66 Figuratively too, the sun is not yet up for this would be immigrants. They are not realistic in their ambition to immigrate. B Significant event The notice of revenge on Jean by the drug baron is the significant event in this story. He says that he could not afford to be sodomised against his will so he flees pp109 . C Aim of the author i. Show the ridiculous lengths to which people will go to try and improve their lot. Ii. Show human suffering occasioned by poor decision making. Q. 1 What are some of the elements that Sefi Atta exposes as ridiculous in Twilight Trek? Q. 2 Discuss the suffering the illegal immigrants undergo in Twilight Trek by Sefi Atta. 67 I STAND HERE IRONING BY TILLIE OLSEN 1. Setting The story is set in USA after the depression and WWII but before the economy had fully recovered. The narrator is ironing the family s clothes on an ironing board in her house. 2. The plot The narrator, a mother of five in her late 30 s, stands ironing her family s clothes. She reflects on a question asked her by somebody handling her daughter, probably a teacher at school. The unnamed person wants her to visit and give information that could be used to help her withdrawn daughter, Emily. She doesn t think she should go because she believes she doesn t have an answer. She believes her 19 year old daughter has lived through experiences that have altered her life in ways a mother cannot understand. Through her reflections, we however get the picture. Emily, very beautiful at birth, is her first born. Her husband abandons them when she is only eight months. The narrator, a working class mother, could not afford to employ a nanny. At first she left the baby with an inconsiderate neighbour. Later she took her to her grandparents. A year goes by before Emily reunites with her mother. Two reasons are given for this long period of separation. First, the narrator could not raise the fare. Second, Emily suffered an attack of chicken pox. 68 When she returns, their lot has not improved. She is shipped to school where she suffers in the hands of nasty children because of the scars left by chicken pox. She also suffers in the hands of inconsiderate teachers who sent her back to the bullies.


68 When she returns, their lot has not improved. She is shipped to school where she suffers in the hands of nasty children because of the scars left by chicken pox. She also suffers in the hands of inconsiderate teachers who sent her back to the bullies. What is more, the economic hardship makes her mother send her back to her grandparents. When she returns, she finds that she has a new father. Things get worse for Emily when her siblings start coming: four in total. Her mother barely has time to smile at her, let alone comfort her in the nights when she has nightmares. She therefore feels rejected and unwanted. The only saving grace is that her condition, we are not told what it is, impairs her growth. She therefore looks much younger than her age. Inconsiderate children tease her because she does not fit the picture of the stereotype beauty. Her younger sister does not help much. She too bullies Emily. In the end, the narrator is less harassed by the task of parenting. The children have grown older and don t require much attention. She begins to pay more attention to Emily. At first these moments are rejected. Gradually, communication does begin to take place but only on Emily s terms. The narrator is therefore hopeful that ho intervention is requires and that her daughter will end up well. 69 3. Conflict i. All the conflicts in this story centre on Emily and the challenges she goes through from infancy to young adulthood. She is born to young parents who have no means of raising her. Her mother is only 19 and America is going through its worst economic crisis: the great depression. Clearly not ready for the sacrifices of parenthood, her father abandons them when she is only eight months old. She lacks a father s love throughout her life. Her new daddy does not fare any better. In the night when her mother is tired and cannot comfort her when she has nightmares, he does not step in. Ii. Her mother s love is not forthcoming either. At eight months she has to be with a neighbour during the day as her mother earns her keep. When the financial crisis deepens, she has to go and live with her grandparents for one year. During this period there is absolutely no contact between mother and daughter. This movement to her grandparents happens twice. When she reunites with her mother at the age of 2, she has to go to school. This is the only way her mother could go to work.


This movement to her grandparents happens twice. When she reunites with her mother at the age of 2, she has to go to school. This is the only way her mother could go to work. School exposes her to more loneliness. She is tormented by both pupils and teachers pp129-30 . Emily s conflict with her mother worsens when the clinic persuades her to send Emily away to the convalescent home in the country. For the first six weeks the narrator was not allowed to see her daughter. When she was finally allowed, she70 could only speak to her daughter from a distance. The situation was made worse because Emily was not allowed to hold or keep the many letters her parents wrote her. They were only read to her once. Emily s mother also remembers a time when an old man living in the back told her that she should smile at Emily a little more when she looked at her. This was a t a time when Emily was an only child. The narrator remembers this when the other children had come and they were receiving the smiles but it was too late for Emily pp130 iii. The other conflict develops between Emily and her siblings. When Susan was born, her mother was away in hospital for one week. Upon her return, Emily was not allowed near her mother or the baby for another week. She had to endure two weeks of loneliness. As a result, she became delirious with fever pp131 . What is more is that she didn t get better, and suffered nightmares. When she called out to her mother, she d ask her to go back to sleep because it was just a dream. She was too exhausted looking after Susan there was no energy left to look after Emily. There are more problems with Susan. The narrator refers to the relationship between them as poisonous. Their mother acknowledges that she solved the conflicts between the two very badly. She blamed Emily for them. She says that Emily had a corroding resentment towards Susan. 71 Then there is the social contest between the siblings. Susan had the good looks that Emily lacked. Further, she was more confident and articulate than Emily. She stole Emily s jokes and riddles and the audience lived her. The most cruel thing was losing or breaking Emily s precious things without apology and getting away with it pp133-4 iv. The instance between Emily and a boy she loved Emily loved a boy painfully through two semesters.


She is brought out as a very ordinary woman who has both weaknesses and strengths. A Strengths i. Determined She looks after her family despite the economic strain. She says that she d go out to work or go out to look for work pp128 . 73 ii. Responsible Looked after Emily as best as she could. When she couldn t be there, she left her with a neighbour or took her to her grandparents. Iii. Reflective At the beginning of the story, someone has asked her to visit and give insights that might help improve Emily s lot. The rest of the story is her reflection on what her achievements and failures have been in bringing up Emily. Iv. Honest She admits her mistakes in the upbringing of Emily. She was distracted both by poverty and the sheer amount of work involved in raising five children almost single handedly. She says that the first six years of Emily s life, she was either away working or Emily was away with her grandparents pp136 . When Susan was born she was too exhausted in the nights to comfort Emily when she had nightmares pp 131 . B Weaknesses i. Fearful She is afraid that she may not raise her child right. Emily is brought up by the book. She is fed when the book says she should and not a minute too soon pp127 . She fears to raise the child alone and often sends her back to her paternal grandparents home although her husband had deserted her pp128 . 74 She is afraid of going to talk to the person who wants insights into Emily s life. In fact, she will not go. She says, Let her daughter be; the only thing that Emily needs to know is that she is not helpless pp136 . She sends her child to the convalescence home for fear she would be taken away from her. The child only returns when the social worker says so even though it was clear to her long ago that the home was not improving Emily. Ii. Biased She was more lenient with Susan than she was with Emily. She says that when it came to balancing the hurts and the needs between Emily and Susan, she did badly in the earlier years. This was because she felt that Emily had a corroding resentment towards Susan. She did not smile as readily with Emily as she did with the other children.


She says that when it came to balancing the hurts and the needs between Emily and Susan, she did badly in the earlier years. This was because she felt that Emily had a corroding resentment towards Susan. She did not smile as readily with Emily as she did with the other children. She remembers the old neighbour s admonition that she smiles more readily with Emily. This face of joy she admits she started wearing too late for Emily. She therefore does not smile as easily as the others pp130 . She readily made Emily miss school but is very strict with her siblings school attendance pp133 . 75 iii. Resigned She is resigned to the fact that Emily is different from the other children. When she went to school to watch Emily s performance, she only recognized the Emily that nearly drowned into the curtains. She however cannot come to terms with the Emily that is spell binding and exuding control, command and confidence. Little wonder that she does nothing to nurture Emily s talent pp135 . That is to say that according to her Emily is a misfit and that is how things should stay. 5. Themes i. Poverty The narrator is a working class mother. She says that she worked or was out looking for work pp128 . The long hours she spent ironing are indicative that she could not afford to employ somebody to do it. Her daughter asks her: Aren t you ever going to finish the ironing, mother? Pp135 . Of Emily s condition, she says: We were poor and could not afford for her the soil of easy growth pp136 . The goodbye note that Emily s father writes is another indication that they are poor. He writes: He could no longer endure sharing want with them pp128 . Want as a noun means a state of extreme poverty. Ii. Suffering Emily s life is one of suffering right form birth. 76 Being a first born, her mother brought her up by the book. This meant that she had to endure hours of hunger because her mother only fed her when the book said that she should. At eight months her father walks out on them. She has to be left with a neighbour, who didn t like her very much, when her mother went out to work or look for work.


This meant that she had to endure hours of hunger because her mother only fed her when the book said that she should. At eight months her father walks out on them. She has to be left with a neighbour, who didn t like her very much, when her mother went out to work or look for work. Later she is sent to her father s relatives because her mother could not afford to raise her. At her grandparents she comes down with small pox which scars her face for life. Then there was her stay at the convalescent home. For the first six weeks she is not allowed to see he mother. When she if finally allowed to visit, they can only see on another from a distance lest the children are contaminated. Further, the only friend that Emily makes, a little girl, is taken away from her. Emily laments that: They don t want like you to love anybody here pp132 . There is someone else Emily loved. This is the boy at school. She even stole money from her mother s purse to buy him his favourite candy. He however liked Jennifer better. NB: There are many more instances of Emily s suffering. Identify and illustrate all of them. Do you think the narrator too undergoes suffering? Explain your answer. 77 iii. Family relationships Try to find answers to the following issues raised about Emily s family. Trace the development of the relationship between Emily and her mother. Give illustrations to show that the relationship between Emily and Susan is a sour one. Supply evidence to show that Emily s four siblings got preferential treatment. 6. POV This story is told by the first person. The events are made more credible through the use of stream of consciousness. The narrator s reflections and the memories jump from one thought to another as she gives us insights on why Emily turned out the way she did. 7. A Appropriateness of title The title is symbolic It is a symbol of the poverty of the narrator and the general harsh economic period in which Emily was born and raised. Besides putting in long hours for the people who employ her, the narrator had to put up even longer hours to take care of her own household chores.


