The Famished Road by Ben Okri gives a very strong sense of the "middle ground" that other magical-realist texts we have read in this course have presented previously. Mainly with Azaro and his being an abiku (which is connected to Yoruba mythology): a child destined to die before he turns twelve. Azaro is constantly confronted with his predestined death; being torn between the spirits who came to take him and the mother he loves – which I thought was interesting because it is said that abiku don't particularly care about the pain their mothers go through (because they always return to the same mother, and have no never intend to stay in the land of the living). I think that because we are introduced, right from the start, to both the land of the living and the spirit world, there is an element of cohesion that is found in the constant state of in-betweenness of all the characters. This book introduces us to the concept of myth from the beginning, and I think it makes a big contribution to this book being labeled a magical-realist text. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The story begins with the phrase “In the beginning” which, while reminiscent of the Bible, mostly reminded me of the creation myths I watched in another class. Also the idea of ​​the cyclical nature of life, especially that of abiku, as everyone is destined to be born, live, die – wash, rinse and repeat. This opening to the text also establishes how this world works and why knowing about it is relevant to the story, in relation to the abiku. I think this is important, because although the Yoruba folklore and cultural element of this story creates a situation where those of other cultures, particularly Western and European audiences, are "other", it also gives us some insight and the ability to understand, in some way, the journey that this text will take us. I also found the father's statement that it is harder to love than to die, when set against the backdrop of colonialism, very interesting. I mean, the very nature of colonization depends on whether those who do it think themselves superior to those who they are colonizing. They cannot be seen as people, otherwise the emotional cost would prevent events like colonization from occurring. The idea that “people who look like humans are not humans” and that humans only ever try to wipe each other out, instead of understanding that their destiny requires unity. Alongside this, the idea that “Machines, poisons and selfish dreams will devour us”, that if we look at the history not only of colonisation, but also of industrialization and capitalism, we can see how there is a personal and social reflection to be made from these statements.