Tell It to Women- Onwueme, Osonye Tess (1997).
Paper instructions:
Your summary should include the following:
a. Introduction of the main characters of the story
b. The nature of the story €“ what is the story about?
c. Where does the story take place?
d. How does the story end?

 

Critique Section:
Note: Follow your summary immediately with your critique by going straight to the next paragraph. DO NOT separate the critique section from the summary.

Guidelines
a. Did the title of match the story? If not, why?
b. Did the author present the story in a clear and readable language, particularly for the Western reader? If not, why? Give some examples.
c. Did the story flow together as one fluid piece or was it disjointed and confusing? If so, give some examples to support your claim.
d. Did the author explain the native terms and words used to make for clear understanding? If not, give examples.
e. Do you think the author was biased in her presentation of the story? If so, give some examples to show the biases.
f. What do you think were some of the weaknesses of the story?
g. What were some of the strengths of the story?
h. What were some of the hiIDen issues or topics in the story?
i. In your opinion, how do you think the author could have improved the story?
j. Present a short conclusion (overall observation) of the story.

NOTE: Include some direct quotes from the book to show that you read the story and also to support your critique/arguments.
F. Things You Should Avoid in Your Critique
1. Do not repeat the author’s name several times in a single paragraph.
Example:
Tess Onwueme stated that€¦. Tess Onwueme argued that€¦ Tess Onwueme wrote that€¦
You should interchange the author’s real name with pronouns.
Example: Tess Onwueme’s Tell It To Women was easy to understand, because she explained all the foreign words. AIDitionally, her style of storytelling was interesting due to her use of simple language and imagery. She also provides€¦€¦

OR
You may also begin your paragraphs with:
Ms. Onwueme presented her story in a clear and simple manner€¦..
The author was quite objective in her treatment of the subject€¦.

G.
Avoid writing too many short sentences. Instead, you should merge your ideas in single sentences without making them too long either.

H. Elaborate on Your Ideas/Arguments
Example: The story was interesting because€¦..
I found the story quite disturbing due to the fact that the author never explained why she used the character of€¦..

I. Watch Your Spellings, especially in your use of the following:

a. Then (this refers to some point in time)
b. Than (comparing two things)
c. Its (possessive)
d. It’s (it is)
e. There (place/point)
f. Their (possessive)
g. Woman (singular)
h. Women (plural)

References:
-Provide references on a separate page at the end of your work. This page will NOT count as part of the maximum length of the critique.

Example:

References
Achebe, Chinua. 1997. The Morals of African Education. New York: Praeger
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Tell It To Women €“ Guiding Questions

 

Note: The following are guiding questions to assist you in your reading of the novel above. Also, they will help you to prepare for the Critique of the book

 

1. Who is the author of the book?

2. Who published the book, and when?

3. The Foreword was written by whom?

4. The play/story is set in which Village, and in which country?

5. Who are the main characters of the play?

6. What is the broader message of the play?

7. What is the format of the story?

8. The play is divided into how many movements?

9. Who are Daisy and Ruth? What are their professions?

10. The author uses Daisy and Ruth to represent what?

11. Who is Yemoja? Where does she come from? Who is her husband? Why did she drop out of school?

12. Why is Yemoja serving as maid in the home of Daisy?

13. What is the name of the project designed for the rural women, by Daisy and Ruth?

14. How much is the government paying to support the project?

15. What kind of relationship does the author introduce between Daisy and Ruth, and why?

16. Who is Adaku, and what does she represent in the story?

17. How does the author show inequality between girls and boys in terms of access to education in Nigeria?

18. Who is Sherifat, and why is she important to the story?

19. How does the author use the story to depict Western feminists as mothers and wives?

20. Who is Bose, and why is she important to the story?

21. How does the story end? And what is the meaning of this ending?