The Music of the ViolinNjabulo S. Ndebele

BluenceAvonYoyoScarlettLauraMayShirley

Outline

I. IntroA. AuthorB. Historical Background

II. SummaryA. PlotB. Concept Map

III. MotifA. EducatorB. Means of EducationC. Receivers of

EducationIV. Themes

A. GenderB. Colonialism

V. Discussion Questions

Thesis Statement

The protagonist, Vukani, is an allegory

of the whole African society which is under the

influence of colonialism; the story reveals how the

children of Africa are torn between the Western and

African cultures in terms of education, race and

gender issues, and eventually even the mildest

individual is forced on the verge of rebellion.

I. Introduction Historical

Background Author

Historical Background

• Apartheid (1948-1994): Hendrik Verwoerd, Prime Minister of South Africa, implemented a

system of racial segregation to maintain Afrikaner white control over South Africa.

• Bantu Education (based on 1953 Bantu Education Act):

a separate system of education and designed to fit black children for the lower echelons of the economyEg. gardening

• Soweto uprising in 1976: a new spur to black writing

Author: Njabulo S. Ndebele• South African poet, short-story writer, critic

• Fools and Other Stories (1983) - a collection of short stories

• Background: Bantu Education in placid-seeming townships near Nigel in the Transvaal, in the early 1960s, but not in the Soweto of 1976.

• Figures: a generation of parents and a generation of children rather than militants and security policemen.

• Narratives: the eyes of a young and sensitive protagonist (Vukani)

• Theme: consciousness of Njabulo’s generation.• Eg. The prophetess

II. Summary

Plot Concept

Map

Plot

• Before climax:

Vukani studies in his room and pays attention to the conversation between his parents and the guests in the living room, anticipating that he will be forced to play violin out of his parent’s request.

3 flashbacks-Mr. Maseko-Teased for his violin in school-Called “music boy” by the gang of boys in the street

• Climax:

As the parents and the guests all come to Vukani’s room, Vukani bursts into tears to reveal his reluctance and suppression.

Concept Map

III. MOTIF

Educator Means Receiver

Educator: Society(the one with power)

School ideology; brainwasher vs. the brainwashed

- Principal: obedience“A wandering dog…is a very dangerous animal. It is a carrier of disease and pestilence, and when you see it, pelt it wit stone” (101).

- Inspector (Vukani’s father): neutral“…we have to uplift the Black nation. And we cannot do that through cheating and laziness” (97).

- Teacher Maseko: rebellion“I would rather be a hungry dog that runs freely in the streets, than a

fat, chained dog burdened with itself and the weight of the chain” (101).

Educator: Society(the one with power)

Street the bullied vs. the bullies

- Gang boys: the law of the jungle

“the feeling of wanting to take advantage of something

weaker than him . . . A fleeing impala must excite the worst

destructive urge in a lion . . . [a lion would feel] this was just a

game that would surely end with the bringing down of the

prey” (105).

Educator: Home(the one with power)

Mother dominator vs. the dominated

- White preference: Jews recipes; violin; relatives

“Relatives can be real nuisance . . . Whites saw this problem a

long time ago. That is why they have very little time for relatives

. . .” (110)

- Despising her own people: “savage”, “animal”, “raw”

- Oppressor/ Pusher: giving commands without any compromise.

(108, 109)

Father: more neutral

“Western Civilization is spoiling us, and so we have to cultivate

the indigenous way of life” (108).

Means of Education

• Language• Textbook –History

• Music instrument –Violin

All under the influence of Colonialism (Thesis)

Means of Education (cont.)

• An obvious and solid example of

colonialism- “Three weeks later, teacher Maseko was fired. The Principal made the

announcement at morning assembly. He spoke in Afrikaans, always” (101).

• Language• Textbook –History• Music instrument –

Violin

Means of Education (cont.)

• Correct answers provided my the dominant group: 2 questions -“How did the coming of the whites lead to the establishment of prosperity and peace among the various Bantu tribes?” (95)-“Who introduced the European type of education among the Bantu?” (107)

• Lack of independent thinking and significance-“a meaningless task” (95). -“The homework was like a jigsaw puzzle; you simply looked for pieces which fitted...There was no thinking involved” (104).

• A temporal escape from reality -“the homework had made him forget the latest ordeal for a while...he was now faced with the reality of the violin” (104).-“Vukani blankly looked at the homework...But Vukani felt only the solid presence of four people behind him” (107).

• A trigger of rebellion-“the books looked as if they were waiting for that delicate moment when they would burst into flame” (99).-“...a wishful fascination to see the books on the desk aflame” (100).

• Language• Textbook –History• Music instrument –

Violin

Means of Education (cont.)

• A symbol of higher social class and Western culture -“Why don’t you play some selections from Brahms? You know some excerpts from his only violin concerto? Perhaps Mozart? Yes Mozart...” (108)-“Hey, you, play that instrument and stop telling us about savages” (111).