7. A Appropriateness of title The title is symbolic It is a symbol of the poverty of the narrator and the general harsh economic period in which Emily was born and raised. Besides putting in long hours for the people who employ her, the narrator had to put up even longer hours to take care of her own household chores. It is also a symbol of the tortured thoughts and memories that go through the narrator s mind as she tries to understand why Emily turned out the way she did. Finally it is a symbol of hope. At the end of the story the narrator says that Emily should know that she is78 not as helpless as the dress on the ironing board before the iron. B Significant event The significant event in this story is Emily s father deserting his wife and daughter when Emily is only eight months old . C Aim of the author The writer depicts the suffering endured by the working class families in America during the great depression. Question Write an essay to show the suffering that Emily has endured in her 19 years. 79 THE RETRACTION BY STANLEY O. KENANI 1. Setting The story is set in three countries. First, there is the narrator s home country, Zambia. Part of it is set in his village and part of it in the capital, Lusaka. Secondly, it is set in Lilongwe, Malawi. The final setting is Johannesburg, South Africa. The movement between Botolo and Lusaka dominates the story. Another important aspect of the setting is the contrived setting. The contrast in the two contrived settings brings out the futility of the complaint letter against Tatha. 2. The plot The narrator receives an email from Tatha, a former airline hostess, with Malawi Air. She complains that she loses her job on account of a complaint letter that the narrator writes. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn exactly how he came to write the complaint. The airline served alcoholic drinks on the plane. However, the hostesses were under strict instructions to give additional drinks to passengers only after they had finished what they had been served. This was the only limitation. The narrator however comes from a culture in which pride at a drinking place depends on the number of bottles that one places on the table.


However, the hostesses were under strict instructions to give additional drinks to passengers only after they had finished what they had been served. This was the only limitation. The narrator however comes from a culture in which pride at a drinking place depends on the number of bottles that one places on the table. Every time he rings for a hostess, it is Tatha that appears and politely declines to serve him an extra drink unless he has finished what he s been served. Towards the end of the journey, another hostess asks the passengers to write down their comments on slips of80 paper that she provides. The narrator confesses he was drunk having been drinking for two hours but still gives his comments. He alleges that Tatha had been rude to him throughout the flight. Tatha s email touches him so much that he sells most of the things that he d bought with the prize money and travels by road to Malawi, a 1000km journey, to retract his complaints and to personally apologise to Tatha. He does not get the responses he had expected and travels back home crestfallen but happy with what he had done. Years later, he sees Tatha in a magazine crowned the hostess of the year at Kenya Airways. 3. Conflict i. Tatha and Zgambo This is the main conflict in the story. Tatha s dream from childhood has been to work for Air Malawi. This she has achieved and wishes to develop her career. What brings her and Zgambo together is fate. Fate would have it that Zgambo would win an air ticket at a raffle draw courtesy of the Lundazi District council. Fate would have it that he boards the plane on which Tatha was on duty. Fate would have it that at drinks time, the less sophisticated Zgambo, would wish to invoke his tribal pride of beer drinking. Fate would have it that airline drink policy allowed for only one drink at a time and Tatha would politely advice him so. However, there was no upper limit. Fate would have it that Zgambo would take advantage of the upper limit policy and get drank. Finally, fate would have it that the airline, in a bid to offer world class services, had resorted to seeking passengers views on the flight and that the drunken Zgambo would81 make his comments that Tatha had been rude to him throughout the flight. That s it.


Fate would have it that Zgambo would take advantage of the upper limit policy and get drank. Finally, fate would have it that the airline, in a bid to offer world class services, had resorted to seeking passengers views on the flight and that the drunken Zgambo would81 make his comments that Tatha had been rude to him throughout the flight. That s it. A man s ego took advantage of company policy and ruined ta fledgling career. This conflict is further developed when Zgambo visits Blantyre to retract his comments. He goes to Tatha s home and she bluntly refuses to welcome him despite the rain. She claims that the apology would do her no good, nor will the retraction amount to anything. Finally, he turns to leave and she runs up to him to ask him in until the rains die down. She adds that she was confused by the whole event. He declines to go in with her. Ii. Zgambo and the airline s CEO Zgambo gets to Blantyre and visits the Malawi Air office. His intention is to meet the CEO and retract his comments. He does meet the CEO but finds out that the retraction is not a one man affair. The CEO has to present the matter to the disciplinary committee. There was nothing more for Zgambo to o but leave. Iii. Zgambo and other service providers. A Zgambo and the caf receptionist She was downright rude to him. He says there was a trace of irritation, sarcasm or both in her voice. Further, she does not wait for his full name but fills the entire space with his surname in block letters and in very poor handwriting. She then tears off the receipt before he finishes spelling his name and hands it to him. This is because she was in a hurry to close. 82 b Zgambo and bus service to Blantyre The buses were small and jam packed with sweating humanity. The bus industry sacrificed human comfort for the sole purpose of maximising revenue. What is more, they did not entertain comments on the services they provided. C Zgambo and Malawi Air receptionist The receptionist spoke endlessly on the phone as she served Zgambo. She dismisses his pleas the he sees the CEO sooner just so that she can get back to her telephone conversation. Hardly a world class service. The call was not a business one. 4. Character and characterisation i.


The call was not a business one. 4. Character and characterisation i. Zgambo a Careless irresponsible He made disparaging comments about Tatha s work to take revenge on an employee who had declined to soothe his ego because what he demanded was against company policy. As a result, she lost her job. B Reflective Upon receiving Tatha s email about the consequences of his actions, he reviews the events on the plane and says that he had not acted judiciously. He seeks to correct his actions by retracting the comments he d written. C Determined He seeks the most effective way to make the retraction. It turns out emails are not taken seriously and the Zambian postal system is ineffective. He is left with only one option: travelling to Malawi. To achieve this he has to sell most of the things that he d83 bought using the gift shopping voucher from the raffle. He sold most of the things at a fraction of their cost. Further, he endured the discomfort of the buses and inns to make the retraction in person. Finally, he patiently waits for several hours to meet the CEO and makes his retraction. D Concerned He is bothered that his comments resulted in Tatha losing her job. After meeting the CEO he walks out feeling assured that Tatha would be reinstated. He is relieved when he finds out a couple of years later that Tatha got a new job and was excelling at it. 5. Themes i. Integrity This is the main theme of the story. Many characters display a lot of dishonesty in this story. For example, the narrator only learns that his actions on the plane lacked integrity after they had caused Tatha her job. Most of the service providers he meets lack integrity and are merely concerned about themselves. Therefore the services they offer are poor at best. Malawi Air too is a prisoner of its own policies. They were quick to dismiss Tatha on account of a comment from a solitary passenger who was drunk. The claims were not verifiable. What is more, they were at pains to rescind an unfair decision that they had made even after a personal retraction by the complainant. They also have double standards: passengers on their planes are asked to make comments on the quality of service but visitors to their offices are given such an opportunity.


The claims were not verifiable. What is more, they were at pains to rescind an unfair decision that they had made even after a personal retraction by the complainant. They also have double standards: passengers on their planes are asked to make comments on the quality of service but visitors to their offices are given such an opportunity. As a result,84 the receptionist uses company resources, time and phone, for personal benefit without fear of retribution. Finally and most importantly, Tatha acted with integrity but lost her job on account of bureaucracy. However, because of her integrity she lands a similar job in a different company and is soon crowned Employee of the Year. Integrity pays. Suffering Another theme worth examining is suffering. Find out all the characters that undergo suffering in this story. Name them and illustrate the suffering they go through. 6. Style i. Irony The chief device that the author uses in this story is irony. The narrator had complained about Tatha s alleged rudeness on the flight to South Africa. Her behaviour is contrasted with the other service providers who are downright rude to him. This makes Tatha s integrity stand out. Ii. Symbolism The rain is a symbol of suffering. We encounter rain in the evening the evening that Zgambo went to visit Tatha. We are told that it was raining when the taxi they were in pulled over in front of Tatha s house. The narrator steps out of the cab and into the rain. In the seconds that it takes him to reach the door, he was heavily soaked. His entire conversation with Tatha is held with the rain hitting him hard. He pleads with Tatha to let him in because it was freezing cold in the rain. After Tatha dismissed him and shut the door in85 his face, he stands facing the door for a long time oblivious of the rain. When he chooses to walk away, Tatha calls him back but he walks on. She joins him in the rain and tries to convince him to stay in the house until the rain stops. She says that her actions were as a result of the pain she was filled with. The rain therefore symbolises the suffering that the two undergo. 7. POV The story is told from the first person point of view. The narrator makes a mistake for which he wishes to make amends. The story is about the challenges he faces in his attempt to retract his comment on Tatha s conduct on the flight to South Africa.


POV The story is told from the first person point of view. The narrator makes a mistake for which he wishes to make amends. The story is about the challenges he faces in his attempt to retract his comment on Tatha s conduct on the flight to South Africa. Coming from the horses mouth, the story is credible. The honest remorse of the narrator is evident. 8. A Appropriateness of title The retraction is an appropriate title because the narrator made a comment on Tatha s conduct that he should not have made. He tells the Malawi Air CEO exactly that. But the real story is in the lessons he learns as he tries to make the retraction. He learns that most people discharge their duties completely devoid of integrity and that he had judged the one person who served him with integrity wrong. Above all, he learns that his efforts to make the retraction did not go to waste. Tatha did get a job at a new company and continued to excel. 86 b Significant event The significant event in this story is Tatha writing a email to complain to Zgambo that he has hurt her career. Without this email he would never have known that he had wronged Tatha. It is responsible for his making the retraction. C Aim of the author This is a morality story. The writer cautions us against doing things just because we can. There is a need to reflect upon the possible outcomes of our actions on the people we deal with. People should behave with integrity whether or not they are being watched. The message in short is that integrity pays. TASK We like to cause suffering to ourselves and those around us. Write an essay to show the validity of this statement using The Retraction by Stanley O. Kenani for your illustrations87 The Bamboo Hut by Grace Ogot 1. Setting The story is set among the people who live on the shores of Lake Victoria. It is a rural setting in the era of the African chieftaincy. The story is completely devoid of Western influence and examines the shortcomings of the inherited chieftaincy and how this affects the chief s family. Further, it examines the morality of the decisions these people make owing to the pressure of the inherited chieftaincy. 2. The Plot Chief Mboga goes to the foot of the Ramogi Hills to pray for a son. He is a man both stressed and depressed because none of his many wives have borne him a son to inherit his throne.


