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| Tété-Michel Kpomassie |
Kpomassie begins with an arresting account of his own childhood in Togo, where he lived in a community that still observed many of the traditional customs of its indigenous people; his account of being attacked by a python, which has to be addressed by a purification ceremony performed by a priestess of the Python cult, is harrowing. In a curious way, though, the depth of his own roots in his native culture were part of how and why he was able to relate to the Inuit people of Greenland. Both peoples had an ancient shamanistic tradition, and though both had encountered the western world of beliefs, still had to abide by what one Inuit shaman called "numerous and irksome taboos." Colonialism had touched but not yet despoiled Kopmassie's native land, but in Greenland, the Danes had been at work since the eighteenth century, and Greenlanders lived in a more throughly hybridized culture. Still, the situational awareness is similar: let's call it living on the edge.
What's most refreshing about Kpomassie's narrative, though, is that he writes as a person with complete confidence in his own perspective and culture; for him, Europeans are just another group of people in another place, whose customs are as curious and strange as his own might seem to them. He climbs, as it were, up the tree of these intertwined cultural and colonial histories, finding at the top the coconuts of understanding. He is both self-secure and unassuming, and the spirit of his curiosity is a welcome calling-card in every place in which he lands.
In the first half of the novel An African in Greenland, I was amazed at how determined Tete-Michel was to leave the traditional customs in Togo behind and move to the more modern society. He appeared to not believe in the traditions that were in his culture such as following his fathers’ orders to be given to the forest cult, or him getting bathed in cold water in the middle night when he was sick with a fever. He read in books about a more glorious place with Eskimos and I was amazed to see him just drop everything and leave. He did not even consider not going, he just left his family and that sounds a lot like Chris McCandless.
ReplyDeleteIt was also intriguing to find that he was not happy with what he found while traveling in the frigid Greenland and did not expect the Eskimo customs he encountered. He felt “…more and more disillusioned. Dancing and drinking were all [Eskimos] had in life. This was not the Greenland of [his] dreams. [He] wanted to live with seal hunters, ride in a sledge, sleep in an igloo! But apart from two kayaks, there were no seal hunters left in K’akortoq, not a single sledge, not a husky. And not one single igloo!” (Kpomassie 112). He was not expecting this image of Greenland and Eskimo life, which made me wonder why people have preconceptions about places when they travel, because more times than not they are disappointed. I wonder how many times people read about a place and decided to spend years and income going there, just to discover that it was nothing great. I guess that is the beauty of adventure?
Lastly, I wanted to discuss the image of teachers in Eskimo life because it connects to the profession that I am pursuing. Tete-Michel “…was impressed by the rapport between the Danish teachers and their pupils, who talked together quite freely. To get to know their pupils and understand them better, the teachers learned Eskimo in the evenings. Teachers and pupils were friends…” (Kpomassie 120). He was amazed at how close the teachers got to their students and how intimate their relationship was; however, they did not teach the students about the Eskimo culture, but rather just the European standards. Why didn’t they teach about Eskimo culture and history? Was Greenland a part of the European Union that required to teach modern standards and ways of life? This also had me thinking about what teacher were like in Tete-Michel’s Togo traditional culture. What did the teachers teach? Was he also only taught European standards?
Hi Megan, great post! I wanted to comment on your second section. Kpomassie was very young when he read the book about Greenland. He romanticized Greenland, and there was no hope of zero disappointment from the beginning. He anticipated being disappointed be the food after seeing an image of a boy eating raw meat without seasoning, but what he was truly disappointed by, like you say, the Eskimo way of life. He was not expecting their lives to be so influenced by the Europeans. What he was expecting(Huskies, seal hunters, hard workers, and igloos)was gone because the land had been in the process of colonization. With fishing boats, there was little use for huskies who now terrorized children due to malnutrition and lack of care. Most of the customs he was disappointed by came from the danes which I will talk about further in my post.
DeleteMadeleine Frost
ReplyDeleteThe first section of Kpomassie’s book reminded me so much of Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche’s “Tomorrow is Too Far” from her book “The Thing Around Your Neck.” This story describes how a group of children used to play in the fruit trees in Nigeria despite their grandmother’s warnings. She warns them that the echi eteka snake could bite them and its bite could kill them in ten minutes. Like Adiche’s story, Kpomassie describes how he “had reached the thinnest part of the trunk,” meaning the top area of the tree where it would be very dangerous for him to fall. It’s there, at the top of the tree that he spots “the gleaming neck of a snake that was furiously swaying its scaly head while its long, thin, forked tongue kept flickering nervously in and out” (18). Adiche and Kpomassie both describe instances where an individual crosses paths (or is warned about crossing paths) with a frightening snake. Comparisons aside, I found this section to be a very good way to open up his book. Recall that in this particular section, he describes how he “was the youngest of the three” (8). To me, autobiographies tend to be a bit dull in their narratives as many of them are structured as follows: childhood, young adulthood/adulthood crisis/issue, resolution. Kpomassie, on the other hand, opens his book with an exciting, though frightening, moment — perhaps he sets the tone of the novel and its structure with the opening sections of the novel, particularly the opening section.
