Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali (Sunjata)

Describe the role of women in the text of Sundiata. Use examples from the text to support your analysis.

Do you think Sassouma Bérété was justified in trying to excommunicate Sundiata from Mali? Explain with references from the text.

Select a fairy tale or myth with a similar structure to Sundiata and compare the two texts. What is similar and what is different about them? What does this tell you about the similarities and differences between the cultures that produced these texts? Explain with references from both works.

Research syncretism. What does this term mean, and what role does the concept play in the text? Use examples to support your response.

When Naré Maghan hears the prophecy of Sundiata from the Sangaran hunter, he is sitting “in his usual position under the silk-cotton tree surrounded by his kinsmen” (4). What is the significance of this location, and how is it reflected in Sundiata’s life?

What is the meaning and purpose of Sundiata’s final chapter? Why does the narrator suddenly take this tone?

What is the significance of Sogolon’s ugliness and mistreatment in Sundiata? How do these traits inform her character arc and, consequently, that of Sundiata?

Sundiata makes many friends and allies during his exile. Who, in your opinion, is Sundiata’s most valuable helper? Explain with references from the text.