How terrible it would be, he thought sorrowly, to see her cry forlornly, while questioning the sincerity of his love for her, and asking him the reason for his betrayal. Even Resian, with her sullenness and gracelessness that he disliked he had found out surprisingly that he had a soft spot for her. He cried and his heart bled for her 113 . We see that ole Kaelo loves the two girls irrespective of their gender and does not want to just sell off her daughters with no love from any man. He treasures them unlike the community who would have found the reason to sell them off as any other woman. Kaelo, although has girls, but is presented as having a duty to defend them at all cost. When he heard about his daughters near rape incident he almost became mad. He raved like a buffalo that had been infected with the East Coast Fever that was known as Olmilo. He was aggressively spoiling for a fight. Every now and then he groaned loudly like one in pain and clicked his tongue like a madman, he muttered to himself, making nasty waspish remarks 160 . This therefore,95 shows that ole Kaelo appreciates the fact that he has daughters as children and that he is ready to shield them at whatever cost. Delegation of work within ole Kaelo s family gives equal responsibility to each member, making them happy and eager to make the party a success. Mama Milanoi is at the tables to ensure that the trays that came out of the kitchen laden with meat delicacies, were sorted out and arranged appropriately 41 . Taiyo was busy slicing chunks of ox tongue into manageable pieces a job she did with dexterous fingers and Resian was busy transferring glasses from the side board onto a nearby table 41 . Kaelo is presented as a person who values his wife and children and trusts that they will do a perfect job irrespective of their gender. The voice of women in decision making is shown through Mama Milanoi who has been presented as a person who is trusted by the husband. They discuss together what is challenging them in their home such as the threats made by Oloisudori to marry Resian. They collectively come up with the solutions to difficult situations such as marrying off Resian to Oloisudori. They also discuss how they will lure Taiyo into agreeing to visit Resian ironically so as she can be circumcised.


They discuss together what is challenging them in their home such as the threats made by Oloisudori to marry Resian. They collectively come up with the solutions to difficult situations such as marrying off Resian to Oloisudori. They also discuss how they will lure Taiyo into agreeing to visit Resian ironically so as she can be circumcised. The author presents a community that is ready to defend the girl child for example when the community of Ilmolelian learnt about ole Kaelo s daughters who were about to be raped, the community defended them by punishing the offenders thoroughly. After the girls awful incident of almost being molested the community started respecting them. The stares stopped and they were greeted with respect. The young men became friendly to them and the elderly too respected them. Nabaru, who was to nurse Resian back to health after she had been circumcised, is presented as caring. She kindly takes care of Resian as her own child. She feds her, gives her water, milk olpurda. She brought more blankets for her to cover herself so as not to catch cold and lesos to96 cover her body. She reveals to Resian all what had been planned. She plans on how she was going to rescue her out of that place and which she does until she reaches Minik s place. This presents the fact that women are ready to assist one another out of difficult situation. Later Nabaru joins Minik, Resian and Taiyo to fight off the FGM. Nabaru is presented as a good schemer who arranges for Resian s escape without being noticed. She exchanges bitter words with Olarinkoi who follows them to the lorry that was to free them away. She fearlessly tells him, Away with you, you good for nothing, Osuji She compares him to embarie that waits for the lion to kill then it steals from him because it is a coward: How could you cheat this child who was desperately looking for help as she ran away from that villain called Oloisudori? You took advantage of her trust in you, just like embarie does. That is exactly what you are: Embarie. A good for nothing osuuji 254 . Resian too is not afraid to give her piece of mind to Olarinkoi.


That is exactly what you are: Embarie. A good for nothing osuuji 254 . Resian too is not afraid to give her piece of mind to Olarinkoi. She says, You, stupid Olarinkoi, you are worse than Oloisudori, But the two of you have one thing in common; warped minds 255 . Some things like prophesying was done by the Maasai men especially the Oloiboni or elders of the Maasai but Olarinkoi s mother had prophesized about Resian s family and that she would be married to her son. Olarinkoi s mother is presented as enkoiboni who foretold the future and had the ability to see. Nabaru tells Resian, Mostly you have only heard of a male holder of that position called oloiboni. Female ones are there but very rare. This particular one is famous for her prediction and prophecies that always nearly come true 237 . The Intapuka-e-Maa girls sang songs to show that although they are intoiye nemengalana but they were Blossoms of the Savannah, they were worthy. They were ready to be doctors, engineers and97 teachers. They believe that they would stand side by side with the men and build the nation together. The author presents women who at the end triumphs over cultural injustices. Conclusion The text Blossoms of the Savannah starts from a point where we see the society in which Resian lives as valuing the boy-child more than the girl-child. The fact that Mama Milanoi has not given her husband a boy stands him in bad stead with his peers. Conversely, we acknowledge that a Maasai woman is also defined by her ability to give her husband a male child, an heir. The issue also defines a man in that one with several males is on his way to occupy a prestigious position in the society than the men who do not have sons. Generally, we see the definition of Maasai femininity to occur in the domestic spaces within Maasai social structure. In this novel the female genital cut appears to be a great source of conflict because it is a practice that defines the Maasai woman. When Resian and her sister rebel against it, they are redefining their femininity in opposition to the traditional constructs of the identity of Maasai women.


