Assignment on Thematic Study of the poem 'You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed' by Gabriel Okara.
Name: Nirali Dabhi
Roll number: 13
Enrollment Number: 4069206420220006
Sem: 4
Paper number: 206
Paper Code: 22413
Paper Name: African Literature
Topic: Thematic Study of the poem 'You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed' by Gabriel Okara.
Submitted to: Smt S.B. Gardi, Department of English, M.K.B.U
Email: niralidabhi95@gmail.com
Introduction
"You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed" by Gabriel Okara is a poignant exploration of the enduring themes of racism, cultural conflict, and colonial oppression. Through his evocative imagery and poignant symbolism, Okara paints a vivid picture of the disdainful laughter directed towards African culture and identity by Western colonizers.
The laughter of the Westerners symbolizes not only their sense of racial superiority but also their ignorance and arrogance in the face of African culture. The poem serves as a powerful critique of racism and imperialism, shedding light on the pervasive injustice and inequality perpetuated by colonial powers. Through "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed," Okara calls attention to the importance of preserving African identity and heritage in the face of external pressures and discrimination, urging readers to challenge the oppressive forces of colonialism and embrace cultural diversity and equality.
What is a Theme?
The theme, as defined by both the Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionaries, encapsulates the essence of a piece of art, literature, or any creative endeavor.
It serves as the guiding principle, the central nucleus around which all elements orbit. Much like the gravitational force that shapes celestial bodies, theme exerts its influence, shaping characters, plots, and settings, and infusing them with depth and meaning.
Themes are the silent architects of narratives, weaving together disparate threads into a cohesive tapestry of ideas and emotions. They transcend the boundaries of time and culture, speaking to universal truths and human experiences. Themes are the whispers of wisdom, the echoes of shared humanity, and the ever-present companions on the journey of creative expression.
About Gabriel Okara
Through vivid imagery, potent symbolism, and themes that resonated with the historical and cultural milieu of Africa, Okara crafted works that spoke to the hearts and minds of readers across the continent and beyond.
His debut novel, "The Voice," published in 1964, stands as a cornerstone of African literature, offering a poignant exploration of identity, colonialism, and the clash of cultures. Additionally, his collections of poetry, such as "The Fisherman's Invocation" and "Piano and Drums," further showcased his mastery of language and his commitment to preserving African heritage. Gabriel Okara passed away in 2019, his legacy endures through his writings and the generations of African writers whom he inspired.
About Poem 'You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed'
"You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed" indeed stands as a powerful indictment of Western superiority and the accompanying racism that pervades it. Through Okara's skillful use of imagery and poetic devices, the poem exposes the hollowness of Western culture's obsession with material wealth and status, juxtaposing it with the richness of African communal values. The theme of racism is starkly depicted as the poem unveils the arrogance and shallowness of Westerners who derive their sense of superiority from their possessions.
The poem also explores themes such as cultural conflict, modernism, colonialism, and nationalism. Okara suggests that the Western culture has been imposed on African societies through colonialism, leading to a clash of cultural values. The poem portrays the modern Western culture as shallow and devoid of real human connections, while the traditional African culture is characterized by a sense of community and interconnectedness. "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed" serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of valuing genuine human connection over superficial markers of success. Through Okara's masterful craftsmanship, the poem challenges us to reevaluate our priorities and embrace the richness of communal relationships, transcending the shallow trappings of Western materialism.
Themes in the poem
1) Racism -
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Racism is a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. As per the information given in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The word "racism" comes from the root word "race" combined with the suffix "-ism," which means a belief or doctrine.
The poem is all about the pain and suffering of black people as colonized by white colonizers. In the poem, the poet says that whites laugh on African people's walk, dance, and songs, inside that is a sarcastic laugh on their existence. White people think that their culture, songs, dance, manners, and behavior are superior, and the rest are inferior, for example African people. Not only in Africa but in each country that Britishers colonized, they made them believe that they are superior and others are inferior. They thought themselves superior because they believe that they have white skin because god made them from their own skin while colonized people were black and brown because they were burned in the fire of hell. Racism is one of the most prominent theme of the poem.
