God’s Bits of Wood

God’s Bits of Wood

“God’s Bits of Wood” presents the story of workers’ strike in Senegal during the colonial era. The French were the colonialists in Senegal and took advantage of their superiority over the Africans to exploit the available resources. The railway project was established as a way of meeting the transport needs in the French empire, and everyone was supposed to benefit. However, the unfolding of events concerned the Senegalese who claimed that the French were using the railway project for their benefit, while Africans were suffering from the working conditions. Ousmane Sembene uses different points of view to create dramatic experiences that help in pushing the plot forward. A combination of several themes and imagery are also crucial in the way the story is shaped to form a sensible narrative. Ousmane relies on actual information and restricts himself from using propaganda in developing the work.

“God’s Bits of Wood” is a story set in Senegal, which is a French empire. The story is dated back to the year 1947 and 1948 when the railway in Senegal was under construction (Ousmane, 1). An account is given of an epic workers’ strike where workers in the railway line decided to walk off their duties owing to the requirement for a wage increase and betterment of the working conditions. The French are put in charge over the railway operations although the Africans form a larger population of workers in the railway line. The French use the railway for their advantage, causing an uproar among the Africans. The main issues of concern for the Africans were the low pay and poor working conditions. Moreover, the colonial government did not show any concern for the welfare of the Africans hence the strike that marked the beginning of a revolution. Generally, the story is based on events surrounding one theoretical protagonist, Bakayoko.

Bakayoko is the central character in “God’s Bits of Wood”, although his recognition is done later in the story. The role of Bakayoko is made significant by his decision to lead the strike despite the challenges associated with the call for a strike (Ousmane, 30). Generally, Bakayoko is theoretical and influential, influencing the strikers to give up the silence in the hands of exploitative colonialists. When Bakayoko is eventually introduced into the story, his presence becomes permanent, and his influence is felt in the way the strikers listen to him. Besides, the challenges faced during the strike were a sufficient measure of Bakayoko as a leader.

Furthermore, the challenges were adverse in that the colonialists were not the only challenge to deal with during the strike period. For example, women in society were unwilling to offer support to the strike. Although the women eventually joined the struggle, Bakayoko had led the strikers wisely without worrying about the challenges.

The central theme in “God’s Bits of Wood” could be viewed as the relationship between humanity and machines. The different points of view presented by Ousmane portray machines as a challenge to humanity with a balance failing to be set between the two (Ousmane, 20). For example, the French are obsessed with the machine, train to the extent of forgetting the role in humanity and end up mistreating the Africans. On the other hand, the humanity of the Africans is traded for the operation of the machine, with the Africans accepting to work under challenging conditions to have the machine operating. The engagement in a strike could be viewed as a wake up for the Africans who have realized the importance of humanity over machines. Moreover, Ousmane employs a wide use of imagery to support his course and justification of participating in the strike.

Imagery appears on several occasions in “God’s Bits of Wood”. First, the introduction of foreign culture is represented by male castration and virility (Ousmane, 12). The castration practices represent the ability of the colonialists to force a part of the Africans into collaborating instead of fighting for their freedom. Ousmane is unhappy because of the few Africans who have decided to be on the side of the colonialists in the attempts to suppress the superiority of fellow Africans. Also, a picture is presented of a well-fed but emasculated creature that represents the move by the colonialists to empower some Africans at the expense of suppressing the attempts to fight back from other Africans.

In sum, Ousmane relies on actual information and restricts himself from using propaganda in developing the work. A story is given of an epic workers’ strike where workers in the railway line decided to walk off their duties owing to the requirement for a wage increase and betterment of the working conditions. Bakayoko is the central character in “God’s Bits of Wood”, although his recognition is done later in the story. Moreover, the central theme in “God’s Bits of Wood” could be viewed as the relationship between humanity and machines. Also, Ousmane employs extensive use of imagery to support his course and justification of participating in the strike.

Works Cited

Sembene Ousmane. God’s bits of wood. Vol. 63. Heinemann, 1995.