11/30/23, 10:40 AM DQ Epic of Son-Jara Day 1 10:30AM: Prescilla Pascua

from DQ Epic of Son-Jara Day 1 10:30AM Nov 9, 2023 11:49AM

1. I think the repetitive structure of the text helps convey the importance of their culture
and beliefs. The repetitive structure creates emphasis on certain areas of the text, such
as when the author talks about Wagadugu and how the twelve clans of Marakas came
from there. The author states that, "The peoples of Wagadugu thus scattered" (Sisoko 2002,
2417), which I interpreted as these clans spreading their culture across various areas. Another
portion of the text that included repetition was when Magan Jata Konde of Du had his birth
hair, umbilical cord, the knife to cut the umbilical cord, and the swaddling cloth would all be, "A
thing for tomorrow!" (Sisoko 2002, 2420). The repetition of that phrase, "A thing for tomorrow"
was constantly said since all those items that were placed in the calabash would prove to be
useful later in the future. This structure was similar to the structure of the Bhagavad Gita since
there were multiple phrases, such as the phrases that dealt with being intent on action and not
the fruits of action, that were repeated to serve as lessons.
3. Women are depicted as inferior to men in this text, however, their role is displayed differently
by the way they are described. In previous texts, I've noticed that women aren't mentioned so
often, and if they are, their descriptions include being subservient to men and fulfilling their
societal roles as a wife who takes care of the children and does their household duties. In this
text, women are still ranked low on the social ladder and must be subservient to men, however
they seem to be belittled more and their punishments appear to be severe. In the case of the
Konde story, he kept telling his aunt that, "Being a woman is a malady" (Sisoko 2002, 2420).
When she tried to stand her ground, the consequence resulted in her breasts being slashed
off. This demonstrates how she almost isn't worthy of holding a title of a mother. However, it
also appears that women are able to rise to power as well. In the Konde story, she transforms
into a wild buffalo out of rage (I'm assuming) which allowed her to have temporary power over
those who belittled her. As for gaining power, we can look at how co-wife dominance plays a
role in that aspect. In the story of the birth of Son-Jara, the woman who announces the birth of
the child first is what determines which child is the oldest: "Your husband said the first name
heard, said, he would be the elder, and thus yours became the younger" (Sisoko 2002, 2432).
Because the Konde wife announced the birth of Son-Jara first, she was considered to be the
lucky wife regardless of the fact that the Berete wife married Fata Magan first. These women
can serve as potential sources of power by their intelligence. In the case of the Berete wife and
the Konde wife, we can see that the Konde wife was wise in her decision to not eat until her
message that her son was born was delivered. Because of this small, smart decision, it
allowed her to have dominance over the Berete woman.

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