Assignment on Anticommunism in God's Bits of Wood

Please read the following passages:

• p. 124: "'It is time... tell your husbands that.'"
• p. 125: "...'The people who are really responsible..., so I am told'."
• p. 184: "Lahbib... and that is all."

(In some editions there will be a page or 2-3 difference. In the oldest, Anchor PB edition, they are: 196; 198; 276.)

Anticommunism is not simply a "theme", but an ideology, that serves the interests of those who promote it and try to convince others of it.

In this way, it is like racism or sexism. These are all ideologies, or sets of false ideas that are used to promote the interests of those who promote it, while harming the interests of those at whom the ideologies are aimed.

Now examine how anti-communism is used as an ideology by the Imam and Dejean.

• Whose interest does the theme of anti-communism serve in this novel?
• Whom does anti-communism hurt?

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Written Assignment: Please write 350 words, more or less, discussing Sembene Ousmane's use of this theme as an ideology in the novel.

Email to your group, and to me.