Passage to Africa

Summary

Genre: Autobiography. This allows reflection rather than straightforward narrative and suggests a readership interested in Alagiah’s feelings about his work.

Voice: 1st person narrative. Not afraid to use emotive figurative language to heighten the emotional impact of his writing.

Purpose: to present the dilemma of a journalist with clarity and power: the ‘active’ reporter and the ‘passive’ subject.  Alagiah considers his role in the famine as reporter, not aid worker. His writing moves from the narrative of the dreadful sights in Gufgaduud to the consideration of the ‘ghoulish’ behaviour of journalists in such an environment (see also War Photographer in Anthology Part C).

Structure:

Taken from a longer book we get

1: Time and place presented with clarity,. The hook (one I will never forget) is presented in the opening paragraph and will return throughout until being explained after line 55.

2: Examples 1 and 2 of horror and hardships: Aminah and the Old Woman

3: the hook

4: Personal reflection on the sights seen.

5: the hook

6: the old man’s tale and the smile. He was embarrassed to be seen in this way. Thus the reporter becomes not a witness-bearer, but an intruder.

7: A discussion about the role of a journalist. Alagiah is not kind to his profession and concludes by stressing his own indebtedness to this nameless victim.