Stuart Hall on British history

People like me who came to England in the 1950s have been there for centuries; symbolically, we have been there for centuries. I was coming home. I am the sugar at the bottom of the English cup of tea. I am the sweet tooth, the sugar plantations that rotted generations of English children's teeth. There are thousands of others beside me that are, you know, the cup of tea itself. Because they don't grow it in Lancashire, you know. Not a single tea plantation exists within the United Kingdom. This is the symbolization of English identity – I mean, what does anybody in the world know about an English person except that they can't get through the day without a cup of tea? Where does it come from? Ceylon - Sri Lanka, India. That is the outside history that is inside the history of the English. There is no English history without that other history'.

‘Old and New Identities, Old and New Ethnicities’, Stuart Hall, 1991.

'London is the Place for Me' (1948), Lord Kitchener

London is the Place for Me (1948) Lord Kitchener

London is the place for me, London that lovely city

You can go to France or America, India, Asia or Africa.

But you must come back to London city.

I said, you must come back to London city.

You can go to France or America, India, Asia or Africa.

But you must come back to London city.

London is the place for me, London that lovely city

You can go to France or America, India, Asia or Africa.

But you must come back to London city.

London, that lovely city.

You can go to France or America, India, Asia or Africa.

But you must come back to London city.

Keynote Questions for Stuart Hall and Lord Kitchener

Read the following two keynotes which introduce you to your study of Windrush and your study of Black British poetry – a study of Literature in social and historical context.

Read Stuart Hall’s paragraph. Hall (1932 - 2014) was a Jamaican-British academic. What does Hall suggest about the nature of (telling) British history?

 

Now read the text of ‘London is the Place for Me’. This is a calypso song, made famous by Lord Kitchener, a passenger on the Empire Windrush, a ship that brought passengers from the Caribbean, and is said to mark the beginning of large-scale immigration from the West Indies to England. What is the mood expressed in the song?

Researching the British Empire

Researching the British Empire.

When King George V came to the thrown of the United Kingdom in 1910, he also became the ruler of the British Empire. You may wish to reflect that 1910 is only slightly more than 100 years ago. At this time, George V assumed rule over 11.5 million square miles of land spread over every continent on the planet. That’s one-fifth of the land surface of the world. King George V, then, was the ruler of some 410 million people.

The reasons for Empire are many, complex, and contentious. The objectives of Empire were several, and include economic, political, and moral and religious reasons. Of course, not everyone considered Empire a good thing, both in the colonized countries and in Britain itself.

Please do a little historical research. Some Internet sites have been suggested. You may look elsewhere on the Internet, and if you have access to a library consider looking for books and other articles on the British Empire. Some books are suggested below which may extend your interest and understanding.

As you research, consider the following:

- What was the period of the British Empire? To what extent does Britain’s Empire continue to exist today?

- Where was the British Empire? What countries and territories were parts of the Empire?

- What were the objectives of Empire?

- What were the problems of Empire?

Suggested Sites (correct at May 2014):

The British Empire

Colonial Film

Historical Atlas of Empire

Suggested Books

The British Empire: A Very Short Introduction by Ashley Jackson

Rise and Fall of the British Empire by Lawrence James

Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World by Niall Ferguson

Viewing Prompts and Suggested Further Reading

Dear students,

The aim for the IB Language and Literature course is to consider both texts and contexts - the social, historical, critical and artistic conditions in which texts are produced and received. Studies in Language and Literature extend beyond conventional literary genres to include manytext types, including non-fiction writings, graphic works and films. Thus, for your introduction to the course, you will be viewing Windrush, a series of four BBC documentaries that trace the arrival and experiences of post-war West Indian immigrants to London between1948 – 1998.

As you view each documentary, consider the following questions to help guide your viewing. Please come to the first lesson prepared to discuss your notes and any questions that arise out of your viewing of the documentaries.

Link to the documentaries:

1. Arrival

2. Intolerance

3. A New Generation

4. A Very British Story

Guided Questions

Documentary one

· For what reasons did West Indians immigrate to London in 1948?

· What preconceptions of English life did West Indian immigrants have prior to their arrival in 1948? How did their perspective change upon arrival to London and other English cities?

· What challenges—particularly in housing and employment—did immigrants face?

 

Documentary two

· What attitudes towards immigrants developed during this time period? How did immigrants respond to these attitudes?

 

Documentary three

· What key events marked this time period? How did Black and White Britons respond differently to such events?

· How did attitudes of second generation immigrants differ to that of their parents (those who had arrived on the Empire Windrush in 1948 and thereafter throughout the 1950s and 60s)?

Documentary four

· How does the documentary suggest that circumstances of Black Britons changed (or not) since 1948?

