Introduction The tale of "the dirty spoon" belongs to the type of story that might be called fairy tale. The general theme of this tale is found in several geographic areas and with different variations. Already in Senegal, he was sometimes under the title "For the Orphan." And even among the Dogon of Mali, was the sister and fiancee. A story is always an education, we'll see what we can bring the study of "the dirty spoon".
I. Life and work Author
1. the life of the author
Born in December 1906 to Ouakam Birago attended Koranic school. After his first school, and finding scholarships to continue his studies, he takes the risk of mortgaging the family home and went to Toulouse and then Paris where he finds the group The Black Student .
his return to the fold, he was posted in Kayes in Mali, which gives him the opportunity to travel to the bush and the meeting of Amadou Koumba, griot mother's family from whom he collected many stories .
Birago is both storyteller and poet. It is marked by the roots in the ancient cultural values. Similarly, the features of the characteristics by which his characters do they refer to reality in this village that has both particular and universal.
He died in 1989.
2. Works written
Birago DIOP has to his credit a rich publication, especially in oral texts such as the most famous story, Tales of Amadou Koumba published in 1947 which will be taken by New Tales of Amadou Koumba in 1958. In 1963 he published Tales and Lavans .
The Bone Mor Lam (1966), Contes d'Awa (1977)
In poetry we Lures and Stories, in 1960.
the memoirs, The feather butt jointed, reverse time , people the wrong way, Of Time ... eyes to tell
II. Overview of the tale
1. Abstract
Binta the orphan who was abused by her stepmother was very unhappy, while his half-sister to Penda was beautiful and played all the time. But she will be rewarded when enormous wealth went to scrub the dirty spoon the Sea of Ndayane, while his half-sister, happy at first, eventually die because of his lack of education.
2. The structure of the story
a. The initial situation
Presentation of protagonists whose Binta, her wicked stepmother, her father and his little lazy stepsister Penda. And, whatever the job, there was nothing unusual as long as it stays in the family home. Binta endured it all: "no major work, nor vexatious, nor crying, nor the blows" of his stepmother did shook. The lack
situation thus results in the absence Binta his mother died. But it is closing slowly because Binta would often seek the assistance of the latter to the cemetery. In his half-sister while ago fullness. She has her father and mother
The initial situation was stable until the stepmother sends Binta wash the dirty spoon Sea Ndayane. It starts up. His quest begins.
"Tired, really tired ... Binta had forgotten among the many utensils and gourds she had to scrub after every meal, a tiny wooden spoon, a tiny Kok
" Tired of the beatings, "she sent wash in Ndayane Sea, a sea, which in truth does not exist. However, it was a domestic work that she imposed on her stepdaughter. In reality a means of returning the house.
A problem of jealousy that barely hides a problem of succession and inheritance.
b. The vicissitudes:
First quest: that of the orphan Binta
First sequence: Meeting "which was a jujube saplings being his own fruit," she bowed politely.
- Where are you going so alone and so late, my child? inquired the jujube.
- My stepmother sent me to wash this Kok Ndayane Sea, "explained the girl.
- That the path of God guide your steps, wished him the shaft. He offered
gumdrops. Second sequence
: Three nights and three days more
"The sun ... the reluctant face of the dark night" Binta
found "two cakes that were ongoing and struggled merrily" and inquired with her. She answered them politely, and offered him a cake each piece. Third sequence
: Three days and three nights even
"The sun was in the sky ... "Binta
found" a pot of rice that is cooked by itself, "the pot asked the object of his quest, to which she replied kindly and politely. She received a "handful of rice"
Fourth sequence: Meet the benefactor: After three days, she met "a more-than-old woman with a box with a roof thatched with frayed four winds "that told her she had reached the sea Ndayane in fact the remains of all the wild beasts. The old
subjected to tests: 1st test
: She asks him to pound a grain of millet, Binta and runs without flinching, and the mortar was filled with flour which only one handle a gourd filled with couscous.
second test: The Mother of beasts made him cook a bone which turned into meat and fill the pot.
"The bones were certainly eaten since the birth of the world and beyond since bleached Ndiadiane Ndiaye.
