3 Questions
What are some examples of the violence and brutality of colonialism in Africa described in the poem?
The poem describes the violence and brutality inflicted upon the Kikuyu people under colonial policy, as well as the dehumanization and expendability of colonized peoples' lives.
How does the poem question the morality of colonialism and the choice between Africa and the English language?
The speaker is torn between their love for Africa and the English language, and questions the justification of colonial policies based on statistics and scholarship. The poem critiques the use of violence and the wastefulness of compassion in colonial policies, highlighting the speaker's struggle to reconcile the knowledge of the slaughter and brutality in Africa with their own identity.
What is the significance of the gorilla vs superman metaphor used in the poem?
The gorilla vs superman metaphor is used to describe the power struggle between colonizer and colonized, highlighting the violence and brutality of colonialism. It also symbolizes the struggle for divinity through inflicting pain, contrasting the violence of nature with the violence of humans.
Study Notes
- The poem describes the violence and brutality of colonialism in Africa.
- The Kikuyu people are mentioned as victims of colonial policy.
- The poem questions the justification of colonial policies based on statistics and scholarship.
- The violence of nature is contrasted with the violence of humans seeking divinity through inflicting pain.
- The poem questions the morality of colonialism and the choice between Africa and the English language.
- The gorilla vs superman metaphor is used to describe the power struggle between colonizer and colonized.
- The speaker is torn between their love for Africa and the English language, and the horrors of colonialism.
- The poem critiques the use of violence and the wastefulness of compassion in colonial policies.
- The speaker questions how they can live with the knowledge of the slaughter and brutality in Africa.
- The poem highlights the dehumanization of colonized peoples and the expendability of their lives.
Test your understanding of literary analysis with our quiz on "The Gorilla's Apprentice" by David Rubadiri. This poem explores the violence and brutality of colonialism in Africa, specifically focusing on the Kikuyu people as victims of colonial policy. Through the use of powerful metaphors and striking language, the poem questions the morality of colonialism and the choice between Africa and the English language. Our quiz will challenge you to identify key themes and literary devices used in the poem, as well as
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