Generally, we see the definition of Maasai femininity to occur in the domestic spaces within Maasai social structure. In this novel the female genital cut appears to be a great source of conflict because it is a practice that defines the Maasai woman. When Resian and her sister rebel against it, they are redefining their femininity in opposition to the traditional constructs of the identity of Maasai women. The redefinition of Maasai femininity in the text takes place as a result of social forces outside like education. One of the main reasons for Resian s rebellious streak is because of the influence that education has on her. She builds a dream which she hopes to achieve by how education will mould98 CHAPTER FOUR COMPARISON OF FEMININITIES IN VANISHING HERDS AND BLOSSOMS OF THE SAVANNAH Introduction In the previous chapters my analysis centered on how Henry ole Kulet presents the image of Maasai femininity in his two novels. And my interest was to look at how the aspect of femininity is defined and redefined in the two novels. In this chapter I shall look at how such presentation compares in the two novels. It is imperative to do a comparative analysis on how Henry ole Kulet manages to present femininity in similar and different shades in the two novels so as to get a holistic vision embodied in the two works. To achieve this I shall narrow on certain deliberate choices that Henry ole Kulet makes with respect to the characterization, setting and some aspects of style such as characterization. On one hand, my intention is to show how the narrative variables are the vortex within which presentation of Maasai femininity can be analyzed in the two novels. On the other hand, I intend to look at aspects of style so as to qualify the use of stylistic devices as being one of the points through which such presentation by use of narrative variables to present femininity can be accentuated. 99 Comparative Investigation of Femininities in Vanishing Herds and Blossoms of the Savannah The first point of comparison on femininities in the two texts concerns the characterization of the two protagonists. It is obvious that they are women. It is also obvious that they are young. However, what is not obvious and what I feel is worth pointing out is the fact that the two protagonist characters represent within the settings in which they are found the hope of their societies.


It is obvious that they are women. It is also obvious that they are young. However, what is not obvious and what I feel is worth pointing out is the fact that the two protagonist characters represent within the settings in which they are found the hope of their societies. It is within this hope for the future that we find their redefinitions of the way the Maasai woman is supposed to be. These two women define and redefine femininity differently. They use different tools to take their societies to the next phase of their lives. Norpisia uses the environment to redefine the new role of the Maasai woman in the society as that of a heroine, much in the build of a folk super-hero. And Resian uses the issue of FGM and education to fight for the cause of young Maasai girls in her society. As Chikwenye Ogonjo Ogunyemi 1982 argues on Womanism as serving as the rallying point of the women of African ancestry in their struggle to effectively assert their humanity in the face of the malevolent attitude of the men folk towards their self-fulfillment in life , it is important to look at how Henry ole Kulet uses the women characters to assert the individuality in society where such assertion of femininity is iconoclast. One of the greatest points scored by Womanism theoreticians is the notion that the woman is the nurturer of the environment. It is her who gives the society life. In their quest for equality of the sexes proponents of the theory like Chikwenye Okonjo Ogunyemi contends that the duty of the black woman is not to lose her role as a protector of the environment. She is the one who gives direction to the new born and shapes its life till later on. Ogunyemi does not envision the loss of such an important role for the woman in the society. And neither does Henry ole Kulet in these two selected novels. 100 Norpisia while rehabilitating the forest is restoring life to the society and Resian while fighting against retrogressive cultural practices is fighting for the achievement of equality that will enable the women within Maasai culture to play the same role as men in developing their societies. This is the hope that Resian s fight promises. The aspect of nurture show the different sides of the protagonists of the two novels and so highlight some of the different shades of femininity visible in the two texts.


100 Norpisia while rehabilitating the forest is restoring life to the society and Resian while fighting against retrogressive cultural practices is fighting for the achievement of equality that will enable the women within Maasai culture to play the same role as men in developing their societies. This is the hope that Resian s fight promises. The aspect of nurture show the different sides of the protagonists of the two novels and so highlight some of the different shades of femininity visible in the two texts. Also in Vanishing Herds the protagonist, Norpisia, is a soft-spoken woman who can be said to be very diplomatic in the way she tackles the patriarchal structures. She is characterized by the cattle. In her life the cattle occupy a prime place. She is passionate about nature. We are told that people wondered, surprised and amazed at her strength. Some when they saw her asked each other whether she was capable of doing all that she did. Some concluded that if it was true that she had spearheaded groups of women to plant thousands of trees that had helped to resuscitate the degraded environment then, she was the people s heroine Vanishing Herds, 3 . The author uses vivid description to show how Norpisia felt after their sheep were devoured by the hyena. She wept and was devastated as well as being at a loss. The narrator describes what happened one night when the hyena was attacking their animals. She took a spear and stood outside waiting. From this description we can say that Norpisia s center of life is the environment and cattle. They offer her drive for existence and curing of the environment. She is such an environmentalist that through description we see how Norpisia imitates the bird. The bird went to her thinking that it was birds of their kind. When she whistled the bird stopped feeding its chicks and went to where she was. She learned this skill when she was living with her grandmother. 101 In Blossoms of the Savannah, the protagonist is concerned about education. Her ambitions are encapsulated in her quest to attain higher standards in education. Even though different from Norpisia, she likewise is a woman who has a clear vision of where she wants to go to and how to get there. Here, again, the two protagonists are characterized to bring out the different shades of femininities. Even though there is a slight difference in age, Norpisia and Resian are relatively young women. The first score of comparison is age.


