"The Message" from No Sweetness Here by Ama Aidoo

Oh my Lord! These contractions are killing me! They are coming every time I try to take a breath...Ahhhhhhhhh! There goes another one! I gotta get myself to an emergency room! This baby is about to come out!!!! I need to get to a hospital...

I called my husband at work and told him that I was having contractions really close together. While we were on the phone my water broke. Luckily my husband came within the next few minutes and took me to the hospital! After that the rest was a blur, I was in so much pain that I could barely even stand it! Next thing I know, the doctor is telling me that they are going to have to do a c-section…I wasn’t happy to hear that because I have always wanted to have my children naturally, and I definitely was not looking forward to the scar that would be remaining. I know plenty of people who have delivered their baby through the c-section procedure and they are just fine! When my husband told my mother and family what was going to be done they had a fit!!! Especially my grandmother! They are so worried and frantic about my safety because of their traditional mindset. The way they are acting you would think that the doctor was going to come into the delivery room with a chainsaw and mask on! Sometimes I wish that I could warp their minds into thinking from a more westernized or modern perspective. I understand where they are coming from though, and why they feel the way that they do, but at some point all of this madness is just unnecessary stress and worry!

As I gained consciousness and my beautiful baby girl was in my arms all of the tears, screaming, and noise had dies down and everyone was smiling at my baby. I could feel the love instantly permeate the room…”She’s absolutely radiant!” is what I thought to myself. After it’s all said and done, I delivered a healthy baby girl even though the procedure was not a traditional birth…Perhaps after my family was able to see that it all worked out, they might have more faith in modern healthcare…

THE END

(My rendition of the message from the perspective of the expecting mother)

Analysis of an excerpt from: "God's Bits of Wood" by Sembene Ousmane

Are these two the same???


"Who is the father of your children?"
"You are just being stubborn. That is of no importance any longer. I was not betrayed by that man. He thought that he was possessing me, but it wasn't true; my flesh was calling out to be satisfied, just as his was. I knew that he would abandon me, and in my heart I had already abandoned him. We will be in Dakar soon, and I shall stay there. I will be among my brothers, the beggars, and with my child, who will always be mine. A child may not know it's father Penda, but what child can question the body in which it lived for nine long months?" (p. 296)


This excerpt from "God's bits of wood" sheds light on a perspective that seemingly is becoming a pandemic amongst mothers in the U.S. as well as in Africa. In this passage Maimouna exudes this attitude of independence and sovereignty from the father since she is the one giving birth to the child. She expresses that she wanted to be intimate just as much as he did, in order to make it known that she did not fall victim to this man; but instead she had some control. I've noticed through media, people I know, etc that women have no problem with men not being in picture and fulfilling their role as the father. Perhaps this lackadaisical attitude stems from a history of men not being there for their children. I think that idea was implied in the paragraph above when she said that she knew he would abandon her. This type of behavior is now expected, and women now have responded accordingly.This type of attitude strikes me as feministic, which is a common theme throughout the novel "God's bits of wood." The author Sembene Ousmane also released the film "Faat Kine" which has a similar underlying theme of women becoming more independent and less dependent upon men.

Faat Kine

Greetings all!

I had the pleasure of watching the film Faat Kine by Sembene Ousmane. He is one of the most renound and well-respected African authors. This film was filled with moments of humor as well as scenes that may cause you to shed a tear. I felt that the use of color and cinematography within the film ranked among its strongest attributes. I was actually surprised at how broad this story is in its symbolism, and how much I could identify with the issues it focused on. For example, you see a lot of instances where the mindset of the people is very "patriarchal" yet as the film goes on you notice a subtle transition to a new matriarchal society. Being a black female, its a treat watching a film like this because it sheds a light on a culture who is seldom seen in such a fashion. Kine who is the main character, was a successful business owner who does not hesitate to bask in her success. This film is also revolutionary because it was the first African film to be in Warlof which is the primary language in Senegal. Many kudos to Mr. Ousmane...