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Sozaboy. A Novel in Rotten English (1985) by Ken Saro-Wiwa

English: An International Language

New historical developments imply new conflicts and ask for new discourses and projects (Giroux, 2005).English From a National to an International Language (Rajagopalan, 2005).From English to “englishes” (Ashcroft, 1989).Language.CultureCulture.Literature.

English: An International Language

The spread of English during the colonial and post-colonial process.The process of vernacularization appropriation of the language by the cutures where it is spoken.Anti-colonial struggles 20th Century political potential of vernacular literature.

The Literary Text in Englishes

The “new englishes” liberating purposes.English: From language of domination to a language of resistance.“English is no longer the exclusiveEnglish is no longer the exclusive language of men who live in England. That stopped being a long time ago” (George Lamming in Ahmad, 2007).New forms of English:From Dialect English To VernacularFrom Dialect English To Vernacular English (Ahmad, 2007).

The Literary Text in Englishes

Vernacular English challenges the hierarchy:“dialect” vs. “language”“standard” vs. “non-standard”

Standard English one dialect amongStandard English one dialect among many.Contesting the language hierarchy contesting the linguistic and cultural hierarchy. Being exposed to narratives in “englishes” becoming aware ofcultural difference (Ahmad, 2007).

The Literary Text: A Contact Zone

The literary text a “contact zone”Linguistic awareness.Cross-cultural awareness.A critical view of one’s own culture.

Teaching Literature:More than teaching language or narratives.Engages us in the process of meaning-making.gA critical reflection on the concept of citizenship.


Aesthetics epistemological systems articulate different ways of understanding the world: “Windows to new worlds”.The affective quality of the literary metaphor.Literary narratives are culturally situated and not abstract narratives grab the reader’s attention and interest;effective to help cross cultural borderseffective to help cross cultural borders.


(Chamberlin, 2003) OUR Stories give meaning to our lives: They articulate our values and beliefs.They keep us together.They separate US from THEM.

THEIR StoriesDifference.Defamiliarize OUR stories.


Cross-cultural awarenessIt is not a promotion of other cultures.It is not the acquisition of culturally influenced behavior.See our culture in relation to another.

A contact zone: “An area where people culturally and geographically distant people get in contact in a relationship of difference and conflict” (Pratt, 1992).Contact languages.Contact narratives.

The literary text promotes not only linguistic but social agency responsible citizenship deconstructs cultural clichés and stereotypes.

Cultural and linguistic conflict

Sozaboy. A Novel in Rotten English(1985) by Ken Saro-WiwaTheme: Cultural and Grammatical Violence.Reading Strategy: Re-creating the twoReading Strategy: Re creating the two conflicting “englishes” and social and cultural perspectives within the story.

Sozaboy. A Novel in Rotten English(1985) by Ken Saro-Wiwa

Situational Practice:Ken Saro-Wiwa (1941-1996):Nigeria.Graduated from University of Ibadan: formal educationformal education.Writer and television producer.Environmentalist.Founder of Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) g p ( )Participated in Civil War.He was executed in 1996.


Post-colonial writer. Novel: autobiography and historical revisionism.Themes: these writers disdain propriety and respectability and depict the harshand respectability and depict the harsh realities of their countries.Master of “code switching”: He composes in more than one register.“Standard English” and “Vernacular English”.Name of the novel: Sozaboy: A Novel in Rotten English.


C iti l P ti C d it hiCritical Practice: Code-switching: Language Perspective.Cultural Perspective.Autobiographical Novel

Personal Narrative.Historical Narrative.Historical Narrative.

Setting in Place and Time (personal and historical level)

Where does the action take place?Post-colonial Nigeria Fictional Dukana.When does the action take place? (PayWhen does the action take place? (Pay attention to the use of tenses).Nigerian Civil War (1967-70) Ogoni People part of BiafraEthnic minorities.

