Explanation → Quote Flashcards
Shows Api’s feelings of anger and frustration, after being photographed by a tourist as he compared New Zealand Maori to ‘___.’ It also illustrates that Maori are trapped in a Pakeha social system.
“we’re just objects, cages animals in a zoo”
Api is suggesting/implying that George has had a pampered, privileges and protected upbringing, and that he is unaware of the racism and injustice that is present in 1970’s New Zealand society.
“Brother, have you grown up in cotton wool?”
Api suggests that George has been a victim of theft and has had his thinking converted. It can be considered to be like car conversion; car thieves steal cars and change the number plates, colour and engine number of the car, making it unidentifiable (colour change parallel).
“Stolen your soul, painted it white”
Shows Api’s argument has had a significant impact on George as he thinks about Api’s cage metaphor when looking at the lines of the intersection at the crossing.
“The pattern of squares painted on the street looked like the wire mesh of a cage.”
Reveals Api’s attitude towards the protest; either they fight and have a voice or they’re doomed with silence, racism and injustice to deal with for the rest of their lives.
“We’ve got to fight back. Otherwise we’re doomed, brother. Doomed.”
Api accuses George of being blind when he’s frustrated with George for not understanding his point of view and realising that he’s being oppressed.
“Brother, you’re blind.”
Api’s list of crimes committed by the Pakeha against the Maori reveal that he is well-informed about the issue of racism and injustice. It also adds more depth and power to his arguments, because what he is saying is being backed up with facts and evidence, making his argument stronger and more persuasive.
“stolen our land, degraded our culture…dispossessed us of our dignity…pushed us into slums, taken away our language, used us as cheap labour [and] discriminated against us in courts”
Api is so angry at the tourists that photographed him that he refers to them as “___” and the girls who was giggling at the next cafe table as a “___” and George, who can’t see his point of view regarding the oppression of Maori, he refers to as an “___.” Api is denigrating the tourist, angry at the giggling girl and frustrated by George’s acceptance of the state of race relations in New Zealand. His language is forceful to match the depth of his anger and the convictions about racism and injustice.
“Bloody Yanks!”
“White bitch”
“Uncle Tom”
When Api is trying to persuade George, he says, “___.” At first, George denies this, but after witnessing the traffic incident, these words are repeated, as if they are an echo haunting George. The story ends with the echoed words, “___.”
“Even you will join us against the white man.”
“In the end, brother, even you will join us.”
Shows Api is well-informed about the black civil rights movement causing unrest in North America. Makes his arguments have more depth and power by supplying real life evidence.
“All over the world the black people are rising against [the white man], pushing down the cages he’s shoved them into.”
Part of Api’s attempt to persuade George involved rhetorical questions, designed to make George think seriously about the fact that he is caught up in the system.
“Who else could it have been except a bloody yank?”
“You scared to get your Pakeha clothes dragged through the shit?”
Towards the end of the story, Ihimaera writes a short and seperate paragraph with only two words in a minor sentence. Ihimaera could just as easily have written finite or complete sentences such as, “___.” or “___.” Both of these sentences have verbs, but the much briefer and incomplete sentence has much more impact. The fact that it is a seperate, brief and sibilant sentence makes it well-crafter and very effective.
“Suddenly, shouting.”
