"Nothing else got everybody running about as excitedly as Empire Day celebrations on 24 May every year. While nothing existed that was called 'an African' or 'a Caribbean' poem, there were English poems we had to memorise [...] Anything worthwhile, impressive or memorable, emerged shining with a White face."
"The teaching was full of arrivals of governors and visits of generals, sirs, lords, earls, dukes, ladies, colonels, majors, royal persons and the culture of British Isles. A boy would be reprimanded or caned if a teacher caught him singing a Caribbean calypso [...] In word and deed, England was taught to be the Mother Country. And there was nothing in an elementary school lesson that ordinarily introduced a story in which a Black person was hero or heroine."
"Lessons about Africa were usually about locating British Africa on the map, and studying what those places produced. Most children left school with a deep shame and hatred of Africa."
James Berry (a Jamaican writer - poet)
1. Characterize Annie. Comment on her position as the narrator. How does it affect our perception of the story?
1. Characterize Annie. Comment on her position as the narrator. How does it affect our perception of the story?
2. Discuss her attitude towards Hilarine.
3. Comment on Annie's relationship to Ruth. How do other girls treat her? Has Ruth really something to be ashamed of?
4. Describe Ms. Edward's education.
5. Comment on the significance of Columbus. How does Annie regard him?
6. Comment on the 'Columbus problem'. How is Annie punished? Why?
7. Comment on Annie's relationship to her mother.
8. What is the mood of the story?
