·
Physical settings
The setting is the
physical location and the time frame in which the actions of a literary work
take place. The setting of the novel “THE RIVER AND THE SOURCE” takes place in
multiple places and the actions or the events also takes place in different
time periods.
The physical
aspects of setting include all of the places where the action takes place. It
also includes the geography, the climate and the physical objects. The physical
setting of the novel “THE RIVER AND THE SOURCE” changes as the story progresses
and so does the time frame.
Main settings
The main actions of
the novel takes place in six multiple places. These are:
a. Yimbo
This is the place
or setting where the main character Akoko Obanda was born and lived until she
was nineteen seasons (years) old. Akoko was born when the leaves of the growing
sorghum were the height of a toddling child earning her the name Adoyo. When she
got married to Chief Owuor Kembo, she went and lived with him in another part
of the country but she later returned to Yimbo after she got into a conflict with
her mother in law and Otieno, his brother in law. The setting of Yimbo also
becomes Akoko’s sanctuary when she seeks asylum away from Otieno to live with
her brother Oloo after the death of chief Owuor kembo her husband and her two
sons Obura and Owang sino. The author of the novel has described Yimbo as a
small corner of paradise because there was plenty of fish coming from the lake
and wild fruits abounded there. (pg. 16).
b. Sakwa
Sakwa becomes a
place of interest after Chief Owuor Kembo who arrives in Yimbo from Sakwa to
ask for Akoko’s hand in marriage. Sakwa has been described as a savannah
country with adequate amount of rainfall. After Owuor kembo’s marriage proposal
was accepted by Akoko’s father and dowry was paid, Akoko was whisked to Sakwa
after staying in Yimbo for nineteen years to start her married life there. It
is in Sakwa that Akoko faces many challenges. Some of the challenges include
her inability to reproduce fast and this causes conflict between her and her in
laws. She also faces major challenges after the death of her husband and her
two sons, Obura and Owang Sino. She gets into conflict with her brother in law
forcing her to go back to Yimbo to live with her brother Oloo.
c. Nakuru
It is a place in
the Rift valley province of Kenya where Mark Anthony sigu got employed as a
cleric in charge of a warehouse. After he married Elizabeth, Mark took her off
to Nakuru where they started their married life as husband and wife. Mark’s
first house in Nakuru was a modest bachelor pad which consisted of one room, a
kitchenette and shared bathroom facilities. After his promotion and birth of
their first children they moved to a much bigger house but within Nakuru. It is
in Nakuru that Mark and Elizabeth had their seven children who grew and got
educated there.
d. Nairobi
It is the place
where Mark Sigu was conscripted while job hunting. It is also in Nairobi that
rumours of mass uprising against the colonial powers were taking shape (pg.
146). Nairobi is also the place where Rebecca had run to look for a job as an
air hostess. After getting the job she met and married John Courtney and
together they had two children. Vera, Wandia and Aoro also studied for their
degree certificates in Nairobi. The author describes how campus life was for
the three characters and how they underwent transformations while living in
Nairobi.
e. Aluor in Gem
The revelation of Aluor
mission in Gem comes into picture after a man named Pilipo told Nyabera of a
new god who made meaning out of sorrow and suffering and who particularly liked
the poor, the orphans and the widows. After learning about the new god from
Pilipo, Nyabera made arrangements to go to Aluor and seek the new religion because
her life was characterised with misfortunes and the new religion offered solace
to people like her. Days later she made her way to Gem to the famous mission of
Aluor to hear the teaching of the new religion. While there she was given a
place where she could put up a house. After months of staying in Aluor and
learning the new religion she returns back to Yimbo where she stays for six
months after which she returns to Aluor with her mother Akoko, her daughter
Awiti and Owuor. When they reached Aluor, Akoko, Awiti and Owuor were enrolled
and learned about the new religion. The three were later baptized and
afterwards Awiti joined the newly founded school where she excelled in her school
work. On the other hand Owuor joined St. Paul’s seminary in Rakwaro when he was
fifteen years old. After being ordained as a priest he returned to Aluor to
marry Mark and Awiti. After the informal negotiations to marry Mark and Awiti,
Akoko peacefully dies in her sleep and she is buried in Aluor breaking the
requirements of chik which demanded that a married woman be buried in her
husband’s ancestral home. Aluor comes into the picture again during the emergency
period. During that time Mark and Awiti decided to relocate to Aluor just after
the birth of Aoro because the country was becoming more and more dangerous due
to the conflict between the colonialists and the locals. While in Aluor,
Elizabeth moved back to her old teaching job where it was much safer, being far
from the central region which was the enclave of the freedom fighters. After
the emergency period, Mark returned his family to Nakuru.
