Skip to main content

COMING OF THE DRY SEASON: THE CROW

THE CROW

"The Crow" is a story that explores childhood curiosity and senseless destruction resulting from a lack of agency and rational thinking. The two young protagonists embark on a mission to prove their heroism, but ultimately, they are defeated by a crow that refuses to die despite their relentless
efforts to destroy it. As a result, their egos are crushed, leading them to abruptly abandon their expedition, casting away their catapults while crying bitterly. The title "The Crow" is fitting because the story centres around the crow's triumph over the boys' unjust pursuit of ending its life. By extension, the story reflects the exploitative relationship between the whites and the blacks during colonial Rhodesia. The story, thus celebrates the victory that came as a result of the collective struggle of the Africans who fought against colonisers.

While the story can be interpreted as a simple childhood adventure, the author also highlights the consequences of individuals lacking agency to make independent judgements. The story also highlights the senseless colonialism embarkation that disadvantaged Africans. Despite both boys being afraid, their hubris prevents them from considering the most rational ideas. Thus the story is characterised by multiple layers of conflicts. The boys grapple with their primitive instincts, while nature, represented by the crow also suffers unwarranted destruction.

Driven by their senseless quest to destroy the crow, the  boys defy all societal norms. For instance, they disobey their parents by refusing to take the "orders that" they should follow" their parents to church. The word "orders" not only portrays the strictness of the parents, but also signifies the imposition of Christianity on the younger generation. However, it is ironic that they deprive the crow the very same freedom which they desire, thus revealing their irrational thinking. Despite the crow's choice to build its nest away from humans to perpetuate its existence, the boys' bloodthirsty expedition proves that nature is under threat, thanks to humans. In the context of the whole anthology, this story mocks the whites left their countries and came to Africa to displace people and loot resources.

The author celebrates the serene pastoral setting. The undisturbed state of nature is captured by the repetition of the word "quiet" in its various forms. However, the intrusion of humans disrupts this harmony. Humans are portrayed as failing to coexist harmoniously with nature. The serene environment wakes up to the devastating quest for senseless heroism based on destabilising environmental equilibrium. The bloodthirstiness of humans becomes evident as they relentlessly chase the crow, driven solely by the desire to kill it, even without understanding "what made" them "want to kill" it. Not even the intimidating presence of the crow's mate deters them from their intense desire to kill.  

Nature appears to be unyielding. The "crow that would not die" brings out a mocking effect upon the boys. Nature deprives them the moment of glory associated with witnessing its final breath. In the end, it is the boys who, in shame and dejection, surrender and discard their catapults in the river. The bird itself is thrown into the river, disarming the boys not only their physical instrument of torment but also of their hubris. The river plays an important role in this story as it "saves" the bird from the torturous hands.




Posted by
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
Just wondering what the effect of culture in the passage of time ⌚ has a job he
1 July 2023 at 00:08
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Write a Continuation of a Given Passage: Opportunity for an Imaginative Response

Posted by
Table of Contents How to Write a Continuation of a Given Passage Opportunity for an Imaginative Response When tasked with a question that offers a candidate the opportunity to give an imaginative response, the main challenge is smoothly blending your own writing with the original text. Perhaps this is why this type of question is among the most dreaded. However, it is not an unsolvable riddle. It simply requires a deep understanding of the given passage's stylistic features, plot, characterisation, tone, atmosphere e.t.c. In a nutshell, your response is an analysis presented creatively. Bear in mind also that this question usually asks candidates to highlight the challenges they faced as they wrote their continuation. Identify the Stylistic Features of the Given Passage Before continuing the passage, it is crucial to analyse the stylistic features used by the original author. Consider the register used. Is it formal or colloquial? Look at sentence construction. Doe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vocabulary Secrets for Thai English Learners: Using Context to understand new words.

Posted by
Table of Contents Learning New Vocabulary Do you want to improve your English language skills? Learning new vocabulary is key. However, instead of just memorising lists of words, it's important to understand how words are used. This will enable you to use new words naturally. Let's explore some important words as we weave it together. Sensitive (adjective) Sensitive means having the ability to respond to different colours, sounds, or feelings. It can also mean being easily affected by things. For example, some people are more easily affected by sad news than others. If a student in your class is having a tough time, you might say, "Please be careful how you tell the news. She is very sensitive."  Think about art! When you visit the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, you might look at a painting and say, "The artist was very sensitive to light, look at how carefully he used brushstrokes to capture the reflection of the Chao Phraya River!" E...
Post a Comment
Read more

An Analysis of The Tribe of Graves: Act 1, Scene 1 Zimsec Literature Notes

Posted by
Table of Contents The Tribe of Graves: Act 1, Scene 1 Introduction Are you studying  The Tribe of Graves   for the  ZIMSEC  A Level Literature  exam or another exam? This guide is designed to help you understand the key elements of the play such as the plot, characters, themes and dramatic techniques. The guide aims to deepen your understanding of the play and bolster your literary skills for the exam. Plot overview The scene is set in pre-colonial Zimbabwe, before the arrival of the whites, the play opens with the King of the Rozvi people and his wife, Vahosi, in their bedroom. The King is restless, tossing and sweating in his sleep. Vahosi is concerned and asks him about his troubled sleep. The king reveals that he had had disturbing "enigma" but did not wake her up. He then reveals his dream. In the dream, his late father, his grandfather and some men were building a hut which was soon attacked by termites. Despite the advice to sto...
4 comments
Read more