Here, again, the two protagonists are characterized to bring out the different shades of femininities. Even though there is a slight difference in age, Norpisia and Resian are relatively young women. The first score of comparison is age. Norpisia is a fairly mature woman who has been married while Resian is a young girl. This is important in showing the nature of conflict that brings the two protagonists with the patriarchal structure in the two works. While Norpisia wages her war on the environment. She wants to save the forest from degradation so that the society may be healed. She thinks that it is because of the cutting down of trees that is why life is so miserable. This brings her in confrontation with the patriarchal structure which deems a woman who is such strong-willed to be a bad woman. In many ways, Norpisia represents the femininity of the Maasai woman who has not received much education but who none the less is assertive in the society and aims to play a greater role in social change through what she know bets. On the other hand, Resian wages her war on education. Resian, who is the second born, is defiant stubborn, aggressive in matters of education, she is also observant, optimistic of a good future, and is passionate about reading. Her main ambition is to go to a higher institution of learning so that she may play a greater role in her society. Resian represents the kind of femininity that encapsulates the dream of a young girl within Maasai culture who having been exposed to modernity and education has a wider knowledge of her place in the society and has insight of the injustices that culture could bring to her. She is the elite who are meant to change the society. The issue in the difference in character traits has a bearing on the different nature of the conflicts that take place in the two novels and hence the shades of different femininities observable. 102 The issue of their age then brings in another important point on characterization that is love. Since they are young, on the one hand, and newly-married, on the other, as the stories begin, the question of their love life become a point from which we come to understand not only their character traits, but, importantly, their resolve to fight for that which they feel so strongly and passionately about, and that which come to define the nature of what up to this point I have termed femininity.


The issue in the difference in character traits has a bearing on the different nature of the conflicts that take place in the two novels and hence the shades of different femininities observable. 102 The issue of their age then brings in another important point on characterization that is love. Since they are young, on the one hand, and newly-married, on the other, as the stories begin, the question of their love life become a point from which we come to understand not only their character traits, but, importantly, their resolve to fight for that which they feel so strongly and passionately about, and that which come to define the nature of what up to this point I have termed femininity. The author uses vivid description to bring the feminine aspect of her characters and therefore show how physical attraction leads to the blossoming of love. Norpisia s physical appearance is described as tall, has lithe wiry muscles, long arms and legs. She is big and strong, has firm, full breasts, and that she had womanly hips that curved back to her well-rounded body Vanishing Herds, 17 . She also has a heart-shaped face, high cheek-bones ,well-defined jaw, smooth narrow chin, large brown eyes, straight and finely made nose, has smooth lips that curved up at the corners ,white pearl-like teeth Vanishing Herds,17 . Description shows that Kedoki appreciates being with Norpisia, they both walked together in nomadic pastoralism. They took care of their animals, for example, Kedoki controls their animals from the front while Norpisia from the back. Through the narrator s description we learn that Norpisia felt bad departing from her relatives and this makes her to be overcome by anguish, hence, breaking down and weeps. This saddens Kedoki for he knew that her heart was heavy because she was leaving her people and heading towards places where she did not know. Love becomes not only one of the themes that provide the fuel, so to speak, that drives the plot forward, but on another level it also confers on the two novels a romantic atmosphere that can be said to offer relief from the issues of male chauvinism and tradition that are rather bleak. In Vanishing Herds, Norpisia and Kedoki are brought together by the trauma of losing siblings to103 cattle rustling. The love affair between these two is the point on which the novel revolves.


Love becomes not only one of the themes that provide the fuel, so to speak, that drives the plot forward, but on another level it also confers on the two novels a romantic atmosphere that can be said to offer relief from the issues of male chauvinism and tradition that are rather bleak. In Vanishing Herds, Norpisia and Kedoki are brought together by the trauma of losing siblings to103 cattle rustling. The love affair between these two is the point on which the novel revolves. Every occurrence is put in perspective of how it affects the couple. The beauty of their love and the most refreshing thing about it is that it is the reservoir from where the characters get their strengths to overcome tragedy, trauma, and difficulties posed by tradition. Something unique to all these love affairs is that the lovers of the two protagonists appear to be comrades of their women in their fight against traditions that are out dated in the time of the characters. Kedoki and Joseph Parmuat are the strengths of their women. Kedoki is the source of Norpisia s strength in her quest to play a leading role in rehabilitating nature. Similarly, Joseph Parmuat and Tayio become the two love birds whose fate appear to be futile because of the genealogical tree of the Maasai which makes these two otherwise unrelated beings to be considered blood relatives whose union is similar to incest. Still, the love affair between the two provides a point for the character of Tayio to rebel against tradition. She gets to express her own voice against a practice that denies her the freedom to choose her own marriage partner. Another point is that the novels appear to have similar use of the environment in characterization and plot development. The women are characterized with their environment. The clothes that the women wear, the shuka, become a symbol of femininity in all the texts. The way nature is used in the two novels is very important in understanding the shifting moods and climate as the plot unfolds. It is as if, in both texts, Henry ole Kulet intends that the change in physical climate will lead to a corresponding change in the attitudes and behavior of the characters as well. This use of the environment as a having a bearing on the plot of the narrative is to be found in Ng ang a Mbugua s Different Colours 2006 where the fate of Banana County is tied to the environmental change that could take place in Orange River.