When Maria was
seventy years old and still living in Aluor, Mark and Elizabeth sent their twin
sons to go and live with her and to attend the school which their mother had
gone to not so long ago. It is also in Aluor that Maria Nyabera died and was laid
to rest beside her mother Akoko.
f.
Kisumu/Kisumu
The setting of
Kisumu comes into picture during the conflict between Akoko and his brother in
law Otieno. After the death of Owang sino, Otieno kembo takes over the chief’s
stool with arrogance and he struggles to take Akoko’s wealth. Akoko also knew
that Otieno would not relinquish the chief’s seat to Owang sino’s young infant
when the time came. Because of this
realization, she decides to make contact with the white man’s government and
seek their intervention to get justice against Otieno. This led her to make the
journey and go to Kisumu where the government was based. Before she left to Kisumu, her brother Oloo
sent his twin sons Odongo and Opiyo to accompany her on her journey to Kisumu.
On the sixth day of journeying, Akoko and the twin boys reached the outskirts
of the market of Kisumu. On reaching Kisumu they learnt that the government had
changed the name of Kisumu to Kisumu. There was change in the way the buildings
have been built and the way people dressed themselves. While there Akoko presented her case to the D.O
who told her to bring her appeal again in three months to the visiting District
Commissioner. After the D.Os judgement Akoko and the twins returned to Sakwa
and after twelve days the DO had sent messengers to investigate the validity of
Akoko’s case.
Akoko again
returned to Kisumu to pursue her case against Otieno but her second appeal was
listened by the District Commissioner. After her appeal in Kisumu and
successfully convincing the tribunal that an injustice had been done to her, a contingent
of askaris from Kisumu were sent to Sakwa to forcibly remove Otieno from the
chief’s stool.
It is also in Kisumu
where it was rumoured that Nyaroche silwal lived a life of a beggar after
fighting the Germans. Kisumu has also been mentioned as the place where Peter Owuor
sino the son of the late chief Owang sino and the grandson of Akoko got
ordained as a bishop.
Alternative
settings
This is the setting
where little or no action takes place. These are:
1.
Seme
It has been
described as rocky country from where grandmother Nyar alego (mother to chief Odero
gogni), Achieng, lived. Grandmother Nyar alego narrates how it was in Seme that
her mother Achieng taught her how to conduct herself as a good wife.
Seme has also been
mentioned as one of the places where Akoko, Opiyo and Odongo passed through
during their epic journey to Kisumu to seek justice against Otieno. It is also
the place from where Mark sigu came from. Mark tells Elizabeth that his village
is very near the famous, Kit Mikai, rock which rests upon another.
2.
Kano
It has been described
as the place where the Lang’o tribesmen bordered.
3.
Nyakach
It has been
described as the place where the war like Lang’o tribesmen bordered.
4.
Chumbu kombit
The author
describes it as one of the places where Akoko’s great beauty has been praised
and sung by many Nyatiti singers. The
other places include Sakwa and Loka nam.
When Obura, the son
of Akoko and chief Owuor kembo, wanted to see the world and see what other
people do, his mother advised him to marry a girl from Chumbu kombit since it
was a five days walk from Sakwa.
5.
Gem
When Obura left
Sakwa with Ambere and Nyaroche to go and work for the white men, chief Owuor
kembo formed two search parties that were going to trace them of their
whereabouts. One of the search parties was to follow the route of Asembo. The
search party that followed that route found their trail and followed it up to
the second village of Gem and lost it there.
Gem was also the
place where the famous mission of Aluor was located in.
6.
Asembo
It is where the
second search party that was following the trail of Obura, Ambere and Nyaroche
were to go and intercept the three men.
It has also been
mentioned as one of the places where Akoko, Opiyo and Odongo passed through
during their epic journey to Kisumu to seek the intervention of the white men
against Otieno.
7.
Tanganyika
It is the place
where Obura kembo, Ambere kongoso and Nyaroche silwal went to fight the Germans.
Of the three only Nyaroche silwal survived and was a beggar in the market of Kisumu.
8.
Uyoma
This has been
mentioned as the place where the wife of Owang sino, Alando nyar uyoma, came
from.
