Mrs. K.

MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

ANANSI- ALISTAIR CAMPBELL

N.B. As we progress through the play, notes will be added to this same document weekly.

PART 1 “THE GOOD SHIP HOPE WEST AFRICAN COAST 1971”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

THE CABIN

PAGE 7

● In this part of the play, we are introduced to the Boy and the Captain who are father and son.
Pay close attention to the relationship between the Boy and the Captain. It does not seem
loving at first.
● The Captain, in his parental/fatherly role, comes across as authoritative, a disciplinarian and
cold.
● This initial part of the play introduces the reader to very specific constructions of childhood
and constructions of adulthood.
● ADULTHOOD (CAPTAIN)- Dominating and authoritative
● CHILD (BOY)- subservient, curious, seeks reasoning and explanations, innocent and naïve.
● CHILD (GIRL)- black, unfortunate, enslaved, lost, cannot communicate and confused.
● The Boy does not quite understand the issue and realities of slavery and the idea of
transporting HUMAN CARGO.
● The Boy is also privileged, white and of the dominant race of the time.

PAGE 8

● We are introduced to an enslaved child, simply named Girl. She looks at her surroundings as
strange and shocking. She thinks that the world is ending because all she sees is the endless
ocean around her. This would have been a shocking sight because the child would have only
known her very small surroundings of her tribe and her home.
● She comments about the “pale men” and shows that she is very much unaccustomed to
seeing whites/ Caucasian people. She only knows her race and her family.
● Reference is made to a “bale of cotton”- immediately, the reader knows her faith. That is, she
will be sold to work on a cotton plantation.
Mrs. K. MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

● The reader begins to get an idea of how the slaves were treated. They were treated
inhumanely and dehumanised. They were also treated worse than animals and as
goods/cargo rather than people.
● The sailor comments that if the “cargo is damaged”, then the value of the cargo will decrease
and they won’t be able to fetch a good price for her.
● The reader is also introduced to the port that the slave ship left from in England which is
Bristol.
● Boy- lacks understanding of the harsh reality of what is actually taking place.
● The innocence of the Boy is revealed when he compares his grandmother to the old slave
Woman. Such a comparison would be seen as blasphemous and absolutely insulting.
● The first part also gives the reader insight into the structure/different parts of the ship.
● It is revealed that Boy writes/keeps a diary/log which suggests that he is quite lonely with the
only real companion is his thoughts. He confides in his diary and it becomes a safe space for
him to express himself.
● He seems very grateful for the one sailor who spends time with him and teaches him to tie
nautical knots.

THE HOLD

PAGE 9

● STAGE DIRECTIONS- gives vivid imagery of how the slaves are arranged in the hold.
● Girl- identified as being one of the bound slaves.
● Woman- other person tied to the beam and “we will hear her but never see her.”
● This is where we are introduced to the Woman who will tell the stories and keep the child
company. Inadvertently, she also gives the Girl HOPE and RESILIENCE in the face of the
most horrid circumstances.
● The Girl remembers being captured and taken away from her mother and she states “I don’t
know why…” suggests her youth, age and innocence. She has little to no understanding of
what is happening to her.
● This part uses the DRAMATIC TECHNIQUE of REPETITION for emphasis. The Girl
repeatedly states, “I don’t know why…”, which emphasises her state of confusion.
● The line, “tied together like goats” shows that the enslaved were treated like animals that are
going to be slaughtered.
● The Girl longs and yearns for her mama, she longs to be rescued, which is understandable
because she is just a child.
● While observing what is happening around her, the reader gains insight into the reality of her
situation.
Mrs. K. MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

● DRAMATIC TECHNIQUE/LITERARY DEVICE- VERY DISTINCT Imagery is used through the

words “filth, sickness and fear”. The use of these words can be categorised as DISEASE
IMAGERY and indicates the harsh reality of what is taking place.
● The Woman’s first words spoken to the Girl are encouraging words and she sends the
message that you are alive, therefore, you must hold on to that.
● The warmth that the Girl feels is very comforting and she wants to know who is the Woman.
● The Woman continues with more positive affirmations and words and urges the Girl to hold on
to truth and to life.

THE CABIN

● The scene shifts to The Cabin and this is where most of the interactions between the Boy and
the Captain take place. The Captain is more focused on his son’s education. That is, the
didactic aspects of the young child’s life.
● He commands his son to focus on “dictation” and highlights the short, cold and stern
interaction between father and son. For example, “Yes Captain”. The Boy refers to his father
by his title/occupation rather than the more endearing use of the word “father”.

