The Uncommon Reader (1-24)

Alan Bennett's Novella


The Uncommon Reader is generally about a Queen’s perspective towards the world changing. "When her corgis stray into a mobile library parked near Buckingham Palace, the Queen feels duty-bound to borrow a book. Discovering the joy of reading widely and intelligently, she finds that her view of the world changed dramatically. Abetted that her newfound obsession by Norman, a young man from the royal kitchens, the Queen comes to question the prescribed order of the world and loses patience with the routines initially alarms the palace staff, and soon leads to surprising and very consequences for the country at large."





In pages 1-24 of the novella, at Windsor the Queen has begun reading. The first book she read was The Pursuit of Love by Compton-Burnett. The librarian that she met was named Norman Hutchings, who worked in the kitchens. The Queen becomes in love with reading just the first book the she decides to move Mr. Hutchings from his current position in the kitchens to become promoted, or brought upstairs working full time as the Queen's librarian.

Quote

"Homosexual and jailbird, was he nevertheless as bad as he was painted?" (Bennett 3).

Reaction
Homosexuals weren't really considered a part of the society, they were more viewed as a corruption. when the Queen says "Homosexual and jailbird, was he nevertheless as bad as he was painted," she is degradiing homesuxuals, jailbirds, and the bad painting. The painting is being compared to the two.

Cape Verde: Crioulo Colony to Independent Nation(81-129)

Cesaria Evora, one of Cape Verde's most famous and admired singer!

Summary
As Cape Verde indulges themselves with conflicts and successes, women were facing gender discrimination, “in their relatively higher level of illiteracy, lower pay, and diminishing numbers in Upper social, political, and education positions” (Lobban 83). However, there were also successful Cape Verdean women at the time, such as Vera Duarte, Yolanda Morazzo, Orlanda Amarilis, and Maria Nunes who were all writers. Women had heavy and arduous jobs including working on road bridges and public works project, pounding food grains, and carrying heavy water containers over long distances and to high elevations. Women lived difficult lives. On top of having dangerous labors, they were commonly abused at home by their husbands. But no abuses were mentioned in the court. Women’s roles began to change in 1961, when the Democratic of Women (UDEMU) was formed in Conakry. This organization for women oppressed the anticolonial movement led by the PAIGC. The organization represented Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau. The UDEMU was later replaced by the Women's Commission, which continued the improvement of women in different nations. After the Women's Commission, in 1980, the separate organization of women of Cape Verde (OMCV) was formed when PAIGC was changed to PAICV. Paula Fortes was the present Secretary-General of the OMCV. Now as a result, women have held 79 seats in the Cape Verdean Elections for the first time.
Quote:
."...The women in both lands suffered from the triple oppression of colonialism, racism, and male supremecy"(Lobban 82).
Reaction
Women always had a role of not being an influential and dominant personality nor role in the society. Women were only to get married have children, raise their children properly, and take care of the house by cooking and farming. Now, you can see at Cape Verde, women's role began to change drastically. They became more involved in political issues defending women's rights. They became more than just wives and mothers. They became voices for the other women and heroines to the own sex. They stood up for their rights, fought for their rights, and obtained their rights on the Cape Verdean Island society.

Cape Verde: Crioulo Colony to Independent Nation(40-80)

The problem has now begun now that the existence of Cape Verde Island is known. The conflict over Bolama began from 1884-1885 with Berlin. “The Berlin congress was dominated by France and England, but claims to Africa territory were also made by the host nation, Germany as well as by Portugal, Italy, Spain, and Belgium”(Lobban 41). Portugal claimed Cape Verde as their own property. However, Europeans also wanted the complete control over Cape Verde only if they could prove they could have efficient control over the islands. As a result, over the conflicts over Bolama, Cape Verde presence in Upper Guinea Coast was reduced to the trade ports at Bolama. Cape Verde was impacted increasingly as a result of the Berlin Congress’s decisions. Conflicts arose because of the lack of control over the interior posts of Bolama. Cape Verdeans turned to “parceiro” and “rendeiro” (sharecropping and tenant-farming). These labors were supplanted with “contratados” (contract labor), “brigadas de Estrada” (“road work gangs) and “frentes de trabalho” (unskilled labor force). This went on until they were liberated and obtained their independence in 1975 (Lobban 62). With these conditions, and hard labor, it resulted with “pitiful pay, harsh treatment, poor health, and early death for thousands” (Lobban 70).