2. The Plot Chief Mboga goes to the foot of the Ramogi Hills to pray for a son. He is a man both stressed and depressed because none of his many wives have borne him a son to inherit his throne. This is the final plea he is making on this sacred spot. His wife, Achieng is pregnant and due to give birth soon. Unknown to anybody, she is carrying twins. Two months after Mboga s visit to the sacred hill she gives birth alone at the river bank where she had gone to fetch water. She is disappointed when she gives birth to a baby girl. Her disappointment is not long lived though because she goes into labour again and this time the twin is a boy. Overjoyed and desiring to please her husband, she abandons the girl child by the bank and takes the boy back home to the happy chief. Her secret tears at her heart but when she goes back to the river bank after staying indoors for the mandatory 4 days, the baby is not there. 88 Many years later the chief encounters a girl that impresses him with her bravery and he wishes that his son marries her. His son, Owiny, too is impressed by the girl and vows to marry none other. However, the protocol of marriage in a chief s home has to be followed. It turns out that nobody knows the girl s father because her foster mother had found her abandoned by the river bank soon after birth. The right decision is reached at the chief s home: his son cannot marry a woman of unknown parentage. Owiny would have none of this. He had set his eyes on Awiti and no substitute would appease him. Achieng is a tortured mother. Awiti s story fits that of the child she had abandoned by the river bank. She has no choice but to tell the truth. The chief has a moral obligation to punish her for the wrong that she had done. It was taboo to throw away a new born child and she was therefore not worthy of being the chief s wife He chooses not to and instead organises a celebration and keeps his family together. 3. Conflict i. Mboga and the gods Chief Mboga feels that the gods have denied him happiness. For many years he had beseeched Ramogi, the ancestor of the Luo people, to intercede on his behalf for a son.


Conflict i. Mboga and the gods Chief Mboga feels that the gods have denied him happiness. For many years he had beseeched Ramogi, the ancestor of the Luo people, to intercede on his behalf for a son. He is not happy because he hasn t a son to inherit his chieftaincy. Ii. Achieng She badly wanted to please her husband by being the first wife to bear him a son. So focused is she89 that when she gives birth to twins se abandons the girl child by the river bank for she argues that she will spoil the fun. She soon finds out that this decision comes back to haunt her. She can neither find the child she had abandoned nor the peace of mind that should have come naturally to her for bearing the heir to the chief s throne. Iii. Owiny and Mboga Owiny is very disappointed when he finds out that he cannot marry Awiti. He tells his father that he has chosen Awiti over the beaded stool. Iv. Achieng and Mboga Achieng realises that she is the only one who can resolve the conflict between her husband and son. However, this comes with a risk to her personal safety. If she reveals that she had abandoned a new born baby, then the rules demanded that she be sent away. She chooses to tell the truth despite the consequences. The chief too has a problem because he risks breaking his family. He makes up his mind to keep Achieng despite the mistake that she had committed because losing her would break his heart. Further, he argues that she had borne a lot of pain when she lost the opportunity of seeing her child. 4. Character and characterisation Mboga: traditional, merciful, strict, authoritarian Owiny: resolute stubborn, Achieng : decisive90 5. Themes i. Tradition A number of Luo traditional practices are brought out in this story: Marriage, child naming, chieftaincy, religion ii. Clemency forgiveness Achieng had gone against the rules of the community. As a result, she was supposed to be sent away. The chief gives two extenuating circumstances against effecting this decision. The first is the heartache it was going to cause him to lose the woman he loved; secondly, he pitied her for the pain she had lived with upon losing her daughter.


As a result, she was supposed to be sent away. The chief gives two extenuating circumstances against effecting this decision. The first is the heartache it was going to cause him to lose the woman he loved; secondly, he pitied her for the pain she had lived with upon losing her daughter. The third reason is a very interesting revelation: people have secrets and he does not know the extent of these secrets. But it makes him learn that though he was a powerful chief, he was still human and his own family kept secrets from him. Iii. Power authority Chief Mboga although considered a mighty leader understands his limitations. If the chieftaincy is to remain in his lineage he has to sire a son. There is nothing he can do about this. Besides, he needs a son to look after him because he has no authority to keep his daughters from going away upon attaining marriage age. Further, he follows all the laid down procedures to prepare for the marriage of his son. When it turns out that his son cannot marry Awiti, he does91 not use his office unjustly to influence the marriage although he risks losing his son for he is determined to marry Awiti. The import of this is that leadership is a challenge and that the use of power authority for the common good is its sole object. This the mighty chief achieves. The only time he uses his office to suit his purposes is the time he refuses to send Awiti away but chooses to celebrate the return of his daughter. 6. POV This story is told from a third person point of view. This is appropriate because it is a controlled admiration of a leader by his subjects. Any other point of view would have been subjective. The audience is able to find reason to admire the leadership of Mboga as he deals with a difficult period in his tenure involving personal matters. He comes out us a leader who makes judicious decisions. Certainly leadership is not a bed of roses. 7. A Aptness of title The title is symbolic. The bamboo hut in Mboga s home was beautifully built and well kept, however it was reserved for the woman who would bear the chief a son. Achieng does and she is treated with the respect that the hut was. When the chief learns of the mistake she had committed in order to please him, she is forgiven her sins. That decision too is symbolic because it brings out the gentler side of the chief or the human face of leadership.


Achieng does and she is treated with the respect that the hut was. When the chief learns of the mistake she had committed in order to please him, she is forgiven her sins. That decision too is symbolic because it brings out the gentler side of the chief or the human face of leadership. The bamboo plant is a delicate one just like the decision the chief had to take on this issue. 92 b Significant event The significant event is the arrival of the twins; in particular their being born by the river bank away from prying eyes. This allows Achieng to make a personal decision that allows the story to develop. C The aim of the author The author is concerned with the pressures that people in position of authority have to deal with as they conduct their business. Mboga is called a great chief; some also call him a mighty chief. This is because he applies the rules even when his family is affected and all this to the common good. This therefore should be the goal of any leader. Task Leadership is not a bed of roses. Discuss this assertion in light of the events in this story. 93 TUESDAY SIESTA by GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ COLOMBIA 1. Setting The story is set in Colombia. Part of the setting is the train and the other is the banana growing plantations of Colombia. The train affords us an opportunity to get a closer look at the mother and her daughter. One thing that is very clear is their poverty. But we also get a great insight into their self-esteem. The banana plantations they pass on their way to their destination depict the monotony of life which is made worse by the hot weather that brings life to a standstill for a couple of hours every day. This stifling heat is a very important component of the setting. It helps to develop the oppressive nature of relationships among these people. 2. The plot We meet a bereaved family, mother and daughter, on a train. They are on their way to mourn her only son who had been shot allegedly in the act of stealing. The town they are going to is far away necessitating the train ride which the deceased s sister is taking for the first time. Upon disembarking from the train, they walk straight to the church and demand to see the deceased s grave. It turns out that the deceased was not known even by the priest.


The town they are going to is far away necessitating the train ride which the deceased s sister is taking for the first time. Upon disembarking from the train, they walk straight to the church and demand to see the deceased s grave. It turns out that the deceased was not known even by the priest. He hears his name for the first time from the mother of the deceased. He begs her to wait until the sun goes down before she goes to the cemetery but she insists she has a train to catch at three. He94 gives her the key to the cemetery and follows it up with a question on poor upbringing. The deceased s mother protests that she raised her son as a morally upright person but he was only a victim of their poverty. By this time word has done the rounds about their presence and a sizeable crowd of curious onlookers has already gathered outside the church to catch a glimpse of mother and daughter. The priests best efforts to dissuade her from walking into the crowd fail. 3. Conflict a The most noticeable conflict is between the people and the weather. The heat is extreme. On the train the oppressive nature of the weather is described in a number of ways. The air became humid and they could not feel the sea breeze any more. Pp165 By twelve the heat had begun. Pp166 The band was playing a lively tune under the oppressive sun. Pp166 A dry burning wind came in the window pp168 When they get off the train we get more descriptions of the heat: The town was floating in the heat. Pp168 The woman and the girl walked over to the shady side of the street. Pp168 It was two. At that time, weighed down by the drowsiness, the town was taking a siesta. Pp168 95 In some houses, it was so hot that the residents ate lunch in the patio. Pp168 At the parish house we are told, An electric fan was humming inside . Pp168 The priest asks the mother why she has to go to the cemetery in the heat and pleads with her to wait until the sun goes down. Pp170 The priests sister tells her that she will melt in the hot streets.


Pp168 At the parish house we are told, An electric fan was humming inside . Pp168 The priest asks the mother why she has to go to the cemetery in the heat and pleads with her to wait until the sun goes down. Pp170 The priests sister tells her that she will melt in the hot streets. Pp173 b The mourners and time When the story opens we are told that it was 11:00am. On that train trip we are continually reminded of the passage of time. By twelve, the heat had begun. Pp166 It was almost two. Pp168 This is the time they disembark from the train. At the priests house she is told to go back after three and she replies that the train leaves at three-thirty. Hers therefore is a race against time. Ironically, in her hosts town, time is of no importance, it comes to a standstill at eleven and wakes a little before four. Pp168 c The mourners and poverty The narrator tells us that the woman and her child were both in severe and poor mourning clothes. Pp165 Further, we are told that they were the only passengers in the lone third-class car. Pp165 The woman we are told bore the conscientious serenity of someone accustomed to poverty. Pp166 96 4. Character and characterisation a Bereaved mother i. Dignified Having or showing self-esteem She does not allow her poverty to result in low self-esteem. On the train she sits upright and we are told that she bore the conscientious serenity of someone accustomed to poverty. She is concerned about their looks. As they are about to disembark from the train she gives her a comb and asks her to comb her hair. She too dries the sweat from her neck and wiped the oil from her face. At the priests house she shows calm determination as she insists that she has an emergency and needs to be served. When the priest does not understand who Carlos is, she tells him that he was the thief that was killed a week ago and that she was his mother. Asked why she did raise a morally upright son, she says that she did and that he was a very good man.


At the priests house she shows calm determination as she insists that she has an emergency and needs to be served. When the priest does not understand who Carlos is, she tells him that he was the thief that was killed a week ago and that she was his mother. Asked why she did raise a morally upright son, she says that she did and that he was a very good man. He however had no work and may have moved to the plantations in search of better pasture, having lost all his teeth to boxing. The crowds that gather to stare at her make the priest and his sister very uncomfortable but not her. She tells them that she is all right and walks right into the crowd. 97 5. Themes a Human relations This is the major theme of this story. The young man died an unnecessary death. There is no hint of insecurity in the area. For 28 years she had lived alone and had never had to fire the gun. His death was not looked at as tragic because no one knew him. When the priest asks her to identify herself, she does so confidently and in precise details. This makes the priest uncomfortable he blushes . We can only infer that owing to her circumstances he had not expected her to be so dignified. The members of this community break from their languid siesta routine and move out into the streets to catch a glimpse of the mother of a thief. The priest and his sister are so scared by the scene they try to dissuade her from going out but in vain. She does not lose her self-esteem and walks out into the streets filling up with crowds of people. The bereaved mother is therefore a symbol of people who life has treated badly but do not succumb to the labels that society ascribes them. They are strong willed and dignified. B Suffering This is the other theme developed in the story. I. The bereaved mother shows a lot of stoicism as she mourns the death of her son. We are told that the priest looks at them in amazement when he realises that they were not going to cry. Pp171 98 ii. Further, she is faced with a difficult situation in which no one knows her family and against her son s alleged crime she is judged. The priest asks her whether she ever tried to get him on the right track.


