Songs of Silence

Songs of Silence LITERATURE NOTES ABOUT CURDELLA FORBES * Born in Claremont, Hanover, in Jamaica. * Taught at the University of the West Indies from 1990 to 1995. * She is currently a professor of Caribbean Literature at Howard University. CURDELLA FORBES NOVELS * Songs of Silence, 2003 * Flying with Icarus, 2003 * A Per homoent Freedom, 2008 * From Nation to Diaspora Samuel Selvon, George Lamming And the Cultural Perfor patchce of Gender, 2005 sum-up The book is nearly the commemorations of a fe staminate narrator called Marlene (Nice).Her recollections are discharge chronologically, and appear to have no rational arrange, but many of the alike(p) characters can be found in most of the stories, which occur in and around the same district. SETTING * Rural Jamaica. * Recollections/ stories are set in the 1960s. MAJOR CHARACTERS Marlene, Effita, No Name, Nathan, mislay Minnie, Raymond, Ionie, Maas Barber, Long while, Cudjoe Man, Dolly, Minna, Mr. Papacita. RECOLLECTIONS/ STORI ES 1. EFFITA This is a recollection of the sunlight ritual of taking regimen to Aunt Sare. Her habit of praying for the carrier of the food is explored in great detail.The comedic telling of Effies death announcements is a nonher detail that is explored. We acquire what happens when she gives a wrong announcement for Melwyn, and no announcement for Son Son. This recollection ends with Effies death in 1995, with the implication that few flock attend her funeral, despite the fact that most of the people in the district were related. SETTING jet Town, Maaga Bay, Lucea, Montego Bay. CHARACTERS Marlene/ Nice the genius and narrator. Effita the mortal who did informal death announcements for the district.Son Son the narrators male schooldaysmate who died, also Effies nephew. Melwyn Marlenes cousin who was shot by Chisel Bwoy, thusly given an incorrect death announcement by Effie. Aunt Sare the patriarchal lady who was a mid-wife. She would pray for e truly child that de fo llowred food for her. Ionie Marlenes stick Chisel Bwoy the police constable who shot Melwyn fly the coop Zeta the denounce owner. Maas Levi the simply person in the district with a car, an old Chevrolet that the villagers called May Reach. commode Rat the carpenter and coffin maker. recede Herfa Man Teachers wife and a teacher herself.Man Teacher the principal of the local school. THEMES death, old age. 2. A drool WITH NO NAME This is the horizontal surface of a lady with no name. It is reputed that she was abandoned by her wealthy family. She is an anomaly in the district beca mapping she is high coloured, did not speak, was precise expressive in church before her silence, and was reclusive. She put her reclusive personality on pause once a month, when she went to town in order to visit the post office to collect packages. The composition gets inte reprieveing when she got with child(predicate) and no-one knew the pay back.The child became her life, and she sha red him with no one, but kept him to herself. He glum out to be charge more silent than his start. It was, however, rumoured that Maas Barber, Marlenes father, was the childs father. In amid the telling of this story, is Marlenes explanation of her own silence. SETTING Tam Briscoe Hill, Baltree District, CHARACTERS Marlene/ Nice the protagonist and narrator. No Name the light skinned lady who was related to the Briscoes (rich landowners in the district)Ionie Marlenes mother. Maas Barber Marlenes father. Magsie Marlenes sister.Long Man a traveler who used to pass by means of the district and stay at the narrators house. Luce Blagrove the person who spread the rumour that capital of Minnesota was Maas Barbers child. hightail it Clemmy the lady who ran the post office. Paul No Names son. Evert Briscoe He was the only member of the Briscoe family who came home sometimes, he owned the piece of mound and the land that Maas Barber oversaw. THEMES Racism, Alienation, Women in Society, Silence 3. NATHAN This is the story of Nathan, Marlenes comrade. They were two days apart and were different from their other siblings because they were companions silence.Details are told of Nathans extreme tightness, or thriftiness, versus his sisters train to give everything away. He eventually married a woman whom he adored, despite the fact that she was very loud, and had three children. Marlene describes Nathan as a very stubborn man. She reports a particular incident with an MP where he win a substantial settlement referable to his stubbornness. Marlene maintains that they still have a good relationship. Great details are given round Marlenes silence, on with her struggle to accept her brothers when/ while they were going through puberty. SETTING Baltree DistrictCHARACTERS Marlene The narrator. Nathan Marlenes brother who was stubborn and very quiet. Everette Marlenes sister who likes to go to court to listen to the cases. Marlene hear the story of Natha ns altercation with the MP from her. Tony -Marlenes older brother. MP The person that Nathan got in a fight with and received a settlement. THEMES Love and family relationship, silence. 