Preface to Blood River Tim Butcher Published to rave reviews in the United Kingdom and named a Richard & Judy Book Club selection—the only work of.

Preface to Preface to Blood RiverBlood River

Tim ButcherTim Butcher

Published to rave reviews in the United Kingdom and named a Richard & Judy Book Club selection—the only work of nonfiction on the 2008 list— Blood River is the harrowing and audacious story of Tim Butcher’s journey in the Congo and his retracing of renowned explorer H. M. Stanley’s famous 1874 expedition in which he mapped the Congo River.

When Daily Telegraph correspondent Tim Butcher was sent to Africa in 2000 he quickly became obsessed with the legendary Congo River and the idea of recreating Stanley’s legendary journey along the three-thousand-mile waterway. Despite warnings that his plan was suicidal, Butcher set out for the Congo’s eastern border with just a rucksack and a few thousand dollars hidden in his boots. Making his way in an assortment of vehicles, including a motorbike and a dugout canoe, helped along by a cast of characters from UN aid workers to a pygmy rights advocate, he followed in the footsteps of the great Victorian adventurers.

An utterly absorbing narrative that chronicles Tim Butcher’s forty-four-day journey along the Congo River, Blood River is an unforgettable story of exploration and survival.

The Telegraph, 2008The Telegraph, 2008

Tim Butcher is this newspaper’s Middle East correspondent. In 2006 he retraced H.M Stanley’s route down the Congo river, through the Democratic Republic of Congo, “the most daunting, backward country on Earth”.

From its heyday when it was further advanced than Greece, the country now stands “as a totem for the failed continent of Africa”. Travelling by motorbike and canoe, Butcher’s trip is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling.

TaskTask

1. Read through the preface yourself and highlight/underline any words you don’t know.

2. Discuss these words with a partner – they may know some that you don’t.

3. Share some of these with the class and discuss their meaning(s).

TaskTask

1. Read preface again and think about some of the questions on the board.

2. Make relevant annotations around the preface that answer these questions.

3. Highlight your answers.

4. Be prepared to discuss these answers with the class.

Model AnswersModel Answers1. Autobiographical account/adventure/non-fiction. 2. Imagery/word choice/sentence structure, narrative

stance. 3. Unlike those before him, Butcher only has a few

basics with him.4. Powerful contrast between Butcher’s equipment and

those who explored before him; self-deprecating humour.

5. Backward, under-developed country/society; violent; deeply-embedded racial prejudice. Butcher achieves this through specific word choice and imagery to help the reader feel as if they were there with him.

6. Extended metaphor – what is being compared? And to what? Why? Effect(s) (connotations/denotation)

7. Physical symptoms of fear – an “ache that grows behind my knees”, “a choking dryness in my throat”.

8. Delays (lack of trust), “most daunting, backward country on Earth”, “a state of near-permanent rebellion for more than forty years”, “where cannibalism remains as real today as it was in the nineteenth century”, etc.

9. “You are a white man, you will need something more than luck”. How would Butcher feel about being told this?

10. A community-based militia formed to attack and defend; partly formed to exploit war to their own advantage.

11. “sidling”, “swagger”, “hotch-potch”, “hidden by dark glasses”.

12. Roads that can be accessed by Jeep. Arguably, this is now used as an excuse not to pursue the mai-mai and their violent activity; vast, uncharted territory.

13. Rwandan Hutu paramilitary organisation; “stand, work, fight and attack together”. Their involvement in the Rwandan genocide means they are famous for their violence and hostility.

14. Butcher ends the preface by referring to his physical symptoms of fear, meaning he doesn’t have much trust/faith in the people he is going to be travelling with. Georges’ height/build wasn’t the companion he expected.

15. Predictions based on evidence in preface – violence, drama, challenging terrain, dangerous people, etc.

16. How effective, then, is this preface in encouraging a reader to continue reading the book?

Butcher and StanleyButcher and Stanley

Mai-MaiMai-Mai

InterahamweInterahamweThe Interahamwe, on the other hand, is made up of the former Hutu-led youth militias who committed the majority of the atrocities of the genocide.