Pp171 98 ii. Further, she is faced with a difficult situation in which no one knows her family and against her son s alleged crime she is judged. The priest asks her whether she ever tried to get him on the right track. The priest is evidently find fault with her parenting ability. Pp171 iii. This family cannot afford good clothing. We are told that mother and daughter were dressed in severe mourning clothes. Further, the deceased we are told used a rope for a belt and was barefoot. Iv. This family also faces discrimination. The crowds break from their routine siesta just to catch a glimpse of the deceased man s family. The priests sister is so scared she tells them that they were going to melt. The mother stoically endures the questioning stares of the people who want to see what the mother of a thief looks like. The members of this community too have their own problems. V. The heat is evidently one of the things that cause them untold suffering. They have to close down public schools, offices, and stores everyday at 11:00am and open just before 4:00pm on account of the heat. Vi. The priest too has his moment of suffering. When he asks the woman to identify herself, she does so with so much confidence that the he blushes and breaks into a sweat. His suffering stems from the fact that he had judged the woman99 badly and her sense of self-esteem is what puts him under undue pressure. 6. Style The chief style in this story is symbolism. I. The heat In its tedium, that is monotony, the heat represents the deceased s mother s life. It is very oppressive and has few choices if any. She has raised her children well telling them what is wrong and what is right. This does not however save her son from the harsh realities of life. He has to eat. He takes to boxing which to say the least only hurts her son. When he abandons this, he moves further afield only to die in search of food. She has to face the curious crowd outside the church. If she stays until the sun goes down then she will miss the 3:30pm train and she does not have the means to lodge in the town for the night. NB: What do you think the heat symbolises in the lives of the banana plantation farmers? It symbolises the loss of control of their lives.


If she stays until the sun goes down then she will miss the 3:30pm train and she does not have the means to lodge in the town for the night. NB: What do you think the heat symbolises in the lives of the banana plantation farmers? It symbolises the loss of control of their lives. The heat controls how their day is run. They routinely break at eleven and resume work at four. Nothing exciting happens nor do they create avenues for entertainment. This is why the diversion presented from their routine by the arrival of the mourners stirs them from their routine. 100 ii. The death of her son symbolises fate. The nature of his death is such that nobody could save him. He had just arrived in the town, no one knew him but he was hungry and was ignorant of the risk of knocking on people s doors in the night as a stranger. His mother accepts this reality stoically. She tells the priest that she is the mother of the thief that was killed there the previous week. She also does not question the reason for her poverty. She takes it for a fact and lives in it with dignity. She pays for third class car because that is what they can afford; it is instructive that they are the only ones in the car- it means most people can afford to pay for better transportation. It does not bother her that they are the only passengers on it. However, before they disembark she makes sure that she and her daughter are as presentable as they can be. 7. POV The story is told from a third person point of view. It is however omniscient objective. There is no comment on the characters or their thoughts. No interpretations are offered. We have to interpret the events on our own. This is good for the story because the author wants us to see things as they are. He does not wish to unduly influence our thinking. However, the details offered are sufficient to convince us that human beings are very quick to judge one another and often with very wrong conclusions being jumped to. 101 8 a Appropriateness of title The title of this story is appropriate. It is the Tuesday of August. It is a typical hot day in the calendar of the banana plantation people. They have all taken a break from the heat at 11:00am as usual and are having their siesta.


It is the Tuesday of August. It is a typical hot day in the calendar of the banana plantation people. They have all taken a break from the heat at 11:00am as usual and are having their siesta. This unfortunately will not be an ordinary siesta because an event happens that wakes them from their mid-day sleep: the mother of the slain thief is in town and everyone wants to catch a glimpse of her. So it is for them a story about a Tuesday that their siesta was interfered with. B Significant event The significant event in this story is the decision of the mother of the slain thief to visit her slain sons grave. Her trip necessitates that we learn about her economic background and why the slaying of her son was fated. C Aim of the author. The author picks a sad event in the life of a poor mother to show us how strong we can be both in adversity and grinding poverty. No one can therefore take your self-esteem from you but yourself. First we must view ourselves with pride then those around us will see our dignity. 102 Two Stories of a House by Leila Abouzeid Morocco 1. Setting This is story is set in a Moroccan town. It is told in two parts. The first part is set in a courthouse while the second part is set in the roof house of an old woman. The first setting is a very formal one with a government officer presiding and passing judgment. The second one is very informal and the two old women pass their own judgment. 2. The plot Khadija Bent Ahmed has lost the house she has lived in for over thirty years and has therefore taken the matter to court. The defendant is Meeluda Bent Albacheer, her land lady. Khadija feels that she has paid rent all those years and been of help socially to the defendant and this ought to give her ownership of the house. Meeluda on the other hand thinks that the rent was insignificant and it does not make Khadija an owner. She therefore convinced Khadija to vacate the house for renovation upon which she would return. This was not to be. Khadija s house was the first floor and to get there she had to use the stairs. Meeluda gets the repair man to destroy the stairs and the landing. Subsequently she says they cannot be repaired and that the whole house is coming down.


Khadija s house was the first floor and to get there she had to use the stairs. Meeluda gets the repair man to destroy the stairs and the landing. Subsequently she says they cannot be repaired and that the whole house is coming down. The judge s verdict: Khadija should go and take her belongings and cease to lay any claim on the property. In her devastated mood, Khadija learns of an old woman with a story similar to hers. She goes there to share her story. The woman tells her about her own tribulations which she feels are even more devastating103 than Khadija s. Her husband of over forty years had divorced her and married a girl below twenty years old. What annoys her is that she was the girl s benefactor. The girl was pregnant out of wedlock and was hiding from her brothers. Since the old woman was barren she gets into a deal with the girl that she will hide her shame and in return she would leave the child she was carrying to her. Her husband takes to the girl and marries her and then divorces the old woman. Although she keeps the two children twins their mother secretly meets them every day when the old woman is out of the house. 3. Conflict The first conflict is between Khadija and Meeluda Kahdija feels that she should own the property she has lived in for over thirty years. Her claim does not make sense. She has been a tenant and therefore she was paying for a service. This is Meeluda s argument which the judge upholds. This conflict however reveals some very important facts. Khadija also had a conflict with her husband. She feels that her husband squandered the family wealth through his generosity. He was hospitable at the expense of his family. This also brings us to another very important fact: women have no right to own property. It appears that it is the men who handle family finances. So even though Khadija knew how best to spend the family s104 resources in order to secure her future, she was not allowed to make financial decisions. This can be confirmed through the second case in which the old woman is thrown out of the house she says her sweat is in and now has nowhere to go. The second conflict is developed by the divorcee She is in conflict both with her husband and his new wife. She feels that the new wife has ruined her marriage.


This can be confirmed through the second case in which the old woman is thrown out of the house she says her sweat is in and now has nowhere to go. The second conflict is developed by the divorcee She is in conflict both with her husband and his new wife. She feels that the new wife has ruined her marriage. They had made a deal and the girl swore on the saint s tomb that she would only give birth in the old woman s house and then leave for her the child. Instead she made herself comfortable as a wife. The other conflict she develops is with her husband. She acknowledges that she has not been able to bear any children for him. However, during the period she was married to him she worked hard and they got to own a house. Now he has thrown her out of it and she is destitute. What is more is that she is in her sunshine years and does not have the strength to start all over again. Therefore she feels that her husband has treated her very unfairly. Both women develop conflict with religion. Khadija says that Meeluda swore to Mecca, and the divorcee says that the young girl swore on the saint s tomb. None of these people honoured their pledges. In khadija s case, she tells the judge that the reason she has taken long before bringing the case to his court is that she had still left the case with the saints. 105 It therefore means that her disillusionment with her religion is what finally makes her bring the case before the judge. She feels that her faith was misplaced. This is the same reaction that we get from the divorcee. She had hoped for God s reward for helping the girl but suffers a divorce instead. This makes her a very cynical woman: she says that there is no good neighbour in this world, no grateful people, and no faithful husbands. 4. Character and characterisation Khadija- unrealistic, religious Meeluda cruel Divorcee-hard working, religious Please supply illustrations that confirm these traits. 5. Themes Place of the woman in society This is the major theme in this story. This is brought to us through the experiences of two women. Khadija has a husband who is pleasure loving. She dutifully serves him as a wife but when he dies her future is not secure and there is no law to protect her from the harsh reality of life. This is why the urban setting is extremely important.


Khadija has a husband who is pleasure loving. She dutifully serves him as a wife but when he dies her future is not secure and there is no law to protect her from the harsh reality of life. This is why the urban setting is extremely important. Men cannot hope to carry on as if they are in the village and forget their obligation to their families. The divorcee too develops this theme. She swears that she worked hard as a wife and attributes the house she and her husband lived in and all the good106 things in it to her efforts, at least partly. Now in her sunshine years she is thrown out and becomes destitute. She seems to understand that justice will not be served anywhere so unlike Khadija, she does not report the matter for arbitration to any authority but simply becomes cynical of human nature. So for both women society has failed to protect them from the ill wind of the world despite their devotion to their religion and men. 6. Pov The story is told from a third person point of view. This is appropriate because it gives us an objective view of the goings on in women s lives in this society. 7. A Appropriateness of title Two Stories of a House is an interesting title. It leads us to believe that we are going to look at one house and hear two stories about it. This however is not what obtains. There are actually two houses and two stories. So why is the house in the title singular? The pains and the resulting misery to the women is the same. The author implies that take any two women in this society and you will find that they identify with each other s suffering. The title is therefore appropriate in the cry for equity. B Significant event Khadija s going to court and the divorcee becoming the village girls benefactor. 107 C Aim of the author The author is appealing for gender parity. This is a patriarchic community in which women have little or no say about their own affairs. The author thinks that this state of affairs should change. 108 THE LAW OF THE GRAZING FIELDS BY CYPRIAN EKWENSI 1. Setting This story is set among the nomadic people of West Africa. It is most likely Nigeria. What is more important though is the time. The story is set in pristine Africa before the influence of the west. It is a typical short story with the events taking place in a very short time.


