Touki Bouki Film Analysis

The film is about young Africans who decide to go to Paris in France to better their lives. They try hard to acquire boat tickets to go to France hoping for stability and prosperity. This is because they have been pushed by the desperate conditions in Senegal. The film revolves around Mory and Anta. Mory is a former herd’s boy who is a motorcyclist. Anta on the other hand is a student at a local university. It emerges that the University is not a safe-haven given that it is prone to decadent revolutionaries.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Touki Bouki Film Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The theme of poverty is evident in the film. Mory and Anta, for instance, want to travel to France from Senegal but lack money for that. They opt to steal the money to cater for the travel expenses. First they steal a box at a wrestling match hoping to get some cash in the box. They later steal money and clothes from Charlie the rich homosexual who had been attracted to Mory. The film portrays the Senegalese society as one which is divided by class. On one side there are the wealthy that are mainly the urban centers and live lavishly enjoying the amenities. On the other hand there are the poor, who are mostly in the rural areas and are in abject poverty, having no access to basic amenities. When Mory decides to alight from the boat he goes back to Medina, which is a slum where people live under deplorable conditions (Ukadike 173). The other theme that is evident in the film is cultural alienation. Mory is portrayed as a young man with no respect for the Senegalese traditions. Instead of riding on a steer, he rides on a motorbike with the horns of a cow tied to the handle bar. While searching for the money to facilitate the journey to Paris, Mory is willing to sell himself to a rich African Gay individual, Charlie. This is contrary to the African culture which abhors homosexuality. It is evi dent that the well-off Africans emulate the lifestyle of the whites which is contrary to the Senegalese culture. Neo-colonialism is another prominent theme in this film. Mory and Anta, for instance, perceive their community as backward and they try hard, even stealing so as to afford their tickets to Paris, their dream city. They therefore perceive the Whiteman’s lifestyle as superior. Some of the rich and elite in Senegal have adapted the Whiteman’s lifestyle, like homosexuality which is abhorred in the African culture. Mory and Anta also make love yet they are not married. This is against their culture. The Senegalese culture is depicted as one which has lost its values and has been encroached by the Whiteman’s culture. The film was first released in 1973 after independence. Senegal is depicted as a nation grappling with the search for its identity. When Anta attends some of the meetings with the revolutionaries, it is evident that they speak in French and ten d to resurrect the colonial practice. Racism is eminent.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The theme of suffering is also portrayed in the film. Majority of the people live under deplorable conditions with no access to amenities. Most of the poor live in the rural areas and slums. Anta and Mory meet in Dakar while trying to find a way to travel to Paris to escape the misery in their country. The film begins in a rural setting and shifts to an abattoir where cattle are slaughtered brutally by first cutting open their windpipes. This is symbolic of the suffering of Africans in this post-colonial Senegal. The brutality vested on these animals is the same that the blacks are forced to undergo. When Mory finally decides to alight from the boat, he opts to go back to the slums where life is tough, as people are congested and live under deplorable conditions. Betrayal is another theme tha t comes out in this film. The natives live under deplorable conditions yet it is during the post colonial period. It was expectated that after independence they would be governed by their fellow Africans and be economically empowered as well as do away with the racism that characterized the Whiteman’s rule. The people’s hopes are dashed as many natives are still poor and live in slums under deplorable conditions or are in rural areas where they lack basic amenities. They are disillusioned. Betrayal is also evident in the lifestyles of most of the youth, the elite and the rich who have abandoned their traditional values for the Whiteman’s culture. Homosexuality, for instance, is perceived as a taboo yet it is practiced by Charlie, a rich young man who is attracted to Mory. Anta and Mory make love yet they are not married and engage in different kinds of vices including stealing so as to get a boat ticket to Paris. Mory instead of riding on a steer, has attached h orns of a cow on his motorbike handle bar. Mory and Anta perceive their lifestyle as backward and try hard to get a ticket to Paris to live like a Whiteman. Mory also betrays Anta when he leaves her at the boat and opts to go back to his lifestyle in the slums, yet they had agreed to travel together to Paris. Inherent tension is evident in this film. It is evident from the conflict that exists between tradition and change. The fact that Mory decides to tie the skull of a cow on his motorbike is an indication of the conflict between tradition and modernity. By Anta going to the University rather than remain subservient to the Aunt and Islamic tradition is an indication of a break from the traditional culture. The natives seem to be bound by their traditional superstitious ways as opposed to modernity where people do not believe in such. Anta’s aunt, for instance, is a sorcerer yet Anta herself is not a believer in such.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on To uki Bouki Film Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Aspects of homosexuality, exhibited, are an indication of the breakaway from the traditional values that abhors that as a vice. Senegal is expected to be an independent country. The country is however still grappling with Neo-colonialism with the whites still perceived as superior and their culture emulated by most people. Aspects of racism are rampant. Revolutionary movements still prefer to use French while conversing and even Anta and Mory try hard to get a ticket to go to the Whiteman’s land. Mory however runs away from the boat as he has doubts as to whether France is as good as they expected. He goes back to Dakar where he feels he belongs and back to his culture. There is also the aspect of familiarity versus the unknown. Mory and Anta perceive their culture as backward and their lifestyle as difficult. They would rather go to France, an unfamiliar land with the ho pe of a better life. Mory however, decides not to travel to an unknown land and would rather remain with his people no matter how hard life is. Inherent tension is also evident in the aspects of reality versus utopia. Mory and Anta are obsessed with going to Paris as it is perceived as an ideal place where they would get all that they required but the truth is that not all those who get there really get to their dreams (Adesokan 65-67). Works Cited Adesokan, Akin. Postcolonial Artists and Global Aesthetics. Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2011.Print. Ukadike, Frank. Black African Cinema. California: University of California Press, 2004.Print. This essay on Touki Bouki Film Analysis was written and submitted by user Marissa Mays to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Candid in Candidate