Intermission

N b f i t t th tiNow, before we interpret the narrative together:

1) Read it once more.2) Consider the following issues

Use of Point of ViewH d i t f i f ti ?How does point of view function? How many voices can be heard in the story?Whose voices are heard?

Intermission

LLanguageHow many forms of English does the narrator employ? Why? Which are they?What are the characteristics of the different ‘englishes’?Who is being identified andWho is being identified and characterized through these forms of English?Consider grammatical and lexical characteristics.What is their function in the story?


So one afternoon as we were playing football one policeman came and told us that we must go to the church now now. Church from football? With sweat on our bodies? This policeman must be stupid. What is his trouble anyway? CanWhat is his trouble, anyway? Can policeman confuse himself like this? If it is kotuma, somebody will understand. Because after all kotuma is just man with small education, no plenty job, just chopping small small bribe from woman orchopping small small bribe from woman or man in Dukana.


But police is big man going on transfer from Lagos to Kano and so on. And he can be promoted too to sarzent, then inspector and so on. So it is no good that he should confuse himself. So, nevertheless, since he say we must go to church we all begin tosay we must go to church, we all begin to go there. Everybody. Are we going to pray in the church, and today is not Sunday? Will this police force us to begin to pray? Ha!


Narrative Voice: 1st person plural: The voice of the communityVocabulary:

Words from Vernacular English: soza; sarzentWords from local language (Kana): Kotuma.Words from standard English: “Nevertheless”.

Grammar patterns:Standard Grammar:Vernacular Grammar: Lack of articles, prepositions, plurals.


The man in fine shirt sat down and we all sat down too. Plenty of talking. “Silence!” shouted the police. “Silence, I say” The people cannot understand him. They were laughing because of how he was shouting. Myself too I was laughing Then the policeMyself too, I was laughing. Then the police came to where I was sitting and used his stick on my head.


Everybody kept quiet. I stopped laughing by force. That is how my own things are. Every time trouble. Always. So I kept quiet with several people shouting little shouts inside my head from the policeman’s stick’s blow. I said to myself “trouble don begin”I said to myself “trouble don begin”.


1st Person singular: The narratorVernacular and Standard English:

He can switch from one register to the other, depending on who is being characterized and voiced.characterized and voiced.“Rotten English” cross ethnic and cultural barriers.Voice of the voiceless Pidgin English.Standard English criticize authority.(Henry Louis Gates)The Signifying Monkey: Irony.


He is inside and outside the national community Like Ogoni People assimilated to newly formed Biafra state.Narrator: cultural and linguisticNarrator: cultural and linguistic translator.


The man with fine shirt stood up. And begin to talk in English. Fine fine English. Big big words. Grammar. “Fantastic. Overwhelming. Generally. In particular and in general”. Haba, God no go vex. But he did not stop there The big grammardid not stop there. The big grammar continued. “Odious. Destruction. Fighting”. I understand that one. “Henceforth. General Mobilisation. All citizens. Ablebodied. Join the military. His Excellency. Powers conferred on us. Volunteers. Conscription”.conferred on us. Volunteers. Conscription .


Big big words. Long long grammar. “Ten Heads. Vandals. Enemy”. Everybody was silent. Everywhere was silent like burial ground. Then they begin to interpret all that long grammar plus big words in Kana. In short what the man is saying is that allshort, what the man is saying is that all those who can fight will join the army.


3rd Person singular: The High rank policeman: outside the community.High Sounding English.Discourse: violence and authority.Tone irony Dramatize grammaticalTone irony Dramatize grammatical and cultural violence.To counterpoint the two perspectives on the story being told.To show that the narrator can assume a double perspective.


“English with capital letters and correct grammar” associated with violence and authority.“Rotten English” hybridized language.

Contradicts the Civil War at a linguistic l l d lt l l llevel and cultural level:Deconstructs standard/vernacular divide.Problematizes Center/periphery.Majority/Minority.People/Government.p


So I am now a soza. No. No. I cannot be soza. Soza for what? [...]Then the sozas started running after me.Oh my father wey don die, help me today. Put power inside my body [...] What kain of trouble be dis? [...] I am afraid of the sozas. I do not want to join the sozas. [...] Oh, Jesus. You know. I am young boy. I have never do anybody any bad thing since they born me. You know I love my neighbour as myself Even I am good Samaritan severalmyself. Even I am good Samaritan several times. I have not called another man’s wife. I have not tief another person money. I not go juju house. Forgive my tresspasses


Inside the character’s mind Stream of consciousness Direct Interior Monologue 1st personLanguage Vernacular form Highly functional:functional:His voice becomes the voice os his people persecuted by the police.His story becomes the history of his people.Ogoni People in Nigerian Civil War.


Changes in Point of View Crisis of Identity of the Ogoni Minority in Nigeria’s Civil War.


I run until I get back to the church in Dukana. Now nobody in the church at all. Now I look through the window of thechurch and I see all the sozas, very many ofthem moving like forest towards the church. They were not shooting again They wereThey were not shooting again. They weresinging very loud:My father don’t worryMy mother don’t worryIf I happen to die in the battle fieldNever mind we shall meet again

We are sozas marching for our nation.In the name of Jesus we shall conquer


The voice of authority.The voice of the church.

Become one draw people into Civil WarStandard English discourse of authority

discourse of subjugationdiscourse of subjugation.


Ah, so it is all a dream. Very bad dream. Already, day don begin to break. My mama come to ask me why I am calling her. I told her that I was dreaming...My mama told me that she too have been dreaming how aeroplane came to Dukana anddreaming how aeroplane came to Dukana and dropped big big mortars on top of the church and how everybody was afraid and running about and hiding and calling God to help them.Well, well, well, this dream and my own are almost identical. What can it mean?almost identical. What can it mean?And now everyday they were talking more and more about the war. The radio was shouting about it all the time. And they were saying that everybody must be ready for it. Trouble!


Fiction and realityPeople vs. Authority

His dream; his mother’s dream The dreams of the community The language of the community The fear of the community.The voice on the radio: reality confirming the worst dreams Civil War.Standard English the voice ofStandard English the voice of violence.Vernacular English the voice of suffering is heard.


A dissident narrative into the Nigerian National Literature.Expands the borders of the Literary Canon.Expands the borders of the nationExpands the borders of the nation

Voices Ethnic Minority.Language and Literature Power of resistance and change.


Language is not abstract and universal.It is not just a “means of communication”.It is an instrument of power.It is a tool of inclusion and exclusionIt is a tool of inclusion and exclusion.It is a linguistic and socio-cultural practice.

The importance of the Literary Text

Helen Tiffin (1994) teaching literatureIt will not save the world.It will not put an end to cultural difference.It can help us understand how culturalIt can help us understand how cultural and linguistic oppression work.It can contribute to the creation of a critical concept of citizenship.

Obras citadas

Ahmad, Dohra. Rotten English. A LiteraryAnthology. New York & London: W. W. Norton & Co., 2007.Ashcroft, Bill et al. The Empire Writes Back. London & New York: Routledge, 1989.Chamberlin, J. Edward If This is Your Land,Where are your Stories? Finding Common Ground. Canada: Alfred A. Knof, 2003.Giroux, Henry. Border Crossings. New YorkGiroux, Henry. Border Crossings. New York & London: Routledge, 2005.

Obras citadas

Gunn, Jeffrey “Inside ‘Rotten English’: Interpreting the Language of Ambiguity in Ken Saro-Wiwa’s Sozaboy” In esharp Issue 14; Social Engagement, Empowerment and Change, s/d.Rajagopalan, Kanavilil. “A Geopolítica da Língua Inglesa e seus Reflexos no Brasil” A Geopolítica do Inglês. São Paulo: Parábola, 2005.Saro Wiwa, Ken. [1985] From Sozaboy: A Novel in Rotten English. New York & London: W. W. Norton & Co., 2007.

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