Monday, March 7, 2011

The Power of One Ch. 22 Reading Journal

1.       Chapter 22, page 435-457
2.       In this chapter, it starts off with the death of Doc, and Peekay felt that Doc had cheated his death, that Doc had made death happen than to have it happen to him.  Peekay knew that Doc went back to the crystal cave for his death, so Peekay travelled back to visit the cave. Outside the cave, he found a note from Doc, saying his goodbyes, and Doc had encrypted a song of Africa. After the funeral, Peekay goes back to school, and continues to train with Solly, however, black men, including Gideon Mandoma, also train with him as well. Peekay then decided to open a school where Africans can learn to read, write, and do math. Although it was a great success, the police came with threats, and Peekay knew he had to shut down the school.
3.       A. Gideon Mandoma
B. “‘I do not come from a nation of slaves, but I have been made a slave. I come from a people who are brave men, but I am made to weep. I, who am to become a chief, have become what no man ought to be, a man without rights and without a future…I have killed a lion and sat on the mat of the high chief, but I have been given my place. That place is not a seat at the white man’s table, and that place is not a voice in the white man’s indaba.’” (447)
C. Athletic
    Talented
    Determined
    Kind
    Strong-willed
D. Gideon Mandoma had a big role in the novel. He was Nanny’s son, who she had to abandon to take care of Peekay. Nanny was Peekay’s most favorite person, whom he loved. They both share that feeling toward her. He was deprived of his mother till she was fired, and Mandoma could finally have his mother back. He was also considered to be the next chief, and he fought against Peekay to see if that was his fate. Although Mandoma had lost to Peekay, there were no hard feelings. Then, when he started training with Peekay, he was Peekay’s inspiration to open up a school for Africans. Although Gideon Mandoma has only been in Peekay’s life shortly, he had influenced Peekay a lot.
4. “‘Racism does not diminish with brains. It’s a disease, a sickness. It may incubate in ignorance, but it doesn’t necessarily disappear with the gaining of wisdom!’” (456) This is an important quote because it shows how Peekay feels about racism. He does not like it; however, he does not know how to change it. He is aware enough to see that even if an African was smart, it wouldn’t change how the African would be treated because people wouldn’t be able to get past the skin color. Peekay acknowledges that the helping with the African’s education wouldn’t make their skin color different, or how people see them. Although Peekay does not want to close the school, he knew that the school wasn’t going to last forever, because unfortunately the racism was too powerful.

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