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July 20, 2004
excerpt from Shaba Deux
"In V. Y. Mudimbe's Shaba Deux, a young nun in Zaire struggles with faith in the midst of personal and social chaos."
I left him, my nerves on edge. Ran across Sister Veronique, who was coming back from the novices' quarters."We had a bewildering evening. Do you know Proust's questionnaire? You can't imagine the answers of those children."
"Proust's questionnaire? What questionnaire?"
She gave it to me. I became engrossed in the game and abandoned the idea of starting my reading of La Crise du Muntu by Father Eboussi. Let's see what answers I'm able to come up with.
What do you regard as the lowest depths of misery?
To deny myself.
Where would you like to live?
Right here, where I am now.
What is your ideal of earthly happiness?
To be a sign of joy.
What faults do you accept with greatest ease?
Those caused by poverty and abject misery.
Who are your favorite fictional heroes?
Samba Diallo in Cheik Hamidou Kane's Ambiguous Adventure, and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
Who is your favorite historical figure?
Francis of Assisi.
Who are your favorite heroines in real life?
Mothers of large families.
Words Without Borders -> from Shaba Deux: Les Carnets de Mère Marie-Gertrude
Posted by thdyck on July 20, 2004
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