She then turns those experiences into her book and each event/person helps her grow and cope with her loss. A long set of stage directions project the woman replying to these questions and at the same time moving her arms, raising them to her shoulder level as if they were wings. Another set of stage directions follow. Anthony L Tan. To someone you haven't seen for 3 years. The image of the always silent Sita, the uncomplaining, docile Sita, the Sita who was merely the shadow of Rama has been deeply ingrained in the Indian ethos. This study guide contains the following sections: This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion and a Free Quiz on The voices put innumerable questions to the woman. We understand now why her eyes are sad. Is she a story teller, they ask? The first section of Crossing the River is a novella, "The Pagan Coast," the tale of an ill-fated project of the American Colonization Society to educate slaves in Christian ways and then ship them to Liberia where they will carry the Gospel to the pagans in the interior of Africa. The US Army's surprise capture of the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine River at Remagen, Germany, broke open Germany's defenses in the west. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This is a beautifully written memoir by Carol Smith who is heartbroken by the death of her young son Christopher and how she was able to overcome her grief. Originally published: London : Bloomsbury Pub., c1993. The white screen is now being used to create an illusion of people surrounding the woman on stage. She witnesses the fortitude, grace, resilience, and sheer will they use to move forward with their lives. The people of Israel, now led by Joshua, must cross the Jordan to inhabit the land that was given to them by God so that the people could fulfill their covenant responsibilities. Log in here. Marcus Gordon Anthony @MarcusGAnthony. She has to remain visible to the audience. James knows that his father battled with the dichotomy of trying to maintain Christian beliefs while dealing in slaves, and the implication is that the conflict drove him mad. Rest of the stage is in darkness. Liked the way she intertwined her story with what she learned from others and loved the powerful message of the importance of storytelling. It focuses on a trio of black people during different periods in history, as they struggle with being separated from their native Africa. These lines dissolve all boundaries of gender and make Sita representative of all who have been victims of oppression. Her body is tired and her words come limping. The voices in the play refer to the Maya Sita drawing attention to the story that in actual fact all the hardships that Sita endured were borne by this Maya Sita and not the real Sita. The second section, West, is Martha Randolphs story. Till now the identity of the woman has not been disclosed. 7.A cynic's new millenium by Dr. Anthony Tan; 8.You and your love by Princess Luna/Crossing the river by Dr. Anthony Tan; 9.Hollow by Baby Raych /Sweet Goodbye by Berny Hermosa/You, Beggar by Ana Angeles; 10.Veritas by Windel Z. Canband/Light and Shade by Irene Chiqui/Writing new lines from old sorrow by Vinci Bueza Some of the most sentimental lines have been written in the memory, or anticipation of death (Lombardi, 2012). After her husband is arrested for black marketeering, Joyce runs his village store. Read more. She knows she has been a victim as she puts it quite succinctly a victim of love, lust and politics. Nearing Denver, however, she could not go on. If you are feeling down, this book contains inspiring examples illustrating how to hang on and make the most of your remaining days. Dimensions. She appears to be someone who has been there from time immemorial. Death for him as something to be taken seriously and it is something to be feared by many. It is not like a puzzle you can easily put together with interlocking pieces to get to the final stages of that grief. She talks of crossing the river to see a new world, to assume a new form, to create a new Rajya.. Was Sita ever asked what she felt or thought? He sees the horrors he encounters in the slave business as enabling the idyllic and genteel future he sees for his wife, himself and the proper English family they will produce. . We do not know yet who the woman on stage is. Now at the end she is shown to be lifting her head. The play revolves around the question of the identity of Sita which ultimately moves beyond the epic figure of Ramayana to encompass all who have faced oppression and subjugation. The first observation is that she looks tired and there is sadness in her eyes. This is a very powerful, well put together story and makes for a satisfying, if uncomfortable at times, read.. Often, people become cocooned in their own little world - and books like this can maybe help to extricate them and perhaps enable them to see a bigger picture - recommended. Her physical appearance however is being constructed in these lines of the play. The other hand gripped the head of a long pole. Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan is a Filipino, Catholic, and Jesuit University forming leaders of character for the needs of Mindanao, the Philippines, and Asia-Pacific. Then again, ask the voices, is she the Sita of the peoples tales or is she a Sita different from all of the above? The stories are beautifully told, and she links her own parallel recognition with insights of her son. Paragraphs 10-14 . Many thanks to Abrams for my ARC copy through Netgalley for an honest review. Symbolism- In this study, this term refers to a word, a phrase, a scene, or an episode that directly refers to one thing but suggest another thing as well. When the woman reveals her name to be Sita, the Sita of Ramayana, we immediately know that we are straddling two worlds here one of reality and the other of fantasy; one of the past and the other of present. The first question emphasizes once again that there is an element of familiarity the woman. Anthony Tan was born on 26 August 1947, Siasi [Muddas], . There has to be movement on stage and in this particular section of the play, the woman who had been simply standing on stage begins to move. This isn't normally the type of book I would read if I'm being honest. This book is at the same time personal and universal. A giant conch shell on a beaded string Hung on the branch of a leafless tree. Does it matter which Sita she is she asks? Through these comparisons Ambai however, is drawing attention towards objectification of women in society. When only a half-inch glass separates by Vinci Bueza, 5.Back from where we've started by Jaemie Falcon, 7.A cynic's new millenium by Dr. Anthony Tan, 8.You and your love by Princess Luna/Crossing the river by Dr. Anthony Tan, 9.Hollow by Baby Raych /Sweet Goodbye by Berny Hermosa/You, Beggar by Ana Angeles, 10.Veritas by Windel Z. Canband/Light and Shade by Irene Chiqui/Writing new lines from old sorrow by Vinci Bueza, 5.How Do I Love Thee? Whewww. He has won three Don Carlos Palanca awards: two for poetry and one for the essay. 21 years later and it hits in a beautiful way for me. Most reviews have focused on the unity of its voices and themes. She is left with nothing. But we are hardwired to protect and love our children, to the point that even the sacrifice of our own lives to save theirs is something most parents assume they would be willing to do. by Carol Smith RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021. Story in a Nutshell. The society might have oppressed and subdued her will through the ages. What destroyed her happiness or took away her freedom? This is an unusual memoir in that it intertwines the story of Smith's loss of her young son with the stories of others who have also experienced deep loss and tragedy: a severe burn victim, a child with a terminal illness, and so on. That is why she says I am a Sita with many faces She has lived in all those women who have been victims like her living through many times, many spaces. The mythical Sita is transposed to contemporary times. Suddenly what had always been Ramas story becomes Sitas story in this short play. The river here becomes symbolic of her path to a new world, a means to a new form, a possibility to create a new Rajya which in all probability would not be Rama Rajya but a Sita Rajya in other words a Womens world, a world where there would be no inhibitions, no prescriptions. A stage cannot be static. All of their stories are life-affirming and inspiring weaving in the joy, love, courage and resilience that help overcome the sadness, pain and hopelessness that can accompany unbearable grief. The river is an essential element in what humans consider beautiful. When the white woman returns to find the corpse in the morning, she realizes that she never asked Martha's name, and she frets over the necessity to give her a Christian name, so that she might receive a Christian burial. The story explores the fact that a person who preaches the power of Prayer and God for his whole life, is himself unable to believe the result of one's prayer by the Supreme Power. Phillips paints a picture of the Gold Coast slave trade as something that is no particular group's fault. He waited as if he had forgotten something. The womans speech and the rivers flow are going at the same slow pace. ANTHONY TAN. In addition, a symbol is anything that stands for something beyond its literal meaning. If Sita never uttered a word does it mean she never felt the pain and the suffering that was inflicted on her? What changed her from a carefree, happy person to the present dejected one? What is more important is the fact that she appears to be exhausted and the sadness in her eyes tells us that she has been through much. As a journalist she profiled ordinary people as they dealt with their own challenges, Crossing the River focuses on the stories of seven individuals that helped her heal. 31 Too early for bird call, or wing beat, Too early even for wind. He is well celebrated to this day for his short lyrics. Yet, he goes about the business of dealing in human bondage with what is referred to as "commercial detachment" from the misery to which he is contributing. As against the popular valorization of him being godlike, venerated by all alike, we have here an alternative reading of the myth. Ambai has however used this movement very skillfully to covey the strong agitation in the womans heart. Captained by Englishman James Hamilton, the ship sets sail from Bristol in August of 1752, bound for the Gold Coast of Africa to take on a cargo of slaves. Download the entire Crossing the River study guide as a printable PDF! Hence her movement in circles. On the metaphorical level the identity of the woman also should not matter because she speaks for all women down the ages till present times. Ed. This study examines different models of technical and vocational education and training (TVET), highlighting the experiences in the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Korea. reflection of crossing the river by anthony tan po , what do you think is the importanance of history us a student, what form of precolonial literature is the story?. Even as her daughter clung to her, Martha comforted herself that little Eliza Mae would go to a better home if she was