3rd test: She prepared the couscous and ate with her grandmother. Then she gave him a needle and gently advised him to bite animals under their bed to sleep. What she did, and the animals left their bed.
After having prepared and eaten with the grandmother, the orphan Binta washed the spoon and received the old five eggs and recommendations for usage: each egg will be broken by singing "O dresses Vey! Vey dresses! "On the edge of the savannah, surrounded at the entrance of the forest in the heart of the forest, and the last to exit. They came out respectively "men, women, armed horsemen mounted on magnificent horses, slaves who followed him" boubous, cloth of all colors and all fabrics, silk handkerchiefs, bracelets, chains ";" ingots, gold dust, gold jewelry and silver, rings, bracelets, lots of amber "herds of oxen, cows, bulls and heifers," all species of wild animals Earth, lion, leopards, jackals, hyenas "and destroyed all the riders.
Second quest: that of the half-sister Penda
stepmother is always the destination, that is to say that sending the beggar: In these terms, she told her daughter: '- Salis me right away that Kok and will wash you also Ndayane Sea. "Binta
As her half-sister the orphan, Penda marched
... She went through the same steps, but each time she came to the steps taken by his half-sister, she does not even saluted and shouted their outrage bizarre "Since I was born, this is the first time I see a tree sapling itself," or questions like: What? Incredible! in a world where nothing is explained. She also received "- That the path of God does not guide your steps."
Meet the benefactress : She disrespect to the old woman, and almost insulted when she submits to tests pounding of a grain of millet. "As much boiling stones," she replied to the demand for cooking bone.
She was still five eggs, but do not use them rationally, and broke in the first place, but the last and she was devoured by wild beasts, and his heart was only spared because the animals did not want and even Tann-le-Scavenger them before, and dropped in the village "singing ironically".
"Khali ba demoness
Guédjou Danyane
Khol n'gué ba é é é
c. The final situation
Binta returned triumphantly with his rewards:
She came to the village with its wealth and its sequel. And "The words she said on seeing the orphaned Binta," no one can repeat "and" cries she (her stepmother) pushed agree even today. "
By cons, his half-sister will be punished for his insolence (she does not care what it considers weird), his rudeness (not greet and disrespect to an elderly person) and disbelief (do respect the recommendation of an old person).
III. Themes
Family: Family life depicted in the story through the orphan mistreated by her stepmother. The role of a father should be to restore the truth and fairness. But he Binta is the most despicable of men, since "the poor man abandoned his daughter to his poor and wretched fate at the hands of his evil wife." The
zoomorphism : As in the popular literature of all countries, animals play an important role in the tales of Senegal, and found it in this tale many features which the fables of Aesop and Jean de La Fontaine Western readers are accustomed. This animal world is dominated by the stature and authority of the Lion Gayndé, Bour (King) of animals, also called N'Diaye, the name of his clan. The wonderful
: su wonderful elements are numerous. Indeed there from the start prosopopoeia where talking to the dead, because we are told that the mother Binta in his grave "had never been able to answer, for some reason, calls her daughter". Assume that it can respond. Then the many personifications of the "lotus", the "cakes", a "pot of rice" which is cooked itself, and speaks to humans.
IV. The moral of the story
The double
education: that of the stepmother to his daughter and God for the orphan. This is the popular conception of the situation of someone who lost a parent. As they say, God bless him. And values are rented in this tale of patience "Binta has long awaited despair without the help of his mother), courage and dedication (Binta is working, it never rests, despite the abuse by her stepmother) politeness (She has never rebelled against his stepmother and did not reproach her weak father, as he welcomes foreigners because not disdaining their difference). It's Penda wickedness punished in a mother because it is said in this society that the woman has children she deserves according to the behavior in her household, the mother of Penda does not respect her husband, she does sing .
work in youth is a value here rewarded. It is not only the kindness and politeness which are rewarded, but especially his habit to work without flinching. What is its behavior in front of the old.
can also understand that the old is the reincarnation of the mother Binta it helps. A reversal has taken place here, and one who abused the daughter of another sees his daughter being abused. Through
Penda, it is opposite the behavior does not pass: Do not be lazy and do housework, do not be disrespectful toward strangers and adults. It is also punished his lack of education, so she did not understand that things that do appearances, as she says: "In this country where everything is upside down, I think it is always better to start by the end. " It began with an end.