9.
Wales
The author
describes that the D.C who presided over Akoko’s appeal came from Wales.
10.
Rakwaro
When Peter Owuor
kembo wanted to join the priesthood when he was fifteen years old, he was sent
to St. Paul’s seminary which was in Rakwaro. It was in Rakwaro that he entered
the rigours and splendour of life in the seminary.
11.
St Mary’s yala
It is where Mark
sigu went to school.
12.
Central province
The author
describes central province as one of the places where rumours of mass uprising
against colonial powers were happening because the white men were unjust and
unheeding to the pleas and aspirations of their black subjects.
13.
Ramogi
It is the region
where the luo people settled in.
14.
Gombe
It
is a village in Sakwa where Nyabera lived with her husband Okumu ang’olo. It is
also the village where Elizabeth was born.
15.
South Africa
It has been
described as one of the countries where the white people fled to during the
emergency period in Kenya.
16.
Kericho town
It is one of the
towns that Mark and Elizabeth passed through on their way to Aluor when they
were going to see Maria when she had gotten ill.
17.
Maseno
It is the place
where Maria was hospitalised when she became ill. It is also in Maseno where Maria
Nyabera passed away. After her death she was taken back to Aluor where she was
buried.
18.
Canada
It is the country
of origin of John Courtney.
19.
Buru Buru
It is a place in Nairobi where the parents of Mary Anne lived.
20.
Kangemi
It is the place in
Nairobi where Vera and Maryanne went for their recollection. It is also the
place where Park View College was situated in.
21.
Sodom
It was the name of
the slum that was just before Kangemi.
22.
Kisii
It is the place
from where Simon onyancha who was one of Aoro’s group of six in campus came
from
23.
Machakos
It is the place
where Wandia worked as an intern in Machakos general hospital which was two
hours away from Nairobi by public transport.
24.
Kambaland
It is the place
where Helena kituku, one of Aoro’s patients,
who was suffering from malaria came from.
25.
Kawangware
It is a slum in
Nairobi that resembled the ward where Aoro was an intern.
26.
Muranga
It is the place
where most of Wandia’s family lived including her mother, brothers and sister.
27.
Njoro
It is the place
near Nakuru where Mark and Elizabeth built their farm house. Elizabeth and Mark
spent the rest of their lives in Njoro till their death.
28.
Malindi
It is a coastal
town in Kenya where Vera’s company cottage was located in. Vera had arranged
with a business colleague to allow Aoro and Wandia use the cottage for their
honeymoon.
29.
Spring valley
It is the place in
Nairobi where Becky owned a string of maisonettes and two bungalows.
30.
Westlands
It is the place in
Nairobi where Becky owned a block of offices and shops.
31.
Baltimore, Maryland
It is the place in
America where Wandia went for a year to study haematology at the john Hopkins
hospital.
32.
Eastlands
It is a place in
Nairobi where Mary lived in a poky flat with a female roommate for company.
33.
Kenyatta university
A public university
in Nairobi where Alicia was a student of design and music.
34.
University of Nairobi
It is a university
in Nairobi where Vera, Aoro, Wandia, Maryanne, Tony muhambe and Mathew saisi
did their studies
35.
Safari park hotel
It is a hotel in
Nairobi where Aoro and Wandia took their children for dinner to celebrate their
children’s educational achievements.
36.
John Hopkins hospital
It is a hospital in
America where Wandia went to study Haematology.
37.
Park view college
It is a college in
Kangemi where Vera and Maryanne went for their recollection.
38.
Waiyaki way
It is one of the
roads that the matatu used when Vera and Maryanne where going to Kangemi for
their recollection.
39.
Jogoo road
It is one of the
major roads within Nairobi that leads to Eastlands.
40.
Mathare mental hospital
It is a hospital in
Nairobi that takes care of the mentally sick patients.
41.
Hilton
It is an upscale
hotel in Nairobi.
42.
Machakos general hospital
It is a hospital in
Machakos where Wandia was an intern.
43.
Uhuru park
It is a public park
in Nairobi.
44.
Intercontinental hotel
It is an upscale
hotel in Nairobi which is next to Uhuru Park
45.
Riverside secondary school
It is the boarding
school where Becky and Vera went to after finishing their primary school
education.
46.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
It is a major
airport in Nairobi where Becky worked as an air hostess.