“If Africa peoples resisted, they would be crushed in “pacification” mission and “punitive” campaigns. The European forces had Gatling guns and steam-powered ships and trains at their disposal, with which they could enforce policies that were often genocidal in practice” (Lobban 41).

Cape Verde: Crioulo Colony to Independent Nation (31-46)

Summary
Now that Cape Verde Has been discovered and have been known, as well that the population is in the lead of crioulos problems are arosing invloving economics and rights of people, particularly the slaves. Questions and concerns surrounding Slave Trade in Africa, Struggles to control African Coast, Feudilism, and Brazil-Cape verde connections. Cape Verde became the biggest industrial for slave trading between the brazilians and portugese. Their economy revovled around slave trade and fishing because Cape Verde is located right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where fishes are varied.


Quote
"The Cape Verde Islands were known as the Gorgades in The Hesperides Sea"(Lobban 40).
Reaction
The quote introduces Cape Verde's Economic Industry; which was known as The Gorgades in the Hesperides Sea.

Cape Verde: Criolou Colony to Independent Nation(1-30)

Summary
Cape Verde is located of the western coast of Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of ten islands. There are two different main sections of the islands, Ilhas Do Barlavento (Islands in the north) and Ilhas Do Sotavento (islands in the South). In Ilhas Do Barlavento, it includes, Sao Antao, Sao Vicente, Santa Luzia, (where its not inhabited), sao Niculao, and Sal. In Ilhas Do Sotevento, it includes, Brava, Fogo, Sao Tiago, and Maio. Cape Verde is a very hot island throughout. it consists of hot winters and rainy summer. The name "Cabo Verde", means green place, also a french name referring to cap vert, which is ironic because cape Verde is not as nourished, its mostly drought. Cape Verde was discovered mainly because of the volcanic eruptions by Portuguese. Cape Verde became a crioulu speaking nation because of the fact that the slave holders, who were mainly Portuguese began having sexual intercourse with the African Slaves who gave birth children who spoke Portuguese. Cape Verde was firstly a slave trade nation, until Amilcra Lopes Cabral gave the crioulu speaking Nation its independence in July 5th 1975. Amilcra Lopes Cabral was assassinated by Guinea-native agents of the Portuguese colonial authorities, just months before Guinea-Bissau declared unilateral independence.
Quote
"The Portuguese masters soon began having sexual relations with their African Slaves, which led to the creation of the majority Crioulu population" (Lobban 16).
Reaction
This quote introduces to how Cape Verdeans became who they really are. The creation between Portuguese masters and slaves. The quote is very personal because it introduces how Cape Verdeans came into existence.

The Road (206-287)

<---"The Apocalypse"
Summary
Things start to get better for the old man, the son, and the father. They travel far south, according to the father that they haven't encountered any danger. The father is very proud of that because his son is still alive. He was afraid of dying and leaving the boy alone because he's been having pleasant dreams. The father believes pleasant dreams means that death is coming after you, however frighten dreams are a sign of a better day. But the father keeps having pleasant dreams of his wife who committed suicide because she didn't want to live in world anymore because it was corrupted and too cold. The father, the son and the old man reach a water fall and find a house. They wash up and get cleaned. The old man begins to look fresh and healthier. They were afraid to go in the house because it could be a trap from the survivor who tried to eat them before. However, the father did go in, and he found food and clothes, and the house was warm. The boy comes out and sees an old man waving but disregards him because he didn't look familiar but it was the old man who's been traveling with them. They live there for a couple of days together with no danger at all. They ate, they washed and they slept, and they father still had the recurring pleasant dreams of his wife. Couple of days later the father died of an illness near the lake and left his son alone, however nothing was mentioned of the old man. He wept and cried for many hours over his father's body, and while he was sitting next to the body a family came behind him who’s been following them to this point; which included a son, a daughter, a wife and the husband. They took the boy into their family. This symbolizes a hope for the human race to be repopulated because amongst the family was a daughter, and the son was attracted to her...And so the book ends!


