Chapter 8 – Anecdotal Storyboard

Chapter 9 – How does Fuller create unity between this chapter and the previous one as well as in other parts of the memoir so far?

‘Ja? Well at least I’ve never had a tick on my downthere’ calls back to the previous chapter, and the anecdote of the tick. This introduces a rare fluidity to the text, as one chapter leads directly into the next, perhaps to remind the reader that they are experiencing the story of one life, no matter how chaotic it may appear. 

Chapter 9 – Comment on her use of detail – especially on place. 

Fuller recalls exact, specific details during this chapter, such as the ‘shiny African waiter with impeccable hands and careful, clean nails’ and the branding of the Coke she drank: ‘‘Adds life’’, implying that these experiences have left a lasting impression on her, and thus are still vivid. For example, describing the waiter with adjectives such as ‘impeccable’ and ‘shiny’ connotes absolute purity, as well as immense value, perhaps significant because they directly defy the stereotype of an African women that Fuller has been fed by her colonial upbringing: a dirty woman worth nothing. Furthermore, the slogan of the coke bottle might have awakened her to how Western culture had been forcibly injected into the native atmosphere, as even in the text it stands out like a sore thumb, surrounded by parenthesis. 

Chapter 10 – How does Fuller portray the increasing danger of living in Rhodesia and nearby Mozambique in 1974. 

Fuller describes 1974 as ‘the year (she) turned five’, drawing special attention to her young age, connoting vulnerability and the notion of a childhood surrounded by war. This idea is reinforced by referring to the length of the civil war like one would a child, calling it ‘8 years old’. This personifies the war, perhaps reflecting her twisted childhood as a result of its roots in the conflict, and by explaining to us that it was around before her birth, she implies that the war could continue long after. 

Chapter 10 – Identify effective writing techniques in the part about landmines. 

The quote ‘If we were killed in an ambush or blown up on a mine, we will be wearing clean brookies, our best dresses’ hints at the privilege of white colonialists in Rhodesia: even in death they are above others, wearing symbols of their wealth and status. Additionally the decision to use the more definitive future tense instead of the conditional in this statement emphasises the severity of the danger she faces everyday, and the high risk of death. 

Furthermore the italicised chant at the bottom of page 55 speaks to Bobo’s desensitisation to violence and war at such a young age. Unlike many who lose their innocence later in life, Bobo never had innocence to lose, as she was raised as a child of war. 

Chapter 11 – How does Fuller identify her parents?

Chapter 12  – Comment on Fuller’s effective portrayal of her mum shooting the Cobra.

Fuller writes that her ‘Mum screams for milk’. The verb ‘scream’ is highly emotive, connoting extreme distress and pain, and therefore depicts a reaction unparalleled to anything we’ve seen from her mother thus far. This could suggest that she cares more for her pets than she does for Bobo and Van, perhaps because she has lost children before and is therefore desensitised to it, but Fuller also informs the reader that the average lifespan for a dog on the farm is very short, so perhaps not. However, it does reinforce the aspect of her personality that is sympathetic to nature.

Initial Observations: (In Chronological Order)

• The epigraph – ‘Don’t let’s go to the dogs tonight, For mother will be there’ – could hint at her mother’s alcoholism, as ‘going to the dogs’ is an expression for going out, but also an expression for getting ruined. The latter part of the epigraph’s meaning could suggest her fear of letting herself go, and following in the footsteps of her mother.
• Bobo thinking that African time was ‘kind’ in contrast to Britain’s ‘mean’ time reflects how the natural optimism of childhood has influenced her to value her home, Africa, above Britain, the nation that her parents cling on to idealising.
• ‘A hundred… of us.’ – Her mother’s overt racism displays how fragrantly the white colonisers looked down upon the majority black population, without care for offence, or even self-preservation. This stands in stark contrast to our contemporary society, which is still victim to institutional and personal racism, but in a far more subtle, hidden way, as social etiquette towards race as evolved significantly. Her mother’s view ties into the idea of sub-humanism, and how in her eyes the lives of Kenyans just objectively mean less than white lives, perhaps indicating complete ignorance to this as a problematic attitude, or perhaps instead reflecting her upbringing and education under colonial Britain.
• ‘Chapter One – The War… Chapter Four – Being Nicola Fuller of Central Africa’ – Bobo’s mother ultimately places greater importance on herself than tragic circumstances such as war or ‘Dead Children’, showcasing her privilege and ego, as well as the spectacle of being a colonial woman in the British Empire.
• ‘Suitably dramatic’ – Further reinforces the idea of ignorance through her false nobility. The following quote ‘We are prepared to die, you see, to keep one country white-run’ proves that martyrdom and self-sacrifice are not always noble, exploring themes also raised in Persepolis, as Bobo’s mother wishes to give her life for an objectively immoral, even evil, cause.
• ‘A poetic Shona way of saying ‘War of Liberation’ – The choice of adjective ‘poetic’ suggests that Bobo sees a beauty in the language of the local people, and thus that she admires them. This ties into the idea of the impartial, innocent nature of children, which allows Bobo to respect the native people’s culture.
• ‘The War drums were brought out from their dark corners and dusted off’ subverts the idea of native savagery held by the white settlers when they came to Africa. This quote indicates that they are not a violent people, and only bring out their weapons to face the already-drawn weapons of the British,
• ‘Before that, the land was moveable’ – The land is alive, it lived, it had freedom, like the natives. This implies a negative connotation, but ‘It still does’ reminds the reader that human affairs are irrelevant to nature; the African sun shines regardless, so how much power do the British really have against the unchanging cycle of death and rebirth?
• ‘A corruption of ‘Amatobos” – The choice of noun ‘corruption’ is exactly what the British did, corrupt the native culture. It connotes evil, and twistedness, which is also true of the conquest.

Colonialism – From Rhodesia to Zimbabwe:

 

The History of Malawi and Zambia:

 

Social Division:

 

Zimbabwe Today:

 

Alexandra Fuller:

Generic Conventions of a Memoir:

• First person retrospective narrative.
• Distinct authorial voice.  (Bias)
• Historical context.
• Covers a defining period in the author’s life.
• Chronological order.
• Anecdotal.
• Temporal markers.
• Precise to indicate power of recall.
• Non-fiction – thus might not follow a traditional narrative structure.
• Reflective tone.
• Dialogue.
• Illustrations, photographs and maps.