4. THE IDIOT This recollection speaks about school and education. It begins with the story of Ionies pride taking a beating when she had to en transact some-one, whom she had previously snobbed, for suffice.The story continues with Marlene explaining why she liked school. She speaks of her two scholastic rivals, Ezekiel and Wellesley, as rise as the class dunce, Bas. She explains the phenomena of partially going to school due to farming responsibilities. We then learn that, in high school, she was the only person that would grudgingly speak to Ezekiel, who eventually dropped out of school. He ended up being very successful and Marlene felt bad because she did not treat him well. SETTING Maggoty, obscure Shop, St. James, St. Andrew. CHARACTERSMarlene The narrator, extremely bright, was placed ab ove her age range, in the class, due to her strong scholastic ability. Magsie Marlenes older sister. Bathsheba Watkiss Ezekiel Watkiss sister and a teacher. daughter Herfa A teacher and Man Teachers wife. Man Teacher The principal. Pa dark-brown The man who Ionie snubbed, and he had to help her to cross the river. Ezekiel Watkiss (Hog) A student in the class who was her scholastic rival, despite not going to school consistently. Miss Celine A teacher. Bas the duncest boy in the class, did not attend school consistently.Wellesley Black (Goggleeye) Another scholastic rival at school, he attended school regularly and was the correct age for the class. Nerissa Black Wellesleys sister and a disciple teacher who taught the lower grades. THEMES childhood lessons, education and society, silence. 5. MISS MINNIE This is the story of Raymond and Miss Minnie. Miss Minnie got married to Lester after his girlfriend deserted him, as well as their puppylike son Raymond. Miss Minnie wa s an extremely good mother to Raymond, making him the centre of her life, especially after Lester died.Raymond became a successful individualist and took Miss Minnie with him to live in capital of Jamaica. Great changes occurred in Kingston because he met his mother and brothers, which created waves in the relationship amidst himself and Miss Minnie. She was eventually diagnosed with depressive disorder and low self esteem. This created another change in their relationship, to the point where Raymond would not allow another woman to get among him and Miss Minnie. Marlene declares that, establish on this fact, she cannot wait on him because he will never get married as long as Miss Minnie is alive.SETTING Baltree District, Lucea, Kingston. CHARACTERS Marlene The narrator, she was in a amatory relationship with Raymond. Miss Minna Raymonds step mother who made him her life, she sells in the market, went to live with Raymond in Kingston in order to take care of him. Lester Raym onds father. He is very quiet and died while Raymond was still young, he was a fit out maker. Maas Baada He read the newspaper to the men in the shoe shop and was affectionate towards Raymond, where his father was not.Raymonds mother Rumoured that she was a go-go dancer, she left when Raymond was a young child, instigated a meeting with him when he was a successful adult, attempted to run a part of his life. Sam & Nichol Raymonds half brothers, from his mothers side. THEME Love and family relationship, silence. 6. Morris Hole This is the story of how Marlene lost the river. She explains what the river meant to her through her visual description of Morris Hole, as well as the activities that use to occur there.She lost the river when her mother abruptly told her that she could not use it, without any explanation. She then recounts her white ancestry, as well as the traumatic experiences associated with her paternal great grandparents. SETTING Baltree District, Morris Hole. CHA RACTERS Marlene The narrator, she is entering puberty in this recollection. Miss Retinella Martin Marlenes aunt. Munchie Marlenes cousin. Ionie Marlenes mother, she is grappling with her daughter entering puberty. Miss Clemmy, Miss Nellie part of the gathering of Seventh Day Adventist women who wash by the river on Sunday mornings. babeter Sis Marlenes great grandmother who did not know the father of her child, and therefore named Gussie Bugess. Maas Gussie burgess a very pretty man, tall and brown with nice hair, who lived in Maaga Bay, named as grandpa Erics father. Granpa Eric The supposed product of a union between Maas Gussie and babe Sis. Puppa Mummah Maas Barbers grandparents and his childrens great grandparents, they are white. Maas Barber Marlenes father. THEME Race, loss of innocence. 