Through narrative text Oyono illustrates how colonialism deprived society the right to culturally develop with unity and with a sense of identity in Houseboy. The story is written in diary format through the eyes of the houseboy Toundi who has to both cope with adolescent struggles and understand who he is as an individual and member of society in his "new life." (24) Toundi even admits that he no longer knows what he can be classified as, which is clearly stated when he says "What are we black men who are called French?" (04) Since they cannot directly answer this question they feel "stupid" (04) and realize "what fools they are" (27)because they don't know who they are and what they can call themselves. .
Although readers grasp the concept that Toundi feels neglected and out of place, Oyono never comes out and directly tells readers. Through subtle inclinations we come to the realization of how painful certain situations actually were. For example, when Madame and Toundi are talking about his place in life and how he gives the "impression that he is doing a houseboy's job while waiting for something better to come along." (55) Though it's never stated in the text readers feel like Toundi does in the sense that they "know their position in life" and "that nothing can be done about it." (56) As Toundi gives up his traditional identity and culture he is caught up in the trap of servitude which leads to his catastrophic fate. .
Primarily, when Toundi is with Father Gilbert he feels "accepted" and "protected" (13) which is a sharp contrast to what his prior home life had been. In every interaction Toundi has with his father, he was "nearly dead with fear"(23), yet when he was living with Father Gilbert he felt as though he was "his boy." (15) After Father Gilbert's death, Toundi is given to the commandant who is nothing like his kindhearted father figure. .
The harsh reality of death brings about a certain change in Toundi which forces him to view what he wants and needs from white society.
Showing them much generosity as Homer states, "Attendants poured water over their fingers, while the maids piled baskets full of brown loaves near at hand, and houseboys brimmed the bowls with wine." ...
Showing them much generosity as Homer states, "Attendants poured water over their fingers, while the maids piled baskets full of brown loaves near at hand, and houseboys brimmed the bowls with wine." ...
Conflicts with Friends: Life can be described as ice cream, there are so many flavors like rocky road, chocolate, and bing cherry vanilla. Some flavors you may like and some you may not but what can you lose, go out and grab a spoon. These are the wise words from the airhead Joey ...
His statement seems unreasonable that he plays several roles and does a lot of things across different job functions and industries, such as a cook, a houseboy and a traitor, but he does not give us a detailed explanation. ...
In the novel, Ugwu, a thirteen-year-old, uneducated Igbo houseboy, begins working for Odenigbo, a revolutionary and politically engaged Igbo professor, and his girlfriend, Olanna, a beautiful, intelligent, and privileged Igbo woman. ...
"[4] Washington's first home also was a "typical log cabin, about fourteen by sixteen feet square" with a dirt floor.[5] As adolescent houseboys for varying periods of time, they were introduced to relatively plush surroundings, Douglass with the Baltimore relatives of the slave-owning Auld families and Washington with the affluent mine-owning Ruffners of Malden, West Virginia. ...
Major Themes, Historical Perspectives, and Personal Issues If students are to appreciate the work of Edith Eaton fully, they must be given its historical and social context. Namely, the reception of Chinese by dominate Americans before and during her period. Students should know that though the Ch...
OUTCOME Thesis Statement: A feministic approach on Wuthering Heights which displays women's rebellion against patriarchal society by showing Catherine as a rebel against her father and her husband and by creating Isabel and Catherine as two contradictory characters. I. Introduction A. Women's pos...