The way nature is used in the two novels is very important in understanding the shifting moods and climate as the plot unfolds. It is as if, in both texts, Henry ole Kulet intends that the change in physical climate will lead to a corresponding change in the attitudes and behavior of the characters as well. This use of the environment as a having a bearing on the plot of the narrative is to be found in Ng ang a Mbugua s Different Colours 2006 where the fate of Banana County is tied to the environmental change that could take place in Orange River. Miguel, Mbugua s protagonist, is a104 dreadlocked artist whose quest to save the river from Dick Teita is symbolic for saving Banana County itself. However, it is in Nawal el Saadawi s God Dies by the Nile 1983 where we observe in concrete terms the use of the environment to symbolize plot progression. Like Different Colours, the novel s setting is a town Kafr El Teen near a river, the majestic Nile. This river in its flow is symbolic of Zakeya s the protagonist quest for freedom. The point I was making by the above examples is on the symbol of the environment to the two novels. In Blossoms of the Savannah, the environmental change from Nakuru town to the country side itself is a shift that gets the characters closer to their roots. This closeness to the roots, as it were, is aimed at getting an understanding of the Maasai way of life which then leads to the basis of the conflict in the novel. In Vanishing Herds, the floods, which seems biblical allusion to the great floods in the book of Genesis, is a point of great turn in the plot of the narrative. We learn that Norpisia almost lost her life in a freakish flood . We learn that Kedoki and Norpisia lost all their livestock including four tamed wildebeests. The wildebeests had become a tourist attraction during the famous annual event when migratory herds of wild animals crossed Enkipai River on their way to the southern grasslands Vanishing Herds, 1 . The floods signify a new beginning in the life of the protagonist. In fact it is right to say that the place of the environment in this narrative is central to the existence of the characters and their possession, herds of cattle.


The wildebeests had become a tourist attraction during the famous annual event when migratory herds of wild animals crossed Enkipai River on their way to the southern grasslands Vanishing Herds, 1 . The floods signify a new beginning in the life of the protagonist. In fact it is right to say that the place of the environment in this narrative is central to the existence of the characters and their possession, herds of cattle. Therefore, the title of the novel Vanishing Herds can be interpreted to mean the disappearance of flora and fauna as a result of the destruction of the environment. Henry ole Kulet could have used this novel to be a reminder to his readers on the adverse effects of environmental degradation. When Kedoki is injured by a wild animal in the hazardous trek the message is that even animals105 are reacting viciously to the environmental degradation, inspired invariably by greed for capital, which humans have visited upon the habitat that they share with other species. The question of FGM offers another point on which we can compare and contrast the two works. It is the main point of conflict in Blossoms of the Savannah but it is not a big issue in Vanishing Herds. Henry ole Kulet uses the issue to characterize his protagonist. Resian is shown as a very determined woman who has the mettle to follow on her beliefs. Henry ole Kulet uses diction carefully to bring out the fight of the protagonist against FGM as an outdated cultural practice. Let us take note of the philosophical and argumentative language employed by Resian when she argues against FGM. She questions the mother the need for the FGM to be done during that time. She argues that Ilarinkon who had tortured the women was no longer there then why should it be done. She further argues that it is the current men who she calls Ilarinkoi that are causing harm to the women. She wonders why if one discovered a nasty but potent medicine that once taken cured an ailment must they continue to swallow it every day-ten years down the line. I find that not only ridiculous but also absurd. The sensible thing would be to discard the bitter medicine once they are cured. Period! She questions her mother without fear. Tell me Yeiyo, what use is F.G.M to today s woman? Blossoms of the Savannah, 91 . She assertively says that, Today s Ilarikon are worse.


She questions her mother without fear. Tell me Yeiyo, what use is F.G.M to today s woman? Blossoms of the Savannah, 91 . She assertively says that, Today s Ilarikon are worse. In addition to being despotic, they are oppressive tyrants; and one of their ways of oppressing us is to demand that F.G.M be perpetuated against us forever! Blossoms of the Savannah, 92 . In Vanishing Herds the points of conflicts revolve around nature. For instance, we have a scenario where Norpisia wants to fight the people in support of the animals. Minik uses argumentative tone to argue her point that culture is supposed to be dynamic and it ought to shed off aspects that had outlived their usefulness. She argues that in the past such old106 ways had been done away with and that they were forgotten. She argues that the name intoiye nemengalana should stop being derogatory and instead emuratare-o-ntoiye should disappear from Maa language and should be regarded as extinct Blossoms of the Savannah, 268 . Through the issue of FGM the author shows other characters who are agents of change. One of them is Nabaru. Nabaru too uses an argumentative tone and says that FGM did not add value to the victims instead it traumatized them and it was hazardous to their health. She attests to the fact that the practice ruined young ones and she vows to join Minik in lobbying against FGM. An argumentative language is used to show how Nabaru, the enkabaani, found fault with the women of Maa. She argues that they were the perpetrators of the obnoxious and repugnant tradition of female circumcision and its perpetuation. She thinks that no man had ever taken up the Olmurunya to circumcise a girl. To her the enkamuratani had always been a woman. She wonders what will happen to enkamuratani if she threw the olmurunya and refused to wield it again. Still on diction, Henry ole Kulet plays around by language of reasoning in showing how the characters are best suited for their liberation roles.


