–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 addresses his listener as “my son” because he feels like everything he is telling his son is out of the usual for him. Not only is “his son” in a totally new environment physically and mentally but the story and worth behind the Doum Tree is spiritual. The narrator is looking after the young man and letting him know that in fact his experiences are those to be learned from and told to others. If this is not something they want to hear or experience then they can leave with a warning to never return and bother the people of the town. The use of “my son” is also a very sly and sarcastic in a way tone to use for the visitor to show kindness yet assirtiveness with his choice of words.
–Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
I think the narrator address his listener as “my son” because they have a closer relationship and are not absolute strangers. I think he also addresses his listener as “my son” because he kind of considers his listener as his actual son and tells the listener what he wants to tell his own son. The narrator is a elder villager who has a lot of knowledge of all the comings and goings of the village and the importance of the Doum tree to the villagers. He addresses his listener as “my son,” showing a father/son, teacher/student relationship where he wants to tell his listener about the traditions of the village and hopes he can understand. He wants his thoughts about the Doum tree to be passed to future generations so that the Doum tree can stay as long as possible and the value of the important tree to not change.
–Explain the shift in narratorial perspective in the final passages of the story? How does it change our own view of the text
Most of the narrative is spoken through the words of the old villager talking to a young passerby/traveler. The elder’s history on the doum tree can be easily interpreted as an insider story on the village’s old traditions. As the end of the story shifts perspective to the younger man speaking, we can see the newer generation taking over the old. Towards the end, the elder man says there is no need to take down the doum tree if there is space for all the new technology. This was a way of him saying that there is no need to get rid of old traditions when we can all combined our ways and values into one, both old and new. While this seems a perfect compromise in an ideal world, the younger man feels a feeling of sadness. This might be because he is more realistic and realizes that this can not truly happen, as he knows that one day old traditions would be a thing of the past and vaguely known and practiced.
–Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
The narrator address his listener as “my son” because of the age range between them. and also because of the fact that the narrator is from the old generation and the listener from the new generation.
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 narrator is telling us that the doum tree is a symbol of their traditional culture. The traditional culture of the village affects and forms every generation, and the tradition will be kept in the future. The purpose of the narrator to tell this sentence is to state how important the doum tree meaning to them. They will not agree to cut the doum tree and replace with a steamer station, which means they will insist their tradition.
–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?
By saying every new generation finds the doum tree capable of growing with them the narrator implies the doum tree is seen as an everlasting symbol for life in the village. For example, the doum tree is believed to offer healing services and even acts as a religious sanction for some villagers. It also implies the doum tree is a monument that’s not to be altered by any forces. The doum tree is a praised structure for the village by every citizen.
–Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
the narrator is trying to teach the young man his own words of wisdom and telling him what to watch out for. They are not strangers and have a close enough bond to call him his son in such a way that it shows he respects and wants the best for him but also at the same time wants to make sure that the young man knows who is right and who is wrong.
–Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
The narrator addresses his listener as his son because he want’s to set the difference between their age. The narrator teaches him everything he knows about the town and how he feels about it, because he knows that people from outside their town do not have the same values as him since technology is increasing and they are exposed to it. Since his actual son is away, it made him practice what he will be saying to his son when he comes back.
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 narrator says 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” because the doum tree has been there since they discovered it and it will be there forever. The doum tree is an important symbol for the villagers because it provides healing powers and is recognized as a religious entity. Essentially, every new generation will be born with the tree already existing and they will learn the value of the tree as they grow older and are able to embrace 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?
By the narrator saying this, it shows that the doum tree is ever lasting. If the doum tree is there for multiple generations, then it implies hat it is immortal somehow. Another component to this is that it means as if the doum tree is constantly being reborn. There is a generation almost everyday and if every generation looks at the tree as if it was just born, then technically, the tree is being born everyday. When you grow up with someone, that person has a special place in your life. As the generations are growing up, it’s as if the doum tree has a special place in their life. The doum tree is also something that can connect old and new generations.
Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
The narrator refers to his listener as his son because due to his experience in living in the village, all that he had been through, he relates the story to him as a superior. The listener is also young, same age as his own son, therefore he feels that connection to him and talks to him as if he is in fact his own son.
–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?
“‘But that is the time when we visit the tomb of Wad Hamid at the doum tree,’ answered the man; ‘when we take our women and children and make offerings. We do this every week.’ The official laughed. ‘Then change the day!’ he replied,” (820). The newly independent Sudan almost has a villain-like quality to the story’s perspective. They are seen as the enemy to the villagers. While the villagers are not open to change, the government constantly tries to invade their sacred space to build new and unwanted things such as a stopping place for a steamer. They seem to live separately from the outside world, following their own routines and traditions while the rest of the world changes each day. The relationship between the government and the villagers represents the relationship between modernity and tradition.
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?
This line tells how old the doum tree is. Every generation grows up with the tree and the tree has been existing ever since they were born making it as if the tree is growing up with them. This shows how important the tree is because it gives it a value of everlasting.
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 is the narrator, and one may thinks the old man wants to maintain his town the way it is without the influence of new technologies. However, towards the end of the story the narrator shifts from the old man to the young visitor. Where he talks about the feeling about the old man being open to the new technologies. That there is room for both the new and the old. Seeing both perspectives gives us inside on how the old man who was about maintaining tradition thinks and how the young visitor thinks about the situation he feels sadness.