"He could guess what cards were pulled out from a pack, and the monkey was his assistant. He called the monkey "partner." " Let's see here, partner," he would say, "turn over a card." And, "Don't run away, partner: time to work now." The final trick was wonderful. One of the children had to hold the monkey in his arms and the magician said he would make him disappear."This quote from the story shows that the monkey was just brought out of the cage to perform his tricks, and he was told to not run away. Like a slave owner would tell a slave to not run away. Also they made the pet in this story a monkey, instead of the rabbit that we are used to seeing as the magicians animal. Also the word can be a racist term against black people, because they used to get called monkeys. Is it just me that sees this symbol or is it obvious to you too?
Saturday, January 28, 2017
The Stolen Party
In the story The Stolen Party by Liliana Heker there are many symbols. The symbol that pop out the most to me are the monkey, the magician. The monkey symbolizes a slave, and the magician symbolizes a slave. The monkey is kept in a cage and is trapped, Like a slave with shackles and they couldn't go anywhere. Then when the monkey is released from the cage he goes out and performs to get the magician money. The slave would be woken up early in the morning to go to work. The slave would work extremely hard either in the fields, or in the slave owners house. The slave owner would have cotton picked to either sell or trade or to make shirts or cloths. When the magician told the monkey to do something he had to listen or he would get in trouble. The monkey did what he was told to do, he would get bossed around some might say. It says in the story on lines 80-85,
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I agree with you that it is a very obvious symbol. In the time of all the racism this word was known to be found somewhere. But, I did not obviously see that he was a slave and the magician was the slave owner. Did you have to think about it or did you know that from the start as well?
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the symbols of the story with the monkey and the magician drive the point of ownership and just overall dominating of another living being because they are to frail and you know they will do anything for you if you manipulate there mind.
ReplyDeleteGood question Claudia! I did have to think about it... After reading the story for a second time this symbol popped out to me.
ReplyDeleteI agree that those are two obvious symbols. But why was it mentioned in this story when there was no slavery going on in "The Stolen Party"?
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