Nothings Changed

Nothings Changed

In ‘nothings changed’ Afrika describes the cultural difference between

coloured people and whites. He represents this by using many different

poetic techniques, he does this by emphasising that there is a

cultural difference between them, he shows this by using a small

village in Africa called District six.

The Title of the poem suggests that when the whites destroyed District

six and built a new village, for coloured and whites to mix, it did

not work. He shows this with the feeling of being unwelcome, in the

village that used to be his home when he was a child. In this poem the

cultures are divided because of wealth and power.

In stanza 1, Afrika clearly builds up a sense of his anger at the

continuing injustice. As he walks through District six, once so

familiar to him, he feels an outsider. He begins his poem with short

monosyllabic words, ‘small round stones’, which adds a feeling of

sharpness to the tone which suggests his anger. In addition, the

onomatopoeia word ‘click’ emphasises his anger because of his sharp

aggressive ‘ck’ sound. Secondly he begins to use harsh and aggressive

words, for example the word ‘thrust’ is a very harsh and unwelcome

word, and it sounds very violent and aggressive. In this poem Afrika

uses the symbol of “weeds” as the weeds are unwelcome, the weeds and

Afrika are similar because they are unwelcome as they are both

outsiders.

Afrika’s hatred for what he believes it continually discriminated,

this it shown as a symbol with the ‘whites only inn’, Afrika uses a

word ‘brash’ which shows his vulgar, garnish and ostentations into

appearance. Also alliteration is used in ‘guards at the gatepost’ with

its aggressive ‘g’ sound, to reveal how intimidating it feels.

Secondly there is a sense of unwelcome ness this is symbolised with

the imported trees, menus and luxury foods; additionally there is

repetition of the word ‘glass’ this symbolises a barrier physical and

psychological as he is not allowed in.

In the poem ‘nothings changed’, Afrika compares the working-mans cafe

to the up-market restaurant. He compares the imported trees, menu, to

the cheap and basic cafe, this is shown by when he says ‘we know where

we belong’, and this says that he knows that he can’t go into the

up-market restaurant because of laws and feels that he doesn’t fit in

there. Also in this stanza there is also a symbol ‘it’s in the bone’,

this symbolises that his culture is inside like it is imbedded inside

him, he also shows this by saying ‘wipe your fingers on your jeans’ it