Pp183 Amina and her brothers Modio was suspicious of her behaviour and therefore set a trap for her. Jama had not paid the full bride price and therefore could not yet take her. This intervening period presented Yalla with an opportunity to steal Amina. That evening Modio lays in wait with a pack of wild cattle dogs which he sets on Yalla and then grabs Amina. He takes her back to the hut swearing that she was going nowhere but Jama s. Her elder brother disturbed by this incident begins to plan how they were to escort her when the time finally came. He says he would ride behind her because she could not be trusted after what she had been through with Modio. Amina and Jama She is averse to marrying him because he does not fit the stereotype male of the community. This is supposed to be the masculine type that would protect their families from attack by wild animals. According to her he is weak-kneed and110 effeminate. He had failed the flogging test. She says that he had wept and begged as they flogged him at the sharo. She would be an embarrassment to her if she married him. Her brothers and Yalla They knew he was planning to elope with Amina. This is why Modio kept vigil. When he finally gets the girl they run after them and the brothers are not afraid to use poisoned arrows if only to get their sister back and take her to Jama. When he finally beats them to his hut, they tell him that their father will know no rest until Yalla will have compensated for his cattle. Pp189 Finally they acknowledge defeat. One of the brothers says that Yalla is a man. He set fire to their camp, stole their sister and then called them thieves for taking back their horse that they had saddled for another bridegroom. 4. Character and characterisation Amina-strong willed, determined, proud Yalla-courageous, determined, humorous, loving Get your illustrations to prove the above traits. 5. Themes a Tradition This is the most important theme in this story. We learn about the culture of these pastoralists in relation to marriage. I. First there is the law of the grazing fields. A man may elope with a woman of his choice as long as he is not caught. Ii. A man must complete the payment of dowry before he could take his wife.


A man may elope with a woman of his choice as long as he is not caught. Ii. A man must complete the payment of dowry before he could take his wife. They were waiting for Jama to111 deliver the last instalment of his dowry before they could hand Amina over to him. Iii. Men had to be tested to determine their suitability for marriage. The stage for doing this was a ceremony called sharo in which the man would be flogged in public to determine how well he bore pain. Those who wept and begged during the flogging lost favour in the eyes of potential brides. Iv. Parents arranged marriage for their daughters. Amina s father had first accepted the bride price then told her about it. She was not expected to have a say and that is why her brothers were trying to enforce the will of their father. B Love Another theme developed in this story is love. This is a story of passion. Nothing would stop Yalla from marrying the woman he loved. She says that he was strong enough to break stubborn bulls but when he smiled and held her in his hands his face was so gentle and sweet. When they are in Yalla s settlement and he points his hut out to her, she says: Our hut you mean . She tells Modio when he stops her from eloping: This night I will be with Yalla. He s the husband I ve chosen. Yalla on his part has suffered to get this woman to be his wife. He endured the pack of wild cattle dogs and later a poisoned arrow. Despite the poison he takes time to acknowledge Amina when he gets them to his house: My wife! He moaned. Mine at last. 112 6. Style a Flashback It is through flashback that we learn why Amina is opposed to marrying Jama. He had wept and begged when flogged. We also learn of how they had set to elope through a flashback. Yalla was to make scratching sounds to indicate his presence. It is also thorough flashback that we learn of the huge dowry that Jama is paying. B Image The image of a hawk has been used twice in this story. The first time it is used with reference to Modio. He crouches before her with hands curved like the claws of a hawk about to strike. In this instance the hawk is playing a protective role.


The resulting strikes bring about violence and unemployment. Another important factor worth mentioning is the contrast in the weather. The Namibia she leaves is hot and dry which agrees with the political heat created by the oppressive regime. The England she visits is in the middle of winter and is therefore equally oppressive. 2. The plot The story opens with Angelika s visit to Birmingham. We are told that it was the town of her liberation. We learn that she is in the UK courtesy of her church. She has been sent there to learn English. So bad is the situation at home that it is only churches that are setting up projects to improve the lot of the people. It is in one such project the Angelica and her husband work. It is a day care centre for children whose mothers have to go to work but have nobody to leave them with. Besides studying English, she hopes to take a course in Community Studies that would help her run the day care centre. 115 Her friend Tembi, a Namibian nurse studying in UK, encourages her to avail herself of the medical expertise in the UK to find out why she can t have children and perhaps even have the problem remedied. Her visit to the hospital reveals that she had been stirilised. She says this was done without her knowledge by the military doctors who had removed her appendix. The sympathetic doctors in Birmingham tell her that although the operation is considered permanent they had carried out a few reversals successfully. They are cautious though and tell her that there are no guarantees that her case too would be a success. She consents to the operation nonetheless. Again the church bears the cost of the operation. Naturally she has to travel back home to meet with her husband to determine the success of the operation. Here too the church meets the cost. She returns to Birmingham and anxiously waits for her to find out whether she is lucky. Her periods do not come and this is a good sign. She shares this news only with Tembi for fear of raising people s expectations too high. Her luck holds out and finally it was evident to all that she was pregnant. It is only then that she informs her husband. She continued with her studies as she carried the pregnancy to term. Six months after her baby was born she bids farewell to her benefactors and heads back home. 3. Conflict a The conflict with weather is very important. It develops the theme of suffering in the story.


She tells that it is God who helped her as always. This is in reference to the surgery that she undergoes to correct her sterilisation. B. Hardworking Every day she looked after 80 preschoolers at the children s centre that she ran. Their mothers dropped them in the early hours and collected them when it began to turn dark. C. Realistic When it became obvious that she was not going to have children of her own, she adopted three girls from her husband s family. D. Forgiving When it became clear that she had been sterilised by white doctors without her consent, her friends wished to write letters to the newspapers and contact the UN to object to the malicious behaviour of the white doctors. She objected to this approach. Clearly she118 felt no bitterness towards the people who had wronged her. E. Secretive Upon missing her periods, she did not readily tell the people around her. Further, she only went to the doctor s after 7 weeks. What is more, she did not dare tell her husband for fear that something might go wrong. The only person she told was Tembi whom she asked not to tell anyone. 5. Themes a. Human rights abuses i. Forced sterilisation A number of women are sterilised by white doctors without their consent. Angelika is one such woman. Further, she says that she thought of the other women it must have happened to who neither knew nor had the chance to reverse their enforced childlessness. Ii. Oppression Political leaders were detained, tortured or forced into exile. Iii. Forced resettlement The natives had been resettled into remote reserves. The narrator says that the village had been pushed into the rocky hills by colonial settlement. B. Friendship i. Church The church is responsible for a number of humanitarian assistance. The narrator says that as the South African rule oppressed the119 people of Namibia, it is only the churches that could set up projects to help the people. Further, the church met the cost of Angelika s education, treatment and travel expenses. We are told that they offered assistance from an emergency fund so she could give birth in Birmingham and continue her studies afterwards. Ii. The people of Namibia The narrator tells us that the people survived the traumatising experiences because of their solidarity.


We are told that they offered assistance from an emergency fund so she could give birth in Birmingham and continue her studies afterwards. Ii. The people of Namibia The narrator tells us that the people survived the traumatising experiences because of their solidarity. She says that survival came through mutual support, through solidarity within the communities and within the families: helping people who did not have enough food, caring for those who were sick, looking out for each other s children. Iii. Tembi We are told that it was Tembi who began to show Angelika around to ensure that she did not spend too much time alone in her room. Further, she is the one who suggested that Angelika seeks proper treatment. As a result, Angelika found out that she had been sterilised without her consent, but what is more the doctors were able to reverse her condition which was thought to be permanent. Iv. The people of England Angelika visits England at a time they were facing labour unrest. The administration was120 harsh and the police charged on protestors. She says that the people sent parcels of food across the country to the places that the strike held out the longest. 6. A. Appropriateness of title The title is appropriate. The white hands that are talked about were responsible for both the suffering and joy of the protagonist. It is the malicious white doctors in South Africa who sterilised her without her consent. This was a supremacist statement. If they could stop the blacks from reproducing, then the superior white race would have the country to themselves. Ironically, it is the white doctors in England who identify the reason why she cannot conceive and correct the problem through surgery. B. Significant event The significant event in this story is the sterilisation of Angelika by the white doctors in Windhoek. C. Aim of the author This is a sad story that uses contrast to show that both evil and well-meaning people exist. A group of people should therefore not be condemned because one of them has acted out of line, rather we should judge individuals by their strengths and weaknesses. The strong121 message is therefore one of tolerance and building friendships. Task Q 1 Friendship helps overcome adversity. Using Angelica s experiences both in Namibia and England show that this is true. Give illustrations from Jame Katjavivi s White Hands. 122 Thank you very much for the purchase of this eBook. I hope enjoyed reading it and that it did add value to your teaching learning.


Give illustrations from Jame Katjavivi s White Hands.122 Thank you very much for the purchase of this eBook. I hope enjoyed reading it and that it did add value to your teaching learning. Walter Akach PS: If there ever is a need to wish to share your thoughts about this work feel free to drop me a word at walterakach gmail.com.


