English Q2/d

Mr. Rauschenbach

2nd Exam

Last Orders at Harrods

An African Tale

Up to page 52
Function of the prologue Constellation of characterization Describe/analyze the view on Africa of the different characters/organizations

Function of the prologue

Many allusions, dont really make sense if you havent read the whole novel Mr. Khler told us that the entire book can be found within the first chapter Shows different views on Africa

What he was about to listen to could, he fell certain, help shape Kuwishas future (4)

Constellation of characterization
Charity Mupange Edward Furniver Owner of Harrods International Bar English Friend of Charity, has feelings for her; pretends to be a lawyer, actually works at a bank that loans money at low interest rates Street boy, helps at Harrods Street boy, helps at Harrods Journalist, looking for a big story East Africa representative of WolrdFeed, helps Cecil Corrupt president of Kuwisha Runs for presidency, strongest competitor Leader of the Official Front for the Restoration of Democracy, lawyer

Titus Ntoto Cyrus Rutere Cecil Pearson Lucy Gomball President Josiah Nduka Anna Nugilu Newman Kibwana Charity Calm and peaceful, helpful, pondering person Still in love with her husband who died 5 years ago Runs Harrods International Bar (and Nightspot) to offer good money for low prices Cecil Pearson In love with Lucy, but now sure whether its enough to follow her Searching for a big story of corruption, including the highest levels of government and charity organizations Its about the money: the president takes the money from charity organizations and blames it on Anna Nugilu Tries to get a bullet proof story about the corruption Lucy Gomball Is really excited that she found cholera in Kuwisha, but why? o Maybe because she wants to get attention and money for the country (24) o Made dull by the misery she sees every day? Lucy had been long enough in the field to have become as shrewd a judge of what made good copy as any journalist. (26)

Views on Africa
For Charity its her home, is connected to her people, the poor Different interests in Africa: Page 1 of 4

Holman: Last Orders at Harrods

English Q2/d

Mr. Rauschenbach

2nd Exam

o Pearson wants to write an article, get famous by using the misery of a people Tourists are sensationalists, look at the poor (AIDS) kids like at wild animals Organization depend on the money, need donations, so they need misery to get attention Help can be done without organizations, like Charitys help or Edwards little loans o There is also a human, not only a monetary factor The politicians dont care about their people the misery Kuwisha was once celebrated as a model of economic development of African countries (25) o Maybe allusion to Botswana

Up to page 106
What do we learn about the World Bank?

The World Bank

President: Hardwick Hardwicke o From Finland o Name: wicked=clever in an evil way wit=brainy Official name: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

The relationship between the bank, the donors and most of the African governments is akin to a bad marriage (54) Hardwicke refused to accept that the Banks strategy was flawed (57) Motto of other African banks: Obtaining money by deception (55) World Bank and Kuwisha: Most citizens of Kuwisha, however, were indifferent to Hardwickes arrival (58) bouncing up and down: its not about giving the Kuwisha people money, its about making tourists comfortable (seeing natives in their environment) [Fingers] was a master of the ambiguous word or phrase, a wizard of the weasel-world vocabulary of development (115) Chapter 7: Lucy & Charity want to start a project to provide clean water, require money from the World Bank Hardwicke is only visiting for 48hrs, only meeting with governmental officials, cannot meet with the people Chapter 3: it is fashionable to go to Africa to help the people its not actually for helping them, rather having something good on your OWN rsum p. 116: what happens with the money (stays in the presidents pockets and companies)

Harry Frankfurt: On Truth and On Bullshit

Outline concepts of truth and bullshit and how it applies to the novel. Philosophical concepts from Harry Frankfurt, a philosophy professor from Princeton University Page 2 of 4

Holman: Last Orders at Harrods

English Q2/d

Mr. Rauschenbach

2nd Exam

On Bullshit
A bullshitter is not a liar; a liar knows the truth in order to say the opposite; a bullshitter does not care about the truth, and only wants to achieve his own goals. See interview in Material-Pool

The bullshitter is faking things [but] this does not necessarily mean he gets them wrong (Frankfurt,61) Getting your point across, persuading the others (marketing), making up authentic arguments Is the pope a bullshitter? Are fundamentalists? Where to find bullshit: commercials, political speeches, school discussion, talk shows, religions, scripted realities, social life (self-marketing) Religion: they try to come close to the truth -> not bullshit, but maybe the pope is a bullshitter Bullshit might require authority, because it comes with credibility, but did you have to bullshit to get there?

On Truth
Truth as a commonsense concept Truth is a relative, not an absolute thing Is truth just a lot of bullshits

Applications on the novel

Bullshitters in the novel: o Fingers, writer for Hardwicke

one of the best jugglers of the code-word vocabulary of the aid and development business (54) o Furniver (maybe because he pretends to be a lawyer, argues without actual knowledge) o Rutere (claims the destroyed traffic lights on the mungiki (fast growing political movement) (p. 39) o The president: bullshits around in his interview with Pearson?? o Lucys press conference?? Now that really was a decent story. She could just see the headline: Cholera hits Kuwisha. (26) The president: o Is a bullshitter in his speeches, like every politician o Lies to Pearson about the corruption o P. 166 Hardwicke o Is he bullshitting himself? Whats this, fingers: Can aim for the stars? Sounds like bullshit to me. (108, Hardwicke)

Holman: Why Africas Editors Should Get Their Houses in Order

Summarize the article by Michael Holman and compare his views as an editor to his views in the novel.

Summary
Africans press relies too much on the European press Wants them to stop blaming others for their bad image Needs an autonomous press with a balanced perspective: Page 3 of 4

Holman: Last Orders at Harrods

English Q2/d

Mr. Rauschenbach

2nd Exam

o Care about national problems, Europe and very importantly China, Brazil & India o Need correspondents in those countries (or independent journalists) Media interest is connected to economic interest

Novel vs. Editorial

Shows two perspectives in his novel: African and Western o Western media influences the African so they cannot create their own opinion ???

Alghandi: Transformation of the Liminal Self

Introduction: Home and Identity in Postcolonial Perspectives Special connection to the concept of home: geographical vs. imagined Importance of reasons why you have left home Marginalization not necessarily negative creative outlet impact of globalization home is a fluid concept Identity is defined by hybridity and liminality

Hybridity := creation of new transcultural forms of identity Different contact zones Interdependence of the two cultures Concept of pure cultures rests unattainable Cultural diversity multiculturalism (distinct vs. united) Cultural synergy Transformative cultural, social and political impacts We are all hybrid-Germans, Rauschenbusch Liminational := non-colonial identity Personal/communal self-hood within the given limits Interdependence The interstitial passage between fixed identifications which opens up the possibility of hybrid cultures and identities that entertains difference without an assumed or imposed hierarchy

In the novel
Furniver: o comes from Europe to start a new life in Africa o Came to Kuwisha on vacation, stays for an unknown period o Business of Micro-credits: straddle between capitalism and Africa Compared to: o other Aid-Workers: stay in Africa only for a short time/for business o London Lawyers: for them it is just business, culture doesnt matter Charity: o British ancestors, lives in Africa, defends both British and African values o Home for her: Moved from the church to the slum not bound to a way of life, but to a mission? Charity & Furniver: complete African/British mashed-up relationship Page 4 of 4

Holman: Last Orders at Harrods