Introduction
The old negro and medal published in 1956 is a kind of extension of
Une vie de boy. In it the narrator-hero is a naïve African Child, in this one, the hero, Meka, is an adult and still naive victim of the duplicity of the whites. This novel published during the decolonization is thus strongly included in its context which earned him his deserved success. It is therefore interesting to capture the interest is still very present when we talk about the guns and their compensation, repair, memory, forgiveness for all that the white man has done to African people. Oyono life as we know, has been an influence in his work. From it to understand the text appears to be an obligatory path. As a result, after explaining the title, we will summarize the story, and then see the characters, themes, writing and meaning of the work.
I. Life and work of Ferdinand Oyono
1. Presentation of the author Ferdinand Oyono was born in N'Goulemakong near Ebolowa, Cameroon in 1929. He entered primary school in 1939. Later he worked as a "boy" in the spirit of the missionaries to help his mother. He obtained his primary school certificate, which brings total happiness to his father who learns the news in the newspaper. He then entered the School of Ebolowa before going to France to continue his studies at the college of Provins, where he graduated in 1950. He goes to Paris to pursue courses of the Faculty of Human and Ecole Nationale d'Administration (diplomatic section). Meanwhile, he uses his spare time to write.
He began in 1959 a brilliant career officer before becoming ambassador of Cameroon in various positions (at the United Nations in New York, Algeria, Libya, Britain and Scandinavia ...). In 1987, he participated in many governments of his country and ensures the burden of different departments such as Foreign Affairs or Culture.
2. Works In the late 50s, Ferdinand Oyono published in French three novels that relate to everyday life in Africa during the colonial era and which, involving both the administration and the police or Church missionaries, will be a scandal in this period of decolonization.
A boy's life, published in 1956, focuses on the character of Joseph, commander of the white boy. There is criticism and demystification of whites whose Travis exposed by the child narrator's story.
Old negro and medal , published in 1956,
Path Europe, published in 1960, tells the more or less exploration of the white world in an African metropolis by a young man who wants to cut its roots and dreams in Europe despite warnings from his father.
II. The meaning as The title chosen illustrates this spirit of self-deprecating and ironic. The author uses the word "negro" racist pejorative connotation which might seem surprising coming from a black writer in opposition to the term "coin", a term positive, appreciative. Humor and irony are readily present in the title that summarizes the story by that of the novel. The name "old" without the presence of the character in question in the novel shows a commitment to universalizing the author to emphasize the contrast between experience and everything that African generations have done: his life the lives of his children, his property, his heart to win medals but not "a medal". And what a story: Meka will be pummeled the night of the day he received the medal for those who have given him.
III. Abstract
Early in the novel, Meka must visit the captain of his country Dum and he thinks the commander will kill him. But in fact, Meka will receive a medal in recognition of his devotion to France, to be thus "a friend of the whites. . Indeed, his two son are fighting for the French during the Second World War and he gave his land to the Catholic mission. During the presentation of the medal on the day of the French national holiday on July 14, his wife weeping for her son and two. After the cocktail, all blacks become drunk and also called Mr. Varini Gosier-d'Oiseau cleared the room of European homes. In a panic, we forgot and shut the Meka drunk who slept inside. The thunderstorm ravaging the room where Meka left reeling. He loses his medal by going Mami Titi. He was arrested in the night, beaten and mistreated by overzealous police officers before being taken to a prison where he is still humbled by Gosier Bird who was awaiting recognition. During the novel, tries to help Meka White and follows the rules. Meka comes home and plunged the whole family into a stupor causing tears and lamentations. He realizes that he is a slave to white, but it does not try to fight against them because he said with a yawn: "I'm not an old man ... "..
IV. Characters Apart from the hero and Meka few characters, all the other characters are characters of tenure, figures that populate the novel. Besides, some characters were already present in
A Life of boy . They are often "character types" who assume the characters or the sufferings of a class, the natives, whose roles are defined by colonization.
Meka is the hero. It's an old man who made the second world war. Now he lives quietly with his family, even though he lost both his son to war. He offers his land to the Catholic mission and once the new religion. He is loved in the village of Duma and his family who attends the best of times as the worst, as it is when he was mistreated by white police officers.
ago Kelara his wife, who suffers for his lost son, but she is always concerned when whites call her husband. Engamba his wife's brother and his wife Amalia, Mvondo his nephew. His friends and Nti Nua. Mami Titi is in turn a bar on the outskirts of the district native, she is also old. It also
African catechist, Andre Obébé to be expelled from the house when Meka whites have mistreated. The boy and the interpreter who is here an essential intermediary for the service and the international understanding. The tailor is a character Ela "coarse", "fat" and "pretentious" who works the Greek Angelopoulos; Evina is also a former chef of priests.
The characters of the European world are often caricatured in the image of Commander Doum will tell Meka we'll give him a medal. And the Head of whites who will Timba.
The High Commissioner of Police Mr. Varini Gosier d'Oiseau-known, probably because of a neck that looks like a bird, the administrator and organizer of the ceremony Mr. Fouconi the narrator describes as "a young and roundish, with the abundant black hair and large pool that blacks had nicknamed "the almost-core-to-woman" (p.98), the father Vandermayer. The business is managed by the Greek Pipiniakis, Angelopoulos and Ms de Monroti with "tea drinker".
The prison guards or administrators
V. Study of some themes
's work addresses various themes such as alcoholism, Christianity, colonialism, family, woman, party, war, inequality and segregation, racism, tradition, aging, etc.. Through the themes we choose to study one will find that others are included.
