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Culture is dynamic and those who recognize and accept this make meaning of all that happens around them; those who do not, live miserable lives....

Culture is dynamic and those who recognize and accept this make meaning of all that happens around
them; those who do not, live miserable lives. Drawing illustrations from the Whale Rider show the truth
of this statement.

Answers


Peter
i) - Koro Apirana is unhappy with the birth of Kahu. Pg10. “A girl”, she has broken the male line of descent in our tribe.”
- He is opposed to the girl being named after the great ancestor Kahutia Te Rangi- the founder of thetribe. Pg 14. Koro Apirana felt naming a girl – child after the founder of our tribe was belitting Kahutia Te Rangi’s prestige.
- He could not reconcile his traditional believes about Maori leadership and rights with Kahu’s birth. “She won’t be any good to me……… I won’t have anything to do with her.”
- Koro even opposes the idea of having Kahu’s after birth buried in the village Pg 16.
- He appears too willing to let Kahu be raised by her mother’s people. Pg 22.
- Although for Kahu it was first love when she saw Koro he continued to push her away. Pg 25, 26, 27. Even when Kahu bites Old Koro’s toe, one of the tests his rigidity does not allow him to see the sign. When finally Kahu has saved the Whales and by extension the Maori people, Koro admits “ I blame myself for this. It’s all my fault…..ever since….. but my toe. Nani flower says ‘You were deaf, dump, blind and stubborn. Pg 118.
ii) - Nani flowers knows what Maori culture says about leadership yet she appears willing to accommodate the dynamic nature of culture. Pg 10. Her lips were quivering with emotion because she had been waiting for the call ……well, Rawiri,” she said to me, “you and the boys have got’ a beautiful niece.” Everytime Koro sulked about Kahu, she was always there teasing him. Constantly drew parallels between old Muriwai and Kahu. “…..Now I shall make myself a man.” ….she saved the canoe pg 15
- She sees the semblance between Koro and Kahu.
- Organizes for the receiving and burying of Kahu’s after birth in Whangara.”
- Kept on encouraging porourangi to bring Kahu for the holidays. Pg 25 - Pg 41
- While she agreed that the instruction should take place, she could not help feeling…..about the exclusion of women. “Themes” the rules…..”I know, but rule are made to be broken. Pg 33.
iii) -Rawiri seems to have been the moderate of all the men discussed in the novel apart from Porourangi. He acts as Kahu’s guardian. Pg 18 “You boys are the only ones who know where Kahu’s birth cord has been placed. It is your secret and mine. You have become her guardians.” …… I can truthfully say that Kahu was never forgotten by the boys and me” Pg 24.
- When Rawiri arrives in Australia he had thought he would be the first. He found many Maori cousins as he would put it.
- Rawiri is able to understand the change of behavior by his Maori cousins such as Henarge – who was now wearing a dress and Reremoana who had changed her name to Lola L’Amour and had red hair and fishnet stockings. He let them be Kingi who could not accommodate this who was always trying to cross the street when he saw a cousin he did not want be seen with Rawiri let them be.
- Rawiri’s experience with Jeff in Australia and elsewhere in Papua New Guined deepen his understanding of the changing Nature of culture and prepares him to go back and fight for Kahu’s right as the chosen one.

iv) Jeff, Rawiri’s friend in Australia does not shed not shed his people’s cultural belief that the natives are inferior and this is shown when he is unable to break free from the hold his mother and the white people in Papua New Guinea have on him. He is encouraged to leave Rawiri at home when going to parties. He seems to be finding difficulties trying to tell Rawiri that it was time for him to go. The highest point of his turmoil is brought out when he runs over Bernard. Pg 58.

v) Clara, Tom and other white people could not bring themselves to accept the natives as being human like they were. Even those natives like Bernard – who had more degrees ‘Oh, my goodness, how am I going to explain this they had a miserable life.

Musyoxx answered the question on March 1, 2018 at 18:30

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