·
Cultural setting
The cultural setting includes the traditions that govern the day to
day lives of the characters. It also includes patterns of behaviours and
beliefs that dominate the society in which the characters live. Religion, moral
values, family relationships, political systems, class, gender roles and ethnic
relationships are all part of the cultural environment.
•
Religion
In the novel it is clear how religion has played a major role in the
cultural setting of the luo society. In the luo traditional set up, were (god of the rising sun) was at the centre
of all religious ceremonies e.g. marriage ceremonies. During the coming of the
white people, the luo people undergo change and embrace the white people
religion which was different from their traditional religion. The new religion
taught of a new God who made meaning out of sorrow and suffering and who
particularly liked the poor, the orphans and widows. It is because of these
teachings that Akoko and Nyabera left their homes to go to Aluor and learn the
new religion which favoured their current situations.
•
Gender roles
The author of the novel has clearly defined the roles of both men and
women. Even though she has shown that men are
the heads of their households, her use of Akoko and Nyabera as central
characters who lost their husbands and take up the roles of being the heads of
their households is not without notice. The roles of men and women were also
dictated by the traditional set up of the luo community separating certain
roles that were to be done by the men and women. In the early part of the novel
the roles of women were confined to that of being mothers, helpers, caregivers
and to provide wealth to the family in form of bride price. These roles undergo
drastic changes over the years which came about as a result of westernization
and modern education.
•
Race and ethnic relations
The story shows how characters in the luo community interacted with
people from other ethnicities and races. When Akoko got into conflict with her
brother in law Otieno, she sought the help of the white men who were based in
Kisumu. Her journey to seek justice from the white men was a big victory to her
and a revelation that racial profiling was not very common in the luo society.
Racial and ethnic stereotyping has also been tackled by the author of the
novel. The author tells us how Vera’s father was opposed to her daughter dating
people who were not from their ethnic circle. The author also tells us how both
Wandia and Aoro’s relatives were sceptical about them getting married since
they came from different ethnic communities. Becky also expresses her doubts of
introducing her fiancée to her parents because of his race.
•
Political systems
In the traditional set up of the luo society, the chief was the de
facto leader of the community. Each community had a chief who was not elected
but came to power through inheritance of the chieftaincy. As a leader of the
community, the chief made decisions through the help the council of elders. The
chief also led the tribe to war when it was necessary or his eldest son would
lead the tribe if the chief was incapable. When the white people arrived in the
region of Ramogi the political system started to change with traditional chiefs
being replaced by rulers who were appointed by the colonial government. These
rulers were known as DOs and DCs who were helped to restore peace and order by
askaris who were armed and given authority to arrest anyone who broke the law.
After the emergency period of 1952 to 1959, the country gained
independence and leadership of the country was returned back to the natives
with JOMO KENYATTA as the leader and his assistant was JARAMOGI OGINGA ODINGA.
•
Moral values
The moral values are the behaviours either right or wrong that govern
the principles of a society. The moral values of the luo society were governed
by the traditions which dictated the aspects of everyday life. The moral values
were highly valued and cases of decline in values were a rare thing. When
Elizabeth Awiti went to the teacher training college, the college dormitories
were completely out of bound and anyone of the opposite sex who was found
hovering near the dormitories of the other sex could be expelled. The exeat
days were also different for the men and women so that it was easier for the
students to meet someone on the outside than on the inside and anyone suspected
of maintaining such a liaison would be in danger of expulsion.
The moral values of the society started to steadily decline and the
first instance is shown by Mark sigu who gets involved with a girl when her
wife goes away to live and teach in Aluor because of the state of emergency in
the country. Because of the high drop in moral values, the respect to authority
also drops and this is shown by Aoro and Becky. When Aoro joins secondary
school, on his first week of school he gets into conflict with both the house
captain and the head prefect. When he gets suspended from school he lies to his
parents that there was nothing wrong that he had done in school. Aoro’s sister Becky
also symbolizes moral decadence when she gets divorced from John Courtney
because of her infidelity. The decline in moral values leads to the emergence
of HIV/AIDS which Becky gets infected with. The emergence of the disease makes
Wandia to send a warning to his brother Timothy who was immoral since he kept
chasing every girl that was available.
•
Family relationships
Family relationships or brotherhood (wat) were highly valued and
interclan warfare were rare because of the good neighbourliness that existed
between clans. Even though the traditional setting was mainly polygamous, there
were close ties between the families. Instances of bad blood between families
were also common as in the case of Akoko and his brother in law and mother in
law.