Critical EssayCritical Essay

Choose a prose text (fiction or non-fiction) in which a society or a person or a culture or a setting is effectively portrayed.

Show how the writer’s presentation of the subject makes an impact on you, and helps you to understand the subject in greater depth.

The QuestionThe Question

Choose a prose text (fiction or non-fiction) in which a society or a person or a culture or a setting is effectively portrayed.

Show how the writer’s presentation of the subject makes an impact on you, and helps you to understand the subject in greater depth.

You Need:You Need:

• To have read and understood the text (Preface) – consider the purpose of a preface and Butcher’s purpose.

• Topic sentences/evaluative comments. (Bank)• Expert knowledge on the techniques used

throughout and their effects – you must annotate over and above the answers from your question sheet. These are just to start you off.

• Your success criteria checklist.

1. Introduction (basics for intro)2. Main body (x4/5) – consider different

aspects of setting (it would help to have identified these and create a small list as a reminder).PEE paragraphs throughout. Remember, you are encouraged to PEE more than once within one paragraph by using additional supporting evidence and analysis/evaluation.

3. Conclusion – how effective has Butcher been in portraying this backward/hostile setting?

ExemplarsExemplars

Tim Butcher’s preface to “Blood River” is an intriguing, auto-biographical beginning to his personal adventure and travel story. By using carefully chosen techniques, Butcher deepens our understanding of the social issue of an under-developed, dangerous and violent country.

Tim Butcher’s preface to “Blood River” is an intriguing, auto-biographical beginning to his personal adventure and travel story. By using carefully chosen techniques, Butcher deepens our understanding of the social issue of an under-developed, dangerous and violent country.

The preface to “Blood River” written by Tim Butcher is the introduction to an autobiographic account of his journey from the source of the River Congo in Africa to the mouth. It is intended to hook the reader and make them want to read the rest of the book. Throughout the preface, Butcher uses a variety of effective stylistic techniques and intricate descriptions to show the reader his desire for adventure and deepen the reader’s understanding of the society he is travelling through.

The preface to “Blood River” written by Tim Butcher is the introduction to an autobiographic account of his journey from the source of the River Congo in Africa to the mouth. It is intended to hook the reader and make them want to read the rest of the book. Throughout the preface, Butcher uses a variety of effective stylistic techniques and intricate descriptions to show the reader his desire for adventure and deepen the reader’s understanding of the society he is travelling through.

Butcher begins his preface by stating the precautions the explorers in the 19th century, who first “took on” the Congo, had to take; “brought small armies bearing the latest firearms and the best medicine to protect against Ebola, leprosy, smallpox and other fatal endemic diseases”. This use of description is extremely effective as it illustrates how dangerous the Congo is if all these serious precautions are needed. It also deepens readers’ understanding of how dangerous the vast, mysterious and under-developed Congo is. Butcher goes on to make a humorous contrast between the explorers preparations and his own; “the only protection I carried was a pen knife and a packet of baby wipes”. This use of self-deprecating humour is extremely effective as it intrigues the reader and makes them curious about what dangers and violence Butcher may face.

Butcher describes the roughness of Kalemie, the place where he is staying, which deepens the reader’s understanding on the society, and effectively reflects on the state of; “the most daunting backwards country on Earth”. He describes the city as a “disease-ridden ruin” caused by “forty years of decay” which effectively demonstrates the lack of infrastructure and shows the backwardness of the country as it is so far from what the reader could ever imagine. He also describes the “double padlocks” and “jagged bottle fragments” which show the measures that have to be taken to keep people safe. This makes the reader wonder what could be out there to need such high security measures and therefore makes them aware of the important issue of society.

ConclusionConclusion

To conclude, Butcher successfully deepens readers’ understanding of an under-developed and dangerous country like the Congo by using techniques like self-deprecating humour, description, alliteration and more throughout his insanely intriguing preface to “Blood River”.

ConclusionConclusion

In conclusion, Butcher uses a variety of effective techniques throughout the preface of “Blood River” to show the reader his desire for adventure and deepen their understanding of the society he is travelling through.