ADOLESCENCE AND FEMALE IDENTITY IN ZEE EDGELL’S NOVEL « BEKA LAMB »

ADOLESCENCE AND FEMALE IDENTITY IN ZEE
EDGELL’S NOVEL « BEKA LAMB »

BEKA’S SUCCESS AT SCHOOL

The novel highlights mainly the culture of Belize, especially their urban environment, and the most important case which means that the educational of young women in the Caribbean society. The unity and the special relationship which shared by people are portrayed in the episode with Mr Gordillo and Beka where he offers her a chocolate bar as solace for her failure. She refuses it because she is embarrased. Mr Gordillo says « I offered a special mass at the cathedral, Beka, and every night for one week, the beads »1 . this shows how much support and faith that people offered Beka. Throughout the novel, we see many other characters having faith in Beka and motivating her to excel. Sister Gabriella sought to bring out the best in Beka as she persuaded her to enter the essay contest and encourage her to bring out the compile folksongs for mother provincial’s visit. Beka’s life changes with toycie’s pregnancy. She had chores and arguments with her family, but she had not any experience about life. Toycie’s situation forced Beka to face bureaucracy, isolation, and death. She wanted to change one’s mind and was so willing ; she begged her father so that she can go back to school and was determined to change her way of lying. Beka returns to school after Toycie’s expulsion. The pedestal Toycie once stood upon is now vacant. Beka has not replaced Toycie, but has begun to change what she sees on that pedestrial. Beka receives further encouragement from a girl in her class named Thomasita EK who showed her support by giving a note which is written « hope you win ». Thomasita EK is a Mayan girl and she represents how Edgell creatively weaves an indigenous presence within the narrative. It is significant that Beka gains Thomasita as a new friend at it demonstrates how people of different cultural background are brought together. Through Thomasita, Edgell draws another parallel between Thomasita and the protagonist Beka. Edgell show us, that despite their differing cultural background, they are very much the same girl similar in their ambition, desire for education, social mobility and in their general disposition in the narrative. Thomasita plays an important role in making Beka feels comfortable amongst her new classmates whom Beka might have felt uncomfortable around, because she was a repeater. Additionally, Thomasita also fills a role as Beka’s companion after toycie’s breakdown. 1 Zee. Edgell. ‘Beka Lamb’. Heinemann Educational Publishes. Jordan Hill, Oxford, 1982, p.39 11 In chapter six, it was told in the flashback technique and the theme, which outstood, was politics-cultural, racial and social. Beka and Toycie spoke about politics. This came about when Toycie received a guitar from an English family and both discover that it was from Spain and decided to scratch it off and renamed it with the name of their own country Belize. In hope one day the country would be able to create something as great as the beautiful guitar. So, what we can say in the novel seems to be wider. Edgell’s book was written particularly in the notion of flashback. During the first chapter, Beka won the prize which used to being won by Bakras (white citizens of Belize), Panias : mestizos (mixed Spanish and Native American), Expatriate (white colonialists and other foreign residents). That was a great honor for her at the first time a Creole person won an important essay prize. Thus Ivy’s knowlesdge and talk of the disintegrating nature of her society was balanced by an active interest and involvement in politics. This interest was reflected in Beka’s role playing of politicians and her interest in political discussions were symbolized by her changing the place of manufacture on Toycie’s guitar from Spain to Belize. What Miss Ivy failed to understand as that Beka’s dedication to her studies in her way of armoring herself against fragmentation not only in the sense that it provided a way to success, but because writing was her way of releasing her grief at the loss of Toycie. However, the loss of Toycie made immediate Beka’s fear of collapse. For her, Toycie became not so much a cautionary figure as a vivid example of what can happen to her. Success is another important theme that was brought to our attention in Beka Lamb. This ws shown when Beka won the essay contest. Her grandmother was very proud of her and she also pleased with herself. Also for her being successful, it eased Beka’s pain but it allowed subsiding a little and this proves that success diminishes grief and pain. Beka also experiences the fear of falling and sisappointing others, herself and afraid of taking the necessary steps in order to be successful. This also shows us the many tasks and varying emotions w e face in becoming successful. Education was another theme that was seen in Beka Lamb. It showed whe Beka won the competition also too. It is important to show when she was under pressure in terms of passing the final term examination. This theme was also seen when she continuously failed in the past and her family was disappointed because they put so much effort into her education. Her father could have supported a poor family for six months. This proved that how much her parents want her to excel and how important her education was to them. Education was also 12 displayed as the key things that were needed in order to develop, be successful and not remain stagnated. So, wa can notice that education gives a sense of awareness and that needs a sacrifice because, being the place where the price of freedom was unlocked. That is why these die-hard behaviors are very symbolic. The insistence of some characters to bring their children to school constitutes a medium to challenge the patriarchal society which oppressed them so long and a continuing step forwards to the road of a future self-definition as it is developed also through this argument about female’s education. « And where does it all end ? In the kitchen » it does not always end in the kitchen, when the girl is allowed to finish she can teach and thus thus bring money in that way 