V. Orality in the tale
repetition with slight variations characterizes the tale "Three nights and three days", "three days and three nights again," after three days. " But also the type of story mirrored to repeat sequences for positive and negative heroes.
Conclusion
This fairy tale is also a tale of manners as it implements rules to respect in society, risking severe punishment or death, as is the case of Penda, if do not observe them scrupulously. In fact, this tale is fraught with allusions that could look more widely, in any case always has a tale to deliver truths, even if it is a fiction.
"the Fi Leeb jaar Tabbi Aljane "
She was still five eggs, but do not use them rationally, and broke in the first place, but the last and she was devoured by wild beasts, and his heart was only spared because the animals did not want and even Tann-le-Scavenger them before, and dropped in the village "singing ironically".
"Khali ba demoness
Guédjou Danyane
Khol n'gué ba é é é
c. The final situation
Binta returned triumphantly with his rewards:
She came to the village with its wealth and its sequel. And "The words she said on seeing the orphaned Binta," no one can repeat "and" cries she (her stepmother) pushed agree even today. "
By cons, his half-sister will be punished for his insolence (she does not care what it considers weird), his rudeness (not greet and disrespect to an elderly person) and disbelief (do respect the recommendation of an old person).
III. Themes
Family: Family life depicted in the story through the orphan mistreated by her stepmother. The role of a father should be to restore the truth and fairness. But he Binta is the most despicable of men, since "the poor man abandoned his daughter to his poor and wretched fate at the hands of his evil wife." The
zoomorphism : As in the popular literature of all countries, animals play an important role in the tales of Senegal, and found it in this tale many features which the fables of Aesop and Jean de La Fontaine Western readers are accustomed. This animal world is dominated by the stature and authority of the Lion Gayndé, Bour (King) of animals, also called N'Diaye, the name of his clan. The wonderful
: su wonderful elements are numerous. Indeed there from the start prosopopoeia where talking to the dead, because we are told that the mother Binta in his grave "had never been able to answer, for some reason, calls her daughter". Assume that it can respond. Then the many personifications of the "lotus", the "cakes", a "pot of rice" which is cooked itself, and speaks to humans.
IV. The moral of the story
The double
education: that of the stepmother to his daughter and God for the orphan. This is the popular conception of the situation of someone who lost a parent. As they say, God bless him. And values are rented in this tale of patience "Binta has long awaited despair without the help of his mother), courage and dedication (Binta is working, it never rests, despite the abuse by her stepmother) politeness (She has never rebelled against his stepmother and did not reproach her weak father, as he welcomes foreigners because not disdaining their difference). It's Penda wickedness punished in a mother because it is said in this society that the woman has children she deserves according to the behavior in her household, the mother of Penda does not respect her husband, she does sing .
work in youth is a value here rewarded. It is not only the kindness and politeness which are rewarded, but especially his habit to work without flinching. What is its behavior in front of the old.
can also understand that the old is the reincarnation of the mother Binta it helps. A reversal has taken place here, and one who abused the daughter of another sees his daughter being abused. Through
Penda, it is opposite the behavior does not pass: Do not be lazy and do housework, do not be disrespectful toward strangers and adults. It is also punished his lack of education, so she did not understand that things that do appearances, as she says: "In this country where everything is upside down, I think it is always better to start by the end. " It began with an end.
V. Orality in the tale
repetition with slight variations characterizes the tale "Three nights and three days", "three days and three nights again," after three days. " But also the type of story mirrored to repeat sequences for positive and negative heroes.
Conclusion
This fairy tale is also a tale of manners as it implements rules to respect in society, risking severe punishment or death, as is the case of Penda, if do not observe them scrupulously. In fact, this tale is fraught with allusions that could look more widely, in any case always has a tale to deliver truths, even if it is a fiction.
"the Fi Leeb jaar Tabbi Aljane "