Songs of Silence

Songs of hush up 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 hush, 2003 * Flying with Icarus, 2003 * A Per worldent Freedom, 2008 * From Nation to Diaspora Samuel Selvon, George Lamming And the Cultural Perfor domaince of Gender, 2005 SUMMARY The volume is ab turn up the recollections of a female narrator called Marlene ( courteous).Her recollections are dispersed chronologically, and appear to have no reasoning(prenominal) order, but many of the same characters can be found in most of the stories, which occur in and around the same dominion. SETTING * Rural Jamaica. * Recollections/ stories are set in the 1960s. MAJOR CHARACTERS Marlene, Effita, No Name, Nathan, hightail it Minnie, Raymond, Ionie, Maas Barber, Long existence, Cudjoe Man, Dolly, Minna, Mr. Papacita. RECOLLECTIONS/ STORIES 1. EFFITA This is a recollection of the Sunday ritual of taking food to Aunt Sare. Her habit of praying for the common carrier of the food is explored in great detail.The comedic telling of Effies death announcements is another detail that is explored. We learn what happens when she gives a do by announcement for Melwyn, and no announcement for Son Son. This recollection ends with Effies death in 1995, with the implication that few peck attend her funeral, notwithstanding the fact that most of the spate in the district were related. SETTING spurt Town, Maaga Bay, Lucea, Montego Bay. CHARACTERS Marlene/ adequate the protagonist and narrator. Effita the person who did informal death announcements for the district.Son Son the narrators male schoolmate who died, likewise Effies nephew. Melwyn Marlenes cousin who was whirl by Chisel Bwoy, then given an incorrect death announcement by Effie. Aunt Sare the ancient lady who was a mid-wife. She would pr ay for e genuinely child that delivered food for her. Ionie Marlenes mother Chisel Bwoy the police constable who shot Melwyn run away Zeta the shop owner. Maas Levi the except person in the district with a car, an old Chevrolet that the villagers called whitethorn Reach. Mass Rat the carpenter and coffin maker. daughter Herfa Man instructors wife and a teacher herself.Man Teacher the principal of the local school. THEMES death, old age. 2. A STORY WITH NO NAME This is the narrative of a lady with no name. It is reputed that she was abandoned by her wealthy family. She is an anomaly in the district because she is high coloured, did not speak, was very communicative in church before her silence, and was reclusive. She put her reclusive nature on pause once a month, when she went to town in order to visit the post office to collect packages. The score gets interesting when she got meaning(a) and no-one knew the father.The child became her life, and she shared him with no one, but kept him to herself. He turned out to be rase more silent than his mother. It was, however, rumoured that Maas Barber, Marlenes father, was the childs father. In mingled with 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 use to pass done the district and stay at the narrators house. Luce Blagrove the person who stretch out the rumour that Paul was Maas Barbers child. Miss Clemmy the lady who ran the post office. Paul No Names son. Evert Briscoe He was the solely member of the Briscoe family who came home some measures, he owned the piece of hill and the land that Maas Barber oversaw. THEMES Racism, Alienation, Women in Society, Silence 3. NATH AN This is the story of Nathan, Marlenes brother. They were two years 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 lead to give everything away. He eventually unite 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 won a substantial settlement due to his stubbornness. Marlene maintains that they still have a good relationship. corking details are given about Marlenes silence, along 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 heard the story of Nathans altercation with the MP from h er. 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 contend some-one, whom she had previously snobbed, for help.The story continues with Marlene explaining why she liked school. She speaks of her two scholastic stirs, Ezekiel and Wellesley, as well as the family unit 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 but 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, Black Shop, St. James, St. Andrew. CHARACTERSMarlene The narrator, highly bright, was placed higher up her age range, in the class, due to her strong scholastic ability. Magsie Marlenes older sister. Bathsheba Watkiss Ezekiel Watkiss sister and a teacher. Miss Herfa A teacher and Man Teachers wife. Man Teacher The principal. Pa Brown The man who Ionie snubbed, and he had to help her to violate 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 pupil 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 young son Raymond. Miss Minnie was an extremely good mother to Raymond, making him the centre of her life, especially after Lester died.Raymond became a successful individual 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 amongst himself and Miss Minnie. She was eventually diagnosed with depression and low self esteem. This created another change in their relationship, to the point where Raymond would not allow another woman to get between him and Miss Minnie. Marlene declares that, based on this fact, she cannot wait on him because he will never marry as long as Miss Minnie is alive.SETTING Baltree District, Lucea, Kingston. CHARACTERS Marlene The narrator, she was in a romantic 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 Raymonds father. He is very quiet and died while Raymond was still young, he wa s a shoe maker. Maas Baada He read the newspaper to the men in the shoe shop and was favorable 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 become 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 baffled 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. CHARACTERS 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 group of Seventh Day Adventist women who wash by the river on Sunday mornings.Sister 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 Sister 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 admire throughout the district for his devotion to his mentally challenged daughter. He c ombs 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 concentrate on his child. We also learn of a contrasting relationship between Minna and Samson. The romantic love between theses two people is polluted by physical abuse. This abuse is whispered throughout the district, but things come to a steer when Samson beats Minna with such trength and aggression that she is hospitalized. This beating occurred because Minna got in a fight with Dottie over Cudjoe Man. This substantiate 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, Somerset 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 beaten 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 relationship, women in society. 8. SO FEW AND SUCH MORNING SONGS Mr. Papacitas story tel ls 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 good-looking voice, how he enthralled 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 happy 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 bridle-path 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, go 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, she 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, religion 9. EPILOGUE A BEGINNING This epilogue takes the reader to the point at which Marlene is leaving 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 yellow fruit that, when cooked, looks like scrambled eggs. Blue Boot Your best clothes. Bruk dung Dilapidated. bulla cake A round, flat cake, that has the texture of a hard cookie. Bauxite A reddish brown rock-and-roll that was mined in Jamaica. Congotay Deceitful 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 misshapen 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 spook Faas with To trouble soulfulness or get in their personal business. Facety Describes a person that is rude, or conduct that is rude. Four eye Word for some-one who is clairvoyant. Hootiah A person who has not been well brought up. Jacket/ give roof 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 furor that blends Christianity and African beliefs. It carries the stigma of obeah and is not widely accepted. Tegereg A boisterous and uncouth person. UC University of the Wes t Indies Hospital. gape A sore that has persisted for so long that it has become infected.