· Reflect on your viewing of the series Windrush. Consider what (if anything), you knew about West Indian immigration to London prior to your viewing of the series, what you have learned and what texts and contexts you would like to explore in order to learn more. Finally, consider: To what extent do you believe attitudes towards immigrants of previously colonized countries have changed since the 1950s? Since 2000? What connections,outside of the documentary, can you make to topics such as immigration, racism and multiculturalism?

Recommended Further Reading:

To Sir With Love; Paid Servant - E.R. Braithwaite

The Lonely Londoners; Moses Ascending- Sam Selvon

The Final Passage; Colour me English - Caryl Phillips

White Teeth - Zadie Smith

Small Island- Andrea Levy

Black Teacher- Beryl Gilroy

Dear Future - Fred D'Aguiar

The Intended - David Babydeen

Refugee Boy- Benjamin Zephaniah

In the Ditch; Second Class Citizen- Buchi Emecheta

Some Kind of Black; My Once Upon A Time- Diran Adebayo

'Telephone Conversation' (1962), Wole Soyinka

‘Telephone Conversation’ (1962) Wole Soyinka

The price seemed reasonable, location

Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived

Off premises. Nothing remained

But self-confession. "Madam," I warned,

"I hate a wasted journey—I am African."

Silence. Silenced transmission of

Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,

Lipstick coated, long gold rolled

Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully.

"HOW DARK?" . . . I had not misheard . . . "ARE YOU LIGHT

OR VERY DARK?" Button B, Button A.* Stench

Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.

Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered

Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed

By ill-mannered silence, surrender

Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.

Considerate she was, varying the emphasis—

"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.

"You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?"


Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light


Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,


I chose. "West African sepia"--and as afterthought,


"Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic


Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent


Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT'S THAT?" conceding,


"DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette."


"THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether.


Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see


The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet


Are peroxide blond. Friction, caused—


Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned


My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"—sensing


Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap


About my ears--"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather


See for yourself?"

'Telephone Conversation' - Reading Guide

Reading Guide for ‘Telephone Conversation’

Decontextualized, initial reading

1. Read the poem once through individually without annotating. At the end of your reading, take a moment to record your first reactions. Consider: What is your first impression of the poem? What strikes you as interesting? What questions do you have?

2. Now read the poem a second time, this time with a pen or pencil in hand. Mark key words and repeating images. Look up any unfamiliar words and mark their definitions. After this reading, identify what you believe to be the themeof the poem.

3. Thus far, you have read the poem without context. Make a list of at least five contextual points or questions that you feel would help you to further understand the poem. Consider the following types of contexts when framing your questions: biographical, social, historical, artistic, reception, production.

Contextualized reading

4. Visit THIS website and read the brief biography on Wole Soyinka. Record at least five contextual bits that enhance your further understanding of the poem.

5. Re-read “Telephone Conversation,” keeping your research in mind as you read.

6. Consider: How does reading “Telephone Conversation” in context extend your understanding of the meaning of the poem?

Close-reading

7. Why does the speaker “confess” his race over the phone? What connotations does the word “confess” hold and why do you believe Soyinka presents his statement of race as “self-confession”?

8. What words are used to describe the landlady in the first stanza? What does “pressurized good breeding” suggest?

9. Identify the various types of imagery used in the second stanza and the effects of each choice.

10.What does the dialogue reveal? How are the speaker and landlady characterized through these choices in dialogue (pay particular attention to the third stanza)?

11.How does the pace of the poem shift from beginning to end? What denotes this shift in pace? What is the effect of this shift on the meaning of the poem?

12.Identify where Soyinka uses inverted syntax, and consider the effects of this inversion on the meaning of the poem.

13.Consider the point of view of the poem and how meaning of the poem is affected by this point of view.

14.How may this poem be read satirically? Where does Soyinka use irony and a mocking tone to highlight main themes of the poem?

Connect

15.What connections can you find between the themes expressed in “Telephone Conversation” and those expressed in Windrush? How does the text type (poem versus documentary) affect your understanding of these themes?

Instructions for Poetry Jigsaw

Poetry Jigsaw - Using a similar process to the whole-class analysis of “Telephone Conversation,” each group will be assigned one poem written between 1948 - 1998 on which to conduct a close contextual and textual analysis. You will have one class period to analyze your poem, using the attached notes to guide your study. Upon completion of your analysis, you will be responsible for presenting this poem to the class, focusing explicitly on the role of context in determining understanding and on cross-textual connections between literary and nonliterary texts.

Decontextualized, initial reading:

1. Read the poem once through individually without annotating. At the end of your reading, take a moment to record your first reactions. Consider: What is your first impression of the poem? What strikes you as interesting? What questions do you have?