PAGE 10

● The death of only three slaves indicates a positive outcome and thanks God for it. We also
get an idea of the journey that the slave ship is taking.
● We also get some details of the treatment of the slaves. They are allowed to exercise, given
corn porridge as their only meal.
● The Captain instructs his son to focus on “Dictation” regarding the Captain entering
information into the ship’s log. His son writes down what he dictates and through this, the
reader is given information on specificities about the journey and the ship’s operation.

THE HOLD

● Again, we see the stage directions acting as an OMNISCIENT NARRATOR. An omniscient

narrator is the all-knowing voice in a story. The narrator has greater insight into the narrative
events; context; and the characters' motives, unspoken thoughts, and experiences, than any
individual character does.
● Through the narrative voice, the reader is able to gain insight into the character’s thoughts
which are not revealed in their dialogue.
● The Woman continues to give positive affirmations. She urges the Girl to be strong but the
Girl is upset and cries out for her mother. This is a permissible reactions simply because she
is a very frightened child.
● The reality of the situation is revealed through the indication that the Girl is sitting in her own
filth/mess.
Mrs. K. MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

● It is interesting to note that even though white slavers thought that African tribes were
savages and uncivilised, they, in fact, had their own culture, religion, society and functioned
quite efficiently.
● The Woman attempts to distract the child from her harsh reality in the hopes of comforting
her. She begins her questioning and stories with “Riddle me this, riddle me that”. This is very
important because in the Caribbean, through the oral tradition of storytelling, Anansi stories
would start off and end with “Crick Crack”, to indicate to the listeners that the story was about
to begin. Similarly, the European tradition of storytelling will begin with “Once upon a time…”

PAGE 11

● The Woman tries to reassure the Girl and to find some support/positivity regardless of her
situation.
● The Girl claims that she is “not free” which refers to the fact that she is bound with rope and
she isn’t physically free. However, the Girl finds no positivity in her situation yet. She is
completely HOPELESS and feels like she wants to die.
● The Woman is quite persistent and determined in her quest to distract the Girl from her harsh
reality. She also scolds the Girl for ceaselessly questioning her by telling her “Do not question
your elders.”
● Through this we can see a similar ADULT-CHILD relationship coming into play in that children
should not question adults. The same thing happens with the Captain and his son. But, in the
case of the Woman and the Girl, the reader is quite aware that she only wants what is best for
the child.
● The Girl sees LIGHT which represents HOPE and COMFORT and the Woman continues to
ask her the same question. The DRAMATIC TECHNIQUE of REPETITION is also present
here. This allows the Girl to realise that her EYES ARE FREE meaning that even though she
is physically captive, there are still parts of her that are free.
● The Girl becomes impatient and frustrated because she is feeling the pangs of hunger and
lashes out at the Woman.
● We gain knowledge that the Girl IRONICALLY hates spiders and she kills them herself. This is
IRONIC simply because the “Spider Stories” will be the very thing that brings her comfort in
the most horrific circumstances.
● Additionally, this is the first indication of a spider becoming a character in the narrative
because the Girl calls the spider that she sees “him”. This indicates the
ANTHROPOMOSPHISED representation of Anansi the spider.
● ANTHROPOMORPHISM- the attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god,
animal, or object.

THE CABIN
Mrs. K. MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

PAGE 12

● As we know, the Cabin is the part of the ship that mostly highlights the interaction between
the Boy and the Captain whilst “The Hold” highlights the interaction between the Girl and the
Woman.
● The Boy continues to ask questions and his father continues to be quite dismissive.
● Readers get an idea of the route/course that the ship is taking. They have left Africa and are
enroute to Jamaica where they will go through THE MIDDLE PASSAGE and drop slaves off.
● The Boy continues to be inquisitive about what will happen to the cargo/slaves.
● The Captain divulges some information to his son but the language he uses is purely
ECONOMICAL/BUSINESS jargon and terms.
● The Economic language used includes terms like “depreciation/loss/insurance/recompense”
which is usually used to refer to assets or goods and services rather than actual human
beings.
● IRONY is used when the Captain refers to his MASTERS in London, that is, the people he is
working for/his employers. The masters in London are the ones in charge of the whole
operation of slavery.
● It is ironic because the slaves were the ones who would usually have masters. Their masters
would be the plantation owners who would pay for them and become their slaves.
● The Captain truthfully remarks that everyone has a master of some kind which can be seen
throughout the play.
BOY- His master is his father.
CAPTAIN- His master is his employer in London.
SLAVES- Their masters are whomever they are sold to.

