Checking Out Me History

Question 1

‘Dem tell me, dem tell me’

Answer 1

• Anaphora - protest, frustration
• Simplistic rhyme - aimed at children as well, criticism of prejudice education in schools
• Rhyme at start is constrictive, represents life in Britain, form changes when he talks about African-Caribbean history, more like free verse, personal and cultural freedom
• Dialect choice, overcoming British society by naming them with his own dialect
• ‘Me’ - is not just personal to him, his story is representative of many immigrants in Britain

Question 2

‘Bandage up me eye with me own history’

Answer 2

• Metaphor - injured, his culture has been damaged by British society
• His history was deliberately taken from him as it wasn’t taught, so he wasn’t sure about his place in the world
• The false view of history is mirrored by the false treatment of his eye
• Homophone for ‘I’ - ironic sound pun, his identity which is being covered up
• It’s the positive side of his history that’s been hidden, bandaged up by only being given the negative side

Question 3

‘A healing star’

Answer 3

• Disparity between her and Nightingale, their culture is overlooked
• Metaphor - mythologising Mary Seacole
• He wants to guide the reader, not by violence but by healing
• Constellations were said to be named after important figures in history who were made into stars by Zeus, seen as beacons of hope
• Motif if light, hope