• A paradoxical existence -“He looked at the violin with dread: as something that could bring both pain and pleasure all at once” (100).

• The cause of humiliation, harassment, and jealousy -Bhuka’s bullying (105-6)-“Plain jealousy...Township people do not want to see other Africans advance” (111).

• Also a vulnerable and innocent object-“...the viollin leaning against the wall next to the stand” (95).-“...the violin drop to the floor. It made no noise on the think carpet” (112).

• Language• Textbook –History• Music instrument –

Violin

Receiver of Education

• VukaniA. Education on musical instrument: violin, a MOST

wonderful instrument.a. Brahms, Mozart, Liszt, Dovrak big names in European musical development the

fact that these names are well-known reflects the influences of western cultural imperialism

B. Mastering violin as a way to assimilate to a more powerful culturea. Vukani’s mother draws clear lines between the family and township people and calls

them “raw animals” (111).b. “Can you heal our broken spirits?”(109) → music of the violin and of the famous

composers as healing → recovering from “broken” to “complete” → to become “cultured”

c. Education of violin ironically makes the protagonist the target (comparing with Breaking the Tongue)

d. Parental preference for the “high-culture” results in pressure and rebellion of Vukani.

Receiver of Education

C. History homework and education in  schoola. “Answer the following questions: How did the coming of the whites lead to

the establishment of prosperity and peace among the various Bantu tribes?” (95).

b. “You just moved your finger up and down the page until you spotted the correct answer. There was no thinking involved” (104)

c. “Children, I would rather be a hungry dog that runs freely in the street, than a fat, chained dog burdened with itself and the weight of the chain. Whenever the whiteman tells you he has made you much better if than Africans elsewhere in this continent, tell him he’s lying before God” (101) → the teacher was fired later → the school itself is a shackle for thoughts

d. “Children, a wandering dog that upsets garbage bins, ejects its dung all over the place, is a very dangerous animal. It’s a carrier of disease and pestilence, and when you see it, pelt it with stones” (101)

Receiver of Education

D. Vukani is being torn by paradoxa. Peer pressure (being bullied) vs. parental pressure

Becoming rebellious and the dream of flying away with hands (108)b. Teacher’s education vs. the Principal

a. To be freed from ideological restrictionb. To be “cultured” by “white” western culture

IV. Themes➢Gender ➢Colonialism○Race○Rebellion

GenderDifferences between men and women

(opening scene)

Vukani’s mother & Female Visitors

• Talking about the meeting which Vukani’s mother missed

• Jewish Recipes

Vukani’s father & Male Visitors

• Laughter

• “You Women are on again about the Housewive’s League?” remarked Vukani’s father, interrupting the women (97).

• “Ei! Women and food” (98).

GenderDifferences between men and women (opening

scene)

Vukani’s mother & Female Visitors

• Listening

Vukani’s father & Male Visitors

• Talking about things happened in the school

GenderDifferences between men and women (racial

identity)

Vukani’s mother & Female Visitors

Mother: “This room is as good

as any white boy’s” (101).

“Whites saw this problem a long time ago” (110).

Female Visitors:Jwish recipes“People like Mrs

Kaplinsky are very good friends of ours” (99).

Vukani’s father & Male Visitors

Father“Western Civilization is spoiling

us, and so we have to cultivate the indigenous way of life” (108).

“Whites are whites; Africans are Africans” (110).

Male visitors: “Sometimes these South

African Jews sicken me” (99).“They are

hypocrites!........helping the Boers to sit on us” (99).

Tend not to talk about politics

Gender (Scene of Conflicts—The Loss of the Violin)

Boys

• “Big bodies without minds” (102).

Girls

• Topsana wants to kiss the inspector’s son (103)

• Laughter

“The whole classes seem to have ganged up on me” (102).

Gender (Scene of Conflicts—the Harassment of the Gang)

Boys

• “Hey, music man” (104).

• Humiliating Teboho as a way to humiliate Vukani

Girls

• Teboho is humiliated• a woman stands out

for him (but can not help him in the end)

Sexism

GenderChildren are treated differently

Vukani• Violin• Homework

Tenoho● “Teboho! Please come

and clear up here!” (98)

● Kitchen

Sexism

“Their mother tended to make too many demands on them” (97).“They were lonely. Their parents disapproved of many of their friends” (110).

GenderMotherhood

Visitors:● “You are lucky to have children who are educating themselves dearie”

(98).● “You are very happy, dearie, to have a child who loves school” (107).

(112)Dr Zwane: “How difficult it is to bring up a child properly in Soweto! To give

them culture. African people just turn away from advancement.” Those words seemed to build a fire in Vukani’s mother. They sounded like a reflection on her.

