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“Brothers Are the Same”. Short Story by Beryl Markham. A Warrior People.
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“Brothers Are the Same” Short Story by Beryl Markham
A Warrior People This story is set in the eastern part of Africa, on the vast grassland known as the Serengeti Plain. Alongside rises snow-covered Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak. The Serengeti is home to many of Africa’s most magnificent animals – wildebeests, gazelles, zebras, and lions. The Serengeti is also home to the nomadic, cattle-raising Masai people. For more than 200 years, the Masai sustained a warrior culture, which allowed them a great degree of independence from the European colonization that rocked Africa. At the time the story is set, one of their greatest enemies was the lion, who threatened their herds of cattle.
Focus Your Reading Characters in Conflict: Often, one of the major conflicts faced by a character in a work of fiction will be the actions or attitudes of another character (man vs. man). For example, in the story you are about to read, Temas is in conflict with Medoto: “It was surely Medoto who would spread the word – Medoto who would surely cry Coward!..if he could”.
Recognizing Cultural Influences “Brothers Are the Same” takes place among the Masai, a people of eastern Africa. To appreciate a story set in a culture you are not familiar with, you need to interpret event from the perspective of that culture. As you read this story, take notes (to put in your writing folder) in which the Masai culture strikes you as different from your own. Explain briefly in your note taking how you think these differences might affect the characters or your understanding of them.
Explanatory Essay: Michel Montaigne wrote that, “The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to ourselves.” After reading the short stories, “Through the Tunnel”, and “Brothers are the Same” examine the texts to determine how both authors conveyed the similar theme. Discuss how the theme is approached differently by each author. What character traits did each protagonist need to develop in order to achieve their own identity? You must include evidence from both texts in your essay. Find evidence to support your answers and put this documentation in your writing folder.
Vocabulary to use and understand for your first writing assignment for Unit 2 • mettle: character; spirit • marauding: raiding; taking by force • contempt: scorn; hate • specter: haunting; disturbing image • escarpment: a steep slope or cliff • shuka: a loose, flowing Masai garment • manyatta: a Masai camp • boma: the wall around a Masai camp • ever-questing: always seeking or searching • interminable: being or seeming to be without end; endless • improbable: unlikely to take place or be true • regal: of or pertaining to a monarch; royal • intimate: closely acquainted; familiar • sluggard ally: a slow acting helper • paens: cheers; joyful exclamation • accolade: praise or other sign of respect
Vocabulary cont. 17. vanquished: defeated or conquered in battle 18. incredulity: disbelief