THE HOLD

PAGE 13

● The dialogue of the play that takes place on the ship switches back and forth between the
Boy and the Captain and the Girl and the Woman.
● Again, the stage directions, which is written in italics reveal a lot to the audience/reader and
hhelpus to fill in the blanks of information that is not revealed in the character’s dialogue.
● The “web” that links them all together is the shared reality or shared experience of all the
slaves as well as their African culture.
● The Girl is curious and wants to see the Woman’s face but the Woman wittily tells her that she
will have to engage her other senses in order to “see”. She urges her to use her “ears for
eyes”. This highlights the fact that when one sense is obstructed, the other senses become
heightened.
Mrs. K. MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

● The Woman continues to be encouraging albeit in a very stern way.

PART 2: THE FOREST OF STORIES

PAGE 14

● The stage directions, in the form of the narrator, at the beginning of this scene speak to the
reader/audience directly being fully aware that readers of the play will be from modern times.
● The type of narrator is an OMNISCIENT NARRATOR in that she is all-seeing and all-knowing.
● The narrator mentions “high-tech cartoon fantasy” and references the fact that we are in fact,
being taken to a fantasy world in the form of the “Forest of Stories”.
● The Forest of Stories has no concept of time or time works differently. In our reality, time is
chronological, but in fantasy literature, time does not necessarily have to be chronological. It
is a common characteristic or convention of fantasy literature. (See Details of Fantasy
Literature Notes)
● Even though we are transported to the fantasy world, the reality of the situation is that the Girl
and the Woman are still enslaved on a ship. Their reality does not seem to change. However,
the fantasy world provides ESCAPISM from the horrors of the real world. The “beams and
ropes” of the slave ship can now become “branches and creepers” of the forest through the
use of imagination.
● 1. NAMING THE STORIES- This is the first encounter with Anansi the character and an
Anansi Story. It is seen that he speaks in riddles and rhymes which is the DRAMATIC
TECHNIQUE of POETIC LANGUAGE and RHYMING COUPLETS.
● The didactic and moralistic nature of the stories is also revealed when Anansi says, “I can
teach you things if you listen to me”.
● When the story commences it is noticed that it is being told in riddles and rhymes and
contributes to the mood and atmosphere of the play being changed from heavy, brooding and
morose to one that is light-hearted and fun. The rhyming nature of the dialogue also adds a
musical rhythm to the play.
● We are introduced to Tiger who is the King of the forest and he is portrayed as big, strong,
ferocious and feared by the forest creatures.

PAGE 15

● Anansi uses the line “Tiger, Tiger burning bright, You’re the boss by day and night”. This
particular line is a reference to William Blake’s poem “The Tyger” from his collection entitled
Songs of Innocence and Experience
(https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43687/the-tyger). This is a LITERARY TECHNIQUE
called INTERTEXTUALITY which is the interrelationship between texts, especially works of
Mrs. K. MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

literature; the way that similar or related texts influence, reflect, or differ from each
other: the intertextuality between two novels with the same setting.
● This particular poem is very well known around the world and references the timelessness of
both Blake’s works and Anansi stories.
● Anansi wittily insults Tiger by telling him that thinking is something that he does not do
regularly but Tiger does not immediately realise that he is being insulted.
● Anansi then condescends Tiger in the form of a “backhanded compliment” and says that Tiger
is so busy ruling that he does not get much time to think. Anansi is insinuating that Tiger is
unable to think. This encounter ushers in the birth of the Anansi stories.
● Tiger comments that the stories should be preserved somehow because he wants to avoid
being forgotten or lost in time. This is indicated by “We are gone or [heaven forbid] forgotten.”
Additionally, this highlights the cultural, social and historical significance of the stories to
people around the world.
● Tiger chooses to call the stories by a very long, confusing and convoluted name. He calls
them “Incredible, grand, magnificent, wise beyond belief Tiger Stories”.
● Subsequently, Anansi sets his wits and cunning in motion by using language to
discombobulate Tiger. He tells him that if the stories were named after an insignificant
creature like a spider, then the world would be in amazement and awe that the story’s star
and real hero was Tiger.

