Beloved, a review

Beloved
by Toni Morrison

A book review

Beloved is an award-winning novel by American Nobel laureate Toni Morrison. It is based on the true story of Margaret Gardner, an escaped slave, who killed her own infant daughter to prevent her from being returned to slavery.  The novel attempts to recreate her story in fictional form, making it the central event in a novel that explores the minds and feelings of African slaves and former slaves.

 Set in the 1870's, shortly after the end of slavery in North America, the story revolves around five main characters: Sethe, her daughter Denver, Paul D., another escaped slave like Sethe, Baby Suggs (Sethe's mother-in-law) and Beloved (believed to be the incarnation of Sethe's murdered daughter). Beloved is not narrated in chronological order but is composed of flashbacks, memories, and nightmares, making it very challenging for a reader not familiar with such literary devices.

Chronologically, the story begins before slaves were emancipated, with thirteen-year-old Sethe, a  slave with unnamed parents, arriving at Sweet Home plantation in Kentucky, which belongs to a white family. When Sethe is 14, she marries fellow slave Halle Suggs. Seth longs for a proper wedding ceremony with a clergyman to solemnise her marriage, a white wedding dress and even a feast. This part is narrated at length in the novel. However, there is none of the above for Sethe's wedding.

The novel shows us how African slaves in America during that period were regarded by their owners almost like animals and as such did not receive moral and religious teaching as human beings should. Toni Morrison has used the fact of the  absence of a proper ceremony in Sethe’s marriage, to tell the reader how slavery has robbed the slaves of their sense of self and humanity. Besides, we are shown how slave mothers could not nurture their own children which explains why Sethe says her milk was stolen from her. Their children were forcefully taken from them and sold to other plantation masters like any other merchandise. 

As the story unfolds in the flashbacks, Sethe escapes with her unborn child (Denver) from Sweet Home plantation in Kentucky to Cincinnatti, Ohio. At that time, Ohio was considered a free state where there was no slavery. She has sent her three older children, Howard, Buglar and an unnamed two-year-old daughter ahead of her to join her mother-in-law in Cincinnati.  She gives birth on the way to Denver, aided by a kind white woman. When she arrives in Ohio,she and her family have only 28 days of freedom. By a cruel twist of fate, their plantation master finds them. The plantation master has the right to take them back again since the Fugitive Slave Act allows him to do so. Sethe's two boys manage to escape, but Sethe's two-year-old cannot. In utter desperation and hopelessness, Sethe kills her daughter rather than have her taken back to be enslaved.

Later, what is thought to be the ghost of her dead daughter, comes back into Sethe's household, first as an unseen supernatural being and then as a young woman living in the house and exerting her power over Paul D. and Denver. She introduces herself as Beloved, which is the inscription on the grave of Sethe’s unnamed murdered daughter. Sethe's mother-in-law, baby Suggs has died and Sethe’s two sons have left home. At first, all seem rosy with Beloved, Denver and Paul D. getting along with one another. Little by little, however, Beloved becomes more possesive of Sethe, forcing Paul D. out of the house. She also succeeds in seducing him so that he become estranged from Sethe. Beloved wanted Sethe for herself. The author has skillfully portrayed the maternal bond shared by Sethe and her dead daughter.  Sethe, in trying to compensate for her past misdeeds towards Beloved bends over backwards in acceding to most of Beloved's demands. In this part of the novel, the reader is gripped by fear and curiosity as to what Beloved can be up to now that she has Sethe to herself.

 This is not a ghost story. The ghost of Beloved haunting her mother is a metaphor for how escaped slaves are still haunted by their past.  The psychological impact of slavery as depicted by the main characters in the novel makes the reader realise how much suffering, horror and brutality slaves had to endure while they were slaves and how the nightmare haunts them still even when they are free.

As the plot thickens leading to the end, the reader’s mind is likely to be full of questions, such as:  “Will Sethe accept Paul D. back"?, "How will Paul D. react when he finds out that Sethe actually murdered her daughter?”, "Will Beloved leave them in peace"?. Toni Morrison's clever use of dialogues, flashbacks and memories provides the answers to the above questions. This is what makes the novel intriguing even though the text is difficult to read.

This novel is a must read for literary buffs and it has been subjected to discourse analysis countless times. However, the most compelling message of this novel, about the nightmare that was slavery and the endurance of the human spirit, we can all relate to.

The message 1976 film review

The Message (1976)
Film review
produced by Moustafa Akkad, Harold Buck and Mohammed Sanousi
Directed by Moustafa Akkad

The Message is an epic film that was made in two versions. The first version was in Arabic and that was released in 1976.  The version I would like to review is the English version, with different actors, released in 1977.   Both versions depict the story of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. and the birth of Islam and both were  directed by a Syrian American film-maker and director, Moustapha Akkad. Like many other movies with Islamic themes, this movie met with protests by some Muslims, notably in Washington D.C. in March 1977.  This protest, by members of a Black Muslim organisation, led to a hostage crisis when 12 members of the organisation stormed three buildings where they took 149 hostages and demanded that the movie be destroyed. The protesters were perhaps unaware of the facts that the movie makers had taken the advice of clerics from Al-Azhar University and the Islamic Congress of Lebanon before making it and that the director was a practising Muslim.