The laughter directed towards the speaker is rooted in racism, as it is based on the Westerners' belief in their own racial superiority and the inferiority of Africans. For example, in the second stanza, the speaker describes how his "ante-natal walk" is seen as "inhuman" by the Westerners, indicating a belief in racial superiority. The Westerners' laughter at the speaker's walk is also an expression of their racist beliefs. Similarly, in the first stanza, the Westerners laugh at the speaker's song, which they see as a misfiring motor car. This imagery suggests that the Westerners view African culture as primitive and inferior to their own.
The speaker's laughter is described as "the fire of the eye of the sky, the fire of the earth, the fire of the air, the fire of the seas and the rivers, fishes, animals, trees."This imagery suggests that the speaker's laughter is a powerful force that is deeply connected to the natural world and to the speaker's culture. He wrote that,
My laughter is the fire
of the eye of the sky, the fire
of the earth, the fire of the air,
the fie of the seas and the
rivers fishes animals trees
So,Gabriel Okara's poem "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed" highlights the theme of racism and the superiority complex that Westerners held towards Africans. Through the speaker's laughter, Okara shows that the power dynamics between the two cultures can be subverted and that African culture and identity can be celebrated and respected.
2) Cultural Conflict -
The poem is written by an African poet Gabriel Okara. Africa was one of the colonized countries like Asian countries. In this poem we feel the suffering of African people and humiliation of western people on African people. Both western people and African culture has big cultural conflicts. They have cultural differences along with geographical differences. African people are close to nature and live within nature, the jungle and others. But Western people are portrayed as more materialistic.
African culture - Close to nature.
Western culture - Materialistic
There are conflicts of superior and inferior among Western and African people. British people think themselves superior for their white complexion and think others inferior because they are black. And though African people are inferior, everything that belongs to African Culture / people is inferior and disgusting for them. For example here in poem we find lines like,
You laughed at my song, you laughed at my walk.
You laughed at my dance, you laughed at my inside. You laughed and laughed and laughed.
Here, the laughter of British people is satirical or we can say disgustful laughter on African Culture and people. In another case we find Gabriel Okara defending his people and his culture but somewhere he became judgemental. He expects Western to don't judge African culture but He himself judges Western culture by saying that they are materialistic and their laughter is ice-block laughter, while their laughter is more pure and not ice-block laughter. In this judgement we find the unacceptable behavior of western towards Africans. This is how we find cultural conflict in this poem by comparing Laughter of Western people and African people.
In the third stanza, the speaker pleads with the Westerners to understand his magic dance, which is performed to the rhythm of talking drums. However, the Westerners shut their eyes and continue to laugh, indicating a lack of willingness to engage with the speaker's culture. The conflict is further emphasized in the fifth stanza, where the speaker describes how he opens his "mystic inside wide like the sky," but the Westerners still choose to laugh and ignore him. These show cultural conflict indicated by the Poet.
3) Modernism -
Gabriel Okara's poem "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed" also touches on the theme of modernism. The poem explores the clash between traditional African culture and modern Western culture. The speaker represents traditional African culture, while the Westerners represent the modern world that has invaded and disrupted it.
In this poem modernism Shawn through use of 'Motor Car'. The line we found is,
In your ears my song is motor car misfiring stopping with a choking cough; and you laughed and laughed and laughed.
This is the very first line of the poem in which the poet says that their songs are like 'motor car misfiring stopping with a choking cough', motor car here is not only symbolism of modernity but also of Luxurious lifestyle of Western people. African people are more close to nature and follow traditional lifestyles, like dancing, singing for entertainment. while Western people are More Modern and use luxuries for their Amenability.
For instance, in the first stanza, the speaker describes his song as a "motor car misfiring stopping with a choking cough." This metaphorical description of his song suggests a struggle to reconcile traditional African culture with the new modern world. Similarly, in the second stanza, the speaker describes his "ante-natal walk" as inhuman, which could be interpreted as a critique of the dehumanizing effects of modernization on traditional African life.