·
Period of setting
The novel “THE RIVER AND THE SOURCE” has been set in multiple time
periods which affect the attitudes, behaviours and customs of the luo society.
The historical events that take place in the novel can help us determine the
time periods in which the novel is set.
The story also focuses on historical events that take place throughout
the world and also the country of Kenya. The author of the novel also gives
clues as to when certain events of the story start to take place. In the first
chapter of the book she says that it was about thirty seasons before that great
snaking metal road of jorochere, white people, reached the bartering market of Kisumu.
By this she meant that it was about thirty years before the railway line
reached the market of Kisumu. The luo people of that time measured their years
in seasons and their months in moons. For example, the author says that it was
ten moons from the day Akoko arrived in Sakwa that she delivered herself of a
fine son called Obura. It is therefore definite that the time period that the
events takes place is in the late 19th century (probably 1870s) to
the early 20th century when the author tells of the introduction of
multiparty politics in Kenya.
Historical events – Building of the railway line.
The Kenya – Uganda railway line reached Kisumu in 1901 and therefore
it is obvious that Akoko was born in 1871, thirty seasons before the railway
line reached Kisumu. The building of the Kenya Uganda railway line began in
1896 in the port city of Mombasa and its construction ended in 1901 in Kisumu.
There are clues given by the author of the novel about the early
exploration of Europeans in Kenya. We learn about the exploration of the white
people through Ambere kongoso who disappeared mysteriously and when he came
back he told of the stories of the white skinned people who now ruled most of
the land. Ambere also talks about a pipe which could kill with a mere puff of
smoke (probably a gun)and instead of them walking they used swift moving like
metal houses which had eyes that shone like the moon at night(probably
motorcars). He also describes a long snaking metal line which was being built
by the white people and which looked like a caterpillar carrying many goods.
1918 (End of First World War)
This has been described as the number of years since the white men god
had a son. It has also been described as the year when the Germans and the
English had been hard at war for the last four years. This statement gives
clues as to when the First World War started (1914) and who it was fought
between. Obura was also involved in that war when he together with Ambere and Nyaroche
were taken by the English to go to Tanganyika to fight the Germans (pg. 52-56).
The author also tells us how the Germans started the war with everybody in the
world joining and taking their side or the side of the English who eventually
won the war.
1930 (The height of civilization)
It is the year that Akoko made that great journey to Kisumu to seek
the white man’s help against her brother in law, Otieno, who had taken the
chief’s stool with arrogance and had done away with the council of elders. On
arrival to Kisumu, Akoko and the twin boys who escorted her noticed how greatly
the dress code of the people living in Kisumu had changed. Apart from the
change in dress code the housing development was also changing and it was
different from where they had come from.
It was also in this year that Akoko left the clan of her husband Owuor
and returned to Yimbo with all the property that she had salvaged from her
brother in law. She was fifty years of age when she left Sakwa to live with his
brother Oloo in Yimbo.
1939 – 1945 (Second World War)
The author of the novel has revealed Mark sigu as a former soldier who
fought in the Second World War which begun in 1939 and ended in 1945. Mark was
discharged from the army as a sergeant two months after the end of the war. The
Second World War was a global war that was caused by the invasion of Germany
into Poland and subsequent declaration of war on Germany by France and England.
1952 – 1958 (Mau Mau uprising/emergency period)
The Mau Mau uprising begun in 1952 and ended in 1959. It began because
the administration of the white men was unjust and unheeding to the pleas and
aspirations of their black subjects which led to mass uprising against the
colonial powers.
1963 (Kenya’s independence)
The author of the novel has described how the mood of the country
changed when independence was attained. Jomo Kenyatta was installed as the
leader of the new country and Jaramogi oginga odinga became his assistant.
During that period people worked tirelessly and Kenyatta made the need to work
especially on the land. After independence the white people who had remained in
the country and who were also the colonizers left in droves fearing for their
lives.
1967
It is the year that Mark became a manager in the company that he was
working for.
1972
It is the year that Tony sat for his certificate of primary education
to try for a place at the school where Aoro his older brother was. It was also
the year that Becky and Vera sat for their final O level education
examinations.
1973
This was the year when Maria Nyabera daughter of chief Owuor kembo and
Akoko died.
1974
This was the year when Vera and Becky were doing their advanced level
examinations, Aoro his ordinary level examinations and the twins, Opiyo and Odongo,
their certificate of primary education.