2. Now read the poem a second time, this time with a pen or pencil in hand. Mark key words and repeating images. Look up any unfamiliar words and mark their definitions. After this reading, identify what you believe to be the themeof the poem.

3. Thus far, you have read the poem without context. Make a list of at least five contextual points or questions that you feel would help you to further understand the poem. Consider the following types of contexts when framing your questions: biographical, social, historical, artistic, reception, production.

     Contextualized reading:

4. Now spend a bit of time researching the context of your poem. Look up biographical information on the author, the year in which the poem was written and any specific historical events that the poem references.

5. Re-read your poem, keeping your research in mind as you read.

6. Consider: How does reading the poem in context extend your understanding of the meaning of the poem?

Close-reading:

7. Next, conduct a literary reading of the poem. Consider how the author uses the following techniques in your poem and the effect of each technique on the poem’s meaning:

a. Imagery - auditory, gustatory, visual, olfactory, kinesthetic, tactile

b. Figurative language - similes, metaphors, personification

c. Connotations of key diction

d. Repetitions and binaries

e. Language - use of Standard English, Patios, dialect

f. Sound techniques

g. Punctuation

h. Structure

i. Syntax

Connect:

8. What connections can you find between the themes expressed in your assigned poem and those expressed in Windrush? Are these connections explicit (deliberate mentioning of events) or implicit? How does the text type (poem versus documentary) affect your understanding of these themes?

Poetry Collection

Poems

What about di Workin Claas (1982) Linton Kwesi Johnson

fram Ingland to Poelan

evry step acraas di oshan

di rulin claases dem is in a mess

yes, di capitalis System a regress

di soviet system naw progress

well which one a dem yu tink is bes

wen a di two a dem di workas a kantes

wen crisis is di aadah af di day

wen soh much people cryin out fi change nowaday

soh wat about di workin class

comred chair man

wat about di workin class

dey bear di laas

dey carry di craas

an dem naw goh figet

dem tanks in Gdansk

dem now goh figet dem tanks

well fram di eas to di wes

to di lan I love di bes

di rulin claases dem is in a mess

crisis is di aadah af di day

di workaz dem demandin more Pay/everyday

di pezants want a lat more say/nowaday

di yout dem rebelin evrywhey/evrywhey

insohreckshan is di aadah af di day

is a lat of people crying out fi change nowaday

noh baddah blame it pan di black working claas

mistah racist

blame it pan di rulin claas

blame it pan yu capitalis baas

wi pay di caas

wi suffah di laas

an wi naw goh figet New Cross

nat a raas

wi naw goh figet New Cross

Windrush Welcome (1998) John Agard

They brought a certain style

to the sceptered isle

from that other realm, the Caribbean.

One newspaper spoke of their dazzling ties

and said hope shone in their eyes

But they came with no sword or musket.

I speak of those Windrush pilgrims, pioneers,

or simply call them followers of a dream

when dreams were coloured red white and blue.

But like the all-embracing breeze

that shows no concern

for the origin of a flag

let the heart learn

to fly its banner

without regard to colour

as moon and dark unite

within a single sky

On such a day

will black and white

raise a rum

to Windrush welcome

and a flag will open

out its fluttering arms

and this time round

the bard will say

This England, that was wont to conquer others

Hath made a glorious conquest of itself.

What Stephen Lawrence Has Taught Us (1998) Benjamin Zephaniah

We know who the killers are,

We have watched them strut before us

As proud as sick Mussolinis,

We have watched them strut before us

Compassionless and arrogant,

They paraded before us,

Like angels of death


Protected by the law.



It is now an open secret


Black people do not have

Chips on their shoulders,


They just have injustice on their backs


And justice on their minds,


And now we know that the road to liberty


Is as long as the road from slavery.

The death of Stephen Lawrence


Has taught us to love each other


And never to take the tedious task


Of waiting for a bus for granted.


Watching his parents watching the cover-up


Begs the question


What are the trading standards here?


Why are we paying for a police force


That will not work for us?

The death of Stephen Lawrence


Has taught us


That we cannot let the illusion of freedom

Endow us with a false sense of security as we walk the streets,

The whole world can now watch


The academics and the super cops

Struggling to define institutionalised racism


As we continue to die in custody


As we continue emptying our pockets on the pavements,


And we continue to ask ourselves


Why is it so official


That black people are so often killed


Without killers? 



We are not talking about war or revenge


We are not talking about hypothetics or possibilities,


We are talking about where we are now


We are talking about how we live now


In this state


Under this flag, (God Save the Queen),


And God save all those black children who want to grow up


And God save all the brothers and sisters


Who like raving,


Because the death of Stephen Lawrence


Has taught us that racism is easy when


You have friends in high places.