PAGE 16

● Tiger sets off to give Anansi a “possibly impossible” task to prove that Anansi deserves the
title of STORYTELLER. This is the first story that the Woman tells the Girl and the reader’s
first encounter with the fantasy world (The Forest of Stories).
● This story involves capturing Snake tied to a pole and brought to Tiger.
● Tiger thinks that Anansi will never accomplish this impossible task.

2. TRICKING SNAKE

● Again, we see Anansi speaking in poetic language and rhyming couplets. This DRAMATIC
TECHNIQUE is used to give a fun, comical and rhythmic mood to the play.
● The Dramatic technique of CONTRAST between the harsh realities of what is happening on
the slave ship versus what is taking place in the forest is extremely significant to the meaning
of the play.
● Again, the narrator, through the stage directions, fills the reader in on what is not revealed in
dialogue.
Mrs. K. MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

● Snake is a creature who isn’t as dumb as Anansi thought he was. He is able to immediately
recognise that a trap is being set for him by luring him with a meal of a pig and subsequently
a chicken. These two attempts have failed.
● It is interesting to note that even though Anansi’s first tries have failed, he remains persistent
and determined to complete the task of capturing Snake. This is significant because the
lesson or moral taught is that one much not give up despite their failures. This is the lesson
that the Woman is trying to instil in the Girl by telling her this story.
● LITERARY DEVICE- IRONY is used when Snake comments on how “silly, stupid and so, so,
dumb the trap is”, but he is eventually caught.
● Snake is quite egotistical and FORESHADOWING is used to make the reader aware that
even though Snake thinks he is smart, his inflated ego and pride will eventually lead to his
downfall.
● Anansi is shown to be quite clever and determined because he does not give up. He devises
another plan to outsmart Snake.
● The stage directions indicate that Anansi has “amazingly found” a chicken. This is an
indication that fantasy elements are present because in fantasy literature, things happen
magically or without explanations.
● LITERARY DEVICE- ALLITERATION “super, succulent, salivating surprise”. The repetition of
the consonant sound “s” is repeated. This line is also an example of ONOMATOPOEIA (the
formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named). That s” sound imitates the
sound that an actual snake would make.

PAGE 17

● Snake also realises that this is a trap which spurs Anansi on to come up with a better plan.
● Anansi uses REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY (Reverse psychology is a technique involving the
assertion of a belief or behaviour that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that
this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what is actually desired.) By
telling Snake that everyone thinks that he is no longer the longest animal in the forest, Snake
sets out to prove himself.
● Anansi’s tactic is to insult Snake so that he can get him angry enough for him to want to prove
himself at all costs. Snake is determined to maintain his “supreme reputation”.
● Snake prides himself on how long he is, so calling him short will be the ultimate insult. This
infuriates Snake and he sets out to prove himself.
● Snake wants to maintain his title as “the Longest Creature of the Year” but Anansi’s
eloquence and manipulation of language plays on Snake’s insecurities.
● ALLITERATION and ONOMATOPOEIA is used again in the line “silly, simpering, snivelling
little snit” and Snake proclaims that he is “wise, intelligent and superior”. This may be true but
Mrs. K. MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

we quickly realise that Anansi surpasses Snake in all the qualities because he is able to
outsmart him.
● Snake’s personality and characteristics are quite in tuned with being self-absorbed and
egotistical. For example, Snake says” Being the cleverest and most beautiful being in the
entire forest…”.
● Anansi plays into Snake’s inflated ego in order to mask his true intentions.
● However, Snake thinks that he is coming up with a brilliant plan but essentially, he causes his
own demise based on what he thinks is a fool-proof plan.

PAGE 18

● Tiger realises that Anansi’s methods and intentions are “not quite honest”.
● Anansi’s dialogue is always filled with wit and humour and is one of his most defining
characteristics.
● Anansi fulfils the task given to him by Tiger and the name of the stories are changed to
“Anansi Stories”. This particular story is said to be the origin of the timeless tales that occur
throughout history.
● Having fulfilled his wish, Anansi ends the story with humour and we are left with a somewhat
happy ending in The Forest of Stories.