Quote
"They entered the Drawingroom. The shape of a carpet beneath the silty ash. Furniture shrouded in sheeting. Pale squares on the walls where paintings once had hung" (McCarthy 206).

Reaction
This is the description of the house the found while traveling. It gives them a sense of a new beginning because every house they encountered has no food, no clothing, just abandoned. However, this house shows a sign of life in it. There’s food, clothing, and warmth. It gives a sense of security and home.

The Road By Cormac Mccarthy (111-205)

Summary
During this Post-apocalyptic (predicting or presaging imminent disaster and total or universal destruction) crisis the father and the son begins to witness horrible things. It all starts when the father walks into a gasoline station in search of food and clothing and a possible shelter. However, they were chased by a group of survivors as preys; hunting them down to eat them. The boy was terrified by how many people were eaten by these groups of deadly survivors. The father and the son ran with fear while the father shoots them with the pistol he had. Some survivors turned to cannibalism to survive because of how hungry they were. This event is related to the history of the "Donner Party." The Donner Party was a group of California-bound American who were traveling heading to California led by a man George Donner. However, George Donner took the wrong roots and they became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada in the winter of 1846–1847, and some of them resorted to cannibalism (people eating each other). The boy becomes frightened about what can happen to him and his father and the old man if they become too hungry. He begins questioning the father, if they will ever eat anyone, and the father and the old man assures the boy that they will not eat anyone else. The lived off what they found on the streets, such as rotten apples that have been turned brown, and coca-cola the father finds along the way. As they keep traveling they encounter other survivors, however, they keep moving because soon enough, the others will find them and eat them, but they stop to eat and drink before leaving heading south where is warmer.

Quote:
"A creaking of tin somewhere high in the roof above him. There was yet a lingering odor of cows in the barn and he stood there thinking about cows and he realized they were extinct. Was that true? There could be a cow somewhere being fed and cared for. Could there? Fed what? Saved for what?" (McCarthy 120).

Reaction:
The fact that he realizes that cows have been extinct relates to human race as well. There is nothing alive left anymore. They are just barely dead people walking the face of the earth, and those who did survive are eating each other with no hope.




"The Donner Party"

The Road Cormac Mccarthy (1-110)

Summary
The Road is a book about the end of the world where there’s no survivals except for father and his son, and a man they encounter. In the characters are known only as the father, the son and the man. They have no names. The father is the protagonist of the book, because so far his desire is the greatest. He wants to protect his son in this horrible reality. He tries his best to find food to feed him because there are barely any foods left. He also tries to find a shelter for his son to sleep. There’s darkness everywhere around them. They don’t know what is going to become of their lives and what will happen to them. They’re just walking. All they have knowledge of is that they are in the woods alone, and anything can happen because no one else is around, except for themselves. The story goes chronologically, telling the story and the adventures of the father and his son. The Story takes place in the darkness of America, trying to find their way out of the darkness towards the Coast with only a pistol on the father pocket.
Quote
"Yes. You forgot what you want to remember and you remember what you want to forget" (Mccarthy 12).
Reaction
I really loved this quote. The quote is said by a man that they found along their journey to the Coast. The father of the son doesn't remember anything about his wife. All he remembers is her white dress the flow of her hair and her smile. Also, while walking the son sees dead corpse everywhere along the street, there are cars everywhere on top of each other, ashes, and emptiness everywhere; So the son and the father tries to remember how everything was before everything got destroyed. They start to picture the lakes, the dogs barking next to uncle's house, and the houses. But they realize at some points they can't really picture how things were before because they've become accustomed to the darkness and the loneliness of everything.