Religious aspects to Rastafarism

In the 1920’s, the people living in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica had little to celebrate or look forward to. They lived in grinding poverty and felt that their culture was being destroyed by white imperialism. A man named Marcus Garvey changed that when he began to preach a new philosophy called “Back to Africa.” This black self-empowerment movement taught that all blacks should move back to the home of their ancestors—Africa, but even more specifically, Ethiopa. “Look to Africa,” Garvey proclaimed in 1920, “where a black man shall be crowned king, for the day of deliverance is at hand!”

In the beginning, Rastafarianism was much more radical than it is today. Early Rastas despised white people and taught that their culture was “Babylon”—impure, greedy, and avaricious. However, in later years, the prophet Gad, with his Twelve Tribes of Israel movement, included all men, of whatever race, in salvation. Whites can never be Rasta leaders, though, because the divine lineage comes down through the Ethiopian Monarchy: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from beneath his feet, until Shiloh comes and unto him will be the gathering of the people.

Rasta culture has only grown stronger in the years since Selassie’s death, however. A major proponent of Rastafarianism in the Sixties and Seventies was Bob Marley. First with his band the Wailers and then in his solo career, this talented musician became for many the voice of Jamaica and was the first Jamaican superstar. The music of Rastafarianism was at first ska, which then mutated into reggae. Reggae music has been used for the last four decades to express the joy of Jah and Rasta and also to protest the injustices the Jamaican people have had to endure.

The average Rastafarian eats a diet of I-tal food. I-tal food is natural food that has not been preserved or chemically altered in any way. Most Rastafarians are vegetarians, though they do eat fish. Even those who do eat meat never touch pork. Alcohol is forbidden, and coffee and salt are strongly discouraged. A diet of vegetables, fruits, and seeds is considered one that will keep impurities out of the body and ward off sickness.

The most controversial aspect of Rastafarianism is probably the fact that its adherents smoke “ganga” for religious purposes. The “herb” that they smoke is an Indian strain of hemp, as opposed to the Mexican variety that is familiar in the United States. This Indian strain is much stronger, causing hallucinations and spiritual visions, and Rastafarians believe that they become one with Jah when they smoke it. This habit has always caused a lot of friction between Jamaican authorities and the followers of Rasta.

Some Rastafarians can be recognized by the long “dreadlocks” they sport. These dreadlocks represent the Lion of Judah, or Rastafarian manhood. They also speak a distinct form of the English language. Instead of saying, “you and I,” a Rastafarian will often say, “I and I,” for he truly believes that all men are one.

What Critics say about the book Brother Man.

Brother Man is a classic fiction which tells the story about a Rastafarian healer whose from the slums of Kingston, Jamaica. In the novel he’s caught up in serious situation and betrayal. Brother Man represents the first serious treatment of Rastafarianism in fiction by any writer. In addition the novel creates the claustrophobia of ghetto by rarely leaving the walls of the small rooms   in the community or the walled in yards where people live in close headquarters. Also in the novel brother man makes a speech that seeks to articulate the basic tenet of the Rastafarian faith.  Ensurely brother man is the unforgettable portrait of a ghetto-saint an ordinary man selected by the universe to bring enlightenment to poor belittled people. It’s the story of compelling mythic power that has stood the test of time.

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literary terms

novel-is a long fiction almost always concentrating on character and incident and usually containg a plot.

novellas- applied to a story somewhat longer than a short story, but not long enough to be considered a novel.

short stories- a short prose fiction which concentrate on a few character or often 1 single character which lacks a complicated plot and liesurely description.

narrative technique- this is smply the technique in having a narrative skills,styles,of writing used by the author.

point of view- refers to the way inwhich a narrator approches his or her material( characters, action, setting and audience.

characterisation- the way inwhich the writer creates characters in a play or novel. either attract or repel our sympathy

setting- the time,place,eviroment and surroundings, circumctsances of event,story or play.

Theme- the abstract of a work. its central idea or ideas,which may or may not be explicit or obvious

plot- the arrangement or plan of incidents literary work (novels ,drama ,play)

style- the characteristic manner in which a writer ezpresses himor herself or the particular manner of an individual literary.

imagery- vivid description of an object or a scene

symbol-is something that represents something else

irony- adevice wher by the apprent maening of phrase or passage is different from the meaning it is really intended to convey.

satire- use of irony,ridicule sacasm

allusion- indirect reference

stream of consciousness- acommon narrative technique in the modern novel.an attempt to convey all the contents of characters mind feelings, mind,and thought.

interior monologue- an attempt to convey in words the process of conciousness or thought .

flashback- a term borrow from flims. a sudden jump backwards in time to an early episode or scene in a novel,story,play or flim.

forshadowing- the use of hints that suggest events that are to come.

timeframe-a period for when something is about to take place.

motif- some aspect of literature which reoccurs frequently.

juxtaposition- is the side by side or close togather.