1992
The year when the first multi-party elections were held in Kenya which
was characterized by confusion and cries of foul by the opposition and
declarations of total transparency by the winners. During this time Kenyans had
come out shining and the donors were not impressed and were withholding aid.
·
Type of setting
The type of setting used in the novel is an integral setting. This is
because:
•
Events taking place in the novel depend on the
setting. For example the conflict between Akoko and Otieno was hinged on
Akoko’s stay in Sakwa.
•
The time periods of certain events are specific.
For example the building of the Kenya – Uganda railway and the two world wars.
•
The changes in the novel depend on the time
periods. Events such as the First World War and the Second World War bring
changes to the plot of the novel. For example the death of Obura during the
Second World War changes the novel’s plot.
•
The plot of the story depends on the setting. The
change in setting of the novel helps to change the novel’s plot. For example
Akoko’s journey to Kisumu helps to determine how her life would become after
seeking justice from the white people.
•
The setting has been used to set the tone and
mood of the story. The mood and tone of the novel depends on the setting of the
novel. For example Akoko’s mood while in Yimbo was different from her mood in
Sakwa where she faced many conflicts within her, her society and her in laws.
•
The setting has been used to reveal certain themes.
For example the setting of Kisumu and Nairobi helps to reveal the theme of
westernization and urbanization while the setting of Aluor helps to reveal the
theme of religion.
•
The main settings have been described in full and
they have also been repeated throughout the novel. For example the setting of
Sakwa has been described as a savannah country while Seme has been described as
a rocky country.
•
The characters involved have been used to reveal
the problems facing the society.
·
Roles and importance of settings
•
To reveal the beliefs and customs of a society.
The cultural setting helps to reveal the patterns of behaviours and
beliefs that dominate the society in which the characters live. The time period
also helps to reveal the traditions practiced by some of the characters and the
evolution of the practices which was brought about by westernization. The
beliefs and customs of the luo people were dynamically changing with the
passage of time. This is pushed forward by the coming of the white people who
come with their own religion and new leadership structures. These new religious
and leadership structures are integrated into the cultural setting of the luo
community leading to the abandonment of some of the beliefs and traditions
practiced by the luo people.
•
To reveal the political system of a society.
The setting of Kisumu reveals the change of political systems from
tribal chiefs being assisted by a council of elders to a protectorate system
where the leader, a DC, gets appointed by another leader from the protectorate
country. After independence the country comes under the leadership of Kenyatta
who becomes the first president and he is assisted by Jaramogi oginga odinga.
Because the country was still a one party state, calls to have a multiparty
democracy comes to fruition in the early 1990s.
•
To reveal some of the themes in the novel.
Themes such as tradition, religion, cultural diversity, leadership,
change and westernization are dependent on the place that the characters reside
in. For example, in Aluor, Akoko and her family are forced to abandon their
traditional beliefs and to embrace Christianity which forbade them from
practicing their old traditions. Akoko’s journey to Kisumu reveals how
westernization was taking root in the bartering market of Kisumu. The
leadership had also changed and the people were being led by a DO instead of
the traditional chiefs and security was being maintained by askaris appointed
by the colonial masters.
•
To shape the characters to whom they are.
In the novel, Aluor is seen as a place of hope for Akoko, Nyabera, Owuor
and Awiti. When they were in Aluor they were determined to learn the new
religion which gave hope to those who were beaten by life. The teachings of the
new religion that they got while in Aluor helped to shape their personality
traits. This is shown when they try to emulate the character traits of some of
the people mentioned in the bible. Their baptismal names symbolize the
character traits of certain biblical figures.
•
To define the culture and traditions of the luo
community.
The passage of time from the nineteenth century to the twentieth
century greatly defines the culture and traditions of the luo people. The coming of the white people and the
introduction of Christianity brings with it several changes that lead to the
abandonment of some of the cultural practices of the luo people. With the
coming of the white people, westernization and urbanization makes the community
to change so as to adapt to the new ways of life. Characters such as Akoko and
Nyabera who were still steeped in their traditional ways of doing things
understand that they have to change in order to fit in the society.
•
To reveal the moral values of different
generations.
During the generation of Akoko, Nyabera and Awiti, moral values were
highly regarded as compared to that of Becky and Vera’s generation were moral
corruption had started taking root. It is because of the decline in moral
values that HIV/AIDS was spreading faster than wildfire. The change in sexual behaviour
and attitude was a contributing factor to the spread of the disease.