sold separately. But this book is about so much more than how to cope with grief. May 4, 2021. It imparts empathy for those in pain and gratitude for what we do have. Ultimately, the original sellers of slaves are black men, though there may be white intermediaries between the various points of sale. Previous page. Let its pains and griefs move with you, not through you, let them cause a sea change, where your life doesnt fade, exactly, but instead becomes unexpected, rich and strange.. What distances have you traversed? Then I remembered what I had been taught: I dropped a silver coin into his open palm. Your email address will not be published. There is some movement on stage. Hamilton's more-refined nature emerges in two adolescent letters to his bride back in England, extolling her purity and pledging his undying fidelity. Tan discusses death through remembering the dead, longing, leaving, and the tragedy of someone. You will not feel so alone in the pain and frustration of this adventure called life. Transcreation of Anthony Tan's poem "Crossing the River," a portion of the multi-media production "Crossing Poetry" has represented the Philippines first in the 2012 Asia Pacific Theatre Festival, Taipei, and in various other intl and natl festivals. I know that, though my "little boy" is 38 years old, I would be leveled if he was no longer in my life. There is strengthLeft stillI shall cross the river I shall cross the river To see the new world To assume a new form To create a new Rajya. Travis ships out to the Italian front. He is able to return on leave to marry Joyce - whose divorce from Len is finally settled - just days before the birth of their baby, Greer. Many poets both here and abroad have discussed death in various forms. English, 28.10.2019 17:29, cleik. Huddling in a doorway, she was helped inside by an unknown woman, but it was too late. Book details & editions. Soon after the babys birth, Travis is killed in action. She will soar to freedom. At first she walks fast to the left and then she starts circling the stage looking at the white screen as she circles and speaking loudly at the same time. This book is not light-hearted tales of coping, but instead details the author's own sad loss of her young child and includes other survivor stories such as a double amputee, burn victims, fellow bereaved parents, a stroke survivor, and more. The dream of seeing a river has a symbology of the dreamer's life journey. The main body of Mr. Phillips's novel consists of four taut narratives -- two white voices, two black; two male, two . Summaries. The sale meant the permanent breakup of her small family. Yamuna? The questions once again voice the ones that may be churning in the minds of the readers and audience alike. The river Ortoire on the Caribbean island of Trinidad sets Michael Anthony's story 'Drunkard Of The River'. At the start of World War II, she marries a shop owner. Ultimately she was banished to the forest because of the politics which demanded that Rama being a king, should renounce his wife, his queen who is considered impure because she lived in the captivity of a man who was not her husband. Edward is a well-meaning but naive slave owner in Virginia, and Nash is his slave, whom he adopts into his family at an early age. The voices are unable to place her and ask Where have we seen you? They ask her about the distances she has traversed to reach here. We are told that shadows appear on the white screen in the centre. Winner of the Don Carlos . This Study Guide consists of approximately 66pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - The entire play is one long Scene and there is just one actor on stage with a white screen in the background. The identity or the name of the river does not matter according to the woman who speaks. Not me sobbing the entire last section. I found myself gaining insights into my life as I read her struggles of acceptance, so this book goes beyond being a simple memoir. The question about the womans identity does provoke that interest in the audience and readers alike. In Crossing the River we get to see Sitas story from a different angle altogether. Being a medical reporter puts her in a unique position to find people who are facing challenging circumstances and become immersed in their lives over a period of weeks or months. It belonged to the boatman of the river. Martha herself ended up with a pious couple who moved to Kansas. In her book CROSSING THE RIVER, Smith discusses dealing with the death of her seven year old son, weaving together seven other tales of others who suffered great loss and dealt with it in their own way. In this section of the play the play begins its movement from particular to the general. "Crossing the River - Summary" Literary Essentials: African American Literature The writing she does on how to live without fear when we cant foresee what will happen to us completely gutted me regarding COVIDeven though she doesnt explicitly make that connection. Speech and movement together build up a character. Crossing the River is a novel of the African diaspora, following the life stories of three Africans. Alternative reading of the dreamer & # x27 ; s life journey happiness or took away freedom... From time immemorial play begins its movement from particular to the woman who speaks been there from immemorial. 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To place her and ask Where have we seen you of storytelling n't normally the type book. Move forward with their lives many thanks to Abrams for my ARC copy through Netgalley an.
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crossing the river by anthony tan summary