Key Quotations (Edexcel A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes

Key Quotations

"Order must be maintained, no matter the cost."

• Reflects the colonial mindset that justifies the use of violence to maintain control over the native population.
• Key themes: Oppression, power dynamics, colonialism.

"The time for talking is over. Now is the time for action."

• Marks Tshembe's transformation and his acceptance of violent resistance as necessary for liberation.
• Key themes: Revolution, action, violence.

"I am a man of two worlds, and I have responsibilities in both."

• Captures Tshembe's internal struggle between his life in England and his roots in Africa.
• Key themes: Identity, cultural conflict, responsibility.

"You have chosen your God, Abioseh. I have chosen mine."

• Highlights the ideological clash between Tshembe and his brother Abioseh, who has converted to Catholicism.
• Key themes: Religious conflict, identity, colonial influence.

"This land belongs to us, not to you savages."

• Demonstrates the deeply entrenched racism and sense of entitlement among the colonisers.
• Key themes: Racism, colonialism, oppression.

"I came back to bury my father, not to fight a war."

• Illustrates Tshembe's initial reluctance to engage in the conflict, emphasising his personal and familial duties.
• Key themes: Family duty, conflict, responsibility.

"Peace is the only way, brother. Violence will only bring more suffering."

• Reflects Abioseh's belief in peaceful resolution and his conflict with Tshembe's revolutionary stance.
• Key themes: Peace, conflict, ideological clash.

"Perhaps it is time for us to go, for the land to be free."

• Signifies her growing awareness of the need for decolonization and the end of colonial rule.
• Key themes: Decolonization, awareness, change.

"We are all God's children, Tshembe."

• Reflects her compassionate but somewhat naive worldview regarding racial and political conflicts.
• Key themes: Compassion, naivety, racial conflict.

"Three hundred years of oppression and violent acts..."

• Highlights the long history of violence that fuels the current revolt against colonial rule.
• Key themes: Historical oppression, violence, revolution.

"Modingo waited too long to fight back."

• Uses the fable of Modingo the Hyena as a metaphor for the necessity of timely action in the fight for freedom.
• Key themes: Action, tradition, revolution.

"Our father's spirit must be honoured in the old ways."

• Emphasises the importance of traditional customs and the conflict between tradition and modern influences.
• Key themes: Tradition, cultural conflict, respect.

"I had to do what was right, even if you can't see it."

• Illustrates his internal justification for betraying his brother, highlighting the complex nature of his character and beliefs.
• Key themes: Betrayal, justification, family conflict.

"The drums speak of our history and our future."

• Symbolises the connection between traditions and future aspirations.
• Key themes: Tradition, future, cultural heritage.

"I came here to understand, to help if I can."

• Demonstrates his initial naivety and the need for deeper insight into the complexities of colonial issues.
• Key themes: Naivety, understanding, colonialism.

"I thought I understood, but I see now that I barely scratched the surface."

• Reflects his evolving understanding and the realisation of the complexities beyond his initial perceptions.
• Key themes: Awareness, complexity, learning.

"She raises the spear planted into the earth."

• Symbolises the impending conflict and the assertion of native power.
• Key themes: Conflict, power, symbolism.

"The laughter of the hyena in the African bush."

• Creates atmosphere and foreshadows the use of the Modingo fable.
• Key themes: Atmosphere, foreshadowing, tradition.

"Tshembe changes out of his suit into traditional dress."

• Highlights Tshembe's evolving identity and a renewed connection to his roots.
• Key themes: Identity, tradition, transformation.

"We have had this date with each other from the beginning."

• Suggests the inevitability of the conflict and the deep-seated historical tensions.
• Key themes: Inevitability, conflict, history.