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Beka Lamb by Zee Edgelle: at The Wake
Beka Lamb by Zee Edgelle: at The Wake
At the Wake
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Summary:
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Characters:
Beka Lamb
Bill Lamb
Lilla Lamb
Zandy Lamb
Chuku Lamb
Granny Ivy
Uncle Curo
Aunt Tama
Miss Eila
Miss Flo
Miss Janie
Miss Winny
Mr. Phillip
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Character sketch:
LAMB FAMILY
Beside for the obvious of the Lamb family i.e.
there humble ways hence the name “Lamb”
we see there is a balance in terms of the
average Belizean family. We also realize that
great granny Straker had an enormous role to
play in the family’s life
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Family tree:
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Character sketch:
UNCLE CURO
In the efforts to display a Caribbean setting Uncle
Curo appears drunk “a glass in his hand” telling
the children “brer” Anancy stories “brer” meaning
brother and some geographical reference when
the Sibun river used in the story. We were
introduced to Beka’s uncle in chapter 4 in
reference to Beka’s lying . He is Granny Ivy’s 2nd
son that works as a warder in His Majesty’s
Prison.
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Character sketch:
MR. PHILLIP
Mr. Phillip presence was to emphasize the beliefs of the
Caribbean which is people should be afraid of the dead
( Bill said “the mattress not even turn over yet.”
meaning in his eyes it was not “safe” to sleep on the bed
this also emphasizes the Caribbean stereotypes) “this
girl have bigger heart than we” i.e. she is much braver
than an average 14year old(which is another example of
how she is wiser than her years and has a tendency to
act more mature) Mr. Phillip was a civil servant at the
Customs House and was half Bill Lamb’s age
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Character sketch:
AUNT TAMA
She not only houses the wake but shows us the reader that
someone still has hope in Beka and thinks she is worth
something “aunt tama was always so encouraging and
thought Beka was gold” also we see the author trying to
portray Beka’s uniqueness “this is my grandniece ,my only
one”
MISS FLORENCE (FLO)
She also emphasizes on the above point as well as emphasize
the norms of old Belize with the comfort of saying that her
granddaughter has three different children for three
different men
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Reference characters:
TOYCIE
Toycie is made reference to in the wake to
symbolize the expectations of the girls but the
irony in that is that Toycie is already pregnant as
we realize when Beka is in her great
grandmother’s room reminiscing on the past
events “she’s craving green mangoes and salt just
like they say pregnant ladies crave dirt” this simile
also adds to the dramatic irony. EMILIO was also
made mention of in relation to Toycie
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Reference Characters:
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Literary devices:
SIMILIE : aunt Tama’s body felt like the soft pudding Beka had
been eating……this is used to show the soft nature of aunt Tama
• Breasts hanging like hoops….to show her age
• Laughed like a dog choking…..
• Moving her stringy throat up and down, like a peeled neck
chicken
• Her face bumpy like pineapple skin….
• Craving green mango and salt just like they say pregnant ladies
crave dirt ……
HYPERBOLE/PERSONIFICATION :blowing her nose with loud
honks….
REPITITION: Whe fu do,…….show her distress
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Conclusion:
At the end of this chapter we see Bill Lamb allows Beka to continue to go to school on
the claim that she passes the 2nd form
According to A Handbook of Catholic Sacramentals, by Ann Ball (Our Sunday Visitor
Books), the practice of lighting candles in order to obtain some favor probably has its
origins in the custom of burning lights at the tombs of the martyrs in the catacombs.
The lights burned as a sign of solidarity with Christians still on earth. Because the lights
continually burned as a silent vigil, they became known as vigil lights.
Vigil Lights (from the Latin vigilia, which means "waiting" or "watching") are
traditionally accompanied by prayers of attention or waiting. Another common type of
candle offering is the votive light. Such an offering is indicative of seeking some favor
from the Lord or the saint before which the votive is placed.
Lighting a candle is a way of extending one's prayer and showing solidarity with the
person on whose behalf the prayer is offered.
Hence the reason for Lilla lighting the candle to symbolize hope in the darkness of life
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Presented by:
DaeNia La Rodé
Shallun McIntosh
Thank You!!!!!!!!
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