WhenCoyotitoshakestheropeofthehangingbox,thescorpionfalls,landsonhisshoulder,andstingshim. Kinoimmediatelyseizesthecreatureandcrushesitinhisgrasp,beatingittodeathonthefloorforgoodmeasure. Kino sretributiondoesnogood,though,andCoyotitoscreamswithpain. JuanagrabsCoyotitoatonceandattemptstosuckthevenomoutofhisfesteringwound. Thechild swailingsummonsseveralneighborstoKino sdoorstep,includingKino sbrother,JuanTom s,andJuanTom s swife,Apolonia. AsCoyotito scriesdiminishintomoans,JuanaasksKinotosummonthedoctor. Sucharequestsurprisestheneighborssincethedoctorhasnevervisitedthepoorclusterofbrushhouses. ThedoctorbelongstothesocialclassoftheSpanishcolonistsoftheregion,aclassfarabovethatofpoornativessuchasKinoandJuana. WhenKinoexpressesdoubtthatthedoctorwillcometoCoyotito,JuanaresolvestotakeCoyotitotothedoctor. KinoandJuanasetoutforthecenteroftown,theirneighborstrailingbehindthem. Nearthecenteroftown,morepeoplefollow,curioustoseetheoutcomeofapoorman spleatoarichdoctor. Arrivingatthedoctor shouse,Kinoknocksatthegate. Hebothfearsandresentsthedoctor,apowerfulmannotofhisownpeople. Presently,thegateopenstorevealoneofKino sownpeople,employedinthedoctor sservice. KinoexplainsthedetailsofCoyotito sinjuryinhisnativetongue;themanignoresKino suseofthenativelanguageandrespondsinSpanish. HetellsKinotowaitwhilehegoestospeakwiththedoctor. Indoors,thedoctorsitsupinbed,surroundedbyluxuries. HefeastsonbiscuitsandhotchocolateandthinksnostalgicallyofParis. Whentheservantinterruptsthedoctor sreverietoannounceKino svisit,thedoctorbitterlydemandstoknowifKinohasmoneytopayforthetreatment. Kinogivestheservanteightsmallpearls,butsoontheservantreturnstoKinowiththem,explainingthatthedoctorhasbeencalledouttoattendtoaseriouscase. Withthisdismissal,theprocessionbreaksup,leavingKinofuriousandashamed. Standinginshockinfrontoftheclosedgate,Kinostrikesoutinanger,smashinghisfistintothebarrierandbloodyinghisknuckles. AnalysisAsitsshort,simplesentencesandheavilysymbolicmoralovertonesmakeevident, ThePearl isbasedontheformofbiblicalparable,andthesimplenaturalbeautyoftheopeningscenerecallsthebeautyandinnocenceoftheGardenofEdenbeforeAdamandEve sfall. Thoughthecomparisonisnotmadeexplicitly,itisneverthelessanaptone likeAdamandEve,KinoandJuanamakechoiceslaterinthestorythatcausethemtolosetheirinnocenceandforcethemtoleavetheirparadiseforthehardshipsofthewiderworld. TheclusterofbrushhousesbytheseawhereKinoandJuanalivefunctionsasakindofparadise,inwhichmanandwomanlivetogetherinastateofnature. Steinbeckfocusesonthefamily srusticsimplicityandonitsreverenceforahigherpower. Steinbeckusesrepetitiouslanguage,whichevokestheBibleandotherreligiousliterature,tounderscorethefamily sspirituality. ThisscripturalstructureisespeciallyevidentinSteinbeck sfrequentuseoftheword and todrivethenarrative: Andagoatcamenearandsniffedathim ; Andtherhythmofthefamilysongwasthegrindingstone ; Andhedrankalittlepulqueandthatwasbreakfast. Kino sknowledgeoftheworldisnotexpansive,buthisstoreoftraditionalsongsandhiscontented,familiarmannerofsurveyinghismeagerterritoryshowthatheisintimatelyacquaintedwitheveryaspectoftheexistenceheknows. Kinofrequentlyhearstraditionalsongsinhisheadthatexpresshismoodorhissenseofhisenvironment whenheiscontentathomeinthischapter,hehearsthesoothingrhythmsoftheSongoftheFamily,forinstance,butwhenheisintroublelaterinthenovellahehearsthealarmingSongofDanger. Kino sinnersoundtrackhighlights ThePearl soriginalconceptionasafilmproject theaudiencewouldactuallyhaveheardthesesongsandexperiencedthemasrecurringmotifs. ItalsopointstotheoralnatureofKino sculture,inwhichsongsarepasseddownfromgenerationtogenerationandassumesuchapositionofpsychologicalimportancethattheyactuallyprovideaninternalcontextwithoutwhichKinoisunabletointerprethisownfeelings. SteinbeckseemstosuggestthattheimminentdisruptionofKino sEden,liketheharmonythatprecedesit,istheworkofadivinepower. LikeKino,whoobservestheantsasthoughhewereadetachedGod,theGodwatchingoverKino andindeedallhumanityinthetext showsindifferencetothecruelcombinationofsuccessesandfailuresthatpeopleencounter. AsKinosurveysthesurroundingsofhisbrushhouse,wilddovesflyandruffledroostersfight,symbolizingthewaygoodandevilhaphazardlycommingle. ThescorpionthatbringsterrorintoKino shouseholdrepresentstheworkofadivineagent. InChristianliterature,scorpionstraditionallysymbolizeevil,andthestreakofsunlightthatfallsonthescorpionasitrestsonthehangingboxropeseemsaheavenlyspotlight,settingthedramainmotion. WiththeSongofEvildrowningouttheSongofFamily,Kinomusttakecontrolofhisfamily sdestinyafterthisunkindtwistoffate. Steinbeck swritingevincescontemptforthetowndoctor,whosurroundshimselfwiththevulgartrappingsofEuropean civilizedliving. ToSteinbeck,thedoctor snotionofcivilizationisutterlymaterialisticanddevoidofthecomplexspiritualitysointegraltoKinoandJuana slife. Nevertheless,thedoctor sbarbaricbeliefsholdswayinthiscolonialcontext,andthedividebetweenrichandpoorseemsraciallyandinflexiblydefined. Thedoctor sservant,asanativeemployedbyacolonial,demonstratesthedividebetweentheworldofthedoctorthatofKinoandJuana. TheservantisoverlyofficialandspeaksSpanishwhenreceivingKinoandJuana,underscoringthesocialdifferencesbetweenKinoandthedoctor. Hedoes,however,reverttotheirnativelanguageinamoresympatheticmoment. Whiletheservantpossessesthecapacitytomove linguisticallyandotherwise betweentwodisparateworlds,thecolonialdoctorpossessesneitherthelinguisticabilitynorthedesiretodoso. ThoughKinodesirestocrossbetweenthetwoworldstoo,heisunabletodoso. Thispowerlessnessrendershisindignationatthedoctor srefusaltotreatCoyotitoirrelevant,sincehehasnoproductivemeanstoexpressthisindignation. PlotAnalysisThepearl:chapter2Chapter2SummaryButthepearlswereaccidents,andthefindingofonewasluck,alittlepatonthebackbyGodorthegodsorboth. Ontheshoresoftheestuary,asetofblueandwhitecanoessitsinthesand. Crabsandlobsterspokeoutfromtheirholes,andalgaeandseahorsesdriftaimlesslyinthenearbycurrents. Dogsandpigsscavengetheshorelineforseadriftinthehazymorning. Amidthisscene, Kino and Juana walkdownthebeachtoKino scanoe. Theyaregoingtosearchforpearls,desperatelyhopingtofindapearlofsufficientvaluetopersuadethedoctortotreatthepoisonedCoyotito. Thecanoe,anheirloompasseddowntoKinofromhispaternalgrandfather,isKino ssoleassetintheworld. Kinolayshisblanketinitsbow. JuanarestsCoyotitoupontheblanketandplaceshershawloverhimtoprotecthimfromthesun. Shethenwadesintothewaterandcollectssomeseaweed,whichsheappliesgentlytoCoyotito swound. KinoandJuanaslidethecanoeintothewater,Juanaclimbsin,andKinopushestheboatawayfromshore. OnceKinoboards,thetwobeginpaddlingouttoseainsearchofpearls. Inashorttime,theycomeuponothercanoes,whichhaveclusteredaroundthenearestoysterbed. Kinomakesadivetocollectoysters,whileJuanastaysinthecanoe,prayingforluck. Hestaysunderwaterforovertwominutes,gatheringthelargestshells,includingoneespeciallyenormousoysterthathasa ghostlygleam. Climbingbackintothecanoe,Kinoisreluctanttoexaminethelargestoysterfirst. Afterhalfheartedlypawingatasmallerone,eagernessovercomeshim,andJuanasoftlyurgeshimtoopentheprizecatch. Kinocutstheshellopentorevealthebiggestpearlthateitherofthemhaseverseen. Nearlybreathless,JuanashrieksinastonishmenttofindthatCoyotito swoundhasimprovedinthepresenceofthegreatpearl. Kino,overcomewithemotion,tenseshisentirebodyandletsoutaresoundingyell. Startledbythisunexpecteddisplay,theothercanoesquicklyracetowardKinoandJuanatouncoverthesourceofthecommotion. AnalysisThePearl:Plotanalysis. Chapter3SummaryMysonwillreadandopenthebooks...hewillknowandthroughhimwewillknow....Thisiswhatthepearlwilldo. Wordof Kino sdiscoverytravelsquickly. EvenbeforeKinoreturnstohisbrushhouse,everyoneintownknowsthathehasfound thePearloftheWorld. Throughouttown,peopleofeveryclass fromthebeggartothebusinessmantothepriest dreamofhowKino spearlcanhelpthem. Likeeveryoneelse,thedoctorwhoturnedKinoawaydesiresthepearl. Ignorantofothers jealousy,Kinoand Juana delightintheirgoodfortune,invitingfamilyandfriendstosharetheirjoyintheirnewfoundtreasure. WhenJuanTom sasksKinowhathewilldowithhiswealth,Kinodetailshisplans:apropermarriageinthechurch,newclothingforthefamily,aharpoon,andarifle,amongotherthings. Kino snewboldnessamazesJuana,especiallywhenheexpresseshisdesireforCoyotitotobesenttoschoolandeducated. Kinohimselfissurprisedsomewhatbyhisownresolutestatement,andalloftheneighborsstareatthemightypearlwithamixtureofhopeandfearattheenormouschangesthatlieahead. Asduskapproaches,Juanarevivesthefire,andtheneighborsoverstaytheirwelcome. Neardark,thepriestcomestodeliverabenediction. Oncehehasblessedthehousehold,heaskstoseethepearl. Dazzled,thepriestimploresKinotorememberthechurchinhisnewprosperity. Juanaannouncestheirintentiontobemarriedinthechurch,andthepriestleavesthemwithakindword. AsenseofevilovercomesKinointhewakeofthepriest svisit. Theneighborsdispersetotheirownsuppers,andJuanabeginstoprepareamealofbakedbeans. Kinohuddlesbeneathablanketinthecoldnight,keepingthepearlclosetohisbody. Plaguedwithcontinuedillfeeling,Kinomeditatesontheformersecurityofhisfamily,andonthemenacinguncertaintyintowhichtheirnewfoundfortunehascastthem. Fromthedoorofhisbrushhouse,Kinowatchestwomenapproach. Thefiguresprovetobethedoctorandhisservant,whohavecometoexamineCoyotito swound. Kinobrusquelydismissesthedoctor sattentions,butwhenthedoctormakesasinisterinsinuationaboutthelingeringpotentialforinfection,Kinorelentsandallowshimtoenter. Juanaisextremelysuspiciousofthedoctor,butKinoreassuresher. WhenthedoctorexaminesCoyotito,hecontendsthathehasfoundevidenceofcomplicationsandproducesacapsuleofmedicationthatheproceedstoadminister. Claimingthatthepoisonwillstrikewithinanhourandthatthemedicinemayprovelifesaving,thedoctordeclaresthathewillreturninanhourtocheckonCoyotito sprogress. AsJuanastaresatCoyotitowithconcern,Kinorealizesthathehasbeencarelessinnotguardingthepearl. Withoutdelay,hewrapsthepearlinarag,digsahole,andburiesthepearlinacornerofthebrushhouse,concealingthehidingplacefromview. AsKinoeatshissupper,asmallblackpuppylingersinthedoorwayandshakesitstailnervously. Afterward,JuanaalertsKinothatCoyotito sconditionisgrowingworse,andshesingssoothinglyinanefforttocomfortthebaby. WhenCoyotit. Obecomesvisiblyill,anevilfeelingfillsKinoonceagain. Theneighborslearnquicklyofthedoctor svisitandCoyotito ssubsequentdecline,andtheyreconveneatKino shousetoprovidesupport. Thedoctorreappears,andaswiftlyadministeredpotionsetsCoyotitotorest. ThedoctorinnocuouslyaskswhenKinomightbeabletopayhim. Kinoexplainsthatoncehehassoldhismostvaluablepearlhewillbeabletopay. Feigningignoranceaboutthepearl,thedoctorofferstokeepitinhissafe,butKinodeclinestheoffer,explainingthatheintendstosellthepearlinthemorning. Thedoctorexpressesconcernthatthepearlmightbestolen,andKinoinadvertentlyglanceswithfearatthecornerwherethepearlisburied. Later,whenthedoctorandneighborsdepartanditistimetosleep,Kinopacesaboutthehouseanxiously,listeningvigilantlyforthreateningnoises. Inafitofprecaution,hedigsupthepearlandreburiesitbeneathhissleepingmat. Finally,Kino,Juana,andCoyotitocurluptogetheronthematandattempttosleeppeacefully. Atfirst,KinodreamsofCoyotito sfuturesuccess,buttheevilfeelingreturnsandquicklyovertakeshim. Hestirsrestlessly,wakingJuana. Hewakesandhearsanintruderinthehouse,coweringandscratchinginthecorner,clearlyinsearchofthepearl. Grabbinghisknife,Kinoleapsintothecornerandstruggleswiththeintruder,stabbingathimwildly. Afteraviolentscuffle,theintruderflees,leavingKinobloodiedasJuanacallsouttohiminterror. Regaininghersenses,sheswiftlypreparesasalveforKino sbruisedforehead. AsshetendsKino swounds,Juanarailsagainstthepearl,callingitanevilplagueuponthem. Kinoremainsadamantaboutthepearl svirtue,insistingthatitwillbetheirroadtosalvation. Juanadisagrees,declaringthatitwilldestroytheirentirefamily. AsKinohushesher,henoticesaspotofbloodonhisknife,whichheremoves. Withdawnapproaching,hesettlesdowntolookathispearl. Initsluminescence,Kinoseeshisfamily schanceforthefuture,andsmiles. Juanasmileswithhim,andtheymeetthedaywithhope. Analysis Though ThePearl snarrativeseemstosuggestthatgreedisthefirststeptodestruction,inthischapterSteinbeckfocusesnotongreedbutonambition Kino sdesiretousethewealthofferedbythepearltobetterhislifeandthelifeofhisfamily. Steinbeckportraysthiskindofbenevolentdesireforadvancementasatraituniquetohumanity,onethathasmadehumankindsuperiortoallanimals. Kino sneighborshavetroublefiguringwhetherKino sambitionwillbringhimsuccessorsuffering. Theytooareintoxicatedbytheawe-inspiringprospectofKinoowningarifleorCoyotitoreceivinganeducation,butthesepropositionsaresofarremovedfromtheirsenseofwhatispossiblethattheyreacttothemwithanaturalsuspicion. Theneighborsareonlyabletothinkaboutthepearlintermsoftheirpreexistingnarratives. Becausetheyhaveanancientlegendaboutagreat PearlThatMightBe, theybelievethatthatlegendhascometofruitioninKino spearl,whichtheydubthe PearloftheWorld. TheydonotconceiveofthepearlassimplyavaluableluckybreakforKino;forthem,thepearlhasdeepmoralandspiritualsignificance. Byrelatingthestoriestheneighborstrade,Steinbeckshowshowthehumanmindturnsrealexperienceintoparablethroughtheactofstorytelling.


Ontheshoresoftheestuary,asetofblueandwhitecanoessitsinthesand. Crabsandlobsterspokeoutfromtheirholes,andalgaeandseahorsesdriftaimlesslyinthenearbycurrents. Dogsandpigsscavengetheshorelineforseadriftinthehazymorning. Amidthisscene, Kino and Juana walkdownthebeachtoKino scanoe. Theyaregoingtosearchforpearls,desperatelyhopingtofindapearlofsufficientvaluetopersuadethedoctortotreatthepoisonedCoyotito. Thecanoe,anheirloompasseddowntoKinofromhispaternalgrandfather,isKino ssoleassetintheworld. Kinolayshisblanketinitsbow. JuanarestsCoyotitoupontheblanketandplaceshershawloverhimtoprotecthimfromthesun. Shethenwadesintothewaterandcollectssomeseaweed,whichsheappliesgentlytoCoyotito swound. KinoandJuanaslidethecanoeintothewater,Juanaclimbsin,andKinopushestheboatawayfromshore. OnceKinoboards,thetwobeginpaddlingouttoseainsearchofpearls. Inashorttime,theycomeuponothercanoes,whichhaveclusteredaroundthenearestoysterbed. Kinomakesadivetocollectoysters,whileJuanastaysinthecanoe,prayingforluck. Hestaysunderwaterforovertwominutes,gatheringthelargestshells,includingoneespeciallyenormousoysterthathasa ghostlygleam. Climbingbackintothecanoe,Kinoisreluctanttoexaminethelargestoysterfirst. Afterhalfheartedlypawingatasmallerone,eagernessovercomeshim,andJuanasoftlyurgeshimtoopentheprizecatch. Kinocutstheshellopentorevealthebiggestpearlthateitherofthemhaseverseen. Nearlybreathless,JuanashrieksinastonishmenttofindthatCoyotito swoundhasimprovedinthepresenceofthegreatpearl. Kino,overcomewithemotion,tenseshisentirebodyandletsoutaresoundingyell. Startledbythisunexpecteddisplay,theothercanoesquicklyracetowardKinoandJuanatouncoverthesourceofthecommotion. AnalysisThePearl:Plotanalysis. Chapter3SummaryMysonwillreadandopenthebooks...hewillknowandthroughhimwewillknow....Thisiswhatthepearlwilldo. Wordof Kino sdiscoverytravelsquickly. EvenbeforeKinoreturnstohisbrushhouse,everyoneintownknowsthathehasfound thePearloftheWorld. Throughouttown,peopleofeveryclass fromthebeggartothebusinessmantothepriest dreamofhowKino spearlcanhelpthem. Likeeveryoneelse,thedoctorwhoturnedKinoawaydesiresthepearl. Ignorantofothers jealousy,Kinoand Juana delightintheirgoodfortune,invitingfamilyandfriendstosharetheirjoyintheirnewfoundtreasure. WhenJuanTom sasksKinowhathewilldowithhiswealth,Kinodetailshisplans:apropermarriageinthechurch,newclothingforthefamily,aharpoon,andarifle,amongotherthings. Kino snewboldnessamazesJuana,especiallywhenheexpresseshisdesireforCoyotitotobesenttoschoolandeducated. Kinohimselfissurprisedsomewhatbyhisownresolutestatement,andalloftheneighborsstareatthemightypearlwithamixtureofhopeandfearattheenormouschangesthatlieahead. Asduskapproaches,Juanarevivesthefire,andtheneighborsoverstaytheirwelcome. Neardark,thepriestcomestodeliverabenediction. Oncehehasblessedthehousehold,heaskstoseethepearl. Dazzled,thepriestimploresKinotorememberthechurchinhisnewprosperity. Juanaannouncestheirintentiontobemarriedinthechurch,andthepriestleavesthemwithakindword. AsenseofevilovercomesKinointhewakeofthepriest svisit. Theneighborsdispersetotheirownsuppers,andJuanabeginstoprepareamealofbakedbeans. Kinohuddlesbeneathablanketinthecoldnight,keepingthepearlclosetohisbody. Plaguedwithcontinuedillfeeling,Kinomeditatesontheformersecurityofhisfamily,andonthemenacinguncertaintyintowhichtheirnewfoundfortunehascastthem. Fromthedoorofhisbrushhouse,Kinowatchestwomenapproach. Thefiguresprovetobethedoctorandhisservant,whohavecometoexamineCoyotito swound. Kinobrusquelydismissesthedoctor sattentions,butwhenthedoctormakesasinisterinsinuationaboutthelingeringpotentialforinfection,Kinorelentsandallowshimtoenter. Juanaisextremelysuspiciousofthedoctor,butKinoreassuresher. WhenthedoctorexaminesCoyotito,hecontendsthathehasfoundevidenceofcomplicationsandproducesacapsuleofmedicationthatheproceedstoadminister. Claimingthatthepoisonwillstrikewithinanhourandthatthemedicinemayprovelifesaving,thedoctordeclaresthathewillreturninanhourtocheckonCoyotito sprogress. AsJuanastaresatCoyotitowithconcern,Kinorealizesthathehasbeencarelessinnotguardingthepearl. Withoutdelay,hewrapsthepearlinarag,digsahole,andburiesthepearlinacornerofthebrushhouse,concealingthehidingplacefromview. AsKinoeatshissupper,asmallblackpuppylingersinthedoorwayandshakesitstailnervously. Afterward,JuanaalertsKinothatCoyotito sconditionisgrowingworse,andshesingssoothinglyinanefforttocomfortthebaby. WhenCoyotitobecomesvisiblyill,anevilfeelingfillsKinoonceagain. Theneighborslearnquicklyofthedoctor svisitandCoyotito ssubsequentdecline,andtheyreconveneatKino shousetoprovidesupport. Thedoctorreappears,andaswiftlyadministeredpotionsetsCoyotitotorest. ThedoctorinnocuouslyaskswhenKinomightbeabletopayhim. Kinoexplainsthatoncehehassoldhismostvaluablepearlhewillbeabletopay. Feigningignoranceaboutthepearl,thedoctorofferstokeepitinhissafe,butKinodeclinestheoffer,explainingthatheintendstosellthepearlinthemorning. Thedoctorexpressesconcernthatthepearlmightbestolen,andKinoinadvertentlyglanceswithfearatthecornerwherethepearlisburied. Later,whenthedoctorandneighborsdepartanditistimetosleep,Kinopacesaboutthehouseanxiously,listeningvigilantlyforthreateningnoises. Inafitofprecaution,hedigsupthepearlandreburiesitbeneathhissleepingmat. Finally,Kino,Juana,andCoyotitocurluptogetheronthematandattempttosleeppeacefully. Atfirst,KinodreamsofCoyotito sfuturesuccess,buttheevilfeelingreturnsandquicklyovertakeshim. Hestirsrestlessly,wakingJuana. Hewakesandhearsanintruderinthehouse,coweringandscratchinginthecorner,clearlyinsearchofthepearl. Grabbinghisknife,Kinoleapsintothecornerandstruggleswiththeintruder,stabbingathimwildly. Afteraviolentscuffle,theintruderflees,leavingKinobloodiedasJuanacallsouttohiminterror. Regaininghersenses,sheswiftlypreparesasalveforKino sbruisedforehead. AsshetendsKino swounds,Juanarailsagainstthepearl,callingitanevilplagueuponthem. Kinoremainsadamantaboutthepearl svirtue,insistingthatitwillbetheirroadtosalvation. Juanadisagrees,declaringthatitwilldestroytheirentirefamily. AsKinohushesher,henoticesaspotofbloodonhisknife,whichheremoves. Withdawnapproaching,hesettlesdowntolookathispearl. Initsluminescence,Kinoseeshisfamily schanceforthefuture,andsmiles. Juanasmileswithhim,andtheymeetthedaywithhope. Analysis Though ThePearl snarrativeseemstosuggestthatgreedisthefirststeptodestruction,inthischapterSteinbeckfocusesnotongreedbutonambition Kino sdesiretousethewealthofferedbythepearltobetterhislifeandthelifeofhisfamily. Steinbeckportraysthiskindofbenevolentdesireforadvancementasatraituniquetohumanity,onethathasmadehumankindsuperiortoallanimals. Kino sneighborshavetroublefiguringwhetherKino