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| from http://www.amazon.com/The-People-Could-Fly-Folktales/dp/0679843361 |
Today, we read The Education of a Storyteller by Toni Cade Bambara. What are your thoughts about the story? How did the story affirm, challenge or change your understanding of American culture, African American culture, literature and/or black feminisms/womanisms/girlhood?
Bonus what might this story reveal about The Middle Passage?
I had never thought about storytelling as a way to educate. In a time where African Americans were under-educated, and were not allowed to educate each other, they creatively made a way to teach each other. This specific story was a way to teach resistance. It metaphorically told the tale, so that the "lesson learned" is resistance.
ReplyDeleteThe importance of education is shown throughout this story. How all education is equal, and that it can be disguised in folk tales. African Americans were prohibited to learn or teach one another, so one of the ways they would do it is through story telling.
ReplyDeleteIt was important that African Americans learn from one another because no one else was going to teach them. Also, they had to disguise the lessons they taught one another through tales in order to stay alive.
I thought this reading was interesting because it gave a side to African American history that we as citizens do not get to hear. I also found the part when we talked about the sharks swim patterns and slave boats.
ReplyDeleteThe story showed me the desperation that slaves had to get out of their situations. They did not desire to be part of this abomination and even if it meant taking their lives it was better than the way of life that was ahead of them.
ReplyDeleteI thought this reading was interesting because it gave a side to African American history that we as citizens do not get to hear. I also found the part when we talked about the sharks swim patterns and slave boats.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts on the story was that it was impressive for African Americans at the time to inform one another and educate each other through folklore and story-telling.
ReplyDeleteThis changed my understanding of African American culture because before I only thought that any information or knowledge for African Americans were passed through songs or hymns. Never through storytelling.
This story changed my understanding of African American culture. I understood that African American culure included many stories, but never knew that these stories were used to educate other African Americans. For example, this story taught resistance. If African Americans openly talked about resistance they would have been killed.
ReplyDeleteI found the story very interesting. It made me reconsider my own educational process. It's always great to progress as an individual, but it's even better when you can use what you learn to help progress everyone around you. As Americans, we are usually more concerned about the individual than our society as a whole. I think that it is evident through this story that that is not the correct way to go about things if we want to make a difference. I've never really thought about this topic in great detail, but this story really makes me think about how I am using the knowledge I'm gaining to uplift those around me.
ReplyDeleteThis story affirmed my understanding of American culture because in the past I've learned about folk lore and how slaves had secret messages through stories and songs. I think this story revealed that during the middle passage, the Africans being brought over trie to uplift themselves and try to make the passage seem not as bad as it really was, by using stories and songs.
ReplyDeleteI never considered educating through tales or story telling. The fact that there are and were people that would not let their situation cause them to miss out on something they desperately wanted. This story affirmed my thoughts that there were people that were brave enough to lay their life on the line for things they knew were right.
ReplyDeleteThis story might have revealed that during the middle passage, the slaves would see what they were about to be taken into and commit suicide. This was what they saw as their only chance at a way out. As the tale goes the people would fly or walk away on the water.
Great comments. Keep them coming!
ReplyDeleteI loved the way the story spoke about spreading knowledge to others around you. This way improving the knowledge of others, hoping that they go around and do the same. Embracing one's heritage I found to be a theme that resonated with me. Embracing where you are from and unabashedly letting people know by the way you talk, walk, and interact with others. I like that the little girl was encouraged to do these things because it gave her individuality something that I personally think many people lack in our American society.
ReplyDeleteIt changed how I looked at African American culture by the way the little girl called her landlord "Grandma Dorothy". Portrayed in many types of media the landlord is seen as an omnipresent figure hovering above the working man/woman ready to take their hard earned money. But in the story the little girl called her "Grandma Dorothy" and was eager to tell her about the things she had learned. Because the little girl didn't see her landlord as a money taker but as a human being to be loved and interacted with.
This story revealed that in the middle passage many Africans jumped overboard and drowned themselves. The ones who did make it to the United States of America saw the fate that was for them and decided to commit suicide in the ocean.
The story really opened my eyes. It showed me that education can be taught through something other than a book. I also learned that slaves used these tales to educate each other because they weren't allowed to be taught or they would be severely punished. These tales helped the slaves mask the harsh reality of the middle passage. What also opened my eyes was when the little girl in the story didn't see her as the landlord but a person could love and connect with and calling her "Grandma Dorothy".
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that all the stories have an underlying tone of hope. The real content of the stories are quite morbid-the slaves committing suicide. However, the stories twist a story about death into a story about moving on to something greater. These euphemized stories not only gave the slaves a tale of hope, but they also were a means of passing down history.
