homework

1. Roger Mairs Biography

Roger Mais  was born on August 11, 1905 in Kingston Jamaica. He was a Jamaican journalist, novelist, poet, and playwright. He was born to a middle-class family in Kingston, Jamaica. By 1951, Mais had won ten first prizes in West Indian literary competitions. His integral role in the development of political and cultural nationalism is evidenced in his being awarded the high honor of the Order of Jamaica in 1978.Mais launched his career as a journalist and contributor for the weekly newspaper, Public Opinion from 1939 to 1952, which was associated with the People's National Party. He also wrote several plays, reviews, and short stories for the newspaper Focus and the Jamaica Daily Gleaner, focusing his articles on social injustice and inequality. He used this approach to reach his local audience and to primarily push for a national identity and anti-colonialism.Mais has published over a hundred short stories, where most can be found in Public Opinion and Focus.Mais left for England in 1952. Mais ventured to Europe-London, Paris, and the south of France-to fulfill himself; he took an alias, Kingsley Croft, and showcased an art exhibition in Paris. His artwork also appeared on the covers of his novels. After he left Jamaica, his novel The Hills Were Joyful Together had been accepted for publishing by Jonathan Cape in London. Soon afterwards, Brother Man was published. Brother Man(1954) was a sympathetic exploration of the emergent Rastafari movement. His short stories were collected in a volume entitled Listen, The Wind, thirty-two years after his death. Mais's novels have been republished posthumously several times, an indication of his continuing importance to Caribbean literary history. He also had an influence on younger writers of the pre-independence period, notably John Hearne.

 Critics about Brother Man
One critic, Edward Braithewaite states in his introduction that brother man is roger mais's best novel because it reflects all of the authors varied talents. here, good and evil in the jamaican slums are brought to life. the book details the origins of the rastafarian cult and the heroes christ like walk against a chorus of ordinary people.

Religious aspect in regards to Rastafarian

Rastafari developed in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1920s and 30s. In an environment of great poverty, depression, racism and class discrimination, the Rasta message of black pride, freedom from oppression, and the hope of return to the African homeland was gratefully received.The Rastafarian movement began with the teachings of Marcus Garvey (1887-1940), a black Jamaican who led a "Back to Africa" movement. He taught that Africans are the true Israelites and have been exiled to Jamaica and other parts of the world as divine punishment.

 Beliefs

Rastafarians believe in the Judeo-Christian God, whom they call Jah. In general, Rastafarian beliefs are based in Judaism and Christianity, with an emphasis on Old Testament laws and prophecies and the Book of Revelation. Allegorical meaning is often sought in the Holy Piby. Rastafarians do not believe in an afterlife, but instead look to Africa (called "Zion") as a heaven on earth. True Rastas are believed to be immortal, both physically and spiritually, a concept called "everliving."

How they are seen in today's society

Rastafarian are seen as religious people who worship there selasi jah in the highest way. Futhermore there are some negative ways in which  people see rastafarian, like the way they carry themself,  their dressing and their use of marijuana, which people think is a bad influence to the youths in the society. Rastafarian are also seen in positive ways, for example their eating habits, rastafarians eat healthy food on a daily basis, they do not include meat in their such as chicken, which proved that they have a good diet. For today, people and rastas does not communicate as how normal people would, because majority of people in society are very racists whenever it comes to rastafarianism.

Glossary of Terms.

Forms of Prose Fiction:

Novel - A long narrative in literary prose.The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella.  

Novella (also called a short  novel) - Is a written fictional prose narrative longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. 

Short Story - A work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format.  

Elements of Prose Fiction:

Narrative Techniques - the methods involved in telling a story. 

Point of View - Refers to the way in which a narrator approaches his or her material (characters, action, setting etc.) and the audience.  

Characterization - The way in which a writer creates characters in a narrative so as to attract or repel our sympathy.

Setting - The time or place in which a play takes place.    

Theme - The abstract subject of a work; its central idea/ideas which may or may not be explicit or obvious.    

Plot - The plan of literary work, especially of dramas and novels.  

Style - The characteristic manner in which a writer expresses him/herself or the particular manner of an individual literary work.  

Literary Devices:  

Imagery - Is used in literature to refer to descriptive language that evokes sensary experience, or pictures from words.  

Symbol - Is something which represents something else (often an idea or quality) by analogy or association.  

Irony - A contrast or discrepancy between appearance and reality or between what is expected and what actually happens.  

Satire - Literature which exhibits or examines vice and folly and makes them appear ridiculous or contemptable.  

Allusion - Is a figure of speech that makes reference to or a representation of a place,event, literary work, myth or work of art either directly or by implication.  

Stream of Consciousness - The attempt to convey all the contents of a character's mind - memory, sense, perception, feelings, intuition, thoughts - in relation to the stream of experience as it passes by, often at random.  

Interior Monologue - An attempt to convey in words, the process of consciousness or thoughts (as a means of narrating a story).  

Flashback - A sudden jump backward in time to earlier episode or scene in a story of a novel, play or film.  

Foreshadowing - The technique of suggesting or prefiguring a development in a literary work before it occurs.  

Time Frame - A given interval of time, especially in relation to a particular event or process.  

Motif - A recurrent thematic element - word, image, symbok, object or action.  

Juxtaposition - To put side by side or close together.  

Literary context:  

Social - Of or having to do with human beings living together as a group in a siyuation in which their dealings with one another affect their common welfare.  

Political - of or concerned with government, the state or politics.  

Historical - of or concerned with history as a science.  

Religious - Characterized by adherence to religion or a religion devout, pious gladly.  

Ethnic - Designating or of a population subgroup having a common cultural heritage as distinguished by a customs, power, characteristics language, common history etc.   

Moral - A practical lesson about right and wrong conduct.  

Intellectual - The ability to reason or understand.  

Cultural - The training and refinement of the intellect, interest, taste, skills and arts.