sambitionwillbringhimsuccessorsuffering. Theytooareintoxicatedbytheawe-inspiringprospectofKinoowningarifleorCoyotitoreceivinganeducation,butthesepropositionsaresofarremovedfromtheirsenseofwhatispossiblethattheyreacttothemwithanaturalsuspicion. Theneighborsareonlyabletothinkaboutthepearlintermsoftheirpreexistingnarratives. Becausetheyhaveanancientlegendaboutagreat PearlThatMightBe, theybelievethatthatlegendhascometofruitioninKino spearl,whichtheydubthe PearloftheWorld. TheydonotconceiveofthepearlassimplyavaluableluckybreakforKino;forthem,thepearlhasdeepmoralandspiritualsignificance. Byrelatingthestoriestheneighborstrade,Steinbeckshowshowthehumanmindturnsrealexperienceintoparablethroughtheactofstorytelling. Forus,theneighbors suspicionofKino sgoodfortuneseemsjustified,basedonSteinbeck stentativetoneandonhisremarksthatthegodsdisregardmen splansandonlyallowmensuccessifitcomesbyaccident. Steinbeckassertsthatwhenhumanagencyactuallydoesbringaboutsuccess throughtheexerciseofabenevolentambitionlikeKino s,forexample , thegodstaketheirrevengeonaman. Inthisway,SteinbeckcompletelynegatesthevaluesystemoftheAmericandream. Hardworkandopennesstoopportunity,themaincomponentsofthetraditionalAmericandream,aremeaninglessinamalevolentuniverseinwhich thegods conspireagainsteveryindividual sdesiretoimprovehisorherlotinlife. Becausehispearlisworthsomuchmoney,Kinobelievesitoffershimachancetorealizehisambitiousdreamsandfreehimselffromtheshacklesofcolonialism. ButwhatkeepsKinofromfulfillinghisambitionsishislackofknowledge. Kinomaybeabletopaythedoctortohealhisson,butheisignorantastowhetherheismakingtherightchoice perhapsthedoctorisinfactpoisoninghisson. Kinoiswellawareofhispredicament,andhisdesireforhissontoobtainaneducationshowsKino srecognitionthateducationprovidestheonlypossibleescapefromcolonialoppression. Butinhissingle-mindedpursuitofsuccessandwealthforhisson,Kinoabandonsthenurturingaspectsofhisfatherlyduty. KinoleavesJuanaalonetocarefortheailingCoyotitowhilehe,Kino,focuseshisattentionsonfindingaplacetoconcealthepearl. AsKinoshiftshisfocustoprovidingforhissoninmaterialratherthanemotionalways,hemakesacorrespondingshiftfrompeacefulcoexistenceinhisvillagetoviolent,paranoidsuspicionofhisneighbors. NowthatKinohasacquiredwealth,heisobligatedtodefendthatwealthfrompotentialusurpers. Ultimately,thisshiftinpreoccupationdemonstratesthatwealthhasadehumanizingeffectonthosewhopossessit,suchasthedoctorandKino,andonthosewhodesireit,suchastheintruderwhocomestostealthepearl. Theintruderisdescribedinvague,inhumantermsthatportrayhimasanunidentifiablemassofclothing. Kinoevenreferstohimas thething, asthoughhewereaplaguesentagainstKinoratherthananotherhumanbeing. Atthispointinthestory,however,onlyJuanaseemstorecognizethatthepearlisanevilinstrumentthatwillbringherfamilypainandheartache. Thepearl:Chapter4PlotAnalysisSummaryWordspreadsthroughoutthetownofLaPazthat Kino willbesellinghisgreatpearl. Thepearlbuyersareespeciallyexcited,andthepearlfishersabandontheirworkforthedaytowitnessthetransaction. Overbreakfastthatmorning,thebrush-houseneighborhoodteemswithspeculationandopinion. Kino, Juana,andCoyotitoweartheirbestclothesfortheoccasion,andKinodonshishatwithcare,anxioustoappearaserious,vigorousmanoftheworld. AsKinoandJuanasetoutfromtheirbrushhouse,theneighborsfallinlinebehindthem. JuanTom swalksatthefrontwithKinoandexpresseshisconcernthatKinomaybecheated,asKinohasnostandardoftruecomparisontoknowwhathispearlisworth. Kinoacknowledgesthisproblembutaddsthattheyhavenowayofsolvingit. JuanTom stellsKinothatanothersystemofpearl. -sellingusedtoexistbeforeKinowasborn. Pearlerswouldgivetheirpearlstoagentsforsaleinthecapital,butasaresultoftherampantcorruptionofpearlagentswhostolethepearlsmeantforsale,theoldsystemisnolongerinplace. Kinopointsoutthataccordingtothechurch,suchasystemmustfail,asitrepresentsavaineffortonthepartofthepearlerstoexceedtheirstationinlife. KinoandJuanTom swalkoninsilenceintothecity,drawingstaresfromassembledonlookers. AsKino,JuanTom s,andtheattendingcrowdapproach,thepearldealersscrambletoputtheirofficesinorder,hidingtheirlittlepearlsandpreparingtomakeoffers. Thefirstdealerisashort,slickmanwhonervouslyrollsacoinbackandforthinhishand. Heexplainsafteracarefulexaminationthatthepearlisworthlessbecauseofitsabnormallylargesize. Declaringitmoreofamuseumcuriositythanamarketcommodity,thedealermakesanoffhandbidofonethousandpesos. Kinoreactsangrilytothislowballofferandinsiststhatthepearlisworthfiftytimesthatmuch. ThedealerfirmlyassertsthathisisanaccurateappraisalandinvitesKinotoseekoutasecondopinion. Kino sneighborsstiruneasily,wonderinghowKinocanrejectsuchalargesumofmoneyandwonderingwhetherheisbeingfoolishandheadstrongbydemandingmore. Presently,threenewdealersarrivetoexaminethepearl,andtheinitialdealerinvitesthemtomakeindependentappraisals. Thefirsttwodealersrejectthepearlasamereoddity,andthethirddealermakesafeebleofferoffivehundredpesos. Uponhearingthisnews,Kinoquicklyremovesthepearlfromconsideration. Ashedoesso,theinitialdealer,unfazedbythelowerbid,insiststhathisofferofonethousandpesosstillstands. Protestingthathehasbeencheated,Kinoannouncesaplantosellhispearlinthecapitalcity. Hisoutburstraisesthebidtofifteenhundredpesos,butKinowillhavenoneofit. HefiercelypusheshiswayoutofthecrowdandstartsthelongwalkhomeasJuanatrailsafterhim. Atsupper,Kino sneighborsdebatetheday sevents. Somesuggestthatthedealers appraisalswerefair,whileothersthinkthatKinoisthevictimofascam. Somethinkheshouldhavesettledforthefinalofferoffifteenhundredpesos;otherspraiseKino sbraveryforinsistingonhisownterms. Meanwhile,inhisbrushhouse,Kinohasburiedthepearlunderhissleepingmat. Hesitsbrooding,nervousabouthisupcomingjourneytothefarawaycapital. JuanawatcheshimwhileshenursesCoyotitoandpreparessupper. JuanTom sthenenterstotrytowarnKinoofthedangersinvolvedingoingtothecapital,butKinoisadamantaboutsellinghispearltosecureabetterfutureforhisson. UnabletoconvinceKinotoheedhiswarning,JuanTom sreturnshome. ThatnightKinogoeswithoutsupper. Hesitsawaketoprotectthepearlandcontinuestoporeoverthedetailsofhisproblem. Juanakeepsherownsilentvigil,intendingtosupportKinowithhercompany. Suddenly,Kinosensesanevilpresence. Herises,feelingfortheknifeunderhisshirt,andmovestowardthedoorwayasJuanastiflesadesiretorestrainhim. Fromthedarkness,amanassaultsKino,andastruggleensues. BythetimeJuanareachesthefray,theattackerhasfled. Bloodiedandcutandwithhisclothestorn,Kinoliessprawledontheground,onlyhalfconscious. Withoutdelay,JuanahelpsKinoinsidetocareforhiswounds. Kinoadmitsthatinthedarkhewasunabletotellwhoattackedhim. AfterJuanawashesouthislastcut,shebegshimindesperationtodiscardtheevilpearl. But,morefiercelythanever,Kinoinsiststhattheymustcapitalizeontheirgoodfortune. Heexplainsthatinthemorningtheywillsetoutinthecanoeforthecapital. Juanadutifullysubmitstoherhusband splan,andtheybothgotosleep.