ReplyDeleteToday's reading opened up my mind to a broader means of learning and true knowledge. It showed me that we don't have to get by using accustomed way to acquire knowledge. I specifically loved the part when Grandma Dorthy explained to her she doesn't truly know anything if the people around her don't. What's the point of harboring the knowledge of the world if you can't help someone else expand their horizon?
ReplyDeleteThis story also revealed how strong the African people were during the middle passage. Some would rather jump overboard than to become anyone's servant. I also loved how through the story they gave it an alternative ending to where they swam back to the motherland or the African gods carried them back home, or they may have even possessed the powers of the gods themselves and flew back. This gave them hope, this made them resilient and valiant enough to face fears and strife that was yet to come.
This story used emotional appeal in order to tell the story about how African Americans used a faith based mindset and ideologies in order to overcome the trials and tribulations that slavery entailed. This story affirmed my understanding of African American culture because it provided an overall summary of the struggles that slaves encountered. In addition to this, it provided "legends" of how slaves were able to escape the horrors that awaited them. For example, "we flew away" or "we walked all the way home to Africa."
ReplyDeleteI thought this reading was very interesting because the story revealed how slaves actually felt about he situations they were in. Such as committing suicide instead of living out their futures. I also found the relationship of the little girl and the landlord very interesting. She talked with Miss Dorothy as if she was one of her girlfriends.
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ReplyDeleteThis story was really good. As a young man I've heard a lot stories being told to me by my parents and grandparents and this story proves to be no different. Even though it has a lil twist it proved that after all the slaves went through when they were being transported tightly on the ships, they were still determined to make it back to the motherland, not looking at how far it was or how long it would take them to get back. it shows how strong and determined they were during that time.
ReplyDeleteReflecting on the title of the piece, I think it's interesting and a bit ironic that the narrator, a storyteller, who is quite confident in her intelligence, is so eager to share her theory with Grandma Dorothy. But as the story progresses, Grandma Dorothy ends up sharing an important theory of storytelling with the narrator instead. It's also refreshing to read a story that highlights the triumph of black people because our story contains both sadness and strength.
ReplyDeleteI found that this story showed the necessity of learning in any way possible. I feel that the story showed that there has always been a emphasis on learning from the past and how to overcome and that each of the different interpretations of the story had an underlying message of overcoming and not settling. I believe that this also was meant to give hope to people hearing the story and was uplifting to later generations.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the story it was affirmed that stories held a much larger cultural significance to African Americans then one might know. They were used to inspire all ages in a race that could definitely use the inspiration to uplift them and to provide hope as well as defining a basis of morals and creeds to live and grow by as a people. However, it was delivered in a way that could not be forgotten. Like the one she speaks of that exemplifies how a strong woman leads her life, not just quiet and politely but full of determination and willpower in order to have a presence. It also highlighted the importance of the relationship between stories and the community through the importance of a story to be universal, so it could be heard in any venue, by any mouth, and it's message understood by all, so that there's an undeniable impact. It's universality is also important in that as a whole, as a community, as a race African American people can progress together.
ReplyDeleteReflecting on the story I thought it was very interesting how the author uses actual language and slang of an African American. It just makes it even more authentic. When you start reading it you wouldn't realize that Grandma Dorothy was trying to teach a lesson. She really eases into it kind of how a real grandmother would do even though it isn't her real grandmother. Also reading this story towards the end you realize the cultural significance of theses stories and the themes and how relevant they are to lessons that we can teach each other today. This story also shows the a younger generation intelligence versus the older generation, both of which are strengths although they are different.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the reading because it provided a boarder view on how the African American culture can inspire others to achieve great things. In the reading, the storyteller spoke on how she marveled at the unique performers and musicians at the Apollo and Harlem Opera House. And how the theories told by Miss Dorothy provided great lessons about freedom overcoming obstacles. She spoke on how the stories and experiences helped shape who she would eventually become and served as inspiration to work in the community and help others.
ReplyDeleteThis story was definitely unique in the sense that the narrator was a little black girl from the south; I have never encountered a story like that before. It also emphasized the fact that education does not always have to be formal and institutionalized, but rather anyone with information can share it and that is still learning. This story also brought my attention to family constructs among black people. It was made clear that Grandma Dorothy was in fact not the girl's blood grandmother, but there was still a familial title and relationship attached to her. I think that because black families we so commonly separated during slavery, the idea of family had to become more flexible, and reach outside of the people who shared you dna-because they may not be available. Family itself is a complex structure, but this story pointed out that African American families are not always traditional.
ReplyDeleteI found this story very unique because it came from a perspective I'm not used to seeing. The young girl/narrators language was very different from anything I had ever heard. I really enjoyed reading this article because it reminded me of something that my parents taught me when I was young. Mostly having respect for your elders and talking to anyone older than you as uncle or aunt even if they aren't necessarily blood related. Reading this story would make anyone think that Grandma Dorothy was actually the girls grandmother when in fact she is just the landlord of the home the girl lives in.
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