Most of the actors in the English version were non Muslims but they portrayed the characters in the movie extremely well. The most famous actor in the movie is Anthony Quinn who played the role of the prophet's uncle, Hamza. Most of them spoke clear and  fluent English although they did not utter some Arabic terms like Allah and Solat. Anthony Quinn and the actor who played Bilal did a very good job in convincing others how good the early Muslims were. Other actors who did a wonderful job was the actress who played Sumayya, the mother of a youth called Yassir. Her name is Rosalie Crutchley. When I saw Bilal tortured, I felt a lot of pity for him, although I knew it was just acting. When Sumayya was tortured by Abu Jahal, the actress's cry for mercy saddened me deeply, although this is just a movie. Moustapha Akkad and his crew managed to make the movie’s setting credible,  as if it was set in Makkah and Madinah although in reality it was shot in Morocco and Libya. The background looked so real, with the idols put around the Kaaba and the way the houses were built to show what life was like back then.

Since the director got the advice from the clerics of Al-Azhar, the prophet was never shown in the film because in Islam it is forbidden to show the prophet’s likeness in any form. The camera just focused on one part of the screen, as if the prophet was there, but in reality he was never shown. There is a scene where the azan can be heard and it brings tears of joy to some of the characters, that Islam has finally become successful.

Sumayya decided to follow Prophet Muhammad because her son's ability to persuade her to follow Islam attracted her to convert to Islam. It was common at that time for the people to bury baby girls because girls would bring shame to the family. Another common practice that existed during the time of the prophet was idol worshipping and the rich oppressing the poor. The message that the prophet wanted to carry was perceived to be dangerous to Abu Sufian and the leaders in Makkah because he wanted people to leave the habit of worshipping idols. The main reason why Sumayya converted was because she herself was almost buried along her two sisters when her father decided not to do it anymore. Therefore she converted because of Islam's emphasis on gender equality. Abu Sufian and his men laughed at this idea.

Among the scenes that affected me the most was when Sumayya was tortured. It affected me because I couldn't bear listening to her screams of agony and thinking what she had to endure when she converted. I was amazed by her ability to not change her faith even under torture. Because of this she became the first martyr of Islam. The second scene was when Bilal was whipped by his master. His ability to endure a number of lashes under the hot sun impressed me. The part where Bilal called the azan made me realize that even when the early followers of Islam had to go through immense challenges to spread the religion, in the end they succeeded.

The scene in Abyssinia where some Muslims had gone to seek sanctuary under the Christian Emperor of Abyssinia is also interesting and moving. It reminds us of the similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity, and how tolerance was practised by the Emperor in the early days of Islam. Abu Sufian and his men went to Abyssinia to persuade the king Negus so that he can bring them back to Makkah. The Muslims managed to refute allegations by Abu Sufian regarding Christiniaty and how Islam emphasized on equality.

This movie should be watched by people who want to know more about the birth of Islam. They will be moved and enlightened and hopefully their understanding of the religion will become better.

The Housemaid's Daughter
by Barbara Mutch

a review

The Housemaid's Daughter is a novel that is set in the Karoo, a semi-arid region in South Africa, and covers the period from 1919 to the 1990's. This is a good novel for those who want to know more about life under Apartheid rule. It is about a black woman named Ada and her White mistress who is called Mrs Cathleen Harrington. Oppressive racism is  the major theme of the story. Ada and Mrs Cathleen Harrington has almost a mother-daughter relationship. It uses straightforward language but the racism of Apartheid is depicted vividly in the novel.

The story is told from a first-person perspective of Ada, with a few excerpts from Cathleen's diary. Ada is also the protagonist. Cathleen is a nice woman who treats Ada well but her husband Edward refuses to send Ada to school although she displays talents in reading and music. Edward is a representation of the white supremacist attitude while his wife represents a liberal and humane attitude to Non-whites.  Edward takes advantage of Ada after her mother died, while she is still a teenager by raping her while his wife is away. Ada feels she has no right to refuse.

Ada is the character that will intrigue readers. She is a strong-willed woman despite the losses that she has had to endure. At first she lost Phil, the only son of Mr and Mrs Harrington. Phil was quite friendly and treated Ada nicely. Phil was quite young when he passed away due to post-traumatic stress disorder. Ada was very sad at first but she learned to move on after Phil's death. After Phil passed away, Cathleen ha to go to Johannesburg to help Rosemary with her unplanned pregnancy, leaving Ada alone with her master. It is then that Edward takes advantage of Ada. When she realizes that she is pregnant, she runs away from the master's house to her aunt's hut in the black township. There she leads a difficult life. Although she is forced to go through numerous difficulties in her life, she does not complain but learns to accept them.

