Barriers and Boundaries

The barrier and boundaries one creates and faces in life can not be measured to that of another because the extent of one’s barrier has no size. Some barriers are broken time and time again. Others stand strong and thrive through many of the years. Witi Ihimaera entails the barriers of our present time through “The Whale Rider.” Battling the modern day oppression of the female character, sexism’s role in hindering the abilities of the women and the commonsense of the men thrives throughout the novel.

The idea of barriers and boundaries in Ihimaera’s “The Whale Rider” is present in many works of poetry and other literatures. A comparison can be seen between the works of Ihimaera and Frost. In Frost’s Mending Wall, the theme of boundaries is seen through the neighbor’s fences. “Good fences make good neighbors…he will not go behind his father’s saying,” clearly shows and traditions of our predecessors are alive and well. Such can be implied when referring to Koro Apirana and his throwback views of women and their place away from men’s work and as far away from authority and power as possible. Koro following tradition creates barrier that soon enough comes back and bites him. Through ignorance and time, Koro learns such barriers and boundaries cannot exist.

A particular poem that presents barriers and breaks them all the same is Yusef Komunyakaa’s Slam, Dunk, & Hook. The ability of the poet to break the boundaries of gravity, distance, altitude, bodily motions, and beauty gives readers their own ambitions of breaking the barrier. Such rebellious maneuvers and thoughts constantly appear through the sayings and history that are associated with Nanny Flowers of “The Whale Rider.” She opposes Koro’s ideals and reiterates her own family history, which is one of courage and confidence upon the women’s end of the spectrum. “We had moves we didn’t know we had…beautiful and dangerous” could describe the very actions of Kahu as she single handedly saves the Maori tribe. No surprise would come if this quote came from the mouth of Nanny Flowers for her strong belief that a woman’s strength is equal to that of a male.

As well as the breaking of barriers and boundaries, they are strengthened each day through the actions of others. The Game by Judith Ortiz Cofer entails the barrier made by a mother for her disfigured child. Such a resemblance can be seen by the barrier made by time between men and women in “The Whale Rider.” We see social barriers in Jane Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities, which speaks of the borders set by man and how it affects all aspects of life.

Overall, a common theme is intertwined within all the works of literature presented, the idea of barriers and boundaries and how they affect the words, actions, and lives of all. Some barriers can be broken, others are being rebuilt. The rest I guess are nonsexist, or so we like to think.