1. Manding Boukari aka (Manding Bory) first appears on page 16 of Sundiata when he is born and named.
2. Manding Bory is the third son of King Naré Maghan (Sundiata’s father) and his third wife, Namandjé. He is Sundiata’s youngest brother and best friend. Although he was to be instructed in sorcery, he “had no gift of sorcery” (27).
3. Manding Bory is similar to several sidekicks we have seen. He is like Gilgamesh’s Enkidu, Rama’s Lakshmana and Telemachus’ Pisistratus. He, like the other side kicks of our main heroes, is always with Sundiata to offer support, encouragement, loyalty and friendship.
4. Manding Bory is a hero because he is Sundiata’s “right hand” (16). He is to Sundiata “like a man and his shadow” (23). He stands up for Sundiata when he is too “angry” to speak (27) just like Lakshmana stands up for Rama when he is removed from the throne.
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4 comments:
I agree that Manding Bory is indeed a hero, or at least his characteristics thus far should be categorized as heroic. While he may not be as strong as Sundiata, he is loyal and wise. These are two important characteristics that a hero should personify. "It was Manding Bory who spoke. 'Brother Dankaran Touman,...since you do not want to have us around we shall leave Mali and go far away from here'" (27). In this case, Manding Bory is able to converse with his elder brother, who is a good 10 years older than him, on an equal level. This demonstrates wisdom beyond his years. This is again exemplified when he exchanges proverbs with Sundiata. "Men's wisdom is contained in proverbs and when children wield proverbs it is a sign that they have profited from adult company" (29). While Manding Bory is wise, he is also loyal "Sundiata had found a grat friend in his half-brother. You cannot choose your relatives but you can choose your friends. Manding Bory and Sundiata were real friends" (27). For these reasons, Manding Bory can be truly categorized as a hero. He represents important traits of what make a hero and carries them out in a respective manner.
Wait a minute! Wait a minute! We are doling out the title of Hero like real life television shows. Hero should be a sacred word. Would you call Tanto a hero? No. Manding Bory/ Manding Boukari is honorable, but a sidekick is not a hero as seen in all of history (including Disney Original movie: Sky High). Good job at the quotes but I disagree. Sundiata is the hero, or maybe even his father for mating with the ugly woman because of the profecy, but not Manding Bory/ Manding Boukari.
I do agree with Kimmy that Manding Boy/ Manding Boukari is not a hero. I feel that a hero can not be a sidekick to another person. I feel a hero has to stand out on their own and not follow others or speak for others. I do feel that Sundiata is a hero but his side kick isn't.
I must disagree with you opinions of a hero's need to be the main character in the story. In the beginning of the semester, we defined what a hero is as a class. Words like noble, brave, selfless, smart, understanding, strong, etc. came up in the discussion. Is Manding Bory not these things? Is he not noble, being the son of a King? Is he not brave, fighting as a commander in his brother's army? Is he not selfless, smart, strong? There are examples of all of these characteristics throughout Sundiata and that is what makes a hero. Not the fact that Manding Bory is the "sidekick" in the story. That does not matter. There can be more than one hero in a story and as long as Manding Bory personifies the traits of a hero, he is one.
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