Explication Take-home Quiz

Over the weekend, students were expected to complete the following quiz.

Consider this example when completing this quiz.

He heard the flapping of wings and saw an owl perch on a nearby branch. It was one of the owls that Balla Faseke had seen in the chamber of the Sumangaru's tower and it was sent as a messenger. Here is the dialog between Sundjata and Sumangaru relayed by the sorcerer-bird:

Owl: "Behave yourself, little boy. I am the king of Mali. If you want peace, return to Mema."

Sundjata: "I will achieve my destiny here in Mali. It is you who will leave."

Owl: "I am the wild yam of the rocks; nothing will make me leave Mali."

Sundjata: "I have master smiths who will shatter the rocks. Then, yam, I will devour you."

Owl: "I am the red-hot cinder on which you will burn the soles of your feet!"

Sundjata: "I am the rain that will extinguish the cinder and wash it away."

Then Sundjata grew tired of the battle with words. "Diabolical little bird, go and tell your master that I wish no further speech with him. I am not a jali, I am a man of action. Tomorrow I shall wage war."

Well, when you look at the language that hypes up this vicious intellectual exchange, then you notice the extreme disregard and contempt that Sumangaru holds for our hero, Sundjata. Also, you see the fruit of Sundjata's many years having to learn on his own, since his jali was taken from him, when he was younger. We see that not only has Sundjata grown in physical strength, as evidenced by his success on the battlefield, but we notice that his mind is also very sharp and extremely capable when it comes to handling himself in an intellectual capacity. Behold now, a conversation between a man, who believes himself invincible and is comfortable, and a man who has grown through hardships and become tough and strong because of destiny and experience.

Sumangaru begins his patriarchal discourse with this sentence, "Behave yourself little boy."

TBC...