Alexandra Ritacco
ReplyDeleteI was instantly intrigued by this story because throughout my life, exploration was consumed by the canon. The canon being the European explorer sailing the seas searching for "new land" when in fact it was a conquer quest. Personally, I feel as though Kpomassie's inner motive for exploration was pure and true whereas some expeditions had greedy motives with little respect to the people who already lived there. A quick note before I dig into the story itself, I find Tete-Michel Kpomassie's story much more digestable and accessible compared to a lot of the works we have been reading. I love his approach to reading a memoir. It is easy and flows pleasantly. I love reading, but struggle getting into dense text.
I found it interesting how on page 59, Kpomassie states that he "felt freer in France than on African soil". I find this incredibly ironic as primarily France and Britian colonized Africa, making their way to strip the African people of their culture, resources, and land. Then in France itself, he doesn't seem hostile or negatively recieved. This was a trend I noticed. For example, during WWII our black soldiers felt much more comfortable and free in the UK and France while both countries still abusded various countries throughout Africa. It is ironic because one would think those who were not white/european would not be well recieved in countries that abused African and Asian countries.
I also appreciate how his memoir flips the switch. Most eurocentric books dealing with exploration have some point in describing foreign civilizations. More often than not they are non-white people. I appreciate Kpomassie's initial reactions to this new "civilization" as he calls it. Dr. Potter touches on Kpomassie's reaction to people in the blog post above, and I can agree with that point and it is something I really appreciate, admire, and respect about Kpomassie. It makes his journey all that more humbling and pure. I feel his journey is the true definition of exploration.
what I like about this story so far, is that a book Kpomassie read as a teen inspired his journey and his persistence to venture to Greenland. I think we can all reminisce on hopes and dreams we had as children that we likely gave up on for one reason or another ( become astronauts or even exploring the world). I love the idea that Kpomassie didn't give up on his childhood dream - he chased it with determination and I find his story to be inspiring.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I’ve read of this text so far, I’m enjoying Kpomassie’s story immensely. Kpomassie’s joy and curiosity are contagious, and I find his perspective refreshing. His motivation to go to Greenland is striking, and it’s amazing that he got the idea in his head that he would go there and see it, and he just went for it. With the way he writes, too, I feel like I’m there experiencing things with him. As he learns new things and learns of the customs, traditions, and general ways of life in Greenland, his natural curiosity shines, and I particularly like when he really gets into what he’s writing. At the end of a paragraph about his arrival in Greenland, he writes, “All stood silently watching the ship, which, after an eight-day voyage...was at last arriving in their village, bringing so many long-awaited goods, especially--yes, especially--coffee, tobacco, and alcohol! But I mustn’t get ahead of my story” (81). I found moments like this one endearing because his enthusiasm comes through so strongly in the text. As a reader, it makes me excited to continue reading his story and learning about his experiences because he’s so excited to share them in the text. I can’t wait to see where Kpomassie’s story goes, especially because this is his dream journey.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading “An African in Greenland” I really enjoyed how Kpomassie was a young boy/teenager who found the book about Greenland and wanted to travel there. What I liked the most about that is he actually went to the North to get to the country he always wanted to go to. Especially being a teenager sometimes things excite them and in passing read something and say they want to go there but never do. But in the case Kpomassie was willing to do so no matter what obstacles came his way.
ReplyDeleteSomething I also discovered so far in this book is that it really doesn’t compare to the other readings we have done in this class. (Of course I haven’t read fully into it yet) but what I have read so far is that Kpomassie seems to really know what he wants, seems very intelligent, and has a plan planned out. In other stories we have read the characters don’t really have a plan or they have one but know it will turn out to not work. Which makes them not so intelligent.
I disagree with the statement: “most unlike Hall, he worked his way north, arriving not as some sort of elevated figure, but as a common man in search of the company of ordinary people”. Kpomassie and Hall both worked their way to the Arctic, but through very different means. While it is true that Kpomassie worked at various embassies and factories for eight years to slowly pay his way, it is not as if Hall had loads of money either. Hall, like Kpomassie, was always searching for work as well whether through seal making and editorials in his newspaper. Hall had to fund his Arctic excursions through a variety of avenues (mainly through lectures and the exploitation of “Joe” and “Hannah” for the public’s amusement). Also, I do not think that Hall is or was considered as a sort of elevated figure. Most people seemed to regard him as strange and eccentric. If anything, Hall would be more like a long-lost Ringling Brother than an explorer held in high esteem.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do agree with the idea that Kpomassie presented himself as “a common man in search of the company of ordinary people”. While Kpomassie wants to become one of the Inuit, Hall wants to study them to better learn how to survive in the Arctic. Hall’s view is more self-serving than Kpomassie as Hall is looking to use knowledge, Kpomassie is looking to start a new life. Overall, I agree with what Megan K. said about Kpomassie embodying similar traits as Chris McCandless as I think that his journey and reasons for leaving his home are closer to McCandless than to Hall.