To her the enkamuratani had always been a woman. She wonders what will happen to enkamuratani if she threw the olmurunya and refused to wield it again. Still on diction, Henry ole Kulet plays around by language of reasoning in showing how the characters are best suited for their liberation roles. Through Taiyo who says culture is dynamic and that it keeps shading off irrelevant aspects such as FGM and culture that forces people of the same clan not to marry each other yet they are not related by blood. She argues that they should have disappeared long time ago. Taiyo s ability in reasoning is shown when she says after all, we can t love in darkness forever, can we? Blossoms of the Savannah, 137 . She believes that Nasila culture would soon shed off FGM. FGM is further used to create tension in Blossoms of the Savannah. An abusive language is used by Olarinkoi in talking to Resian, You mean, woman, look here you can either cook or keep standing stupidly and die of hunger. The choice is yours. Should you choose to cook, here is a107 piece of meat. The knife is over there. Of course you are not blind you can see sufurias. There is a whole bag of maize meal there and water is in that container. There is paraffin in that can and you can collect firewood from a stack outside the house. Any questions? Blossoms of the Savannah, 223 . He further says, You silly thing I tell you to prepare food and you refuse to do so, eh? Today you will know who the owner of this home is. If you are still in doubt, let me tell you frankly that from today on you are my wife, hear that, eh? You are my wife. For a long time you have been sneering at me, showing how highly educated you are. Today we shall see how educated your body is! Blossoms of the Savannah, 226 . These phrases show the kind of tension that builds up around the issue of FGM. It shows that the characters occupying positions of binary oppositions are symbolic of the past and the future. Vanishing Herds does not focus on FGM for conflict. It focuses on the issue of the environment as a source of contestation among the characters. This is one of the fundamental differences between the two novels.


Vanishing Herds does not focus on FGM for conflict. It focuses on the issue of the environment as a source of contestation among the characters. This is one of the fundamental differences between the two novels. This difference brings in the difference in the expression of Maasai femininities in the two novels where one is based on FGM and the other is based on the environment. Then again the two novels also present the motif of communal spirit, for instance, when Kedoki needs help with cattle he is helped by his friends Masintet and Lembarta. The two come at a point of need for Kedoki. This shows a sense of community and brotherhood that egalitarian societies are known for. The two are warmly welcomed by Masintet s family where they live together for a while before the couple re-embarks on their journey. Norpisia gets closer and very friendly to Masintet s wife. The community helps her plant trees. In Blossoms of the Savannah, when Resian s family moves from Nakuru to Nasila they are welcomed by the entire community. They are108 celebrated by each and every one. When the next day Resian and her family go to take breakfast they find themselves taking tea with everybody seated together. I can conclude that Ole Kulet uses the motif of communal spirit to show those aspects of traditional life, the egalitarian spirit, which are good and which should be retained. Henry ole Kulet uses this sense of communal spirit to show some of the good things that Maasai femininity is unique for. The question of literacy also plays an important role in the expression of Maasai femininity in the two texts. In Blossoms of the Savannah, Resian s quest to go to the university runs in tandem with her rejection and her fight against the outdated cultural practices like early marriage and FGM. Education becomes the main source of conflict between her personal ambition and her communal obligations as a young Maasai woman. Education becomes the point of change and redemption that the liberation from outdated cultural practices is pegged to. The issue of education is not a strong factor in Vanishing Herds. The protagonist, Norpisia, is married fairly early in her life and she begins her crusade as a prophetess of the environment not from an illiterate person point of view, but from a practical point of view which is from the degradation that she observes around her.


Education becomes the point of change and redemption that the liberation from outdated cultural practices is pegged to. The issue of education is not a strong factor in Vanishing Herds. The protagonist, Norpisia, is married fairly early in her life and she begins her crusade as a prophetess of the environment not from an illiterate person point of view, but from a practical point of view which is from the degradation that she observes around her. Resian is educated and therefore operates within a different worldview as Norpisia in Vanishing Herds. The question of other women characters is also an important one in the expression of femininity in the two novels. The other women either help the protagonist in their fight against patriarchy or they become the wet blankets that hinder their progress. In other words the other women characters either facilitate the protagonists quest for agency or hinder it. In Blossoms of the Savannah, Resian is a woman among other women. Some are helpful in her quest such as Taiyo and Nabaru while the others are not such as her mother, her uncle s eldest wife, Yeiyo botorr and Olarinkoi s mother. 109 For one Mama Milanoi, her own mother, appears defenseless against tradition. She does not know how to oppose patriarchy. When they relocate to Nasila she is finally hit by the reality of the customs of her people from which she had been shielded by urban life in Nakuru. Mama Milanoi is not portrayed as a great determinant of change. There is the character of Resian s uncle s eldest wife, Yeiyo-bottor, is portrayed as one who is an agent against change. She is the epitome of matriarchal structure that collaborates with patriarchy to disregard the equal rights of women in the local culture, to use the words of Resian when she lashed out at her mother in the presence of the uncle s wife: It is time to circumcise your daughters and get rid of olkuenyi. It is that simple Blossoms of the Savannah, 79 . Here the woman is telling Resian s mother that her daughter s stupidity at talking back to the elders can only be cured by the cut the healing cut. She is steeped in tradition that denies young girls a brighter future by marrying them early after the cut. She is a stumbling block of progress.


