Twelve labours of Hercules
Author Manu Herbstein challenges young readers of the Ghana edition of "Brave Music of a Distant Drum," published by Techmate, to address some of the following issues.
The novel opens with the words "I am blind." Do you know anyone who has lost the use of his or her sight? Blindfold yourself with a dark cloth so that you can see nothing. Ask a friend to act as your guide. Keep the blindfold on for at least half an hour. Describe your experience. Seek out a blind person in your community and ask for permission to interview him or her. Prepare for the interview by listing the questions you plan to ask. Write up the interview for possible publication.
In the course of the novel, Ama dictates the story of her life to her son Kwame, who writes it down. Ama's story is a revelation to him. Ask an elderly person whom you think you know quite well, perhaps a grandparent, to tell you a true story of his or her youth. Write it down as it is told to you. Read what you have written aloud to the story teller. Write a report on your experience of conducting this interview.
Kwame has been separated from his mother for many years. To start with he has difficulty in relating to her. Do you know someone who has been separated from his or her parents for a long time? What effect do you think the separation has had on the relationship between the child and the parent? Is this something they would agree to talk about, or has the experience been too painful?
What effect do you think the Atlantic slave trade had on African society? What part did it play in world history? Can you see any surviving scars of the slave trade in the world today? In Africa? In Europe? In the Americas? Do you think there was any difference in the practice of slavery within West Africa and the chattel slavery practised by the Europeans? Consider how the Asantehene Osei Kwadwo or the Fante slave trader Augusta might have justified slavery. Next, consider how a European Christian slaver, say Mijn Heer or Captain Williams, might have done so. Then analyse and criticize both statements from Ama's point of view. Do you think it would be useful to study the history of the slave trade in Ghanaian schools? Justify your answer. Ask your parents for their views on this issue. Write a short essay on your findings.
Ama says that when she was growing up the idea of "Africa" meant nothing to her. Do you think she is telling the truth? Who do you think was responsible for inventing the idea of "Africa"? What did "Africa" mean to the European explorers, to the European slave traders, to the Africans who were their victims and to the succeeding generations of people of African descent in the diaspora? What does "Africa" mean to you? Is that a fair question? What does "Ghana" mean to you?
Ama says she will never be a Christian because it was the Christians who enslaved her. Her son Kwame has been brought up as a Christian by his white foster parents. He calls his mother a "pagan." The slaves go to the forest to commune with their ancestors and to worship African gods with drumming and dancing. Imagine that you have been asked to take part in a debate on the proposition, "The Europeans and Arabs brought enlightenment to Africa by introducing Christianity and Islam." Prepare an argument in favour of the motion. Then prepare an argument against it.
At the beginning of the novel, Ama's son has a European Christian name, Zacharias Williams. Ama, however, insists on using the names he was given at his outdooring, Kwame Zumbi. At the end of the novel he no longer thinks of himself as Zacharias but as Kwame Zumbi. Ama's birth name is Nandzi. The Asantehemaa calls her Ama. Mijn Heer de Bruyn calls her Pamela. In Brazil she is given other names. Are names important? Why did each of her owners change Ama's name? Do you have more than one name? Which of your names describes you best?
Kwame's father, Tomba, kills two men. He kills the first, the seaman George Hatcher, in the course of the revolt on board the ship The Love of Liberty. He kills the second, Jesus Vasconcellos, in revenge for Vasconcellos's rape of Ama. Do you think he was justified in either of these cases? Explain your answer. Do you think there are any circumstances in which one human being is justified in killing another? What about war? Do you believe in the death penalty? Tomba was punished for both killings. Do you think the punishment was appropriate? Prepare notes for both sides of a debate on the motion, "The death penalty should be abolished throughout the world."
Put yourself in Miranda's position and set down in writing your private thoughts about Ama. Then put yourself in Ama's position and write a frank assessment of Miranda. Now, in your own voice, write about their relationship. Is friendship between two girls different from friendship between two boys? If so, how? What about a friendship between a boy and a girl? Can friendship overcome differences of skin colour, national origin, wealth and class? Can you imagine yourself falling in love with someone of a very different background from your own? What would your parents have to say?
"Brave Music of a Distant Drum" is a novel, fiction, a story. Do you think it could have happened? Look up the words plausible and authentic in a dictionary. Is the novel's story (and Ama's own story) plausible? Does the novel strike you as authentic? Has this novel made you think any new thoughts? Explain. Do you think fiction has any value? What value? Would you like to write a novel one day? Why? What would you write about? (Why not start now?)
The author of this book, Manu Herbstein, wrote a novel called "Ama, a Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade." That book has a companion website. If you have access to the Internet, please visit at http://www.manuherbstein.com/ and write a report on something interesting you find there.
Ama's home language is Lekpokpam (Konkomba). In the course of her travels she becomes fluent in Asante, Fante, English and Portuguese. Her son Kwame Zumbi grows up speaking Portuguese, the lingua franca (or common language) of the enslaved Africans in Brazil. He later masters English. Do you think that Ama's story might gain strength if told in Lekpokpam or Asante? Give reasons to support your answer.