•
It is a reflection of a character’s struggle.
While in Sakwa, Obura becomes agitated when his parents deny him the
opportunity to go out and visit the other parts of the world. His attitude
changes and his parents become uneasy for he was not himself. After the death
of her husband and her two sons, Akoko finds herself struggling to survive in
the village of Sakwa because his brother in law had shown some form of
arrogance and bad blood towards her and her remaining daughter. When she moves
to Aluor together with her daughter, granddaughter and grandson, they all find
peace which they had longed for and the new religion acts as a bridge to their
peaceful lives.
•
It establishes the mood and tone of the novel.
The change in setting from one place to another helps to determine the
mood of the characters and the tone of the novel. When she got married, Akoko’s
mood changes because of the conflict she faced while living in Sakwa. The
conflict between her and her in-laws and the society in Sakwa is as a result of
her slowness in giving birth. Akoko becomes bitter because of the accusations levelled
against her by her in-laws. Her moods in Sakwa and in Aluor are completely
different because in Aluor she finds peace in the new religion and this peace
makes her a little less gloomy. Events that also take place in areas such as
Kisumu, Tanganyika, Nakuru, Nairobi, Maseno, Yimbo and Muranga also helps in
establishing the mood and tone of the story. In Aluor, Maseno and Njoro the
deaths of Akoko, Nyabera and Awiti respectively changes the mood of the
characters and the tone of the novel. The disappearance of Obura in Tanganyika
and the tragic death of Becky in Nairobi also change the dimension of the
story’s tone.
•
It reveals different characters.
Multiple settings in the novel have helped to reveal some of the
characters in the novel. For example, in Aluor father Thomas has been revealed
and in Murang’a Wandia’s relatives have also been revealed. Aoro sigu and Vera
stay in Nairobi has helped to reveal some of the characters who learn and live
with them.
•
It affects the pace of the story.
The pace and speed of the novel differs from place to place. The story
starts in a slow pace but gains momentum when Akoko gets married and moves to
Sakwa. In Sakwa she faces challenges and the death of her two sons in the prime
of their life makes the plot of the story to move in a fast pace. Life in Aluor
also goes on a slow pace but it changes when Elizabeth is married to Mark and
moves with him to Nakuru. In Nakuru, the plot of the novel gains momentum when
Mark and Elizabeth procure an abortion without knowing and during the emergency
period. The story’s pace in the countryside seems to be a bit slow as compared
to the pace in the cities.
•
It highlights potential contrasts between the
different settings mentioned in the novel.
The difference between the multiple settings in the novel has been
clearly highlighted. For example, the difference between Seme and Sakwa has
been stated. Sakwa has been described as being a savannah country while Seme
has been described as a rocky country where the famous rock rests upon another
is located.
•
It helps to push the plot of the story forward.
The movement of characters from one setting to another helps to push
forward the plot of the novel. Akoko’s movement from Yimbo to Sakwa and her
conflicts with Otieno and her mother in law helps to set the inciting force and
the climax of the story. Obura and Becky’s disappearance to Tanganyika and
Nairobi respectively puts the story’s plot in suspense which makes the author
to foreshadow and flashback certain events in the novel.
•
It defines the characters actions and traits.
The actions and character traits of persons such as Akoko, Nyabera,
Awiti and Becky are revealed when they move from one location to another. Some
of Akoko’s character traits are revealed when she was still staying in Sakwa
where she faced a lot of challenges from her in laws and the society. Her
decision to fight back and leave her homestead helps to reveal certain
character traits about her. Her journey to Aluor and conversion to Christianity
helps to shape her character traits. When Awiti and Owuor were enrolled in the
catechism and reading classes when they were in Aluor, the Christian teachings
that they received helped to define their actions and character traits.
•
It highlights potential contrasts between
characters.
The physical differences between the colonialists and the locals have
been exposed by the author of the novel.
For example the DO and DC have been described as being white in colour
as compared to the locals who were black in colour.
•
It determines the fate of the antagonist.
Becky’s decision to go to Nairobi to seek employment as an air hostess
changes the course of her destiny. In Nairobi her dream of becoming an air
hostess is fulfilled and she marries a white man with whom she starts a family
with. Because of her immoral sexual behaviours she gets divorced from John
Courtney and later she gets infected by a venereal disease which leads to her
death.
•
It adds vividness to a story.
Some of the settings in the novel have been vividly described giving a
mental picture of how the places are.
