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Compare And Contrast Between Tides And Between Tides

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Fang culture, Tío Abeso emphasizes that though they do not read books to learn their culture, “[they] know [their] tradition because the eldest member passes it on to the young so that when he too is old, he will in turn impart the tradition to his young” (Ndongo 92). Ndongo demonstrates through this novel that education can take more than one form, and though it differs from Western ideals, it still serves as a uniting force amongst the tribe. Similarly, Pierre is guided by his grandmother throughout childhood. When speaking with the Colonel, Pierre hears his grandmother’s voice in his head speaking about shikwembu, and compares the description with the Colonel (Mudimbe 52).
In both of these novels, education is exemplified in ways other than ancestral teachings. In Between Tides, Pierre receives an education starting from elementary school. We learn that in addition to his schooling to become a priest, he studied canon law. In Shadows of Your Black Memory, the Spaniards used education as a tool to colonize the Fang people, teaching them to recognize they should be grateful that they had been saved and to glorify their Spanish ancestors:
“…when Don Ramón asked you what you were, your little voice stood out clearly: all of us together are Spaniards by the grace of God! And why are we Spanish? intoned Don Ramón, and your clear voice again stood out: we are Spaniards blessed for having been born in a country called Spain… Spaniards had come to save you from anarchy because

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