–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 is from an Arabic background and in their culture the practice of referencing one as “my son” is simply a word of endearment and is used to represent a more inviting and family oriented feel to both strangers and actual relatives of people from this culture. It represents respect and warmth.
–Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
The narrator addresses his listener as “my son” to make him feel more comfortable and to create a more intimate relationship. Furthermore, by addressing his listener as “my son” the narrator establishes the differences between the young and the elderly. He implies that he is wiser, and he seems to want his listener to learn a lesson from his story.
Explain the shift in narratorial perspective in the final passages of the story? How does it change our own view of the text
The elder passes the torch onto the the young stranger who is not from the area. He has given him the knowledge and meaning of the tree to the “son” and now the stranger begins to ask questions. The tree is now a monument and with the separation of the tree with the people, it is now his time to move on.
Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
The narrator introduces the listener as “my son” to show a sign of wisdom and to distinguish a gap between generations. By addressing the listener this way, the narrator shows respect and informs the listener the ways of his values and tradition. By calling the listener “my son” the narrator also displays a intimate relationship to show knowledge and concern. In addition, this allows the reader, to realize the significance of the doum tree as it’s told from a wise man who lived at the village. I think, the author uses the narrator to tell the story from his perspective to entice the audience and relate back to the lifestyle of the villagers.
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?
Tradition is built on the eternal return of an experience. Like that cliche “everything old is new again,” the experience of a tradition must be both the first time it is experienced and part of a mythological lineage of repetitions without a discernible historical beginning. Consider the Catholic Communion – every Sunday the priest delivers the Body and the Blood of Christ to the parishioners and for Catholics this event is a miracle as the priest literally creates the body and blood again. The event of Jesus at the last supper is thus constantly repeated as an original blessing for the individual, and simultaneously extends the ongoing covenant between Catholics and the trinity.
In this idea of tradition, the doum tree expresses Wad Hamid’s rebellion upon each individual interaction. As it remains a constant target for outsiders and developers, it must always be defended once over, and thus the existence of the doum tree entails that each new generation must defend this historic object. Like most religious sacraments, the doum tree represents the survival of an oppressed people. Further, the doum tree is both central to the village’s identity as an object of reverence but also structures that identity as its defense is the highest impediment to development and modernization.
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 Politician who was speaking at the prisoner release never came back to the village so it is clear that he did not actually care about what was happening there. This is one of the examples that signifies that the government did not interfere a lot with the village’s ways and it’s people’s lifestyle. Even when the villagers heard of a change in the government, it does not affect them because no one was ever concerned from the old government and no one from the new government would concern about the village and its matters either. What the author seems to be saying is that neither side is “correct” instead it is the village who should be left alone because they way they are living works for them and therefore should not be changed. Overall, the story suggests a complex relationship between the government and the villagers.
Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
He is calling him his son to give us a sense of the older generation talking to a younger one. He is passing down the wisdom of tradition and values held by his people. Son also refers to being a son of the land and in a way of all the people in that town. It creates a more intimate relationship and it’s a practice also common in India. Not only in the older generation but even the younger ones. We refer to people much younger then us as son or daughter. It creates kinship and acknowledgment that we are part of one family because of where we come from.
Explain the shift in narratorial perspective in the final passages of the story? How does it change our own view of the text?
Towards the end of the narrative, the perspective changes from what was the perspective of an old man who has lived his whole life in this village to the visitor’s point of view. The shift almost allows the readers to feel as though they are the one who is passing by the village. The visitor seems to be a young man, considering the fact that the village refers to him as “my son.” The visitor asks questions in the end and shows how interested and affected this character feels towards the story told.
–Explain the shift in narratorial perspective in the final passages of the story? How does it change our own view of the text?
At first, the narrator of the story is the old man. Then it switches to being villagers not the visitor. At the end the young guy who is the visitor/outsider starts telling the story. He feels attached to the story somehow.
Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
I feel like this is very common especially in older times. Even my grandfather will refer to some of my cousins or even me as his son. I think its more significant as a way of saying someone much younger then yourself or even someone less wiser then yourself. I believe that he is referring to the reader or listener of the story as his son in the same way. Where he is older and wiser and telling a story to someone more innocent and ignorant then himself.
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?
They don’t trust the government. residents of the village wants to keep the way how they live for generatuions , while new govenment wants to modernize the village. Though the government claims that modernizing can offer them better health and transportation , people suspect whether it is ture. The modnernization momvent is more likely for the interest of the new government, not for themselves.
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 grow up with them.” What do you make of this?
When the narrator discusses this relationship between new generations and the doum tree I believe he is trying to delve into the true impact that the tree has on the culture and the lives of the villagers. This is evident when he says the villagers feel as if the tree has grown up with them. Through this line alone the reader can tell that the doum tree is a huge part of the full span of one’s life in this region of the world. Another event in the story that exemplifies this connection between tree and individual villager is when the government tried numerous times to destroy the tree. When this occurred the villagers came together and defended the tree as one of their own, time after time.
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 says this what to show that their traditions and culture does not change and that they are very reserved. The narrator wants to show that they are down to earth to people and don’t change much because they like to deal with cards that have been given to them.
–Why does the narrator address his listener as “my son”?
The narrator addresses his listeners as my son to show more of a bond. The listener can be anyone reading the text.