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The language in this short story is complex. Masondo uses different languages and tones when addressing different people. Language helps him get a baseline of these men as he has no memory of them. He can tell who is who in the hierarchy of power and lethal by listening to them speak to him and each other. Even though you are reading, you can hear the colored accent in their voices in the writing language “Jaa, he looks grand all right. And did you check his car?” (Comrade Heal Yourself,1996)

You can tell their level of education according to how they speak. Fishgap says “Ta! Sister” when greeting Nomfundo as they come into the office acting as patients. We understand the rage masked as sarcasm in the way they speak to the doctor. Like when they asked him how he became a doctor, mocking him for calling them 'bajita' and at every turn the doctor tries to speak in his defense.

The narration says ‘a young fellow on her lap’, this tells us that even though the doctor never got to know the gender of the baby whilst he was alive when he was departing this world, he understood it was a boy.

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Cultural differences are highlighted by the statements made by the native Chinese grandmother with regard to her son-in-law. When the Chinese grandma expresses her views about their differences, some of the most important cultural differences that exist are revealed. The grandmother highlighted that her son-in-law's mother works hard, but she has four children and none of them work but instead receive so-called severance money.

Furthermore, the largest cultural difference is highlighted in the sadness the Chinese grandmother experiences in the quote "Sophie is three years old American age, but already I see her nice Chinese side swallowed up by her wild shea side" (Gish, J. & Published by Alfred A. Knopf (1999).

Another cultural difference that occurred is spanking. As stated by the Chinese grandmother, "you spank her, she will stop misbehaving, I say another day. But they say oh no. In America, parents not supposed to spank the child. It gives them low self-esteem". Despite the grandmother's daughter and son-in-law's warnings not to spank Sophie, she ended up spanking her granddaughter.

Regrettably, the relationship between the mother and daughter was damaged and the spanking was effective in changing the child's behaviour. The fact that Natalie did not abandon her mother in spite of her husbands asking about when she would be sent back to China was significant.

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Teaching Language through "Comrade, Heal Yourself!"

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How to teach language through 'Comrade, Heal Yourself!'

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How to teach language through 'Comrade, Heal Yourself!'

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Teaching Language through "Comrade, Heal Yourself!"

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How to teach Culture through Who's Irish:

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How to teach Culture through Who's Irish:

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Culture plays a large unnoticeable role in our lives and in our communities, let's be mindful that we are people who come from different backgrounds and different cultures which makes us different and unique.

Cultural differences are portrayed between the two families, the Shea family and the Chinese family. Who came together through marriage, these two families are shown that they do not get along due to comparison between which culture is best.

Cultural difference is addressed through a young granddaughter who portrays to have taken after both families but mostly taken the cultural side of her father who is Irish and lives in America. Her Chinese grandmother experiences her wild side and blames the 'Shea American family'.

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Reading of gender in The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds

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The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds

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The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds

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The first mention of gender in this story is when a woman introduced as Humpy Dumpty’s sister, Jill, walks into private investigator Mr. Horner’s office. The first thing Mr. Horner says to Jill is “What are you selling, lady?” (Gaiman, 1984) immediately assuming that she wants to sell something while she actually wants him to solve the case of her brother’s death.

He then objectifies her by thinking to himself how beautiful she is and tells himself that he is going to break his vow to never take cases from women. The reason why he does not take cases from women is not revealed and we cannot help but assume that it is because he does not respect them.

Later, when he thinks about taking on her case, he looks up at her and thinks to himself about her breasts, referring to them as “Easter egg bazonkas”, which is extremely disrespectful. After looking at her body he decides to take her case.

It is later revealed that she is not Jill Dumpty but rather the Queen of Hearts and when she takes out her pistol to kill Mr. Horner, he refers to her gun as “a cute little ladies’ pistol” which insinuates that it is not as powerful and that she would not go through with killing him because of her gender.

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Reading of gender in The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds

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How to teach gender through The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds.

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How to teach gender through The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds.

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When teaching gender, one must be mindful as you do not know what the children in your class are going through daily. Gender-based violence is one of the biggest issues South Africans face and the problem is increasing year after year, “... the murder of children [increased by] 37.2% and on women, 70.5%,’ said Groenewald.” (Daily Maverick:2022).

In The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds there are parts where Jill Humpty/The Queen of Hearts is incredibly disrespected by the main character based on her gender. Children will probably laugh at the use of the word “bazonkas” referring to her breasts, but they should be told that it is disrespectful and inappropriate to use.

Furthermore, the fact that Mr. Horner only took her brother’s case after deciding that she is beautiful should be addressed and children should be taught that this is inappropriate. He is not sympathetic to her situation (or what he thought her situation was). Children must know that they should never decide whether to give someone help based on how they look.

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Magona, S. (1996) Comrade, Heal Yourself! in Push-push! and other stories. Cape Town: David Philip, pp. 39-64

(PDF) Tsotsitaal - Researchgate (no date). Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321276311_Tsotsitaal (Accessed: March 24, 2023).

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Jen, G. (1999) Who's Irish? Alfred A. Knopf

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Gaiman, N. (1984) The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds. Available from Neilgaiman.com: https://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/Short_Stories/The_Case_of_the_Four_and_Twenty_Blackbirds

Daily Maverick (Ethan van Diemen).2022. Crime crisis continues in first quarter of 2022 with women and children worst affected. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-06-03-crime-crisis-continues-in-first-quarter-of-2022-with-women-and-children-worst-affected/ Date of access: 20 March 2023.

WorldFish. 2014, 26 Sep. Gender Equality: Now. [YouTube video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4viXOGvvu0Y&ab_channel=WorldFish
Date of access: 25 March 2023