The Westerners' laughter in the poem can be seen as a manifestation of their modernist perspective, as they dismiss the speaker's culture as inferior and outdated. This is seen in the fourth stanza, where the Westerners mock the speaker's magic dance, which is rooted in traditional African culture.
The resolution of the conflict between the speaker and the Westerners is also related to the theme of modernism. The speaker's laughter, which thaws the frozen insides of the Westerners, represents the power of traditional African culture to overcome the coldness and indifference of the modern world. At last, the speaker's attempt to make the Westerners understand his culture, and the resolution of the conflict through laughter, suggest that traditional African culture has the potential to overcome the dehumanising effects of modernism.
4) Colonialism -
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Colonialism is a domination of a people or area by a foreign state or nation : the practice of extending and maintaining a nation's political and economic control over another people or area.
The poem is written by African poet Gabriel Okara representing his nation's culture and his people's suffering as a colonized country. The poem suggests how Colonizers make colonized people inferior for having black complexion. Also they thought themselves superior because they believe that they have white skin because god made them from their own skin while colonized people were black and brown because they were burned in the fire of hell. By making colonized people believe this, they Sepulchralize colonized people.
Also here in the poem 'Laughing' by Western people is like mental torture. They laugh at African culture, their people's dance, song, walk, inside etc that make them feel inferior. Okara says that,
'your laughter was ice-block laughter'.
In the lines "In your eyes my ante-natal walk was inhuman, passing your 'omnivorous understanding'," Okara shows how the Western colonizers considered their own cultural practices and beliefs as superior, while deeming those of the African people as inhuman and primitive. This reflects the idea of the "white man's burden", where the colonizers believed they had a responsibility to civilize the "uncivilized" African people.
The lines "Then I danced my magic dance to the rhythm of talking drums pleading, but you shut your eyes and laughed and laughed and laughed" indicate how the colonizers refused to acknowledge and appreciate the African culture and traditions, instead finding them humorous and inferior. The African people were forced to abandon their cultural practices and assimilate into the Western way of life.
5) Nationalism -
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, Nationalism is a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups.
Western culture is industrial. Being close to nature represents African nationality in this poem. The poem lines like,
fire of the eye of the sky, the fire of the earth, the fire of the air, the fie of the seas and the rivers fishes animals trees and it thawed your inside
In these lines we find use of many natural sources like the sea, eyes of the sky, the Sun, fire, air, rivers, fishes, animals, trees etc. These all natural sources represent how African people are very close to nature and nature is representative of African culture. Also we find references to ancient people and the nature of Africa in the poem. Here is the line indicating it,
Smeek wonder held your shadow aand you whispered; "Why so?" And I answered: "Because my fathers and I are owned by the living warmth of the earth through our naked feet."
Also in the poem we find reference to 'Magic Dance', which reflects the superstitious nature of African People.
Conclusion
Gabriel Okara's poem "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed" explores themes of cultural conflict, modernism, colonialism, nationalism, and racism. Through satire and irony, Okara critiques Western attitudes towards African culture, depicting the frustration and alienation experienced by Africans under colonial dominance. The poem serves as a rallying cry for the recognition and celebration of African heritage, while also highlighting the enduring struggle against oppression.
Work Cited
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Gabriel Okara". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Mar. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gabriel-Okara.
“Colonialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com dictionary/colonialism.
Gabriel , Okara. “You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed by Gabriel Okara.” Pick Me Up Poetry, Pick Me Up Poetry, 2 Apr. 2022, https://pickmeuppoetry.org/you-laughed-and-laughed-and-laughed-by-gabriel-okara/.
“Modernism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/ dictionary/modernism.
“Racism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism.
"Race." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by Edward N. Zalta, Stanford University, 2021, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/race/.
“Theme.” Literary Terms, 2023, https://literaryterms.net/theme/.
“Theme.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theme.
Word Count:- 2574
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