PAGE 19- ON BOARD “THE HOLD”

● Immediately after the Anansi story, we are snapped back to reality on board the slave ship.
Therefore, there is a sudden move from Fantasy to Reality.
● The narrator reminds us that “even in the darkest dark there is laughter”. This means that
even in the most negative and evil situations, there can still be hope.
● The Girl acknowledges the moral of the story, which was precisely the goal that the Woman
set out with. The Woman has taught a very important lesson via the story.
● The Girl realises that even though Anansi is PHYSICALLY SMALL AND WEAK, he is
MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY STRONG.
● The Woman steps in as the maternal/motherly figure for the Girl and illustrates how the
Anansi stories have passed down from generation to generation. The Woman’s mother told
the stories to her, and the Woman tells the stories to the Girl. The hope is that the Girl will
continue to tell the stories and pass them on to other generations.
● The ORAL TRADITION of storytelling is made clear and shows how the tales of Anansi the
spider is still very much relevant and important to this day.
● However, the Girl comments rather naively by saying that the Woman isn’t her mother, but the
Woman is a bit harsh but correct and realistic to help the Girl cope with her present reality.
Mrs. K. MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

The reality is that her mother is not there and therefore cannot help her in any way. It is the
harsh reality, but reality, nonetheless.
● It is interesting to note that the Woman does not coddle or sugar coat anything for the Girl.
● The entire dialogue involving what a mother represents is of utmost importance. The Girl’s
mother isn’t physically there but MOTHER represents love, beauty, comfort, safety, familiarity
and strength. In that even the thought of her mother gives her strength.
● The Woman urges the Girl to be strong like Anansi in order to survive the journey ahead.
● The Woman says, “Africa is your mother” because Africa is the motherland that has
symbolically birthed and sustained every single person living there. What Mother Africa
represents is comfort and strength.
● The Woman emphasises that once the Girl knows the stories and has it in her head, no one
can steal them from her. They can steal your body through violence and sexual assault, but
they can never steal your identity. Therefore, she must have MENTAL AND
PSYCHOLOGICAL FORTITUDE.
● The Woman continues to take the Girl through the process of conditioning her mind to be
strong and resilient by asking and distracting her to tell her what she sees.
● The Girl is smart because she notices the thin strand of web and understands that they must
be strong in order to support and hold the spider.
● The Woman compares strength to inner fortitude and so too must the Girl find her inner
strength.

PAGE 20

● The lesson/moral taught is that something does not necessarily have to be right in front of you
in order for you to “see” it. Just as the Woman cannot see the fly, she knows it is there. The
same thing happens with strength.
● Therefore, STRENGTH and RESILIENCE does not necessarily manifest itself physically.

THE CABIN

● The Boy is reading from his journal/diary and relays to the reader what he heard last night. He
describes the warmth of the songs the slaves were singing but wishes not to know exactly
what is happening in The Hold.
● The Captain questions his son on the book he is writing in and reprimands him for keeping a
diary. The father believes that only “lasses” or Girls keep diaries. The Captain is suggesting
that his son is being feminine.
● This is a clear indication that the society and culture at that time were very much
PATRIARCHAL 9male dominated) and there were certain CONSTRUCTIONS OF GENDER
regarding what Boys should do and what Girls should do.
Mrs. K. MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

● Again, we are privy to the Captain’s callousness and strictness and commands his son to
focus on his education.
● The Boy questions his father keeping a “diary” which is in fact the Captain and ship’s log.
● The Captain comments that “money makes the world go round” and the Boy wittily and
sarcastically make a quip saying that he thought that it is gravity and not money that makes
the world go round. For this insubordination, the Boy is reprimanded and threatened with
punishment.
● The Boy continues to refer to his father as “Captain” but slips and calls him “father”. He is
swiftly corrected. There is no room for terms of endearment or love.

