BUILDING THE NATION
By Christopher H. M. Barlow (Uganda)
Today
I did my share
In
building the nation.
I
drove the permanent secretary
To
an important urgent function
In
fact to a luncheon at the Vic.
The
menu reflected its importance
Cold
Bell beer with small talk,
Then
fried chicken with niceties
Wine
to fill the hollowness of the laughs
Ice-ream
to cover the stereotype jokes
Coffee
to keep the PS awake on return journey.
I
drove the permanent secretary back.
He
yawned many times in the back of the car
Then
to keep awake, he suddenly asked,
Did
you have any lunch friend?
I
replied looking straight ahead
And
secretly smiling at his belated concern
That
I had not, but was sliming!
Upon
which he said with a seriousness
That
amused more than annoyed me,
Mwananchi,
I too had none!
I
attended to matters of state.
Highly
delicate diplomatic duties you know,
And
friend, it goes against my grain,
Causes
me stomach ulcers and wind.
Ah,
he continued, yawning again,
The
pains we suffer in building the nation!
So
the PS had ulcers too!
My
ulcers I think are equally painful
Only
they are caused by hunger,
No
sumptuous lunches!
So
two nation builders
Arrived
home this evening
With
terrible stomach pains
The
result of building the nation –
-Different
ways.
INTRODUCTION.
Building the nation is a poem by a Ugandan poet Christopher
Henry Muwanga Barlow that principally explores the lifestyle of
African bourgeoisie who came to power after colonialism and ideally, simply
replaced the coloniser. There is a need for African leaders to create hope for
those they lead but they are caught up in the same evil lifestyle of their
colonial predecessors. The aspects of nation building which were supposed to
dominate public and political policies have been thrust to the periphery of
human thought. In a way, the persona calls for a reaction towards the ruling
class’s hypocritical nation building where they pretend to have welfare of the
masses at heart while in real sense they just want to capitalize on their
efforts.
THEMATIC ANALYSIS.
DISILLUSIONMENT/DISAPPOINTMENT
The kind of disillusionment portrayed in the poem is
that which Africans have towards their leaders who have adopted the very tenets
of the colonisers from whom they got power. Essentially, the idea of nation
building turns out to be a very complicated phenomenon where those who are
central to the process have their efforts wasted by leaders who can implement
policies.
The persona shows more disillusionment by stating that
at the meeting “the menu reflected its importance/ Cold Bell beer with small
talks/ Then fried chicken with niceties/ wine…/ ice cream …/coffee… (lines
6-11). This reflects the triviality of a meeting where serious issues were
supposed to be discussed.
LIES AND HYPOCRISY.
This has been a vital tool for most politicians when
they want to win more votes from the ignorant masses. They make heaps of lies
on the optimistic crowds but eventually everything turns out only a nightmare.
The PS lies to the driver that he did not have any meal just as did the driver
yet you and I know that he had a very heavy and sumptuous lunch. He
even shows his hypocrisy more clearly when he asks this question. “then
to keep awake he suddenly asked/Did you have any lunch friend?”. It is
rather sad to note that he does not ask whether the driver has eaten anything
because he is concerned about his welfare, but it is simply to keep himself
awake throughout the journey.
CLASSES/MARGINALIZATION
In a broader way the poem thoroughly depicts two
classes in one society. There is high class and lower class. Both of them are
supposed to mutually benefit from the national resources, yet the high class
that is represented by the PS exploits the lower class that more often than not
comprises those who are involved in the modes of production. For example the
chauffeur drives the PS to the place where there is feasting (eating) while the
driver does not take part in the feasting. The persona himself comes from the
marginalized class. The role of both classes is building the nation, but the
high class has just become the parasites who feed on the national resources at
the expense of the masses. They are not building the nation at all but building
their stomachs.
EXPLOITATION
Furthermore in the poem, the two parties represent the
two strands of nation builders that are in most African states. On one side
there are those represented by the driver (the local masses) while on the other
hand we have high class being represented by the PS. The later is very busy
squandering the public funds which can be used to rebuild the nations. The
masses are the hardworking people whose benevolence is easily taken for granted
by those in power. There are those who eat extravagantly and those who work on
empty stomachs. The persona knows about this exploitation done by African
leaders and informs his fellow countrymen what is actually happening.
