How well do you know "The Gorilla vs Superman" poem and its critique of colonial...

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Questions and Answers

How does the poem use the gorilla vs superman metaphor to describe the power struggle between colonizer and colonized?

The gorilla vs superman metaphor is used to describe the power struggle between colonizer and colonized, highlighting the brutality and violence of colonialism and the dehumanization of colonized peoples.

What is the speaker's dilemma in the poem?

The speaker is torn between their love for Africa and the English language, and the horrors of colonialism, questioning the morality of colonialism and the choice between Africa and the English language.

What does the poem critique about colonial policies?

The poem critiques the use of violence and the wastefulness of compassion in colonial policies, highlighting the dehumanization of colonized peoples and the expendability of their lives. It also questions the justification of colonial policies based on statistics and scholarship.

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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.