PAGE 21 THE HOLD

● It appears that the Girl is either hallucinating about her actual mother or she begins to accept
the Woman as a motherly figure. The Woman also responds to the Girl calling her mother,
which shows that her aim of providing a maternal figure t the Girl is successful.
● The Woman responds that she was ‘walking in the forest’ which suggests that she has the
ability to fantasise and imagine a better place than what is her present reality. She is
projecting her mind and thoughts beyond the slave ship towards a happy and hopeful
memory.
● However, the Girl is very much aware of what is happening around her. Her reality I at the
forefront of her mind and it is difficult for her to escape it. She notices that people are sick and
dying and this scares her greatly.
● The Woman urges the Girl not to think negatively and to listen to positive affirmations, with the
intent of finding something hopeful in the situation.
● LITERARY DEVICE- OXYMORON is shown in the line “health of the sick”. In other words, the
Woman is also suggesting that those who are dead are better off than those who are alive
and what their future holds for them. Therefore, it is better to be dead than to be a slave for
the rest of their lives.
● The Stage Directions tell us that the sailors are carting away a dead body and they are not
happy about it because this means a loss of PROFITS. They “curse” because each dead
slave means less money.
● The Woman silences the Girl for fear of her being noticed and punished. The Woman
represents experience and is aware of the punishment and brutality that could possibly be
endured if the child draws attention to herself.
● LITERARY DEVICE-IRONY- the Girl describes the roughness and cruelty of the sailors and
compares them to “animals” when the enslaved are the ones who are treated like animals and
are considered animals by the “pale men”.
● The Woman comments that animals are “never cruel”, all they do is “live and die” signifying
that her culture and that of many African societies commune with and respect nature.
Mrs. K. MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

● The Girl is upset and wishes death on the “pale men” but is too innocent to truly notice how
bitter and harsh her words can be. In her wishing death upon her enemies, her mentality
becomes just as bad as those who have enslaved her.
● No one on earth can really judge who should live and who should die, but human beings have
been passing that judgement for centuries. For example, white men thought that blacks were
inferior human beings and should die.
● The Girl comments that they act as though they don’t exist and claims that she will fight them
If they try to drag her away. Little does she know that she cannot fight them physically.
● The Woman interjects again as the voice of reason by being logical and explaining that
fighting back is useless in this situation, simply because she will be overpowered and
outnumbered.
● The Girl asks a very curious question when she asks, “will they eat us?” referring to if the
slavers are cannibals. IRONICALLY, white men thought that Africans were savages and
cannibals.

PAGE 22

● The Woman explains that the slaves would not be physically consumed/ eaten but the
inhumane treatment they endure is enough to consume their minds and soul and leave their
“soul and body empty”. This means that after the trauma of slavery, these humans (slaves)
remain only a shell of themselves. She says, “I pity them” and suggests that they may not
know what they do or the sins they have committed. However, the Girl wonders how we can
possibly pity them.
● The stage directions indicate that the Boy is accompanied by a sailor into The Hold and they
observe the Woman. They must keep an eye on the Woman because she is older and
therefore weaker, which means that she can succumb to illness easily.
● The mention of “over the side” is a LITERARY DEVICE known as EUPHEMISM. Euphemisms
are a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or
blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. What this means is that
saying “over the side” is a less harsh way of saying that dead slaves are simply thrown over
the side of the ship into the ocean.
● The Boy is still very much inquisitive and is given a vague explanation by the sailor which is
far more than his father gave him. The sailor is much more accommodating to the Boy
because he keeps him company and explains things to him.
● The Boy observes the stench of The Hold and comments that it is unbearable because the
enslaved would be covered in their own mess. Proper hygiene, which is a basic HUMAN
NEED was not afforded/given to the enslaved. The Boy is described as “as white as a little
ghost” which signifies the shock and dismay at what he has observed. This line is also
Mrs. K. MaharajCSEC English BAnansi

IRONIC because the Boy is a white child and becomes even whiter/paler by the sight he
observes.
● The Girl reveals to the trader that the Boy is her age. The only similarity is that they are both
children, but their childhood experiences could not be any more different. They are two
children but are different in terms of gender, age, skin colour, treatment, origin and ancestry
and social status.
● The Woman gives a witty response to the Girl, that white people also come in all shapes and
sizes and children become adults by growing up. This indicates that ALL human beings are
the same, but the IRONY is evident because white children would be considered vastly
SUPERIOR and therefore grow up differently.
● SYMBOLISM- Evident through the WEB which is a symbol of RESILIENCE and STRENGTH.
The thinnest and smallest web is deadly and strong, just as the Girl ought to be. She is small
and considered insignificant but she needs to be strong.
● REPETITION- “wait wait wait” refers to having patience which is something quite virtuous to
have. “Not knowing is part of the strength of it” simply means that one should not rush things
and that sometimes ignorance is bliss.
● The use of ‘riddle me this, riddle me that” indicates to the reader that we are about to hear
another Anansi story. That is, the narrative shifts and prepares us for the switch from
REALITY to FANTASY. From the SHIP to THE FOREST OF STORIES.
● STRUCTURE OF THE PLAY- Quite symmetrical because we get to travel back and forth and
interchange between reality and fantasy.