Otieno Otieno | University Of Bayreuth, Germany (original) (raw)
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Papers by Otieno Otieno
Here, I offer a brief insight into reading George Lamming's In the Castle of My Skin. The idea is... more Here, I offer a brief insight into reading George Lamming's In the Castle of My Skin. The idea is the awareness of the difficulty in reading the abstract and unstructured novel, and those offers direction into one of the many thematic areas that can be of focus in order to understand the portrayed Caribbean village. The novel, in this case, is consumed as a story that represent freedom contested and yearned for by unlikely quarters, children as symbolic of the real situation in the anti-colonial struggle in the depicted society. Children become the central actors for resistance through their everyday activities and playfulness that challenge the status quo.
In This Mournable Body (2018), Tsitsi Dangarembga continues the story of her protagonist, Tambudz... more In This Mournable Body (2018), Tsitsi Dangarembga continues the story of her protagonist, Tambudzai, which began with Nervous Conditions (1986) and its sequel The Book of Not (2006). This study is inspired by the need to investigate the narration of the female body in postcolonial Zimbabwe as depicted in this latter work. The argument in this research is that the female body is portrayed on the backdrop of double colonization where gender and legacies of colonialism are the Zimbabwean woman’s predicaments and sources of political resistance. This research employs the Russian-formalists’ theory of Defarmiliarization and postcolonial feminist theory of Double Colonization to interrogate various images of the female body in the text and how, aside from giving agency to the African woman, they relate the story of postcolonial Zimbabwe. The focus of this literary inquiry further spreads to author’s point of view and its significance in narrating the female body. The results of this study reveal that the female body portrays women as subjects defined by suffering, mental breakdown, and as victims of racial inequalities, poverty and sexual objectification. In spite of all these hurdles, an analysis of the text demonstrates how, on the other hand, a new image of the woman in a postcolonial setting is created. Through transfiguration of the female body, this study notes that female characters possess the ability to transform their bodies by reconstructing the ‘othered’ bodies with attributes of strength, resilience and economic prosperity. Notably, the second person point of view is used in narration in the text as a convenient tool for imagining and constructing female agency. By using the pronoun of address ‘you’ in the narration, the narrating voice invites the reader or narratee to understand the protagonist, or to empathize with her as process of gaining insight in the prevailing conditions of the female body in the postcolony.
In This Mournable Body (2018), Tsitsi Dangarembga continues the story of her protagonist, Tambudz... more In This Mournable Body (2018), Tsitsi Dangarembga continues the story of her protagonist, Tambudzai, which began with Nervous Conditions (1986) and its sequel The Book of Not (2006). This study is inspired by the need to investigate the narration of the female body in postcolonial Zimbabwe as depicted in this latter work. The argument in this research is that the female body is portrayed on the backdrop of double colonization where gender and legacies of colonialism are the Zimbabwean woman's predicaments and sources of political resistance. This research
Colonial education has been portrayed by most postcolonial writers as an agency of imperialism wh... more Colonial education has been portrayed by most postcolonial writers as an agency of imperialism where the colonized is exposed to limited opportunities for intellectual and personal growth by the masters. In respect to such a stance, colonial education can be argued to be devoid of the principles of value creating education according to the teachings by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josai Toda and Daisuke Ikeda. By approaching education in a humanistic perspective, these philosophers argue that education should bring on board value creation potentials on the individual. In his memoir, In the House of the Interpreter, Ngugi wa Thiong'o idolizes his alma mater, Alliance High School and teacher Carey Edward Francis. Notably, the two are the agents of colonialism that he is opposed to. For an author whose works predominantly uphold anticolonial messages, it is of significance to study his rare stance on the colonial education that he receives at Alliance High School in this text. He elevates highly the institution and its leader for contributing to the 'better' person that he becomes in life which instigate the need for this study. As a result, the objective study is to critically evaluate Alliance High School as a learning environment, its pedagogical orientation and the position and personality of Carey Francis in the postcolonial space using the concept Soka (Value Creating) as the assessment grid. Alliance High School is presented as multiracial learning institution in a colonial era which offers not only avenues of intellectual growth but also diverse activities for personal wellbeing under the stewardship of Carey Francis. By basing my evaluation using Ikeda's principles of Soka Education, I will interrogate and assess their manifestations in Alliance High School as portrayed by Ngugi wa Thiong'o.
Contributions of CLR James to Understanding Caribbean Literature, 2019
In this paper, I study Cyril Lionel Richard (C.L.R) James's contribution to understanding Caribbe... more In this paper, I study Cyril Lionel Richard (C.L.R) James's contribution to understanding Caribbean Literature. Premium is placed critical analysis on the Black Jacobins which documents the first uprising of men of color against the white oppressors and slave masters in Saint Domingue. Emphasis is also spread to James' anti-colonial messages in his writings and how they would later influence other anti-colonial texts in the region.
A Critical Analysis of Two Korean Plays: Mr. Han's Chronicles and A Sonata of Lost Spring, 2019
In this paper, I critically analyze two Korean plays; Mr Han’s Chronicles and A Sonata of Lost Sp... more In this paper, I critically analyze two Korean plays; Mr Han’s Chronicles and A Sonata of Lost Spring in isolation. Mr. Han's Chronicle is premised on the Cold War and the separation of Korea into the South and East and what it means to an ordinary Korean. A Sonata of Lost Spring puts premium on what it means to be different from the rest, the Othered body.
Drafts by Otieno Otieno
The Boy-Child as a Hapless Victim of His Father's Predicament in Michael Anthony's Green Days by the River, 2019
This paper offers a literary criticism on Michael Anthony's representation of the essence of grow... more This paper offers a literary criticism on Michael Anthony's representation of the essence of growing up as a boy in the Caribbean Islands. In it, I argue that a level of accelerated manhood (manning-up) is a prerequisite skill that fills the void of the absence father as a shared experience among most Caribbean boys growing up.
Mapping Botchan into In Contemporary Kenya: A Comparative Analysis of Japanese' Classic, 2019
In this study, I provide a comparative analysis of Japanese classical novel, Botchan by Natsume ... more In this study, I provide a comparative analysis of Japanese classical novel, Botchan by Natsume Sōseki and map it with the contemporary Kenya. Botchan is a highly philosophical work that interrogates the Japanese education system and ability of an individual to hold onto his or her character in a corrupt environment.
I look at the Heian Period in Ancient Japan and its significance in the evolution of Japanese Lit... more I look at the Heian Period in Ancient Japan and its significance in the evolution of Japanese Literature
Teaching Documents by Otieno Otieno
The Wretched of the Earth (1961) is seminal book where Frantz Fanon theorises the psychology of v... more The Wretched of the Earth (1961) is seminal book where Frantz Fanon theorises the psychology of violence and its implications (effects) on the relationship between the oppressed and the oppressor. His analysis was based on a professional (he was a psychiatrist) lens with which he observed colonialism and decolonization process in Algeria. In this context, the relationship between the oppressor (colonizer) and the oppressed (colonized) is sustained by violence. That is to say, the dichotomies of power relations (race, education, wealth, gender, age, civilisation, etc) are created and reinforced by violence. The question we ask is, how does an oppressor rise and become powerful, so much so that the oppressed accepts to be less powerful and withstand/endure oppression?
I was not sorry when my brother died' is how Zimbabwean novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga begins Nervou... more I was not sorry when my brother died' is how Zimbabwean novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga begins Nervous Conditions. These are the words of her protagonist (and narrator) Tambudzai or Tambu who then affirms that she is neither apologetic for her 'lack of feeling' nor 'callousness.' These words that comes from deep introspection. These first two sentences are thought-provoking, and ideally set the pace of reading her the text, keeping the reader glued to a quest of understanding Tambu's profound and 'unpopular' stance. Notably, these two sentences do not only describe the ideology of Nervous Conditions, but also foregrounds Dangarembga's sequels, The Book of Not, and This Mournable Body. Being in Dangarembga's literary imaginations then is to accept for a fact that you are in a space where patriarchy is portrayed as loathsome, dismantled, and challenged, even if this is unsettling and uncomfortable for some readers. It is also a position where you read Zimbabwean's history told through the eyes and voice of a young girl that comes of age into adulthood.
Here, I offer a brief insight into reading George Lamming's In the Castle of My Skin. The idea is... more Here, I offer a brief insight into reading George Lamming's In the Castle of My Skin. The idea is the awareness of the difficulty in reading the abstract and unstructured novel, and those offers direction into one of the many thematic areas that can be of focus in order to understand the portrayed Caribbean village. The novel, in this case, is consumed as a story that represent freedom contested and yearned for by unlikely quarters, children as symbolic of the real situation in the anti-colonial struggle in the depicted society. Children become the central actors for resistance through their everyday activities and playfulness that challenge the status quo.
