–Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
–The narrator tells us that “every new generation finds the doum tree as though it had been born at the time of their birth and would grow up with them.” What do you make of this?
–What seems to be the story’s perspective on the government in newly independent Sudan? What’s the relationship between the government and the villagers?
–Explain the shift in narratorial perspective in the final passages of the story? How does it change our own view of the text
Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
The narrator, an old man, address his listener as “my son” because he was speaking to a young man.
What seems to be the story’s perspective on the government in newly independent Sudan? What’s the relationship between the government and the villagers?
The story’s perspective on the government n newly independent Sudan is resistant to it. Villagers don’t want changes in their own village and keep everything as the same it is. The government symbolize modernization and village means tradition. The government wants to change village and villagers try to prevent them from doing so.
–The narrator tells us that “every new generation finds the doum tree as though it had been born at the time of their birth and would grow up with them.” What do you make of this?
The tree of Doum was so important to the villagers’ and the identity of the village. They visited the tree every Wednesday at four, which gave it a ubiquitous presence for their entire lives.
I believe the narrator is criticizing the villagers’ attachment and unshakable resistance to the tree being cut down. The tree was stagnant and no one remembered how it had gotten there, which makes considering their existence analogous to that of the tree a little bit absurd. At the end of the story, the narrator says that if the villagers’ weren’t so adamant to protect the tree, they would’ve realized that there is space for both the tree and the station, suggesting that their intense attachment clouded their rationality.
Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
Often times when talking to someone older they will address you as a young person. Same ways as when an old person will tell you a story and say “back in my days when I was young like you”. It’s a form of elders speaking in a caring manner, to refer someone as son.
Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
The narrator, an older man, addresses his listener as “my son”. The reason being that he has a son, who has since left and moved away. The narrator is trying to create the bond and relationship that he once had with his son and instill certain messages to the young man.
Good point on forming the bond. Even a superficial bond would help keeping the attention of the listener over 50 plus years of local lore.
Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
The narrator is the older generation who is explaining the son about tradition and culture. Although the narrator is not addressing to his real son, he is talking to the younger generation about his experience.
Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
The Narrator addresses listener as ” my son” as a way to refer to him since he is part of a younger generation. He is speaking to him in caring way and to give him part of his wisdom and experiences so that the young man can see why the older folks are not okay with cutting down the Doum Tree.
–Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
Because he’s young and has much more to experience, learn and see. The narrator is an older guy with much more experience and lived enough to feel entitle to address him by “my son”. The narrator also speaks on having a son around his age/young that might also be the case why he feels comfortable referring to him as “my son”.
Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
He was speaking to a younger person and called him “my son” since the narrator is an old man.
“Son” is the old man way of saying “dude”.
–The narrator tells us that “every new generation finds the doum tree as though it had been born at the time of their birth and would grow up with them.” What do you make of this?
I think the tree is an important part of the story and it is the symbol of the land; the tree is there for generation. I also, believe the tree represent the people, their culture, and tradition. People do not know how long the tree is standing there but it is always welcome the new generation and waiting for another generation.
Explain the shift in narratorial perspective in the final passages of the story? How does it change our own view of the text.
Throughout the story the old man of the village was narrator. However, in the end the visitor young man becomes the narrator and explains his experience regarding the old man’s explanations, feelings, memories and emotion to the doum tree. It’s kind of interesting how the visitor got attached emotionally to the conversation of the old man. In the end the story gives us access to both the old man and the young visitor’s perspective. Even though we do not get to understand so depth in the character of the young men, it does implies his emotions towards the stories of the villagers.
–Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
The older man or narrator referred to the listener as “my son” because he was way more wiser than he was with more experience and understanding in life. He felt some sort of entitlement to call him his son because of the difference of age?
–The narrator tells us that “every new generation finds the doum tree as though it had been born at the time of their birth and would grow up with them.” What do you make of this?
I see that the doum tree was a symbol of culture and freedom. It also represented the motherland, home, and own nation. The narrator was just trying to send a message to all of his readers telling them through it that everybody has to preserve his land and save it and always search for its independence. the reason why is that the culture represents its people and if the culture died, it will take its people with it.
The narrator tells us that “every new generation finds the doum tree as though it had been born at the time of their birth and would grow up with them.” What do you make of this?
The doum tree is a constant in the lives of the people who live in that village. It has been there for as long as they can remember and is now a symbol of their constancy. The doum tree represents to them that one thing in many regions of the world or in many societies that would be unquestionable and a symbol of conservation of culture and life through personal (insider) history.
Explain the shift in narratorial perspective in the final passages of the story? How does it change our own view of the text
While most of the part is narrated by old aged guy, it suddenly shifted to young guy at the end of story. This changing allow us to consider and compare about both perspective those who keep traditionalism and supporting modernism. By looking at previous narrator, old guy, from new narrator, it emphasizes the fact that it is not only villagers are being pity in the society. But other side of people also have desire to improve their situation.
Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
Because the narrator is an older man speaking to a younger person. This old man about to give this young in a lesson.
–The narrator tells us that “every new generation finds the doum tree as though it had been born at the time of their birth and would grow up with them.” What do you make of this?
The tree is the spirit of the town, it protects the villagers, every member of the community is linked with the tree, it appears in the dreams of the villagers, the village and the tree are one, their destiny are connected. Since born there is a contract between them, the tree will take care of you as you will take of the tree.