“River” by Sherwin Bitsui
Description of the Work: Themes and Stylistic Characteristics
“River” by Sherwin Bitsui incorporates themes such as violence, brutal colonization, the killing of Indians, and their systematic oppression. The context of the poem’s creation comes entirely from Bitsui’s personal experience of the brutality and violence he describes at the hands of the colonizers.
Historical and Social Context of the Work
The historical context of the creation relates to Bitsui’s affiliation with the Navajo tribe; the social context relates to his desire to revitalize the people’s patrimony. The poem’s historical context includes the numerous murders of Indians forced them “in the arroyo under shattered glass” (Bitsui, 2003). The social include the systemic oppression of Indians during colonization and the seizure of their homelands.
Reflection of Historical and Social Context or Artistic Characteristics of the Period
The work reflects the past of Bitsui’s ancestors, who faced multiple deaths and killings on their native land. The Indians’ native land becomes their grave if they do not submit to the colonizers. Any people who would be different from the majority would inevitably become victims who would find it difficult to cope with the onslaught. Bitsui regrets that he cannot do enough and strives to make the reader empathize with the oppressed people perishing in their land.
“Girl” by Jamaica Kinkaid
Description of the Work: Themes and Stylistic Characteristics
“Girl” by Jamaica Kinkaid has the feature of an imperative mood, one sentence of 650 words, and a strong connection between the reader and the reality of the character in the text. The work raises themes of poverty, family relationships, and the role of women in society. It was created based on Jamaica’s personal life and relationship with her mother, the social conditions of her childhood included poverty, hard physical work, and lack of education.
Historical and Social Context of the Work
The social context of the work is related to all girls who tend to be raised as servants and forced to be perfect (Kinkaid, 1978). The historical one is associated with the poor situation in Antigua, where there was no access to medicine, education, and social assistance for a long time.
Representation of the Culture in Which the Work Was Created
The work fully reflects the culture of Antigua as it contains customs and traditions specific to the nation. It also points out that such remote cultures somehow include the oppression of women and girls. The cautionary tone of “Girl” makes one think about how insecure and unfavorable the environment in poor countries is for little girls.
Comparison of the Global Impacts of the Works
The global impact of substantial works with a strong cultural context is to draw attention to small communities and people who have been brutally colonized. It is also about suppressing the cultural core of people forced to hide it even in their native land. The work “The River” influences the perception of Indians and their societal problems by drawing attention to issues such as forced relocation and multiple killings. The work “Girl” focused on the impact of social issues on small people, particularly women. Both works incorporate the theme of suffering and point to the need to respond to the suffering of others.
However, the message of the works is quite different as they point to different origins of suffering. “The River” recalls the colonizing past of white people who still claim other people’s lands. Some people are suffering and looking for a way to regain their former greatness and a peaceful life. On the contrary, “Girl” speaks of a social aspect within the people where many obligations fall on the woman alone. Any poor girl in any nation suffers more because the inflated expectations of her behavior hinder the development of her consciousness.
References
Bitsui, S. (2003). River. In Shapeshift. University of Arizona Press.
Kincaid, J. (1978). Girl. The New Yorker.