Here, I offer a brief insight into reading George Lamming's In the Castle of My Skin. The idea is... more Here, I offer a brief insight into reading George Lamming's In the Castle of My Skin. The idea is the awareness of the difficulty in reading the abstract and unstructured novel, and those offers direction into one of the many thematic areas that can be of focus in order to understand the portrayed Caribbean village. The novel, in this case, is consumed as a story that represent freedom contested and yearned for by unlikely quarters, children as symbolic of the real situation in the anti-colonial struggle in the depicted society. Children become the central actors for resistance through their everyday activities and playfulness that challenge the status quo.
In This Mournable Body (2018), Tsitsi Dangarembga continues the story of her protagonist, Tambudz... more In This Mournable Body (2018), Tsitsi Dangarembga continues the story of her protagonist, Tambudzai, which began with Nervous Conditions (1986) and its sequel The Book of Not (2006). This study is inspired by the need to investigate the narration of the female body in postcolonial Zimbabwe as depicted in this latter work. The argument in this research is that the female body is portrayed on the backdrop of double colonization where gender and legacies of colonialism are the Zimbabwean woman’s predicaments and sources of political resistance. This research employs the Russian-formalists’ theory of Defarmiliarization and postcolonial feminist theory of Double Colonization to interrogate various images of the female body in the text and how, aside from giving agency to the African woman, they relate the story of postcolonial Zimbabwe. The focus of this literary inquiry further spreads to author’s point of view and its significance in narrating the female body. The results of this study reveal that the female body portrays women as subjects defined by suffering, mental breakdown, and as victims of racial inequalities, poverty and sexual objectification. In spite of all these hurdles, an analysis of the text demonstrates how, on the other hand, a new image of the woman in a postcolonial setting is created. Through transfiguration of the female body, this study notes that female characters possess the ability to transform their bodies by reconstructing the ‘othered’ bodies with attributes of strength, resilience and economic prosperity. Notably, the second person point of view is used in narration in the text as a convenient tool for imagining and constructing female agency. By using the pronoun of address ‘you’ in the narration, the narrating voice invites the reader or narratee to understand the protagonist, or to empathize with her as process of gaining insight in the prevailing conditions of the female body in the postcolony.
In This Mournable Body (2018), Tsitsi Dangarembga continues the story of her protagonist, Tambudz... more In This Mournable Body (2018), Tsitsi Dangarembga continues the story of her protagonist, Tambudzai, which began with Nervous Conditions (1986) and its sequel The Book of Not (2006). This study is inspired by the need to investigate the narration of the female body in postcolonial Zimbabwe as depicted in this latter work. The argument in this research is that the female body is portrayed on the backdrop of double colonization where gender and legacies of colonialism are the Zimbabwean woman's predicaments and sources of political resistance. This research
Colonial education has been portrayed by most postcolonial writers as an agency of imperialism wh... more Colonial education has been portrayed by most postcolonial writers as an agency of imperialism where the colonized is exposed to limited opportunities for intellectual and personal growth by the masters. In respect to such a stance, colonial education can be argued to be devoid of the principles of value creating education according to the teachings by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josai Toda and Daisuke Ikeda. By approaching education in a humanistic perspective, these philosophers argue that education should bring on board value creation potentials on the individual. In his memoir, In the House of the Interpreter, Ngugi wa Thiong'o idolizes his alma mater, Alliance High School and teacher Carey Edward Francis. Notably, the two are the agents of colonialism that he is opposed to. For an author whose works predominantly uphold anticolonial messages, it is of significance to study his rare stance on the colonial education that he receives at Alliance High School in this text. He elevates highly the institution and its leader for contributing to the 'better' person that he becomes in life which instigate the need for this study. As a result, the objective study is to critically evaluate Alliance High School as a learning environment, its pedagogical orientation and the position and personality of Carey Francis in the postcolonial space using the concept Soka (Value Creating) as the assessment grid. Alliance High School is presented as multiracial learning institution in a colonial era which offers not only avenues of intellectual growth but also diverse activities for personal wellbeing under the stewardship of Carey Francis. By basing my evaluation using Ikeda's principles of Soka Education, I will interrogate and assess their manifestations in Alliance High School as portrayed by Ngugi wa Thiong'o.
