Kala

• English
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Kala and the concept of power

What are we going to do?

1. A brief look at the historical and cultural setting of Kala

2. Power as a concept: What is power? Theories related to power which can be used to get a deeper understanding of Kala

3. Close reading of Kala exploring the concept of power

A. Kala: setting

Where is Kala set? 

What do you know about the setting?

B. Kala: Historical and cultural setting

Kala hints at some historical and cultural aspects of Irish society. What do you know about:

• The Celtic Tiger?
  
• The Magdalena Laundries?
  

Celtic Tiger

• Mid 1990's till the late 2000's. 
  
• Refers to a period of rapid economic growth in Ireland.
  
• There was a lot of foreign investment and low taxes. As well as property development-> Large numbers of houses being built in every village.
  
• A property crash and recession led to a sudden end of the Celtic Tiger. Property development was stopped and some projects turned into ghost towns.
  

Which references to  the Celtic Tiger are there in Kala?

Celtic Tiger references

Time: Kala went missing in 2003

Kinlough Associates 

Building site

The races

Rich tourists coming to Kinlough (economic prosperity)

Magdalene Laundries

• "Mother and baby houses" run by nuns. 
  
• Being an unmarried, single mother was a taboo -> single pregnant girls / women were often sent away, either to family elsewhere or to mother and baby houses, where the babies had to be given up for adoption. 
  
• Living conditions in the Laundries were harsh:
  
• The women had to do unpaid labour (in commercial laundries or cleaning).
  
• In 1993, 155 unmarked graves were found at a laundry and led to a public outcry.
  
• At least 10,000 women were sent to the laundries between 1922 - 1996 (when the last laundry was closed). 
  

Which references to the Magdalena Laundries are there in Kala?

Magdalene Laundries references

Ms Mulkerns explains to Helen what happened to Kala's mother:

p. 219 "There was a way these situations used to be handled. Even in the eighties. A girl would get into trouble and.... she would be sent away for a few months before the baby was born. ......."

Timeline: Kala went missing in 2003, she was 15 (so she was born in 1988). What do you remember about Kala's mother?

C. Power

What is power?

Which words do you associate with power?

What is power?

The power to do something 

v’s having power over someone.

Dictionary definitions of power show it can encapsulate different aspects:

“The ability or capacity to do something” - Oxford dictionary

“The ability to act or produce an effect” -Miriam Webster dictionary

“The ability to control people or events” -Cambridge dictionary

• Who had power to do something when Kala disappeared? 
  
• Who has power to do something now?
  
• Who had power over something or someone when Kala disappeared? 
  
• Who has power over something or someone now?
  

Power dynamics grid - worksheet

Iceberg task - worksheet

Finally.....

Power is “the chance of a man or a number of men to realize their own will in a social action even against the resistance of others who are participating in the action” (Weber, 1978, p.926)

Have a look at the list of characters at the start of the novel. Using the above quote, who do you now think holds the most power in the novel? Explain your answer.

Thank you for taking part in this lesson.

Any questions?