7. TRAVELLERS, OR FATHERS, OR LITTLE FOOL-FOOL This is the story of different kinds of love.There is parental love, as represented by Cudjoe Man and Dolly. Cudjoe Man is admired throughout the district for his devotion to his mentally challenged daughter. He combs her hair, dresses her, provides for her every need and is extremely protective of her. He even disregards his attraction to Minna, a possible love match, in order to compact on his child. We also learn of a contrasting relationship between Minna and Samson. The quixotic love between theses two people is polluted by physical abuse. This abuse is whispered throughout the district, but things come to a corpus when Samson beats Minna with such trength and aggression that she is infirmaryized. This beating occurred because Minna got in a fight with Dottie over Cudjoe Man. This confirmed Samsons paranoia about Minnie cheating on him, and the result was beating her senseless, and then being attacked by Cudjoe-Man. Cudjoe Man ended up in jail and Dottie stayed with a family in the district until relatives from Kingston came to get her. SETTING Baltree district, St. Ann, Green Town, Grant Ridge, Somers et St James CHARACTERS Uncle Cuthbert (Cuttiie) A traveller in his young days who told the children stories of his journeys.Cudjoe Man A traveller who decided to stay in Baltree district and a devoted father to Dottie. Dolly (Fool-Fool/ Doll-Doll) Cudjoe Mans mentally challenged daughter. Pappa Lazzy The gentleman who gave Cudjoe-Man a place to rest before he decided to stay in Baltree district. Long Man A consistent visitor/ traveller to Marlenes family. Lobie He was famous in the district for his womanizing, began noticing Dottie. Big Man Cassels Lobies father, it was rumoured that he made inappropriate comments about Cudjoe Man and his daughters relationship.Linval Marlenes brother Miss Herfa A teacher, Man Teachers wife. Minna Samsons girlfriend, flirted with Cudjoe Man, brutally overcome by Samson after the fight. Dottie Cudjoe Mans girlfriend, fought with Minna when she heard of the flirting incident between Minna and Cudjoe Man. THEMES Love, love and family relat ionship, women in society. 8. SO FEW AND SUCH MORNING SONGS Mr. Papacitas story tells of the great love that he has for his wife. They played together and were very romantic with each other. The story also highlights Mr.Papacitas delightful voice, how he charmed everyone with it, how he lost it when his wife died, and regained it to an extent when he found the church. Mr. Papacita was a quick-witted and carefree man when his wife was alive, but when she died, he became self destructive. He was always drunk, and literally passed out in the road when he was on one of his drunken tirades. He spent three weeks in the hospital and came out a changed man. He became very quiet, and one day he surprised everyone by going to church, becoming baptized and regaining a bit of his beautiful voice. SETTING Baltree district. CHARACTERS Mr.Papacita Miss Aitas husband, he had a beautiful voice, lost himself to grieve initially, but eventually found the church. Miss Aita Mr. Papacitas wife, sh e died of cancer. Miss Nellie Town gossip. Maas Levi Owner of the Chevrolet, the only car in the district. Maas Don The taylor THEMES Love, faith 9. EPILOGUE A BEGINNING This epilogue takes the reader to the point at which Marlene is go forth the district to attend teachers college in Kingston. She was afraid, excited and glad all at the same time at the prospect of leaving her home. She reflects that all the characters in her reflections are a part of her.GLOSSARY OF TERMS Ackee A sensationalistic fruit that, when cooked, looks like scrambled eggs. Blue Boot Your best clothes. Bruk sludge Dilapidated. Bulla cake A round, flat cake, that has the texture of a lumbering cookie. Bauxite A reddish brown rock that was mined in Jamaica. Congotay unsound or deceiver. Coolie royal hair Hair type that is a cross between Indian and Black, leaning more towards Black, wild in nature. Cotta A circular and twisted cloth that is placed on the head to cushion a load. Cry cree To beg for mercy, usually used when people are playing.Cucumaka stick A stick that comes from a tree, of the same name, that is believed to help in abortions, despite no scientific evidence to prove this. Dulcimina A big, old fashioned looking suitcase. Duppy A ghost Faas with To trouble psyche or get in their personal business. Facety Describes a person that is rude, or behaviour that is rude. Four eye Word for some-one who is clairvoyant. Hootiah A person who has not been well brought up. Jacket/ give jacket To name a man as the father of a child when he is not, the child is the jacket that the man is given. ibber to keep your mouth shut, not talk. Peenie-wallie A firefly. Pickni A small child. Gleaner A local Jamaican newspaper. Maas Mr. / Mister. Mirasmi Malnutrition. Mouthamassy someone who talks too much and gossips a lot. MP Member of Parliament Pocomania A religious cult that blends Christianity and African beliefs. It carries the stigma of obeah and is not w idely accepted. Tegereg A boisterous and rough person. UC University of the West Indies Hospital. Yaws A sore that has persisted for so long that it has turn infected.