And friends in high places


Have no use whatsoever


When they are not your friends.

Dear Mr Condon, 


Pop out of Teletubby land,


And visit reality,


Come to an honest place


And get some advice from your neighbours,


Be enlightened by our community,


Neglect your well-paid ignorance


Because 


We know who the killers are.

So You Think I Am a Mule? (1984) Jackie Kay

"Where do you come from?"

"Im from Glasgow"

"Glasgow?"

"Uh huh.Glasgow"

The white face hesitates

the eyebrows raise

the mouth opens

then snaps shut

incredulous

yet too polite to say outright liar

she tries another manoeuvre

"And your parents?"

"Glasgow and Fife."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Oh?"

Snookered she wonders where she should go

from here-

"Ah, but you're not pure"

"Pure? Pure what.

Pure white? Ugh. What a plight

Pure? Sure I'm pure

I'm rare..."

"Well that's not exactly what I mean,

I mean...you're a mulatto, just look at..."

"listen. My original father was Nigerian

to help with your confusion

But hold on right there

If you Dare mutter mulatto hover around hybrid

hobble on half-caste

and intellactualize on the

'mixed race problem'

I have to tell you:

take your beauty eyes offa my skin;

don't concern yourself with

the 'dialetics of mixtures':

don't pull that strange blood crap

on me Great White Mother.

Say, Im no mating of a

she-ass and a stallion

no half of this and half of that

to put it plainly purely

I am Black

My blood flows evenly, powerfully

and when they shout 'Nigger'

and you shout shame

aint nobody debating my blackness.

You see that fine African nose of mine,

my lips, my hair, You see lady

Im not mixed up about it.

So take your questions, your interest,

your patronage. Run along.

Just leave me.

There's alot of us

Black women strugglin to define

just who we are

where we belong

and if we know no home

we know one thing:

we are Black

we're at home with that '

"Well that's all very well, but..."

"I know it's very well.

No But. Goodbye."

Roomseeker in London (1950s) James Berry

I saw him rapping her door

Field man of old empire stood

with that era he brought

She knew a man from sunny skies

She knew a bundle in arms

that walked with a hopeful mind

This then was the trial

Sugar man sighed

on outrage the lady effused

and she quickly bolted in

His knocks hurt both ways

Can two poles consummate

Sky and earth and blood?

The man wondered

How many more doors

would his gesture take?

Migrant in London (1950s) James Berry

Sand under we feet long time.

Sea divided for we, you know,

how we turned straggles to Mecca.

An’ in mi hangin’ drape style

I cross worl’ centre street, man.

An’ busy traffic hoot horns.

I see Big Ben strike

the mark of my king town.

Pigeons come perch on mi shoulder,

roun’ great Nelson feet.

I stan’ in the roar, man,

in a dream of wheels

a-vibrate shadows.

I feel how wheels hurry in wheels.

I whisper, man you mek it.

You arrive.

Then sudden like, quite loud I say,

‘Then whey you goin’ sleep tonight?’

Remember the Ship (1998) John Agard

As citizen

of the English tongue

I say remember

the ship

in citizenship

for language

is the baggage

we bring –

a weight

of words to ground

and give us wing –

as millennial waters

beckon wide

and love’s anchor

waiting to be cast

will the ghost of race

become the albatross

we shoot at our cost?

I’m here to navigate –

not flagellate

with a whip of the past

but again I say remember

the ship

in citizenship

for is not each member

of the human race –

a ship on two legs

charting life’s tidal

rise and fall

as the ship

of the sun

unloads its light

and the ship

of night

its cargo of stars

again I say remember

the ship

in citizenship

and diversity

shall sound its trumpet

outside the bigot’s wall

and citizenship shall be

a call

to kinship

that knows

no boundary

of skin

and the heart

offers its wide harbours

for Europe’s new voyage

to begin

In My Country (1993) Jackie Kay

walking by the waters

down where an honest river

shakes hands with the sea,

a woman passed round me

in a slow watchful cirlcle,

as if I were a superstition;

or the worst dregs of her imagination,

so when she finally spoke

her words spliced into bars

of an old wheel. A segment of air.

Where do you come from?

‘Here,’ I said, ‘Here. These parts.’

A Mugger’s Game (1984) E.A. Markham

Chase him down the alley

put him behind bars

in a basement and charge him rent.

Lambchops has potential

for violence. He’s faking,

says the Pig in the wig,

make him an example

of our collective self-defence.

Black them here stop them there

before they get too cheeky

too second-generation aware

and ape us overtake us

queuing up for houses they claim their fathers built.

They’re a problem so he’s a problem

A potential mugger

on a quiet English street,

so smash him smash him

or soon he’ll flash an education

and leave you crumpled in a heap.