Te Pou – Andre Ngapo
Title
1. What is the significance of the title? Why do you think the writer has used a definition as the opening sentence? What are the 2 different meanings of Te Pou and why are they both important to the story?
Te Pou is Maori for pole. The story focuses on Piri’s attempt to mark all 162 poles in the neighbourhood.
The definition grabs our attention and highlights the two different meanings of pole (pillar ad teacher) both of which will be important to the story. The literal meaning of pillar represents Piri’s physical challenges, the literal meaning of teacher highlights Piri’s dual role as a teacher to the author - it is Piri’s actions and the bond they share that help the author turn his own life around.
Opening:
2. How do the opening paragraphs grab the reader’s attention? What type of information does the reader gain from the first three paragraphs?
· First person narrator - intimacy
· Child narrator – ay?, totally cracked etc. Naive/simplistic view of world?
· The neighbourhood is run down nicknamed The Bronx negative connotations
· Humour is used to play down the harsh reality of the children’s environment
· Piri Paea will be a main character – first one introduced
Development
3. Does the development of Te Pou centre on plot, character or setting or perhaps a combination of these? Give examples to support your answer.
Plot – Piri’s goal of marking all 162 poles which becomes more challenging when the power board arrive to start updating the wooden poles with concrete poles. The last pole is the climax of the story and an event which changes everyone’s future – Piri, the author, Aunt Nan, the other children and the community.
Character – narrator/author, leader of his childhood gang, staunch yet shares a close bond with Piri, is empathetic. Also accepting of Ashley despite what his peers think so is prepared to make his own choices.
Setting – the neighbor hood is run down and hopeless. The families are there because their first homes were flooded and the Bronx was supposed to be a temporary measure while the council rebuilt their old neighbourhood. Both the place and the people have been neglected by the bureaucracy.
4. What is the main incident in the story? Were you surprised by what happened?
Piri marking the final pole and stabbing Jack the power board worker. References have been made to Piri being wild and his eyes were running so his lashing out was not surprising although the outcome was more harsh than expected. The irony is that it takes this violent act to change the author/narrators own fledgling violent ways. Piri himself is “damaged” from birth, does not talk, does not follow instruction yet he is the catalyst for change.
Conclusion:
5. Did the ending seem realistic? Why or why not?
Yes – because of the violence that surrounds the children on a daily basis it is conceivable that one of them could carry out such an act. It is also believable that it takes an act like this to force the council to make some positive changes for the local community. These changes prove to be too little too late for Piri and Aunty Nan who are also victims of the event.
6. Is the resolution satisfying? Why/Why not?
It is realistic yet tragic – Piri ends up institutionalized and Aunty Nan dies. The author turns his life around but is now working with children in a similar situation as his own childhood so while things change for him as an individual there is as sense that the bigger issues remain the same for young Maori.
Setting:
7. How important is the setting in Te Pou? Supply a quote that describes the setting:
Extremely – the rundown neighbourhood mirrors the hopelessness of the children’s situation. “We’d laugh at the totally cracked footpaths…” “….the people of the Bronx were not exactly your house-proud types”.
8. How does the setting contribute to the mood of the story?
The setting is neglected, damaged, broken, threatening. This reflects the children’s outlook on life and the violence they accept as part of every day life. There is a sense of dislocation from the rest of the town – the power board men arrive in white vans with hard helmet and power tools. Their efficiency and action contrasts with the state of the neighbourhood. Initially they children think they are a rival gang. This sets up an “us and them” atmosphere.
9. If the story was set somewhere else would it make sense? Why or why not?
No – it is very specific to small town, rural, New Zealand. It could be any town in New Zealand but definitely New Zealand.
“…wrecked by the floods of ‘81”.
“…Esther Road to Ngata Place”
“White Flight”
“…the old railway days”
“…born again from up north” “bullrush”
Characters:
10. How many characters are there (name them)? How are they introduced?
Piri Paea – first par, held the record for carving initials in wooden poles
Author/narrator – second par, rhetorical question. Retelling his story
Other kids – Black, Snotty, Ginga, Chong – dialogue, joking, having each other on
Aunty Nan – sad about the “new” neighbourhood, let down by council
Ashley – acceptable to boys, saves nicest smiles for narrator
Jack and Bill – power board workers and Ashley’s Dad
Uncle Nes – sent down from up north to keep an eye on narrator
11. Are some characters more important than others? Who are they? How do we know this? Supply a quote that describes each of the main characters.
Piri - “…he was like a butterfly – a purerehua – that couldn’t quite break free from his cocoon. His beautiful wings lay half in, half out – trapped; unable to fly”.
Narrator/author – “They knew I was the best choice for leader – I was the toughest – and I made popular decisions which usually led us in the right direction.”
Point of view:
12. Who is the narrator? How do we know? Is there a single point of view or several?
Author is narrator – ten at start of story, adult at end. Single point of view but use of flashback gives us an adult perspective on events as well as a more simplistic (yet honest) childlike view.
13. Is the narrator involved in the action or just an observer? How do you know?
Directly involved – leads the gang, decides that Ashley is “in”, protective of Piri, goes out with Piri on the final, fatal night.
