That darn cat

A reflection of The Rabbi’s Cat by Joann Sfar.

                This tale (the first of three books) sets the stage for self-discovery and realization through thought. A grey, skinny cat serves as the “voice of doubt” but within the doubt he shows truth and flexibility. Cat (as he is not given a name) interacts with different characters all with different “stages” of religion (and thus local tradition). The father is the Rabbi of the area who is stressed about being replaced. The daughter, the cat’s mistress, accepts tradition and is engaged to a French Rabbi. The father's Rabbi (the Rabbi’s Rabbi) is fully immersed in the religion, but is blind to alternate explanation of the ideals it gives.

                During a time of self-reflection the father leaves his home and makes a pilgrimage to his great-grandfather-in-law, a respected doctor, Rabbi, and saint (pages 83-87). On the way there he meets a fellow traveler, Sfar, which is revealed to be a well known singer and dancer, and by coincidence going to the same place.

                Now, my favorite part of this section is the quote by Sfar, “You can give speech to an ass, but he’s still an ass.” The Rabbi goes to ask, “You don’t think we should educate everyone?” and Sfar answers with “Yes, we should educate asses. But without illusions.” These three lines got a chuckle out of me. I am currently a Special Education student and these lines based on the education of “asses” are easily connected with the education of stubborn students (and sometimes parents). The children want to learn, but are unable to use the education they are given until they themselves reflect on the lessons. No matter how well the teacher gives the information to the student, the knowledge is liable to different interpretations for each child. As Sfar puts it:
                                 Every time I like a song, I feel moved to pass it on. So I gather round the greatest possible number of musicians and teach it to them…the worst part is that when I hear the text in their mouths, it’s ruined. And the lyrics I liked become ordinary.

                No matter the lesson, be it religion, literature, or general knowledge the information that is precious to the teacher become corrupt by the minds of the students. Knowledge cannot be given “word-for-word”, it has to be interpreted for each person. A great educator needs to understand that the golden words of education need to be given in ways that a person may understand it. Buy the end of this book the Rabbi realizes this and changes his view on religion (and thus tradition); becoming a bit more flexible and understanding of the people he interacts with.

Whats with the Nervous Conditions of Tsitsi Dangarembga?

Nervous Conditions is a tale of the inner workings of the mind during different “phases” of colonization. Dangarembga paints a picture of gender roles, the importance of education, family traditions, and the changes within all of them as the colonization occurs in the land, body, and mind. Tanbudzai (tanbu) is the narrator in this story and interacts with her dysfunctional family throughout her life as she goes from rural life to the wide world of the educated “British” world.
                We are introduced to Tanbu, who is unapologetic about the event of her brother’s death. A death that brought about change in her life; for if her brother didn’t die she would not have the chance of an education. In this patriarchy Tanbu is subject to ignorance just because she is a woman. In a world where father thinks he knows best, she is pushed to extremes to obtain an education in order to “get out”.
                Dangarembga writes this story from the heart of five different people, each representing a different angle of colonization. Tanbu is the ambitious native who dreams with stars in her eyes, only to see the darkside of people. Ma’shigayi (her mother) shows us the point of view of a mother who is stuck in her position, watching her children leave her for brighter aspirations. Ma’shigayi is a woman who during this story looses two of her children to the “curse” of education. Lucia (Tanbu’s aunt) is a woman who appears to be in charge, acting like a man. Maiguru (adopted mother) is a well educated woman, but while at home, has to hide the fact that she could be independent of her husband. She has a Master’s degree and is well versed in the actions of the world, but her husband holding a position of power (both in family and community) she has to be subservient to him and follow “traditional” proceedings. Lastly, there is Nyasha, which comes out as a spoiled brat but eventually reveals that she has a heart (somewhat). Nyasha is educated to the point where the mission gives her no challenge. She soon develops a disorder after her father beat her severely for ignoring his orders.
                Nervous Conditions is a tale of self-discovery within a time of the loss of identity during colonization. The minds of the women in this story are representative of all women during this time of change and “mind control” of the masses. The education standards of the British world are rigorous and punish any who are unable to meet its standards. The power of language rears its ugly head as another power to keep the uneducated from moving further in the world. All –in-all this tale is one to remind us not to forget where we came from, what our family did for us, and to find an identity that works for us and think for ourselves.