Sugar Cane Alley: an Image Presentation of African Identities
One of the most visually beautiful award-winning films that tackle the grueling life of workers on the sugar plantations in Martinique (Wyels 17), Sugar Cane Alley is a film based on the novel of Joseph Zobel – “Rue Cases-Negres”. It focuses on the unfortunate way of life of early inhabitants and their struggle to survive daily life experiences. Generally, the film implies numerous textual and rhetorical messages and interpretations. As seen in the common characteristic of film in the early 1980s, political angle is dominant (Sconce 358). However, the real intention of the film, which is to portray African life and identity, was achieved.
This paper presents five notable Africanisms – African inherent characteristics and identities. It discusses the high regard for education, close family ties, sense of identity and purpose, innate determination to succeed, resistance to oppression such as slavery, racism, sexism, and other prejudicial actions against the native African seen in the film’s narrative.
As initial judgment, the movement between African and European contexts reveals how Africa and its identities have been crucially informed by the impact of knowledge and interests from outside the continent (Kanneh 1). Although colonization affected the African intrinsic attributes, it is still perceptible that their innate identities remain intact yet significantly affected by foreign influences.
The High Regard for Education
Education can be claimed as one of the moving mechanism of the film. Jose’s grandmother wanted him to finish his studies and break away from the impoverish surrounding. With education, Jose’s grandmother hopes that Jose will succeed in life. Using the education as his portal, poverty and other problems will likely be solved. Like most Africans, the importance of education is very palpable in the African culture (Smitherman 25). The people stress education of all kinds (Leslie 40). The reason behind this practice is the fact that education is an effective tool to liberate them from foreign intrusion and use education as their way to voice out their hidden aspirations, desires and ideas.
Close Family Ties
Seeing the relationship of Jose and his grandmother is a perfect example of close family ties, which is very common to every African lineage. Family being the basic unit of given society is highly regarded by Africans like most people in the world. The African as seen in the film stressed values of respect for elders and integrity (Leslie 40). The relationship of parents and offspring is the foundation of the future of every child. The values, beliefs, ideas, and all other things significant in daily life are nurtured within the family. Thus, Sugar Cane Alley showed how family plays an important role in the identity of a person.
Sense of Identity and Purpose
Jose’s grandmother wanted him to finish his studies and become successful. This is an epitome of a good sense of identity and purpose. With his grandmother’s insistence, Jose graduated and became a writer. Like most African people, the importance of ambition is clear. They want to be ‘someone’ someday. One of the perceived reasons behind this is the fact that they want to change their ‘old’ lives, achieve their destinies and be free.
Innate Determination to Succeed
Related to the desires to have a good life and sense of identity and purpose, Africans are very determined to become successful. Like Jose, with his grandmother’s determination and sacrifices, he excelled and finished school to become a successful writer.
Resistance to Oppression
This is the most striking message of the film. Euzhan Palcy’s eventual interpretation illuminated the screen with shades and depths rarely revealed in the black experience (Leslie 40). Referring to the period where political revolution is common, African life as manifested in the film was hard. It is characterized with slavery, racism, sexism, and other prejudicial actions against the native Africans. Driven by Palcy’s dislike to the idea of oppression, the director used her film to show the longing of the African population to be free from any traces of discrimination and unjust treatment. As perfectly implied throughout the entire film’s plot, Sugar Cane Alley proved that African life is ‘sweet’ but with the influences and unjust treatment of foreign races, it losses its taste and God-given gifts and obstructs the eventual leap of the continent and its people toward progression.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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