Segu a Book Written by Maryse Condé

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The book Segu is about telling the story of Africa as if it was a person wanting an autobiography done before its life is over. The history of Africa during the 18th and 19th century was a really vague topic for me to understand. After reading Segu by Maryse Condé my thinking of this period was made clear by the personal experiences of the Traoré family sons. What I came to understand is this book deceitfully explains the decline of West African countries in the eyes and personal struggles of the Bambara people of Segu. In this case it’s the focus on the travels of the four sons of Dousika Traoré. Tiekoro, Siga, Naba, and Malobali all summoned on personal journeys that gave me a better understanding of what actually happened during the 18th and 19th century time period of people who actually experienced it.
Some major themes I picked out while reading is the expansion/spread of the Islamic religion being leaked into African countries, and the Atlantic Slave trade happening in them as well. The spread of Islam from the east extended into the Sahel, into the ear and converted the eldest son Tiekoro’s accustomed beliefs. The conflict that arouses with this is family members have to decide whether or not to convert to Islam or stick with Segu’s customary animist beliefs. This societal and cultural change gives these sons new identities as they moved to different communities. Siga is the complete opposite of his brother Tiekoro’s new belief and doesn’t want any part of it. I feel as if these two brothers represent the struggle many faced in Segu. It was just cool to see this theme being seed on both ends of the spectrum but also because they are brothers.
Of the next two brothers Naba and Malobali were captured by slave traders just ...

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...f their god Allah was destroying the other traditional Gods whom some of Bambara people had believed and some who continued believing in them. This new god Allah was more powerful than them.

After all these tragic events not only in the Traore family but also in Segu there was one thing to be noted that every person had the right to practice his or her own religion and the war that took place between El-Hadj Omar and the Fulanis of Mecina and Segu was not a war of religion but a war to gain personal pride.
“War is good because it makes our kings rich.
Wives, slaves, cattle- it brings them all these.
War is holy because it makes us muslims.
War is holy and good so may it set our skies aflame.”(490)

Works Cited

(2005, 04). Conflicts in the Novel "Segu". StudyMode.com. Retrieved 04, 2005, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Conflicts-In-The-Novel-Segu-53888.html

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