- What is the genre? Is this indeed a short story?
- Why has the author chosen this particular setting for her story?
- Describe the characters in the story?
- Describe the composition of the story.
- Discuss the point of view, who is the narrator? and what does the author wish to achieve with this?
- Why is it called Labour Pains?
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Labour Pains
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1. What is the genre? Is this indeed a short story?
ReplyDeleteThis is a short story which represents a portion of everyday life. Normally a short story is fiction, written is prose and in a narrative format. This story could be both fiction and real life, and it is written in prose in a narrative format.
2. Why has the author chosen this particular setting for her story?
I think that the author has chosen a taxi/minibus to describe that a birth can take place everywhere. If she was just giving birth a hospital, the story wouldn’t be that interesting.
3. Describe the characters in the story?
The pregnant woman: A picture of health and happy. (The narrators says) She is giving birth and is not feeling well.
The men: They will not look at the woman who is giving birth. They are anguish. I think that they would like to help, but are afraid to do something wrong.
The women: They are helping the pregnant woman.
The narrator: Helpful, thoughtful, have lived with struggle all of his life – long before he could understand its meaning.
4. Describe the composition of the story.
The composition of the story that the narrator is telling us is chronological, but when we read a little bit more we will know that this is a story that he is remembering. Then he tells us some thoughts about the experience of being with a woman who is giving birth, and how people struggle in different ways. He ends the story with telling us about a number of black congressmen visiting South Africa.
5. Discuss the point of view, who is the narrator? and what does the author wish to achieve with this?
The narrator is the person who is telling us the story. He is describing his thoughts and meanings. I think the author wants to make the story more real by telling it himself.
6. Why is it called Labour Pains?
It is called Labour pains because the pregnant woman in the story is going into labour when they are riding in the taxi.
Could the title be symbolic in any way?
ReplyDeleteFirstly I will answer Sara's question - yes it symbolizes the struggle and pain experienced by the Black South Africans on the way to the creation of an independant South Africa without Apartheid.
ReplyDeletea) I would say that the first part is a short story. There then comes an analysis of sorts then a flashback to another time. Overall a short story.
b)The author has chosen that setting because,as Maria says, a birth can happen anywhere, especially where/when you least expect it.
c)The pregnant woman is proud and healthy but a little afraid when the labour starts. The other women are helpful, whereas the men are bystanders, who do not want to acknowledge the woman giving birth but are helpful. The Midwife is a reassuring person, who wants to make life easier for the pregnant woman. As Maria says she has lived with "The struggle" all her life.
d)see a)
e)The narrator is the midwife. She explains that every birth is different. She then interprets the struggle of child birth to the liberation of Africa. i.e. the birth of Independant self-governing African nations.
f) It is called labour pains because the author is comparing the pain of child birth to the struggle of African Nations achieving their own independance. The Pregnant woman represents Africa(The other women do too as they do all they can to help) & the baby the New South Africa. The Men represent other countries in the world(bystanders). The highway symbolizes life/time and the taxi the unexpected.
I do not quite agree with Maria. I do not think that the author has chosen a taxi/minibus to describe that a birth can take place everywhere and to make it interesting.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the taxi/minivan is a symbol for a community. Later on the author is talking about the society of South Africa. I think that the people in the taxi are suppose to be a symbol of the people in South Africa back in 1950s – 1960s, where someone fought, sweated and pushed for independence while others looked the other way (like the men in the bus). The birth with all its pain, sweat, wailing and praying is a symbol of that struggle South African had to go through to achieve independence. The baby is a symbol for the new society that is about to be born. It is the liberation.
A comment to Sara. Yes I defiantly think that the title is a symbol. The woman is in labour pain, and she is a symbol for South Africa. Like Dave also writes, the author is comparing the pain of South Africa’s independence with the pain of child birth.
Also, I think that the author has chosen to keep all the characters anonymous because their identities are not important for the story.
(Sorry if I post this twice)
ReplyDeleteI like Gitte's comment on the setting. I just want to add that eventhough the story is written in 1990 and refers back to events in the 70's, I think it is an ongoing struggle for South-Africa.
I also think that the narrator is a southafrican woman who has fought for independence of black South-Africa. She has also witnessed a woman giving birth and is therefore able to compare South-Afica's situation to a a childbirth. By making this comparison, she wants to make the reader feel and understand what they are going through.
Women have no say in how and when a baby is born, the same goes for a new country/society. Just like every childbirth is unique and has its own pace, the development of a country cannot be dictated. For South-Africa, unfortunately, it seems to take forever. When Nelson Mandela was set free there was hope for the country ('a speed up in delivery'), but now that Jacob Zuma is in charge, it seems like a false alarm and the struggle in labour pains remains.
1) The genre is a short story
ReplyDelete2) I think that the setting/bus has been chosen also for symbolic reasons. The bus symbolizes the journey that a country is taken, while it is changing. Some characters help actively during the journey.
3) Normavenda Mathiane/Narrator is helping the pregnant lady. She observes the changes that are happening, and helps the way she can.
The pregnant lady is the symbol of health, in this way also a symbol of South Africa.
The women show concern for the pregnant lady and try to comfort her.
The men are passive and do not take part in the process.
4) It is a short story with a flashback
5) I think that the narrator and author is the same person. The story becomes more dramatic and interesting this way. Mostly because of the flashback where the personal experience is drawn into the story.
6) I think that the title is symbolic, in fact I agree with Dave. This is not just a story about a woman who is having a baby, but a story about a country which is changing for the better. Most changes always have a price, in this case the price is Labour Pains.
I agree that the woman giving birth in the taxi indeed is a symbol of the birth of a new South Africa without apartheid. I will point out two very important quotes from the text: “Isn’t it true that if we had been asked as we boarded the taxi if we wanted to share in such an experience we would have refused? But we did share in it. We were destined to experience the birth in that fashion and at that particular time”. And the second quote is: “And yet the seed already in the womb continues to grow. The individual tosses with the uncomfortable feeling of carrying. The rest of the people watch with apparent disinterest as the society changes. And soon, one by one, they begin to hold hands”.
ReplyDeleteThese quotes are parallel. The first quote is a symbol of the second quote. No one feels like taking part and interest in the birth in the taxi, but nevertheless people help each other out in times of crises, and that is why the pregnant woman gets the help that she needs. This is a parallel to the change of political system in South Africa. The seed was planted by one individual, Nelson Mandela, and he had to carry this choice on his shoulders, paying with a lifetime in prison; but one by one people started to back him up, both inside and outside the country, and then at last the country could give birth to a new political system.
Martin
Hej Sara...
ReplyDeleteElsebeth is having problems with her internet, so this is why she haven't posted her comment on this story.
Maria
Yeah I am on-line again. A piece of advice: don´t ever let your yonger children play unattended with your computer.
ReplyDelete1) Labor pains is a short story and it is about real life mixed with fiction. It is prosa narrative format, with inner wiew on the narrator (p. 113. l 6)
2) The people in the story are very anounymous and faceless.
The narrator is helpfull, hopes that the labor pains are a false alarm.
The pregnant woman: in pain, not due until next month, demurely displaying her happy and health.
6) Labor pains: Nomavenda Mathiane calles the story labor pain because she compaires giving birth and the pain that follows to, how it is going to be for South Africa, when they are geeting their indenpendence.Alot of pain in the start, hard work but the she loves the result, like you love a new born baby.
I think.