14. What is the writer’s attitude to the characters? Do they develop or change through the story or do they remain static?
The writer is sympathetic towards the characters, acknowledges they are just children who don’t know any better. “For us kids (who didn’t have a clue what “lowly neighbour hood” meant) moving to the Bronx with all those “haunted houses” was terrifying.
Sympathy with children, especially Piri remains unchanged but the final incident sparks a turning point in is own life. “All the shock and the shame came spewing forth, uncontrollably, on to the kitchen floor. All that I had been made, and made myself – my strong staunch, semi-hardened core – was heaved out of me, hanging and broken like the blood-stained pou.”
This is his personal epiphany but the author looking back also acknowledges that his core was “semi-hardened” so there was potential for change.
The author has an unusual level of empathy even as a child and so as her reflects on his childhood, the narrator/author is able to display through word choice and dialogue, an understanding of why the children act the way they do. There is no sense of blame, just resignation and finally insight.
Structure:
15. What is the time span of Te Pou? How do you know?
Introduction makes is clear the story starts in the narrator’s childhood, (started calling it the Bronx around ten, changed gang’s name at 12). The final par opens with “Years later…”.
16. Is foreshadowing used? If so is it skilful or obvious?
“It was Ashley that spotted them first”. The arrival of the power board workers is described in a threatening way (Ginga is nervous, the kids initially think the vans might be a rival gang). Once the kids realise they are there to replace the poles (effect change), it becomes a war between them and the power board as Piri races to finish the final poles.
Style:
17. Look closely at diction (word choice), sentence structure and imagery. Give examples of each and explain why you think the writer has included them
Word choice:
Colloquial language – Farr bro, choice one
Te Reo – purerehua, tahonga
Descriptive - cracked footpaths, boarded up houses, rotting and abandoned, blood-stained Pou
Figurative – Piri as the beautiful butterfly, still trapped. News travelled like lightning and everyone was struck by it.
Allusion – Triple Bs, Bronx, MCs, Henchmen
Incorrect grammar – Me and my mates
Slang – gis a bloody puff, geez
Sentence structure:
Mixture of kids’ dialogue and observation – gives child’s perspective.
Sets up an "us versus them" – Maori vs non-Maori, children versus adults, and disenfranchised community versus decision makers.
Listing – hard hats and overall, cable, tools, paper and clipboard, official-like
Repetition – how I still go back, how they remind me of
Inverted commas when using terms of officialdom/adults - “lowly neighbourhood” “rebuilding campaign” “Need for clearer communication channels”
Short sentences for impact – And I wept.
Imagery: of war/conflict
Children against adults and officials.
MCs versus henchmen.
Council versus elders.
Neighbourhood as battlefield/war torn
decent challenge, biggest hiding, white flight/black fright, looking to rumble o worse, escape trapdoor, quick escape, workers streaming in, marching to council office, rebuilding campaign, blood-stained Pou
18. Piri is described by Aunty Nan as a purerehua (a butterfly) trapped in a cocoon. What does Piri symbolise?
Piri is born damaged and trapped within himself. He can’t talk (the elders have trouble communicating with the council) but he can fly. He symbolises success against the odds, hope, achievement and also the dangers of not taking the time to understand a person/people who appear different.
19. Slang and colloquial language is used throughout Te Pou. Why do you think the writer does this? Give three examples:
To take us into the world of children- nicknames and games, hopes, dreams and fears.
Blimmin, Gis-a bloody puff, Geez Ginga
All known by nicknames except Piri and Ashley (sets them apart)
20. How are the following elements used to create mood:
Setting – rundown, neglected, abandoned, hopeless
Characters – Piri = hope, narrator = wannabe tough guy, staunch yet scared
Action – builds to climax from innocent childhood game, to a fatal life changing event
21. What mood is created?
Despair, unease, mistrust, violence
22. How is humour used and why do you think the writer uses humour?
Through the kids take on life, helps them make sense of their world, poignant
“Black fright”
Dialogue:
23. Is dialogue a significant aspect of Te Pou? Does it contribute to characterisation? Does it seem natural artificial? How does it contribute to the story?
Yes – most of the dialogue is between the children. It is light hearted/humorous yet reading between the lines, we understand the very real issues their banter masks. They hide their fears and insecurities with humour and have created their own world of nick names, club huts and rules to given them a sense of belonging that is missing from the wider community. Like the adult world, their alternative community centres around violence, being tough and having to prove yourself to be accepted.
The dialogue contributes to the story because it highlights the gaps in understanding that exist – Jack refers to Piri as a “freak” earlier the author says he gives some one a hiding who calls Piri a freak so we know there will be trouble in the final scene.
Theme:
24. The writer explores some important ideas through Te Pou. What are they – provide a quote to support your answer:
The story shows the danger of neglecting individuals and communities. The author comes from an abusive home and is heading down a violent pathway to becoming a patched up gang member. It also shows us how failure to communicate with each other (and listen) can have disastrous consequences – ironically Piri can’t talk.