Read it in English
Refugee Boy è la storia del piccolo Alem e dei tentativi di farsi accettare come rifugiato politico a Londra. Il tema è affrontato in maniera assolutamente non retorica, anche se ogni tanto questo bimbo sembra un po’ troppo buono. Benjamin inserisce anche un proprio alter ego adolescente nella figura di un ragazzino rastafariano di colore, Asher, che scrive poesie, è vegetariano e predica la pace.
E’ una sorta di romanzo di formazione: il piccolo Alem impara ad affrontare la vita, reagendo e imparando a prendere in mano le situazioni che gli capitano nonostante le tragedie che lo hanno segnato. Il lettore vive assieme al bambino le varie fasi di inserimento: dallo stupore iniziale, allo straniamento, al rifiuto, all’indifferenza, all’accettazione. E’ bella la parte in cui il padre di Alem cerca di fare il disinvolto dicendo all’ufficiale doganale di voler visitare “the famous Oxford Road and Piccadilly Circle”.
Alem fatica ad abituarsi al tempo in
glese, troppo rigido per lui. Trova strano vedere cani e gatti nei cortili, anziché capre e polli. Trova il cibo inglese troppo asciutto e piuttosto preferisce mangiare italiano… spaghetti! Ma, soprattutto, trova strana l’abitudine degli inglesi di bere tè a tutte le ore, enfatizzata dal personaggio di Mrs Fitzgerald, la madre adottiva, che quando non sa cosa fare, prepara una tazza di tè, risultando spesso comica.
glese, troppo rigido per lui. Trova strano vedere cani e gatti nei cortili, anziché capre e polli. Trova il cibo inglese troppo asciutto e piuttosto preferisce mangiare italiano… spaghetti! Ma, soprattutto, trova strana l’abitudine degli inglesi di bere tè a tutte le ore, enfatizzata dal personaggio di Mrs Fitzgerald, la madre adottiva, che quando non sa cosa fare, prepara una tazza di tè, risultando spesso comica.
E’ bella l’idea di apertura del romanzo, con lo stesso episodio che si ripete in maniera identica in Ethiopia e in Eritrea, dando luogo a due brevi capitoli gemelli. L’accettazione è totale per quanto riguarda i libri: Alem ama leggere, desidera imparare tutto ciò che è possibile e diventa un vorace lettore.
La READING LIST di Alem:
-Charles Dickens, Great Expectations (Grandi speranze)
-George Orwell, 1984
-William Golding, Lord of the Flies (Il signore delle mosche)
-Wilfred Owen, Poems
-Charles Dickens, Great Expectations (Grandi speranze)
-George Orwell, 1984
-William Golding, Lord of the Flies (Il signore delle mosche)
-Wilfred Owen, Poems
Attraverso le osservazioni di Alem che cerca di capire le abitudini del
nuovo Paese, Zephaniah inserisce la sua critica alla superificialità, al consumismo, all’aridità delle persone.
nuovo Paese, Zephaniah inserisce la sua critica alla superificialità, al consumismo, all’aridità delle persone.
P.S.: Anche questo testo l’ho letto in lingua originale, come We Are Britain!e Lionboy. In italiano non esiste ed è davvero un peccato perché sarebbe molto adatto in un progetto scolastico di narrativa. Si presta a vari approfondimenti interessanti ed istruttivi, tra cui: il bullismo, i rifugiati, la guerra e gli adolescenti, Etiopia ed Eritrea, Charles Dickens, il Natale, la Giamaica, la filosofia rastafariana, Nelson Mandela.
BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH'S REFUGEE BOY
Refugee Boy is the story of little Alem and his efforts to be accepted as a political refugee in London. The theme is dealt with in a non-rhetorical way, even if every now and then this little boy seems too kind to be true. Benjamin also creates a teen alter ego in the character of Asher, a colored rastafarian boy who writes poems, is vegetarian and preaches peace.
It’s a kind of Bildungsroman: little Alem learns to deal with life, react, and take charge of the situations despite the tragedies that marked his life. The reader lives through the eyes of the child step by step from the initial wonder, to estrangement, rejection, indifference, acceptance. When Alem’s father tries to sound casual before the customs officer stating that he wanted to visit “the famous Oxford Road and Piccadilly Circle” the reader smiles with him.
Alem has trouble to get used to the English weather, which is too severe for him. He finds it strange to see dogs and cats in the gardens, instead of goats and chicken. He finds the English food too dry and prefers eating Italian food… spaghetti! Above all, he finds it strange to see people drinking tea at all times, a habit which is embodied in Mrs Fitzgerald, his foster mother, who prepares a cup of tea whenever she doesn’t know what to do… with a comic effect. The only things that Alem immediately and totally accepts are books: he loves reading and wants to learn as much as possible.
I liked the opening pages of the book, with the same episode happening in Ethiopia and Eritrea, creating two short twin chapters.
Alem’s READING LIST:
-Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
-George Orwell, 1984
-William Golding, Lord of the Flies
-Wilfred Owen, Poems
Through Alem’s reflections on the habit of the new country, Zephaniah criticizes superficiality, consumerism, moral aridity in his country.
It’s really a pity that this book has never been translated in Italian, because it would be a great book for narrative projects at school. It is suitable for dealing with issues like: bullying, refugees, war, teenagers, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Charles Dickens, Christmas, Jamaica, the rastafarian philosophy, Nelson Mandela.
BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH'S REFUGEE BOY
Refugee Boy is the story of little Alem and his efforts to be accepted as a political refugee in London. The theme is dealt with in a non-rhetorical way, even if every now and then this little boy seems too kind to be true. Benjamin also creates a teen alter ego in the character of Asher, a colored rastafarian boy who writes poems, is vegetarian and preaches peace.
It’s a kind of Bildungsroman: little Alem learns to deal with life, react, and take charge of the situations despite the tragedies that marked his life. The reader lives through the eyes of the child step by step from the initial wonder, to estrangement, rejection, indifference, acceptance. When Alem’s father tries to sound casual before the customs officer stating that he wanted to visit “the famous Oxford Road and Piccadilly Circle” the reader smiles with him.
Alem has trouble to get used to the English weather, which is too severe for him. He finds it strange to see dogs and cats in the gardens, instead of goats and chicken. He finds the English food too dry and prefers eating Italian food… spaghetti! Above all, he finds it strange to see people drinking tea at all times, a habit which is embodied in Mrs Fitzgerald, his foster mother, who prepares a cup of tea whenever she doesn’t know what to do… with a comic effect. The only things that Alem immediately and totally accepts are books: he loves reading and wants to learn as much as possible.
I liked the opening pages of the book, with the same episode happening in Ethiopia and Eritrea, creating two short twin chapters.
Alem’s READING LIST:
-Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
-George Orwell, 1984
-William Golding, Lord of the Flies
-Wilfred Owen, Poems
Through Alem’s reflections on the habit of the new country, Zephaniah criticizes superficiality, consumerism, moral aridity in his country.
It’s really a pity that this book has never been translated in Italian, because it would be a great book for narrative projects at school. It is suitable for dealing with issues like: bullying, refugees, war, teenagers, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Charles Dickens, Christmas, Jamaica, the rastafarian philosophy, Nelson Mandela.
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento