Chapter Critique in Afro-Asian Literature

Critique Paper on Afro-Asian Literature
Date: December 27, 2014
Submitted by: Jermaine L. Dela Cruz  
Submitted to: Prof. Regie Amamio 

The Voice Within: The Importance of Recognizing One’s Individuality

“Got to find yourself alone in this world
You’ve got to find yourself alone in this world.”
-“Oceans”, written by Chris Martin (Coldplay)

             How important is one’s recognition of his or her individuality?

           Individuality is a word seldom heard but more often sought. Many people experience a struggle to find their individuality without them realizing it is all in their perspective to recognize and exercise what they already have since the beginning of their life.

          The song “Oceans” by Chris Martin has different interpretations but one interpretation relevant to the importance of individuality being talked about in “A Day Off” written by Anthony M. Hokororo is self-determination, or the power or ability to make a decision for oneself without influence from outside. If there is song which has the similar message with Martin’s lyrics is Christina Aguillera’s “The Voice Within” particularly the lyrics,

“When there’s no one else,

Look inside yourself…

Then you’ll find your strength

That will guide yourself

If you will learn to begin

To trust the voice within.”

       Coldplay’s song and the latter expresses similar idea about individuality: It is a matter of self-determination.

           What is individuality in the first place?

       Individuality, based on the description above, refers to thee total character peculiar to and distinguishing an individual from others. No one is born the same. Each has been “engineered” by the Creator with a unique set of DNA which makes every living creature special. In other words, individuality makes us alive, human. People who used to recognize their individuality but were caught in a situation which led them to lose it are often those who were treated poorly that they have lost trust upon themselves. They have seen themselves as inferior to others. They have grown to become dependent, submissive upon the strong, the superior.

                 

     People such as Africans of long time ago and even housewives, as Hokororo’s “A Day Off” exhibits, were caught up in a situation where turning back or running away was too difficult. African people were caught and used as slaves and even sold out as commodity by Western people have lost their own identity as human being. They have lost their right for self-determination. Someone was transformed into Something as a slave was sold and bought, transferred from one owner to another, treated worse than animals. Without those who recognized their individuality and fought for their rights, slavery wouldn't have ended.

    A housewife, once tied into a bondage with her husband, is opt to submit herself unto him, showing man’s superiority over her. In a patriarchal society, a woman such as Zale has been facing her obligations to her husband from morning to night which is bound to last for years. Of course she loves her husband, but marriage does not stand with love alone. Each of the couple must be emotionally stable and maintain that stability for many years. For three years of their marriage, Zale’s interest has been purely domestic and Abdu has been accepting unthinkingly what was done for him thus she has decided, with the magazine’s help, to take a day off to do what she wanted to do and see what she wanted to see although at first she was not sure what she wanted to do or see.

“Behind the walls…

I’m trying to change…

I’m ready for a change

Meet under the blue sky

Meet me again.”

-“Oceans”, written by Chris Martin (Coldplay)

     

     “She [Zale] smiled to herself, feeling suddenly older and wiser than he [Abdu], for she had done what she had always wanted to do and what she had not had the courage to do before, and now, he had confirmed a fundamental truth about husbands.”             

    Upon Zale’s return, it seems that her absence made Abdu’s heart grow fonder which was a good sign that their relationship would grow become better. This proves that for a relationship to become better, it is a “two-become-one-becomes-two” for recognizing one’s individuality to grow and share that growth to other people around him or her. To become happy with someone is to learn to become happy alone. That way, the company will be matter of choice and not necessity.

   Individuality is a matter of self-determination. To recognize that individuality all that one needs to do is to listen and trust the voice within.