AWARENESS
The poem paints a picture of awareness that those who
are oppressed, exploited and marginalised are now aware of what is happening.
This is an important step as long as the liberation of the oppressed is
concerned. It is also a significant step if the nation is to realise
sustainable development where the national resources will be mutually utilized
for the benefit of not only the ruling class but the masses as well.
If we examine the end of the poem, it seems to induce
a kind of anger that should lead to vengeance (revenge). The persona is
appealing to the oppressed to rise to the occasion and deal with the ruling
class.
The fact that “two nation builders/ arrived
home this evening/with terrible stomach pain/the result of building the
nation/different ways” is more like an appeal to emotions where the persona
seeks actions from the masses.
MISUSE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES.
The persona shows that the PS goes to the meeting
where important matters were supposed to be discussed. Instead the PS meets his
friends and all they do is eating, cracking jokes and laughing. If we need to
do well at nation building we must respect everything that belongs to the
state. We must not misuse the public funds, the working hours and the state
properties like cars for our own interests. The PS goes to feast using the
government car, and after the feast he is driven back home. So he wastes not
only the public resources but also the working hours.
REPERCUSSION OF OUR LIFESTYLE.
Nevertheless, the persona seems to have hopes in some
facts that both the African bourgeoisie and the proletariats have their points
of vulnerability. They both suffer in one way or another because of their own
actions and lifestyles. For instance the driver becomes sick because of lack of
food while the PS becomes sick for eating too much.
So
Ps has ulcers too!
My
ulcers I think are equally painful
Only
they are caused by hunger,
No
sumptuous lunches!
MESSAGES.
Ø If
we wish to do well in nation building we must as public servants respect
everything that belongs to the state; money, property, working hours etc.
Ø If
the high class is not careful with nation building one day the oppressed may
revolt.
Ø Hypocrisy,
classes, and exploitation should be discouraged.
Ø Awareness
is very important in the liberation of the oppressed.
Ø All
human beings have their points of vulnerability. They both suffer in one way or
another because of their own actions and lifestyles
RELEVANCE
Ø The
poem is relevant in our country in a number of ways.
Ø Today
we have a lot of leaders who misuse the public funds while those who are
involved in the means of production live in dire poverty.
Ø Hypocrisy,
Classes, exploitation and marginalization are also major issues in our society.
GUIDING QUESTIONS
a. What
is the poem about?
The poem is about the concept of nation building as
taken by African bourgeoisie class who came to power after colonialism. The
poet shows that independence was just the change in colour but the leaders
adopted the very tenets of their predecessors.
b. Who
is the persona? How do you know?
The
persona is a driver (chauffeur) who represents the low class.
In
line 3 he says “I drove the permanent secretary”
c. Suggest
some literary and poetic devices used in the poem.
i. Alliteration
Highly delicate diplomatic duties..
And secretly smiling…
Cold Bell beer
ii. Barbarism
Mwananchi, I too had none!
iii. Onomatopoeia
Ah, he continued yawning again.
This is the sound of yawning
iv. Satire
To an important urgent function
In fact to a luncheon at the Vic.
Lunch is called an important urgent function, this is
very satirical
v. Irony.
The title of the poem ‘Building the Nation” is
ironical because the guys in the poem were not building the nation.
d. Why
did the PS ask the question “Did you have any lunch friend?”
It was just to keep himself awake throughout the
journey and not because he is concerned about the welfare of the driver.
e. What
is the tone and mood of the poem?
The tone is both sad and ironical/satirical and the
mood is angry and hatred towards the ruling class.
f. What
type of the poem is this?
It is a lyric poem as it expresses the strong feelings
of the chauffeur but it can also be a narrative poem as it tells the story
about the PS.
g. The
poet says in the last stanza ‘so two nation builders arrived home
this evening’ were the two people building the nation?
Not really. The poet uses this as a satire to
criticise the idea that people always claim to build the nation but they end up
building their stomachs.
Well arranged.. I love your blog
ReplyDeletehttps://kitaaforum.com/
Post a Comment