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Theme Of Sundiata

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Sundiata: An epic of old Mali was compelling in many ways. The character that I was most compelled by was Sundiata. Not only is he the protagonist of the epic, but also portrays many aspects of the underlying themes presented throughout. One theme that I found to be the strongest yet strange was the theme of history and legacy. I say it’s strange because I would not think of history being a theme in any way, but for this epic it works well. I was moved by Sundiata’s respect for what came before him, whether it is his admiration of Alexander the Great or his honouring of his father’s alliances. This epic survives solely because of how highly Mali values its past. How awesome is that? An important characteristic of Sundiata that I found most compelling was his heroism. The most obvious quality that defines Sundiata as a hero is …show more content…

It was present even when he is crippled as a child and cannot walk, his strong arms glow. When he finally stands, he surprises everyone by bending a rod to a bow and pulling a tree up by its roots. Sundiata has more than just strength to qualify him as a hero; he is also brave and patient. He shows interest in other people and their life styles. These …show more content…

Mali has a strange relationship with religion and magic, and it is safe to categorize the two together. Sogolon and Soumaoro, the great sorcerers are in touch with these spirits, and yet Sundiata dominates because he bows before them. Sundiata is an arrogant warrior, but when he is unable to harm Soumaoro, he does not act with more aggression but instead doubts his strength. In acting like this, he opens himself to the religious/magical forces in nature, and they aid him, allowing him to defeat the sorcerer king. Magic, religion, and nature form a realm higher than the human realm. I believe that it is safe to say that magic is one of the Mali secrets not available to

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Summaries Sundiata an Epic of Old Mali is told by the griot Djeli Mamadou Kouyate, who is a story teller and a keeper of history. In the beginning of the book Sundiata’s ancestors were being discussed because they played a big role in the story of Sundiata creating the Mali Empire. Sundiata’s father heard a prediction that he would have a son that would become a great ruler by marrying and having a child with

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This paper is about the usefulness of Sundiata as a primary source document for studying trade and commerce in ancient Mali, by comparing and contrasting secondary sources accounts of trade and commerce, and the account given in the Epic of Sundiata, to prove that the book the epic of Sundiata is a useful primary source document for studying trade and commerce in Ancient Mali. When talking about trade in Ancient Mali, knowing about the Dyulas is paramount. A large amount of trade in ancient Mali was done by the trader caste of the Dyulas, who are tangentially mentioned in the Epic of Sundiata, on Page 82 " Dyulas became numerous. "

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Sunjata displayed the possession of inhuman strength as a child when he carried a baobab tree to his mother’s yard. Another example is that Sunjata wasn’t able to walk during the first few years, yet he resumes walking after he broke an iron staff. He was divine compared to other human beings because for 7 years, the mother was drank poison meant to cause her a miscarriage. Over the years, Sunjata poses powerful dalilu and use it to defeat the powerful wizard,

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In The Odyssey an epic poem by Homer, Odysseus, a hero from Ithaca, is trapped on his way home from Athens and Troy. His son, Telemachus, goes on a journey looking for his lost father. Both son and father want to reclaim their house from the suitors who wish to marry Penelope, Odysseus’ wife. Genghis Khan, Choi Yuna, my brother, An Thai, and Odysseus have traits like strength, thoughtfulness, and attractiveness. People need heroes with these traits because they need role models and someone to guide them through life.

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In ancient times, for instance, people would gather around and orally create stories, which would eventually be written into book form. Another custom that is shown in both texts is the use of hospitality. Hospitality has been a major theme in most pieces of literature because it agrees that good always wins over evil, which is very clear in these stories. For example, the author Homer shows Odysseus as the essence of goodness in The Odyssey and portrays the suitors as the defeated evil doers. As for the Epic of Old Mali, sorcery is seen from Sundiata and the Sorcerer king, but the contrast is that Sundiata uses magic to help him win over Soumaoro, who uses his magic for evil and manipulative purposes.

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His compassion for his hometown to be better than it did before. For instance, when he left Mali due to the Queen Mother banning him, creating an army to defeat the Sorcerer, and his battle with the Sorcerer King all lead up to the the moment he wanted to come back and support his people. On page 81, it states,”With Sundiata peace and happiness entered Niani. Lovingly Sogolon’s son had his native city rebuilt. He restored in the ancient style his father’s old enclosure where he had grown up.

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In Jandy Nelson I’ll Give You The Sun the author employs many motifs throughout the novel to write about her not so typical california beach town. Art is used as a form of self expression, but in this story the characters use art to describe themselves and the objects around them. Using painters and sculptors to assimilate with, the characters aren’t so normal to everyone else in their town. Looking at this novel with a lense of both queer and psychoanalytic literary theory, this story fits the coloquials of homosexuality and highlights the development of the characters psyche. Jandy Nelson uses the motif of art to demonstrate that self expression is most important to be true to oneself because Jude and Noah can 't physically display their emotions so they show them through art.

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He was born crippled and could not walk until the age of 7. On top of this the king's first wife (his step mother) spreads rumors about him and his mother in an effort to raise her own son's image. Even though he had physical limitations, his father saw wisdom in his son. The king died and his eldest son was given control by the elders, who did not see much promise in the crippled sundiata. One day, when Sundiata’s mother was embarrassed by the queen, Sundiata used a rod to stand on two legs and from then on

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Sundiata The epic of Sundiata is written by the main griot Djeli Mamadou Kouyate, the storyteller and keep of the history duting that time. Kouyate starts with details of Sundiata’s ancestors. Since Sundiata faced two obstacle in his schildhood he started getting strong and independent. He was also frightened by his own son, that will make him lose all his control over his land.

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Everybody likes rooting for a hero. And throughout the evolution of storytelling, from stories written in stone to those in tablets, heroes have always played a huge role in the stories we tell. As literature evolved, and more legends and tales began to appear in different cultures, the idea of a traditional epic hero was established. Stories like "The Epic of Gilgamesh," and "The Odyssey," set the mold for this type of heroes, an influence that can clearly be seen when analyzing literature. In fact, most of these characters, regardless of the time and place they were created in, shared similar characteristics to the two kings.

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