Sundiata Summary

Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali delivers exceptional insight on the cultural and historical aspects of history in Mali. This book is an excellent source for college students and professors who wish to learn more about the old Mali. The review of this book includes the organization, structure and historical reference used throughout.
The book is told through a griot, whose purpose was to preserve the history of constitutions and was to recall what earlier leaders had done in order to solve problems. The story takes the reader on a journey through history and allows the reader to receive first-hand accounts of how society in Mali was previously. The tone of this book reflects an appreciation for the founder of Mali, which was Sundiata, by praising …show more content…
Niane was told the history of Mali through a griot and is the only one who knows everything the king knows. Although this one source is face-to-face and is told from the perspective of someone who personally works with the king, this may lead to credibility issues. People want more sources as to where information is coming from, especially those of western culture. The griots are given their information by other griot, giving room for error to occur. Niane’s book maybe be more reliable to someone if there were other sources being used instead of just one. The use of more than one source would ensure accuracy and could make the history of Sundiata more creditable. More sources need to be incorporated in order to get a full sense of what life was like back then. Having only one person of a higher power does not give much insight to how the common people of the civilization felt. The two groups were obviously treated very differently, and so having information from the common person would help readers know what life was like from another …show more content…
The griot who is telling the story favors Sudiata and emphasizes the actions that make him a hero. The story does not accentuate any heroic actions of anyone except Sundiata. Instead, Kouyate’s word choice and diction gives the reader the idea that he is siding with Sundiata. The words the griot chooses to say in his telling of the stepmother gives a negative connotation.
An example of this impression is when the stepmother sent the witches to try and prove Sundiata’s malicious behavior (Niane 29). However, this plan backfired on the stepmother and resulted in the change of attitude towards her. Sundiata was exiled because of her, thus proving that she despised him and was truly a villain. Niane’s book is biased towards Sundiata because of the griot, not because of his own opinions.
Aside from being biased towards one group of individuals, this book has a selective view. The poem is only focused on one type of civilization and it gives the impact on that society specifically. It would have been beneficial to the reader if Niane incorporated some other historical events that were happening at the

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