Here the woman is telling Resian s mother that her daughter s stupidity at talking back to the elders can only be cured by the cut the healing cut. She is steeped in tradition that denies young girls a brighter future by marrying them early after the cut. She is a stumbling block of progress. In Virginia Woolf s In a Room of their Own 1962 , Virginia Woolf contends that if women are to be free to express themselves and get a perspective on their condition then it is best if they can get a space where they have room to think. This is the fundamental principle for women friendship in most feminist literary texts. For instance in Nuruddin Farah s From a Crooked Rib 1961 , the protagonist, Ebla, in her quest to escape oppressive patriarchal tradition meets other women like the Widow and Asha who are able to impart on her philosophies that liberate and empower her. Such women can be termed as catalysts of agency. This is not the same thing that we see in Blossoms of the Savannah, Taiyo is Resian s sister who can be said to be very helpful to her. She is the one with whom they face the tribulations of culture together. Nabaru too is a catalyst of change as she assists Resian by caring for her, as her own child, nurses her back to health after110 being beaten unconscious by Olarinkoi. She cooks and feeds her; she ensures that Resian is warm by providing her with more coverings such blankets. She also reveals to her all the evil plans of Olarinkoi and her mother such as to circumcise her and taken to Tanzania where she will be married to Olarinkoi, she assists her to escape and finally takes her to her role model, Minik. Another point of looking into the representation of the different shades of Maasai femininity could be on the aspect of stylistic choices that Henry ole Kulet makes in both novels. Let us first look at Vanishing Herds. In terms of style one thing that stands out for me with regards to this novel is the manner in which the author has used the environment symbolically. The narrator says that the coming of rains had been most influenced by the trees that Norpisia had planted. This surprised the people a lot and they could not believe that she was capable of doing such a thing. They wanted to see Norpisia who was described as the famous woman pastoralist.


The narrator says that the coming of rains had been most influenced by the trees that Norpisia had planted. This surprised the people a lot and they could not believe that she was capable of doing such a thing. They wanted to see Norpisia who was described as the famous woman pastoralist. She was said to have miraculously changed an arid and desolate wasteland into a Garden of Eden 7 . This description enables the reader to learn the exemplary qualities of Norpisia. Norpisia s character are described as unsurpassed. She had good organizational skills that enabled her organize groups of women who ended up planting tree-seedlings which matured to invaluable forests. The Womanist theoretician, Sherley Anne Williams 1986 argues that Womanist theory is committed to the survival and wholeness of entire people Williams, 304 . It is in this understanding that we locate the role that Norpisia has for her society by saving the environment from degradation. She walks through the damp grass that was dripping wet with dew, towards a small narrow stream that flowed between giant trees Vanishing Herds, 85 . She also gets into the forest searching for herbs all by herself and the narrator says she went deeper and deeper looking111 for herbs. To, further, show that Norpisia is not a coward, the narrator describes a situation when wildebeest were being chased by a pack of hyenas She quickly got out of the olngoborr in pitch darkness and collected a few stones from the ground. She threw them, at the hyenas to drive them away from near the cattle enclosure Vanishing Herds, 93 . Norpisia is described as that her sense of horror had gone and she did not fear that a wild dog would attack her. She was preoccupied with her sense of keep going and nothing else. This then explains her character as that of being resilience. Description of how Norpisia would treat Kedoki who had been injured by the cattle rustlers is given to assert Norpisia s knowledge on medicine, She found olmasiligi, with its thick large succulent leaves, uprooted several whole plants that she was to heat over the fire. She would place the hot, fleshy leaves on the swollen part of his leg. She would also boil the whole plant to make a wash, for it contained skin-healing and wound-suppurating curatives Vanishing Herds, 86 .


Description of how Norpisia would treat Kedoki who had been injured by the cattle rustlers is given to assert Norpisia s knowledge on medicine, She found olmasiligi, with its thick large succulent leaves, uprooted several whole plants that she was to heat over the fire. She would place the hot, fleshy leaves on the swollen part of his leg. She would also boil the whole plant to make a wash, for it contained skin-healing and wound-suppurating curatives Vanishing Herds, 86 . She also picked tiny leaves of olmagiro-ngiro. This she was to add to the solution: she knew they were excellent for healing anything from bites to boils, even severe ulcers and wounds she dug out roots of olkonyil to add to his soup as a general antidote for poisons and other toxic reactions Vanishing Herds, 86 . Olkitolosua roots helped boost energy and warm their bodies Olesiate was good for its antiseptic and quick healing properties: They were also effective in keeping flies away from a wound. She would pound them and make a strong solution that she would often splash on Kedoki s wound Vanishing Herds, 86 . Olcani-lenkashe herb was not only a good fly-repellent when made into an infusion for an external wash, but an excellent addition to the soup that made a person sweat profusely and helped to open up pores on the skin -- She then112 dug up tubers and collected twigs, berries and barks of trees and carried them all to their temporary camp Vanishing Herds, 86 . Norpisia attachment to the environment is described as she is overwhelmed by the beautiful scenario. There were thousands and thousands of wild animals grazing on the bluish green tall grass: In the sky, she saw a soaring olkupelia bird seeking a nibbling shrew. She heard crickets trill in the nearby bushes. She knew hyraxes drowsed in the hollow of the trees in the forest and on the same trees perched the ugly vultures with their almost featherless heads and necks, waiting to find another dying animal Vanishing Herds, 88 . Her passion for the environment is seen in that she does not want the environment to be destroyed.