That's a thoughtful response, Tim. I agree that Hall did have to "work," although I think it's significant that his labors were more of the direct-fundraising variety, rather than wage labor. In the case of Hannah and Joe and their child, one might even say they ended up doing some of the work for him!
DeleteKpomassie is quite different from the other explorers we have read about. Instead of arriving on new land and expecting to be a "savior" of the indigenous people, he wants to live as the Inuit people live. Kpomassie has a very open and accepting attitude throughout his journey. He is not looking to make living "better" for the people: He has come to enjoy the experience.
ReplyDeleteSomething else that separates Kpomassie from the other explorers of the north is his preparation. He learns the local language which shows that he does not feel superior to the Inuit people, but equal. He prepared to adapt to the Inuit peoples' ways.
Kpomassie was, however, sometimes disappointed at his experience in Greenland. The food was rarely satisfying, he was disheartened by the condition of the huskies, and he was uncomfortable by the fluid relationships of the locals. While his experience in Greenland was not what he expected at all times, he was respectful, accepted help, and enjoyed his time in Greenland.
I found An African in Greenland quite interesting. The traditions Kpomassie talks about are very different from the ones we know here. When he gets to Greenland, he talks about how they keep their doors unlocked and people walk into each other’s homes unannounced. There is a scene in the book where he wakes up with a stranger in his face. When he informs his hosts about the incident, he mentions how they do not seem surprised at all and aren’t worried about it. Another thing I found interesting is how welcoming everyone is to let Kpomassie stay in their homes. As we discussed in class, if we had a stranger come ask to live with us, the majority of us would say no. One other thing Kpomassie talks about is the food he eats while in Greenland. A lot of times they eat things raw. “She slid her hand into the stomach. delved expertly using only her sense of touch, and tore out bites of the lungs and then the liver, which we ate raw” (Kpomassie 208-209). What I like about Kpomassie is that when he read about Greenland, he knew he had to go and he did. I know I talk about doing things and never get to them but I really admired how he made sure he got there.
ReplyDeleteTo me, An African in Greenland definitely was an interesting take on the idea of exploration and a departure from the usual stories we were reading I class up until now. For one, Kpomassie is a very different kind of explorer to that of, say Hall. He searches for these places to see them purely because he wants to. There is no greater purpose other than just to experience something he has always wanted to feel.
ReplyDeleteI can also relate this viewpoint of going places on one's own merit and seeing a place they have always wanted to be. There is a form of satisfaction that this story presents that I just do not get from other explorers or their stories.
Not to mention, Kpomassise treats the Inuit people as his equals and more often than not follows their examples and customs go properly respect them This is a far cry from Hall, or his contemporaries who treat them as far below their standards.
Kpomassie's journey to the Artic stood out probably the most compared to the other readings in my opinion. At first glance, his story seemed to resonate with McCandless, following suit with a journey to a new place with no experience. However, I found Kpomassie's to be a much more refreshing take. He was much more ambitious/ motivated. Kpomassie ,although not a traveler/explorer of the Artic, at the very least did his research and tried to become more educated on the place he was traveling to. The thing that stood out the most to me about his piece was how he went to a place foreign to him/ culture and turned out being the person who was the foreigner. Kpomassie set out to explore a culture different than his own. While the Inuit culture he experienced as he traveled north was different than the Python cult of his own culture, he was able to relate to the ancient shamanistic ideals of their culture/traditions.
ReplyDeleteThe question of who is exotic/being explored I think would probably be Kpomassie, as he was the first African man with dark skin they had ever seen. In terms of culture being explored I would say Kpomassie was definitely experience a world unlike his own in Greenland and all of the North he explored. As we know he was far from the tropical type life he was used to. I suppose his drive to explore the Inuit's could relate similarly to Francis Hall. Kpomassie was drawn to the Northern life of the Inuit people and became close to them as Hall did. His respect for their hybrid culture being similar to the Taboos of his own, I would say, makes Kpomassie's story much more compelling than Hall's. Kpomassie escaped a cult in his own village and life style that was dangerous to him to innocently explore the North that he was intrigued by. His ambition in my opinion is unlike like Hall's selfish escape from his family, and McCandless's unprepared trip. This piece was truly inspiring as Kpomassie took all of the necessary steps to prepare himself for the new lifestyle he would experience and explained to us what that meant for him.
Kpomassie's dream, since childhood, was to visit Greenland, so to see him accomplish this dream fulfills me, on a personal level. Anyone who is able to achieve their own childhood dreams, I believe, is a success in life (barring natural exceptions). Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to write. Over the course of my life, I've found different ways to create art out of my writing, but I doubt it'll ever amount to anything significant in other peoples' lives. Regardless, I'll continue to write.
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