→ wants to strike Vukani, and the Teboho rushes in→ “You please your home, which is going to give you something to be proud

of for the rest of your useless life!”→ Vukani’s father: “That’s enough,” and visitors stare at her→ A wail of the bereaved

Themes --- Colonialism Race • Western culture Preference:

– Common degradation towards own people/country

SocietySchool : Principal

– Principal» “[The Principal] spoke in Afrikaan, always.”

Jews: “‘[T] hey are hypocrites ! I mean look, they say they were killed left and right by the Germans, but here they are , here, helping the Boers to sit on us’” (99).

Home: parents  and visitors• Mother: despises and degrades their own people;

usage of derogatory terms; bleaching/ whitening Vukani– “‘What disgraceful children! I am a nursing sister, your father is

an inspector of schools. What are you going to be, listening to savages?’” (112).

– “‘Kaffir children!’” (101).

Themes --- Colonialism Race

• Father» “‘We just can’t get it into these teachers’ heads that we have to uplift

the Black nation. And we cannot do that through cheating and laziness…. That fellow was just not teaching the students gardening, and that is dead against government policy’” (97).

• Visitors  » “‘We had Lauretta started on ballet recently,’ said Mrs Zwane, as if

suggesting that they were doing their duty” (108).» “Then he heard Dr Zwane say: ‘How difficult it is to bring up a child

properly in Soweto! To give them culture. African people just turn away from advancement.’”

» “Jealousy,” shouted Mr. Zwane. “plain jealousy. Jealousy number one. Township people don’t want to see other Africans advance” (111).

Themes --- Colonialism Race Food

Coffee vs. TeaCoffee: the origin of coffee is thought to have been Africa

(Ethiopia)Tea: symbol of western countries

• “ Perhaps it was coffee. Most probably tea. Visitors generally like tea more” (95).

Recipe“‘A white woman came all the way from Emmerientai high class,

exclusive suburb mind you, to address the meeting on Jewish recipes. Came all the way to Soweto for that It was wonderful.’ …. ‘Ha, woman! Please, give me! give me!’ begged Vukani’s mother with great excitement…” (98).

Outfit Admiration for Western things

“Vukani’s mother, still in her white nursing uniform….” (95).“[Vukani’s father] took out a handkerchief from the pocket of his trousers ” (98).

Themes --- Colonialism Race

Peeking and listening through the slightly opened door curiosity, and fear of being colonized/ controlled/ oppressed

“In spite of himself, he had been amused by the story” (97).

→ as if the colonized learning things of the oppressors lopsidedly (ambivalence)

Themes --- Colonialism Rebellion

Being torn apart by western and African culture → rebellion

Symbols

Fire/ Color (Red)

• “[T]he reading lamp with its circular light which seemed to be baking the open pages of the books … waiting for that delicate moment when they would burst into flame” (99).

• “The hair would catch fire with a crackling brilliance that always sent him into raptures of delight. He never seemed to mind the smell of burning hair…. ‘Dead things catch fire,’ he said. Vukani was suddenly caught by a wishful fascination to see the books on the desk aflame” (100).

• “These words seemed to build a fire in Vukani’s mother” (112).

• “It was like the red dress which Miss Yende,..., occasionally wore. …. It was a deep velvety red that gave the impression the dress had a flowery fragrance. Yet, because it also signalled the possibility of pain, it also had a dreadful repulsiveness ” (100).

Characters

teacher Maseko “‘Children, I would rather be a hungry dog that runs freely in the streets, than a

fat, chained dog burdened with itself and the weight of the chain. Whenever the whiteman tells you he has made you much better off than Africans elsewhere in the continent, tell him he is lying before God’” (101).

Teboho “That’s how its planned. That we be given little of everything, and so prize the

little we have, that we forget about freedom” (109).

Doksi “‘When God had finished burning hair, he thought that it was good’” (100).

“‘I’d just face the whole class and say: ‘Whoever took my violin is a coward. Why doesn’t he come out and fight?’’” (102).

Themes --- Colonialism Rebellion

Allegory: Escape → Rebellion → Freedom

Vukani himself is a symbol of rebellion who also serves as an allegory of the society.

The oppression of blacks by government is meant to lead to rebellion.

Escape“He stood up, thinking of a way to escape….. Escape would be impossible” (95)."He had to escape" (97).Vukani’ s dream (page 108).

Rebel“‘I do not want to play… I do not want to play… not any more!’” (112)

Freedom“He felt free…. He was free. He could fly into the sky” (112).

Themes --- Colonialism Rebellion

Discussion Questions

General Q.

Can you relate any personal experiences to Vukani?

Q1. What are the similarities and differences between “The

Prophetess” and “The Music of the Violin”?

Q2. Published during the post-apartheid period, what does this story

suggest or criticized about the apartheid period?

Q3. Is this story the journey of rebellion, growth, or education?