She heard crickets trill in the nearby bushes. She knew hyraxes drowsed in the hollow of the trees in the forest and on the same trees perched the ugly vultures with their almost featherless heads and necks, waiting to find another dying animal Vanishing Herds, 88 . Her passion for the environment is seen in that she does not want the environment to be destroyed. She sees that it was the human beings who destroyed the environment for they did not want to leave nature just as the way God intended them to be. Men, too, play a significant part in the redefinition of the femininity in Vanishing Herds and Blossoms of the Savannah. In Vanishing Herds Kedoki loves the wife so much and appreciates her exceptional skills and encourages her in her undertakings. He also assists in her in making their hut, collecting firewood; he assists her in tree planting process and escorts her to receive her reward in Nakaru. Parmuat in Blossoms of the Savannah teaches the girls - Resian and Taiyo about the culture, he is friendly to both of them, he finds interesting stories to tell them, he makes them aware of Olarinkoi and Oloisudori, he accepts to fall in love with Taiyo, though a forbidden love since they are related through clan relation and finally, he assists Taiyo to escape though unfruitful since he is discovered and unfortunately killed. Let me conclude by looking at the significance of the titles of the two novels. The title Vanishing Herds signifies the degradation of the environment. This destruction of flora is seen as being a113 precursor to the loss of fauna, most of all cattle. And as we have seen in the novel cattle is the mark of social status among the Maasai. This social status is for the man the head of the patriarchal structure. The deterioration of the environment will lead to this loss. It will make the herds of cattle to vanish. This will lead to economic pauperization of a people for whom cattle is the backbone of the micro economy. Norpisia comes to save the day when she fights against the loss of the environment. Ironically her fight for the protection of the environment is like killing two birds with one stone she uses the fight to overcome male chauvinism and also to protect her people s sense of identity.


This will lead to economic pauperization of a people for whom cattle is the backbone of the micro economy. Norpisia comes to save the day when she fights against the loss of the environment. Ironically her fight for the protection of the environment is like killing two birds with one stone she uses the fight to overcome male chauvinism and also to protect her people s sense of identity. The second title Blossoms of the Savannah signifies the new shoots of new way of life among the Maasai who inhabit the savannah. To blossom means to flourish or to flower. Resian and Taiyo are used to offers a sense of a new beginning in the novel. They blossom and in so doing they show the society the new way of life that they need to appreciate and accept. Conclusion The comparison of the two novels reveals that Henry ole Kulet has a concern for the place of the woman in bringing change in her society. In both novels the woman is made the main agent of desired change and transformation of society. Therefore, the expression of Maasai femininity is chiefly meant to show the Maasai woman as being liberated and playing a greater role in the society. In terms of narrative variables Henry ole Kulet has used the environment symbolically in Vanishing Herds to situate Norpisia as the woman as the protagonist against degradation of the environment. In Blossoms of the Savannah, he has used education as the main stimuli of change and agent for fighting the retrogressive tradition of FGM. The differences and the similarities that I have discussed go a long way in showing the various shades of femininity in the various styles that the author uses to show them. 114 CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION The study was guided by the two objectives to understand how femininity is defined and redefined in Blossoms of the Savannah and Vanishing Herds. Central to my discussion was the need to show how the two novels show the image of a Maasai woman caught up in the quest to liberate herself and become an agent of productive change in the society. Guided by the Womanism theoretical framework I have argued that the two novels by Henry ole Kulet display instances where the position of the woman in Maasai culture is defined and redefined. The author has defined and redefined femininity in Vanishing Herds. The definition of femininity traditionally reflects the women in terms of their dressing code.


Guided by the Womanism theoretical framework I have argued that the two novels by Henry ole Kulet display instances where the position of the woman in Maasai culture is defined and redefined. The author has defined and redefined femininity in Vanishing Herds. The definition of femininity traditionally reflects the women in terms of their dressing code. They are defined in terms of reproductive roles which can be either house chores as well as procreation. It was women s responsibility to cook, look for water and take care of husbands as well as animals. The woman is the provider of homes by constructing and mending huts. In terms of procreation motherhood is defined in terms of the ability to conceive. The way in which they behaved such as submission and respect towards their male counterparts defines them. They are defined by the aspect of FGM. They were respected if only they underwent the cut. Their strength ability also defines them in that they are viewed as a weaker gender either physically or emotionally hence the need of protection from their husbands. Men played a significant part in decision making and slaughtering of animal leaving out the women. Young girls were sold off to partners that they do not know without their consent. Motherhood defines them by the fact that they are supposed to continue the community through giving birth. Women too have been redefined in terms of their strength. They are presented115 as strong, courageous, fearless and ready to face even hard situations such as what Norpisia faces in the wilderness. They equally take part in socio- economic activities such as pastoralism, rehabilitating of the environment. They help in planting trees. Women have been redefined in such a way that they are made to be leaders and they possess good qualities of leaders who assist in rehabilitating the environment. From naivety emerges an intelligent woman who arguably portrays determined woman she is supportive for example helps the husband to save the sick and their animals. Women acquire various skills such as medicine, herding, rehabilitation of environment, self-defence and even self-reliance. An ideal relationship exists between men and women. I have also found out that the two novels by Henry ole Kulet display instances where the position of the woman in Maasai culture is defined and redefined. In Vanishing Herds, I have found out that a woman like Norpisia, the protagonist, sees herself as a Maasai woman. She fulfills the demand of such an identity through dressing and also through the behavior with other women.