For example Kisumu has been described as having embraced westernization
with buildings that are different from those of Yimbo and Sakwa. The house of
Otuoma who provided shelter to Akoko and the two twins when they went to seek
justice in Kisumu has been described as a round mud hut with a thatched roof,
square windows made of wood and a neat wooden door all painted bright green. In
Nairobi, Kawangware has been described as a slum that resembled the ward where
Aoro was an intern.
•
It defines time.
The setting of the novel has been set in different time periods. The
story has been set in mid modern period (1870s – 1914) during the beginning of
the First World War, contemporary period (1914 – present day) which covers the
First World War. This time period covers history that is still living in
memory, for example the world war 2 (1939 – 1945), period in which Mark sigu
was a soldier, emergency period (1952 – 1959), independence period (1963) and
multiparty democracy period (early 1990s).
•
It may act as an escape route to a character’s
problems.
Characters who have faced hardships in the novel as a result of their
settings have resorted to changing by moving to other places. For example Akoko
and Nyabera move from their homes and go to Aluor where the new religion of
Christianity was giving hope to those who were facing difficulties in their
lives. Mark sigu also moves his family from Nakuru to Aluor during the
emergency period because the country was becoming more and more dangerous.
Becky also moved from Nakuru to Nairobi because she was determined to become an
air hostess and she always felt like an outsider in their family.
•
It determines the fate of the protagonist.
Akoko’s fate was hugely determined by her stay in Sakwa and in Aluor.
After the death of her husband and her two sons, fate was against her and it is
because of this that she sought refuge in her brother’s house back in Yimbo. In
Yimbo she gets into conflict with her brother’s wives and when Nyabera asks her
is she can accompany her to Aluor she quickly accepts the proposal. To Akoko, Aluor
was the beginning of a new life free from the challenges that held her back.
•
It acts as an antagonist.
The survival of certain characters in the novel depended much on their
setting. When Owang sino died after choking on a fish bone, her grandmother
Akoko took away Owuor who was barely a toddler because his continued stay in
Sakwa was a threat to Otieno and his immediate family members. Akoko took her
grandson to Yimbo so that he can stay with Oloo who would guarantee his safety.
•
It reveals the relationship between characters.
The relationship between different characters is defined by the
setting in which the characters find themselves in. The character traits of Vera
and Mary Anne closely resemble because of their backgrounds. Both of them come
from middle class families and they share a lot in common.
•
It reveals the relationship between different
communities.
The relationship between the luo people who lived in the region of Ramogi
and the kikuyu people who lived in central province was not harmonious. This
was because of the stereotype that existed between the two communities. This is
evidently shown when Aoro sigu wanted to marry Wandia who was a kikuyu. During
their courtship there were dissenting voices because the two came from two
different communities who viewed each other with suspicion. Mark sigu was also
opposed to the relationship between Vera and Tommy muhambe because of their
different ethnic backgrounds. It is also because of this opposition that made Becky
not to initially introduce john to her parents because he was white and came
from a different country.
•
It has a symbolic function.
Different settings in the novel symbolize different meanings to
different characters. To Akoko, Sakwa symbolized hardship, conflicts and
misfortune while Aluor symbolized change, hope, freedom and escape from
oppressive traditional practices. The market of Kisuma has also been used to
symbolize westernization and colonialism. Westernization is shown by how the
people of Kisumu adopted the dressing code of the white people and how they
built their houses. Colonization is shown by how the white people were ruling
over the locals and the abolition of traditional leadership structures. The
setting of Nairobi symbolized modernization and the spread of religion.
•
It is a source of conflict.
This can be shown when Akoko goes to live in Sakwa after her betrothal
to Owuor kembo. While in Sakwa she gets into conflict with her in laws who
accuse her of bewitching Owuor so that he cannot marry another wife. Before her
betrothal to Kembo she also faces conflict within herself while she was still
in Yimbo because her father had not accepted the many offers for her hand in
marriage from the many men who came to her father. Mark sigu was also conflicted
while he was still living in Nakuru with his young family. Because of the state
of emergency the country was in, Mark was forced to take his family away to Aluor.
Mark sigu also shows that the setting can be a source of conflict when he
stopped by to see his mother on his way to Nakuru. During that time he got into
a heated argument with his mother. Her daughter, Becky, had to travel to
Nairobi because her continued stay in Nakuru made her get into conflict with members
of her family.
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