MATURITY AND DEVELOPMENT

Maturity was also highlighted as one of the many themes in Beka Lamb. Beka showed her maturity in Zee Edgell novel as she was more interest in the happenings of her country and was very curious about the politicsand government. She proved this when she asked her father questions, she wanted to attend village meetings and also read the newspapers. Beka’s maturity was also known as she chooses to stop lying to her parents so that they would stop being so disappointed in her and so changes her lifestyle while being a very honest young lady and one that her parents could be proud of. This theme can also be seen as Beka won the competition because it showed her determination to do well, excel and be successful and not be a failure or a ‘phoney’ as her father mentioned. The four pillars of life include staying connected, motion, nutrition and reduction of stress. In Zee Edgell’s novel, « Beka Lamb » these pillar are examined. A novel about the upbringing and changes a young girl goes through. She made some mistakes throughout her life but she soon realized that she needed to alter her ways. Their friendship helps them to transform Beka’s life with the morals support that Toycie made in her. With the help of a close friend, considered to be like a sister, Beka was able to think about or to look at life which will be very different from the previous. Beka is a young teenage, going through a tough time in her life. Her parents had enrolled her in a Catholic school in order to give her a best education. They want her to strive to be the best that she can. While at school, she bacame lazy and ended up failing her first year a school. Aside from being a poo student, she is also a liar. Rather than telling her parents the truth. She lies and as a result, takes a beating from her father. Her best friend Toycie, tried to guide her onto the right path while showing her the best way to take without having an obstacles. Toycie is a few years older than her friend. She is now in fourth form at the Catholic school. As a child, she was abandoned by her parents and felt to be cared for by her Aunt Eila. Characterized by her Aunt as a Queen, Toycie is almost the complete opposite of her best friend. She is beautiful and studious. The quality that links them together was sometimes their competence to find themselves in bad situations. That was the reason why when you saw Beka, Toycie is not far from her as far as possible. They are inseparable since their acquaintance. Their friendship had developed at a young age and has grown into a sisterhood. As a job, Toycie took care of Beka and her brothers. From there, the two shared 17 many secrets. Being each other’s confidant, they spent a lot of time together. They would go on walks and share their thoughts or ambitions with one another. They also had a system of checks and balances. When Beka was in trouble at school, Toycie offered to help her with her studies. She also urged Beka to be truthful with her parents. In return, Beka tried to persuade Toycie, to find help when she becames pregnant… Beka and her father have a rocky relationship from the beginning of the book. Beka talked about how her father calling her names, like ‘phoney’ are sometimes more hurtful than the phisycal abuse. « at those times Beka’s behavior forced Lilla to complain, Beka’s Dad resorted to calling her names. He could not understand how a girl with enough food to eat, decent clothes to wear, and a roof over her head could be such a trial. Beka did not know which she disliked most the beating or the name calling. The worst and hurtful name of all was when her Dad called her ‘phoney’. Liar and thief were bad, but those words didn’t really worry her ».8 The first instance of lying in front of her father resulted with the whipping her with his belt. She was cut across the face with the belt buckle and the scar is a constant reminder of the pain she experienced as a result of her lying. His father could not conceived how a younger girl being in front of the age of maturity and development kept on telling lies at ay times that is the reason why she was condemned to face some terrifies stage during her process of life. It was one of the ways which allowed Bbeka’s mother to say these words in a feeling of pity. « it was my fault Bill. I can’t understand why I complains o much to you about Beka she had such a pretty smile. Bill, such a pretty smile. That was 8 Zee, Edgell, op, cit, p19 18 the nicest about her face. Looking down at Beka’s lip, Bill lamb said, she still has a pretty smile. Smile, Beka ! show your mother what a pretty smile you still have. Beka smiled as naturally as she could manage, because her parents always seemed to suffer for such a long time after Beka herself had forgotten the beatings, and it was a rare child in the community that didn’t get a whipping now, then, or more often ». 9 This lying didn’t stop and later in the chapters, Beka informs her parents that she passed the grade at school, even though she had failed four classes. When she confessed to her father that she had lied once again about being passed on to the next grade, she expected that her faith is that of previous terms. Instead, her father tells her « you are growing wild like that bougainvillea that’s breaking down Miss Boycie’s fence. All flash and no substance ». 10with this Beka pleads to still be allowed to go back to school. With no response, her father cut down that tree that belonged to Beka while she was sleeping. « beka stumbled out of bed and ran to the back window over-looking the yard. her father, dressed for work in a white shirt and khaki pants, had nearly finished cutting down the vine. She rushed downstairs, through the kitchen and own the back stairs. No, Daddy, no ! but the last trunk of the vine ws already on the ground. why you cuti t down, Daddy ? Beka asked, picking up a large branch and trying to stick it into the ground. She felt as is somebody had put a watermelon inside her chest. It was breaking down the fence, Beka, her Dad said sheating his machete and walking towards the house ».