The Candid in Candidate The Candid in Candidate The Candid in Candidate By Mark Nichol Yes, candid and candidate are cognate. It’s ironic, of course, that a word referring to forthrightness and honesty is the basis of a noun referring to someone who stands for political office. Candid is from the Latin term candidum, which means not only â€Å"sincere† and â€Å"upright† but also â€Å"white† and â€Å"pure.† Candidatus, the Latin predecessor of candidate, means â€Å"white robed,† and alludes to the fact that those campaigning for public office in ancient Rome wore white. Candid also means â€Å"blunt† or â€Å"frank† but also came, by extension, to mean â€Å"spontaneous,† as in referring to someone photographed in a candid pose rather than a prepared one. Meanwhile, candidate now can also refer to an applicant for any position, whether in a political context or otherwise, or to someone vying for an award or one who meets, or is on track to meet, all the requirements for something. Synonyms for candidate include applicant, referring to someone who applies or asks for something, from the Latin verb applicare, meaning â€Å"fold to.† (The second syllable of apply is has the same as the word ply.) Another is aspirant, meaning â€Å"someone who tries to be or do something,† derived from the Latin verb aspirare, meaning â€Å"breathe on.† Campaigner, which refers to someone who embarks on a political campaign to seek office, derives ultimately from the Latin term campania, meaning â€Å"level ground† and referring to the type of terrain most easily traversed by an army on the march; campaign originally referred to a series of battles waged to produce a desired strategic outcome. Contender, meanwhile, refers to someone who tries to win something, especially someone with a strong possibility of victory; the root word, contend, stems from the Latin verb contendere, meaning â€Å"stretch with† in the sense of a competitor who physically strives to win. Nominee, from the Latin verb nominare, meaning â€Å"name,† pertains to someone who has been chosen to represent a political party for a specific office or someone who is being considered for a position. Prospect denotes someone likely to win or be chosen; the word, from the Latin verb prospicere, meaning â€Å"look forward,† also refers in general to anticipation or possibility, or to a lookout or a scene or a survey. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in S3 Types of HeadingsHonorary vs. Honourary

Refer to assignment criteria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Refer to assignment criteria - Essay Example On one hand, the law stipulates that it is the duty of health care providers to give information to their patients when obtaining consent and also warn them of any possible risks that are likely to be encountered during the treatment or medical procedure. On the other hand, the quantity of information to disclose, and the truthfulness of that information is also a factor to consider as much as a health care provider is required to give out information to patients. The statement under scrutiny in this paper can be dissected in a myriad of ways. It is imperative to point out that in relation to the law in England and Wales, it is the duty of health care providers to care for their patients. This was clearly stated by the House of Lords by Lord Diplock in the Sidaway v Bethlem Royal Hospital case of 1985. According to Lord Diplock, â€Å"A single comprehensive duty covering all the ways in which you are called on to exercise skill and judgment in the improvement of the physical and men tal condition of the patient.† (Sidaway v Bethlem Royal Hospital 1985). The law in England and Wales also clearly stipulates that it is the duty of the health care provider, while caring for a patient, to clearly advice a patient and disclose all pertinent information that will permit the patient to come up with good decisions based on the nature of care being given (Hills v Potter 1983). However, the law is not quite clear on the distinction that should exist between therapeutic and non-therapeutic contexts. Most of the famous cases that are related to the topic in question reveal just how difficult it is for one to know just how much information to reveal to a patient. This difficulty arises from the fact that it is not very clear whether very inquisitive and curious patients should be told more than needs to be told. Another issue that causes this difficulty lies in the fact that the law is not comprehensible on whether the health care provider has the discretion to distort or withhold information. Lastly, the issue of therapeutic and non-therapeutic circumstances mentioned above also contributes to the difficulty in knowing just how much information to reveal to a patient. A review of the Hatcher v Black case of 1954 can explain this point further. In the case, the patient consented to partial thyroidectomy proposed by the doctor. The patient was not made aware of the slight risks that could have her voice permanently impaired. In fact, the facts of the case reveal that the patient was told that there were no risks at all. After the operation, her vocal cord became paralysed. In the summary given to the jury by Lord Denning, the pertinent question of what a doctor should tell a patient was very conspicuous. The doctor admitted that despite knowing the slight risk that existed, he told the patient before the procedure that there was no risk. The doctor was quick to add that he did this for the patient’s own good. The doctor did not want to have his patient worry because this would be detrimental to her overall wellbeing. In fact, the doctor said that the circumstances under which he did this were justifiable. The issue that arises here is that law does not say that the doctor was wrong in doing what he did under such circumstances. Several doctors were called as witnesses, and none of them felt that the doctor was wrong in what he did under the given circumstances. For these reasons, Lord Denning saw no reason to condemn the doctor (Hatcher v