Narrative Techniques

1. The narrative techniques used by Roger Mais in Brother are:

• Foreshadowing
• Imagery
• Flashback
• Characterization

2. Roger Mais develop characterization by giving his readers a visual effect or description of the characters physical appearance and personality in the novel.

3. The setting of the novel or story is in Jamaica.

4. Some themes that are brought out in the text are:

• Love                                            
• Jealously
• Abuse
• Betrayal
• Poverty
• Superstition
• Hatred
• Envy
• Greed
• Sorrow
• Death
• Religion

5. Plots in the novel:

* At the beginning of the novel, Roger Mais describes his characters and the relationships in which they have  and who each character is associated with.

* Later down in the novel, we see how each of these relationships functions, the problems each character faces in each relationship.

* Then we witnessed the fights between Papacita and Girlie, the framing of Brother Man and the tragic death of Cordelia and her son Tad.

*Lastly, we also witnessed the beating up of 'Bra Man' and the killing of Papacita by Girlie.

6. Roger Mais uses the narrative technique foreshadowing in the text. this gives the reader hints and clues on events that is to occur in the novel or story.

*Examples of foreshadowing in the text are:

1. The framing of Brother Man - when Cordelia went to 'Bra Ambo' about help to  heal her son. Instead of helping her, he decided that best way for her to get revenge on Brother Man not being able to heal her son is to frame him. From that moment we know that Brother Man was going to get framed.
2. The killing of Papacita - after the big fight with Papacita and Girlie, he moved out and she eventually found him but from the way she behaved and her thoughts towards him, we got a hint that she was going to kill him.
3. The tragic death of Cordelia and her son Tad - because of the stress Cordelia faced with her son not being able to get well and she not having any money to solve that problem, we see that she was eventually going to end both of their lives.
4. The beating up of Brother Man - after Brother Man was framed by Cordelia with the help of 'Bra Ambo', the villagers of Orange Lane had turned against him, doubting his innocence (when Nathaniel came to him). Minette begged him to leave but he refused. From that we see that soon enough or later down in the novel that he was going to get beaten up.

*Flashback:

1. The first framing of Brother Man - He told Minette about this woman named Velta, who framed him before by planting ganga in his house/yard and calling the police to search his property and eventually they arrested him.

7. Religion plays a huge part in the text. Brother Man is a Ras Tafarite and his religion is Rastafarianism. He was beaten because of who he was and what he worshiped, mostly his religious views. In the novel, we see how the villagers felt about Ras Tafarites.

Examples:

1. "Down de old Ras Tafarite! Murderers dem...." ( pg. 179)
2. "Way wid dem, lick dem down, kill dem!" ( pg. 179)

People always scorn Ras Tafarites because of ho they look, what they believe in and their religious views but Rastafarianism is a regular and normal religion just like every other religion.