Often in post-colonial South African literature the traumas of the past come to surface in the present. This dynamic between the past and the present not only demonstrates the magnitude of the past, but also shapes the possibilities of the future. These moments are often captured through an explosive, apocalyptic lens which is reflective of death and the violent trauma of the past. The Restless Supermarket by Ivan Vladislavic and Thirteen Cents by K. Sello Duiker showcase these destructive moments in which the past emerges into the present in order for foundational change to occur. Ultimately, these moments of transition from the destruction and violence of the past toward the newness and possibility of the future are not limited to the …show more content…
The protagonist Azure, who turns thirteen years old in the novel, is representative of youth, newness, and potential in regard to the future in a world where, “The old is dying and the new cannot be born”. Gramsci’s words illustrate the cusp of change which South Africa sits on; a space where the ‘old’ and past are no longer existing yet no new change has occurred. This waiting period of tension and advancement toward change is reflected by Duiker throughout the novel as Azure grows up as an orphan in what seems to be a stagnant society dependent on and reflective of the past. Azure’s violent life ridden with child sex trafficking and the death of his parents shatters the illusion that the past of South African oppression has been reconciled and that societal change has occurred. A moment which demonstrates the magnitude of the past occurs after Azure escapes the city and finds refuge in the mountains and his world combusts in an apocalyptic manner. While the world is crumbling around Azure, he remains a figure of newness, repeating to himself, “My mother is dead. My father is dead”(Duiker, 189), as he hears a, “booming explosion below that shakes the mountain” (Duiker, 189). The repetition of the death of Azure’s parents is demonstrative of the end of the ‘old’, as well as a time for the new, as suggested by Gordimer. The repetition also illustrates Azure’s way of dealing with the past; his need to constantly acknowledge his parent’s death suggests that the past cannot be repressed nor forgotten. While objects pile up to physically manifest the past in “The Proofreader’s Derby”, Azure’s traumatic memories accumulate emotionally, demonstrating not only that the past can be manifested and interpreted through different mediums, but also illustrating the privilege of each
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) came into being more than eight decades ago when several independent retailers decided that the power of a cooperative far outweighed the influence of any one individual retail grocer. AWG provides distributor services to independent grocers in over 30 states with nine distribution centers throughout the South and Southeast regions of the country. In addition to their wholesale foods department, AWG offers a myriad of services from new store design, construction, marketing, product placement and “world class” logistical consultation (cite 11). AWG faces many of the same logistical challenges that other similar wholesalers face to include rising fuel costs, inclement weather, stringent timelines and an ever evolving need for stringent quality. One method to exploit a business’s positive and negative attributes is through the use of a Strength-Weakness-Opportunity-Threat analysis, or SWOT analysis (Cite 11). If used correctly, the analysis results can give insight into potential market areas of expansion and expose vulnerabilities to senior leadership so that they can be mitigated. AWG looks at its Supply Chain Management (SCM) as an integral part of its core business offering multiple services such as logistics to new co-op members. The team members of AWG are positioning themselves for sustainable success, now and in the future.
To create a sound piece of writing it is imperative to develop skills that make the piece both enjoyable and understandable to the reader. By doing so we become academic writers who acknowledge the importance of careful and concise writing. The piece of writing that I found best exemplifies an academic piece in its use of Craft tips is “The Supermarket: Prime Real Estate”, by Nestle. I believe this because of its meta-commentary, outstanding framework while quoting, and use of transitional phrases. This particular essay pulls together ideas about a modest subject, the grocery store and its’ setup, in a way that is intriguing to the reader by the expansion of simple ideas,
The recall of the memory is with great certainty, giving the tone an air of extreme bliss, the very childlike imagination that Walcott wants to portray. The elevated diction employed, conversely, seeks to remind the reader that it is a flashback from an aged perspective. This, at further lengths, portrays “XIV” as more than just a poem recounting an escapade of two brothers, but that it is the speaker reminiscing, giving it a brooding tone as it explores the process of growing old simultaneously through the lens of the young boy and aged man. The details in the poem,
For 85 years, Publix Super Markets, Inc. (Publix), a nationwide chain, has set the precedent for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. With an added emphasis on the past 15 years due to the implementation of their Green Routine program, Publix has become the gold-standard of sustainability, with comprehensive philanthropic initiatives that support and intertwine housing, education, food security, technology, and more. Publix is taking strides to become more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and beneficial to the local community. By breaking down sustainability into 3 core concepts: social justice, environmental integrity, and economic prosperity, an analysis can be made about the current Publix sustainability
Cry the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton is a novel inspired by the industrial revolution. Paton describes in detail the conditions in which the Africans were living during this time period, 1946. This story tells about a Zulu pastor who goes into the city in search of his son and siblings who left in search of a better life. The pastor sees this immense city where a ruling white group is oppressing the black population. This novel is more than just a story, but it depicts the effects imperialism and the Industrial Revolution had on South Africa. Although the government has intervened to protect the people, some of these effects are still present in our societies.
