Maroon - Same ideas as Toussaint and Seacole, they had a vision and could see beyond their slavery.
They wanted to be worth something and contrasts the first stanza ‘blind’.
‘A healing star to the wounded’
Mary Seacole - Same ideas as Toussaint and Seacole, they had a vision and could see beyond their slavery.
They wanted to be worth something and contrasts the first stanza ‘blind’.
Star has light imagery which indicates hope and new beginnings which gave the black people more sense of worth as they felt that they could be someone without the influence of Eurocentric views.
‘Dem tell me bout de dish ran away with de spoon, but dem never tell me bout Nanny de Maroon’
deliberately mixes up important European history with nursery rhymes to infantilise and mock the Eurocentric views.
shows how it is of no interest to Agard as he sees the black historical figures more interesting to him as they are linked to him in a personal way.
‘But now I checking out me own history, carving out me identity’
Contrasts the start of the poem.
The active verb ‘carving’ contrasts the passive verb of being ‘blinded’, he is making an effort to learn about his own culture and develop his sense of being and identity.