Contributions of CLR James to Understanding Caribbean Literature, 2019
In this paper, I study Cyril Lionel Richard (C.L.R) James's contribution to understanding Caribbe... more In this paper, I study Cyril Lionel Richard (C.L.R) James's contribution to understanding Caribbean Literature. Premium is placed critical analysis on the Black Jacobins which documents the first uprising of men of color against the white oppressors and slave masters in Saint Domingue. Emphasis is also spread to James' anti-colonial messages in his writings and how they would later influence other anti-colonial texts in the region.
A Critical Analysis of Two Korean Plays: Mr. Han's Chronicles and A Sonata of Lost Spring, 2019
In this paper, I critically analyze two Korean plays; Mr Han’s Chronicles and A Sonata of Lost Sp... more In this paper, I critically analyze two Korean plays; Mr Han’s Chronicles and A Sonata of Lost Spring in isolation. Mr. Han's Chronicle is premised on the Cold War and the separation of Korea into the South and East and what it means to an ordinary Korean. A Sonata of Lost Spring puts premium on what it means to be different from the rest, the Othered body.
The Boy-Child as a Hapless Victim of His Father's Predicament in Michael Anthony's Green Days by the River, 2019
This paper offers a literary criticism on Michael Anthony's representation of the essence of grow... more This paper offers a literary criticism on Michael Anthony's representation of the essence of growing up as a boy in the Caribbean Islands. In it, I argue that a level of accelerated manhood (manning-up) is a prerequisite skill that fills the void of the absence father as a shared experience among most Caribbean boys growing up.
Mapping Botchan into In Contemporary Kenya: A Comparative Analysis of Japanese' Classic, 2019
In this study, I provide a comparative analysis of Japanese classical novel, Botchan by Natsume ... more In this study, I provide a comparative analysis of Japanese classical novel, Botchan by Natsume Sōseki and map it with the contemporary Kenya. Botchan is a highly philosophical work that interrogates the Japanese education system and ability of an individual to hold onto his or her character in a corrupt environment.
I look at the Heian Period in Ancient Japan and its significance in the evolution of Japanese Lit... more I look at the Heian Period in Ancient Japan and its significance in the evolution of Japanese Literature
The Wretched of the Earth (1961) is seminal book where Frantz Fanon theorises the psychology of v... more The Wretched of the Earth (1961) is seminal book where Frantz Fanon theorises the psychology of violence and its implications (effects) on the relationship between the oppressed and the oppressor. His analysis was based on a professional (he was a psychiatrist) lens with which he observed colonialism and decolonization process in Algeria. In this context, the relationship between the oppressor (colonizer) and the oppressed (colonized) is sustained by violence. That is to say, the dichotomies of power relations (race, education, wealth, gender, age, civilisation, etc) are created and reinforced by violence. The question we ask is, how does an oppressor rise and become powerful, so much so that the oppressed accepts to be less powerful and withstand/endure oppression?
I was not sorry when my brother died' is how Zimbabwean novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga begins Nervou... more I was not sorry when my brother died' is how Zimbabwean novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga begins Nervous Conditions. These are the words of her protagonist (and narrator) Tambudzai or Tambu who then affirms that she is neither apologetic for her 'lack of feeling' nor 'callousness.' These words that comes from deep introspection. These first two sentences are thought-provoking, and ideally set the pace of reading her the text, keeping the reader glued to a quest of understanding Tambu's profound and 'unpopular' stance. Notably, these two sentences do not only describe the ideology of Nervous Conditions, but also foregrounds Dangarembga's sequels, The Book of Not, and This Mournable Body. Being in Dangarembga's literary imaginations then is to accept for a fact that you are in a space where patriarchy is portrayed as loathsome, dismantled, and challenged, even if this is unsettling and uncomfortable for some readers. It is also a position where you read Zimbabwean's history told through the eyes and voice of a young girl that comes of age into adulthood.
Here, I offer a brief insight into reading George Lamming's In the Castle of My Skin. The idea is... more Here, I offer a brief insight into reading George Lamming's In the Castle of My Skin. The idea is the awareness of the difficulty in reading the abstract and unstructured novel, and those offers direction into one of the many thematic areas that can be of focus in order to understand the portrayed Caribbean village. The novel, in this case, is consumed as a story that represent freedom contested and yearned for by unlikely quarters, children as symbolic of the real situation in the anti-colonial struggle in the depicted society. Children become the central actors for resistance through their everyday activities and playfulness that challenge the status quo.