Several literary devices are implemented in the novel to convey the author’s experiences and feelings, thus contributing to the overall appeal of the writing. In his younger years
Through vivid yet subtle symbols, the author weaves a complex web with which to showcase the narrator's oppressive upbringing. Two literary
Since his arrival in the mid-seventies, Martin Amis has been the enfant terrible of the British lit scene. Many critics consider him to be a masterful writer enginned by a banal, unoriginal mind, while others think he is simply one step ahead. The same critics would probably argue that style and technique supersedes feeling, sensibility and morality in Time's Arrow. Indeed, there are occasions when Amis' cleverness does undercut the moralism he is trying to convey, but that is not due to faulty morals, but to the extraordinary flair that he possesses. Even if you don't want to hear what Amis has to say about the holocaust, read this book - if nothing else, going through time backwards might just teach you the good parts of life that people tend to miss going forwards.
Cry, the Beloved Country is such a controversial novel that people tend to forget the true meaning and message being presented. Paton’s aim in writing the novel was to present and create awareness of the ongoing conflict within South Africa through his unbiased and objective view. The importance of the story lies within the title, which sheds light on South Africa’s slowly crumbling society and land, for it is the citizens and the land itself which are “crying” for their beloved country as it collapses under the pressures of racism, broken tribes and native exploitation.
Publix Super Markets, Inc. is a Florida-based grocery chain that has flourished since its inception in 1930. The first store opened in Winter Haven, Florida and to this day Publix has expanded to well over 1,000 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. The supermarket chain now boasts over $25 billion in sales annually (Mujtaba and Johnson, 2012). To withstand the test of time and develop such a stronghold on the market, Publix has excelled in its global business community or macroenvironment, as well as its market environment or microenvironment.
C & C grocery store currently operates under a goal approach. They were committed to customer service and satisfaction. This approach provided the grocery chain with the profitability and growth they strived to obtain. The stores operative goals were attained and the chain had over 200 stores in operation. For years overall performance for C & C was excellent and came with ease. Unfortunately employee development and innovation and change weren't a top priority and it began to show. To remain successful C & C had to outsource and get advice from a team of consultants. The team dissected the company from top to bottom and advised the chain to implement an internal approach to go along with the goal approach. Implementing the internal approach will give the store managers full control of their stores which they do not currently possess. The store managers should be knowledgeable in all areas of the store to be able to fully communicate with staff. It was difficult for the district managers to give each store location the time and attention they needed when they were responsible for several other stores. Giving store managers more responsibility was a terrific idea of the consultants because the store managers have more day to day customer and employee interaction and could better assist needs. C & C was in desperate need of providing employee training and development. Cross training is beneficial for company as well as employees. Employees get the opportunity to learn other job positions and have the ability for advancement opportunities within the company. The company benefits from cross training because it provides flexibility if a store is short staffed, and it provides empowerment. A store full of happy employees from mana...
The novel Tsotsi, by Athol Fugard, is a story of redemption and reconciliation, facing the past, and confronts the core elements of human nature. The character going through this journey, who the novel is named after, is a young man who is part of the lowest level of society in a poor shanty town in South Africa. Tsotsi is a thug, someone who kills for money and suffers no remorse. But he starts changing when circumstance finds him in possession of a baby, which acts as a catalyst in his life. A chain of events leads him to regain memories of his childhood and discover why he is the way he is. The novel sets parameters of being “human” and brings these to the consideration of the reader. The reader’s limits of redemption are challenged as Tsotsi comes from a life lacking what the novel suggests are base human emotions.
Bibliography w/4 sources Cry , the Beloved Country by Alan Paton is a perfect example of post-colonial literature. South Africa is a colonized country, which is, in many ways, still living under oppression. Though no longer living under apartheid, the indigenous Africans are treated as a minority, as they were when Paton wrote the book. This novel provides the political view of the author in both subtle and evident ways. Looking at the skeleton of the novel, it is extremely evident that relationship of the colonized vs. colonizers, in this case the blacks vs. the whites, rules the plot. Every character’s race is provided and has association with his/her place in life. A black man kills a white man, therefore that black man must die. A black umfundisi lives in a valley of desolation, while a white farmer dwells above on a rich plot of land. White men are even taken to court for the simple gesture of giving a black man a ride. This is not a subtle point, the reader is immediately stricken by the diversities in the lives of the South Africans.
Mathabane, Mark. “I Leave South Africa”. The Many Worlds of Literature. Ed. Stuart and Terry Hirschberg. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2006.
An Abandoned Bundle and Nightfall in Soweto are both veracious poems that have enlightened me about the poverty and anguish suffered in South Africa, as well as the desperation that people in these places suffer.