1. Christianity
This novel describes the adventures of old Meka within the colonial apparatus of his country a reward for giving their land to the Church and her two son in "War, where they found a dead glorious for France, "the High Commissioner decides to honor the medal Friendship Euro-black on the occasion of the celebration of July 14. Hence the title of the novel.
But, in fact, the medal is an excuse that is given to reveal Oyono, in its way, the nature of the relationship between colonizers and colonized in the small town of Dum, place of action. The work of missionaries is different from their secular counterparts. Oyono emphasized in a particular way on the inhibitory role of the Catholic religion, a true "opiate of the people" factor of coverage and deceit. Under the pretext that they "liked the good Lord" missionaries took the land Meka. In addition, workers who work on indigenous lands receive any wages for the "thank you for the priest, communion or grace and mercy of God." But even the confession is not free from the other side! Oyono also mentioned the racial segregation practiced by the Church to the Holy Table and the Graveyard. In short, this writer takes a systematic doubt on the good intentions of those who claim to save the black soul from damnation. There is put in the same bag, lay missionaries and white.
2. Alcoholism It plays an important role in the novel. Instrument of segregation, alcohol allows the narrator to show that White has always blacks a substitute and keeps the right product for him. So is it at the party where the whiskey flowed only for whites. Also are they even withdrew the European Circle (p.126) in Pipiniakis to party. Alcohol is also a means of exploitation: it prohibits local beer made from bananas or corn to sell wine imported from France. And the priest refuels in black wine. (P.15) Moreover, to commit their injustices, whites are drunk natives.
3. Old age
This age is also important in this story. The hero Meka is one. And many characters as naturally as his friends. They are so old that no one knows their date of birth as "Nua was like him ageless. It was dry as a smoked meat and had his jaw moving continuously. There was also Nti who was suffering from elephantiasis. (P.24) To convince you even see that from thirty years Mvondo who was the son of his sister looked like an old as having more hair, he was "like an old lizard "(24)
Also disrespect and bullying him inflict the police are wrong, and the old Africa is respected. It demonstrates the cruelty and wickedness of whites.
VI. Writing
1. The humor and irony in the old negro and medal
humor for all the characters, while the irony is made more often to whites. One sees the irony in the narrator's involvement, while humor is fully supported in the work by the characters. It makes a mockery
including deception, hypocrisy and the lie of the colonial enterprise suffered by indigenous village Doum, particularly Meka. Thus were laid bare the duplicity and wickedness of the white man, through his representatives, the Commissioner-d'Oiseau Gosier, Reverend Father and the Commander. The reader
pleasure to see, in places, the way some characters treat the important things such as this black performer who translates the long speech of the High Commissioner: "the great white chief says he is very happy to be here he said thank you for the welcome that you gave him. Then he talked about the war that you have made together against other whites from home ... and he ended by saying that we're more than friends, we are his brothers, something like that .... " The author uses irony to make an implicit critique of colonialism. Meka speaks even when one can not help smiling: "They are lucky not to suffer in their shoes" (p.100), how to show it does not feel well in the culture adopted. Meka
The sacrifices of the new religion are welcomed by his people in a gay humor: "For Christians Doum, Meka was a big favorite in the race to heaven" (p.17)
2. Writing masquerade
The National Day of France from July 14 is nothing but a charade to once again remind the domination of the colonial power. Meka's caricature in European clothing, which he feels uncomfortable and suffers at the shoes shows that this culture that they try to wear black does not go their. The
proverbs in the story give a local flavor to the story. The African people dilutes his wisdom in Proverbs: "If your heart starts beating on arriving at the end of your trip, turn back" (p.176) said Engamba who sought the district Meka Caucasian.
"The mouth that sucked do not forget the taste of milk" (p.17)
3. Thank you from the White
hypocrisy Blanc includes the word thank you when you consider the word "thank" is polysemous. It is beyond the fact that mean the blessing of an action, an action to hunt someone politely often. So is it Meka receiving from the White after what he has done for them, in fact a medal of appreciation in the sense of "we no longer need you because you are old and you did not notice ". This is confirmed visits by the father of the Catholic mission
VII. Scope of work What Meka has done is a sort of exchange. Indeed, at least that seems to be the same meaning as the voice that had spoken in public: "I say we would have done better to dress medals! (...) It's understood the woman Kelara Meka. The narrator seems to acknowledge the complicity of Africans, so that led to the introduction of Europeans through the characters of Meka. So the fate of the latter is to suffer the ingratitude of France, as was the case with Meka. It is so comprehensive
noted the contradiction between the values that the high commissioner defended in his speech: equality and brotherhood among all men and the reality experienced by Meka who believed in the friendship of the whites to invite them for a meal at home. Because the High Commissioner Gosier Bird was humiliated, the very man who in life
A boy was beaten bloody the boy Toundi. Not to mention the segregation at the service of the cocktail: they had red wine while whites were drinking whiskey. The neighborhoods were segregated, and we manhandling a native who dared cross the boundary that separated without permission. The brother-Meka bankrupt suffer the consequences by fetching it from the commander.
Conclusion Through
The old negro medal and is a sort of classic opposition from Oyono we have just seen: the traditional opposition a Black naive who believes in the friendship of the whites hypocritical and devious. Especially the irony and humor characteristic of the writing we read this text Oyono simple but very dense. This book less than two hundred pages summarizing the cultural characteristics and western Africa but also the characters and behavior of these two peoples through a variety of topics in both traditional and modern. This medal Meka is it not the symbol of the visiting heads of European states? Aid which have no repeated values compared to the harm they did to the Africans?