When Ada arrives at her aunt's hut, she does not receive a warm welcome from her aunt. Instead her aunt said that she must leave once her baby is born. The Black township is a complete contrast to the White areas. The White areas have facilities, good school, banks, indoor plumbing, electricity and hospitals, but the Black township has none of those. Readers will feel sympathetic to and at the same time impressed by Ada's ability to persevere through the most challenging times of her life. During the time her baby is born, Apartheid had already started and Ada will go through some of the difficulties that the Blacks had to face.

She gets a teaching job at another Black township. Although she is then fortunate enough to have a house to stay in, the difficulties of the township are still there. This time the baby is already born and  she is named Dawn. When Dawn grows up in the Black township, she becomes a sturdy and courageous girl who can take on anything.

When Ada goes to the city, she witnesses the segregation of Whites and Blacks  when she sees benches that are specifically marked for Whites and Blacks. Ada hears about the Sharpeville massacre and the Soweto uprising. These events just showed how bad Apartheid was. Ada is even arrested for threatening the White superintendent of the city. To the Blacks, what Ada has done is pure bravery.  Ada does not want to go for any rallies because she wants to take care of the now ailing Mrs Cathleen to whom she has returned, as well as her daughter Dawn. Ada's caring attitude and perseverance will definitely make the readers want to read to the end.

For anyone who wants to know the hardships and struggles during Apartheid, this novel will give an excellent insight into those.

The Guide

By R.K Narayan

Published in 1958

A review by Abu Talhah b. Syed Mohamed

R.K. Narayan was an Indian writer best known for his works set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. His works are focused on ordinary people, which makes them fairly easy to relate to at a certain level. The Guide which was published in 1958 is narrated by the main character, Raju. It tells the story of Raju from the time he works as a tour guide to the time he finds himself accidentally regarded as a spiritual guide.

Among the characters found in the novel are Raju’s mother, Ghafur,  Velan and Rosie. The protagonist Raju is a resourceful opportunist, a ‘rescuer’ of Rosie as well as her exploiter. Raju is also adaptable. At first Raju is quite sympathetic towards Rosie because her husband ignores whatever she does. Raju then develops some feelings for her and starts to dress up nicely for her and is willing to bring her to places where her husband Marco would never bring her. Rosie married Marco because he did not care what caste she belonged to. Unlike many other Indian women of her time, Rosie is educated. She has a master’s degree in economics. She thought that by getting married she would get more freedom, but she ends up getting controlled by her husband. At first Raju felt sympathetic towards Rosie but he too starts to control her just like her husband did.

I find Velan to be the most interesting character in the novel. This is because Velan ends up controlling Raju when he regards Raju as a saint. Raju is forced to play the role of a saint. There is a part when Raju is forced to fast endlessly and this makes him worried. Before Velan comes into Raju’s life and has such a a tight grip on it, Raju controls Rosie when she becomes a dancer. He becomes jealous when someone else talks to Rosie. After Raju's imprisonment and release, his life is no longer free when he is forced to become a saint.

R.K Narayan uses a lot of irony in this novel. The title itself is ironic because of the multiple meanings of the word 'guide'.  The language of the novel is simple but effective. Although there are certain parts of the novel that are a little hard to understand, most of it can be understood. Irony is the main feature of this novel. The language does not show this explicitly, but the plot shows irony as the story progresses. Among the examples of irony in the story is when Rosie's husband Marco trusts Raju to take him to the caves for a tour, Raju seduces his wife. The second example of irony is when Raju has control over Rosie, it does not last long. Afterwards Raju is sent to prison for forgery and when he gets out, his life is controlled by Velan.

Implied meaning is a feature of the language of this novel. This is found for example in the following excerpt when Raju says: "It seemed so unnecessary, so suicidal. My only technique was to keep her in good humour to the best of my ability from quarter to quarter".  What is not said but implied in the words "technique" and "good humour" is his lack of concern for her real happiness. She must be kept in a good mood in order to perform and generate income.  Another part that has implied meaning is when Rosie says she feels she is controlled by Raju.  Rosie says: "Do you know the bulls yoked to an oil-crusher, they keep going round and round and round, in a circle, without a beginning or an end?". But she does not explicitly liken herself to the bulls.

Since the novel is narrated about the past, simple past tense and continuous tense are used. Examples of simple past tense in the novel is "Our life fell into a routine after this little disturbance during which time I steeped myself in the card game". An example of past continuous tense in the novel is: "I was attending personally to an accumulation of correspondence on my table". Raju is talking about the number of letters he received over time.

Overall this novel is a good and interesting novel that I recommend to others to read.