I have also found out that the two novels by Henry ole Kulet display instances where the position of the woman in Maasai culture is defined and redefined. In Vanishing Herds, I have found out that a woman like Norpisia, the protagonist, sees herself as a Maasai woman. She fulfills the demand of such an identity through dressing and also through the behavior with other women. This is what defines her as a woman. However, I have also found out that she redefines these roles of the women in society in a number of ways. First, her quest to conserve the environment brings her into conflict with males who think it is their right to do with the environment as they desire. This male attitude comes from the traditional notion that males inherit land and females don t, therefore the latter have no say in matters concerning land. By championing for the course of the environment Norpisia is redefining the role of Maasai women in her society to include the space outside the domestic confine that tradition sets proscribes for her. In Blossoms of the Savannah, Resian is the epitome of a woman who challenges the societal view of the destiny of a girl. She is determined to continue with her studies and achieve a better future116 for herself in defiance of the arranged marriage and FGM that the community sets out for her as her path to being a Maasai woman. In Blossoms of the Savannah the concept of definition and redefinition can be summarized as follows. The boy-child is highly valued unlike the girl-child because the boy-child is said to be carrying the name of the family to the next generation. Motherhood is valued and a woman has to give birth if not one had to participate in ancestral prayer songs. This woman was so aggressive and bitter because God had denied her a child. Women are expected to accept polygamous marriages and respect her co-wives as well as their children. The parents had the obligation of getting girls best suitors for the marriage for parents believed they would make better choices than the girls. Some girls were even married off to old men, as old as the fathers. Due to submission, Maa women are defined as less talkative. Beauty defines the Maa women in terms of their physical appearance. Women are submissive and shows respect to men. There was a gap between fathers and daughters. The gap was filled by the mother who acted as a link between father and daughters.


Women are submissive and shows respect to men. There was a gap between fathers and daughters. The gap was filled by the mother who acted as a link between father and daughters. Father spoke to girls through their mother responsibilities such as cooking, fetching water and looking after the young animals were basically the role of women and none was to question about it. FGM is a significant aspect that any woman is supposed to undergo. Women are defined as weaklings, na ve, humble. Women shape their daughters to become responsible and potential wives in the future. The issue of morality was highly guarded by women. They punished offenders who molested girls. They are also defined by their caring attitude and love towards children whom are not theirs. Henry ole Kulet redefines the young girls as ambitious, optimistic. They desire to purse education to highest level. They do not mind whatever challenges that face them. Women117 have been redefined from a woman in the kitchen to one who wants to purse education. Women fight against injustices such as women submission, FGM, early marriages, education in determination to redefine themselves. My second objective was to do a comparative analysis of the two novels to find out how they present the question of definition and redefinition. In doing a comparative analysis of the two novels, the study examined characterization, plot and language use. Characterization, plot and language were used in developing the female characters and more so to highlight the definition and redefinition of Maasai femininity. The author used varied language in bringing out the characters such as rebellious tone, argumentative, inquisitive tone and so on. This has helped to illuminate the definition and redefinition of Maasai femininity in the two novels. The study found out that, while previously, some African male writers wrote their novels putting male characters at the centre while women were viewed as wives, mothers and that they were allowed to perform traditional roles only, today s some of male writers are concerned with the greater role that the woman can play as an agent of change and not a mere object of it. The characters of Norpisia and Resian show that well enough. My final word would be that there is room for further research on Maasai femininity in literature. My study is not conclusive in itself but it is a contribution to criticism on Henry ole Kulet to understanding the way literature represents the picture of women in conservative societies like the Maasai.


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EXCERPTS FROM BLOSSOMS OF THE SAVANNAH 1. Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow. No Joseph, she said in an infantile whimper. Ican t bear that we can t express the love that we have for one another because of some primitive culture. If by loving you, I offend the sensibilities of Nasila then let me offend and face the consequences of doing so! I also love you very much, Joseph Parmuat responded finally. I loved you the moment I saw you during your father s homecoming ceremony. But then the clan matter came to separate us. It is true we have no blood relation. But Nasila culture dictates who are related and who are not. We are slotted among those who cannot marry. No, it can t be, I cannot accept its verdict, she said petulantly her words agonised. No way, never! She stopped, confused and angry with herself at her inarticulate outburst. She took several long steadying breaths and then said, I cannot accept that a culture that does not feed,clothe or house me comes to control my life. Our lives belong to us, Joseph. The destiny of our lives is in our own hands. We should guard it jealously. At last they drew a little a part .His eyes were open, honest and steady upon her face. 1. What happens before this excerpt? 3mks 2. For both Joseph and Taiyo, give and illustrate two character traits. 4mks 3. How is dialogue significant in this excerpt? 4mks 4. Explain any two thematic concerns addressed in the excerpt. 4mks 5. From elsewhere in the novel, how does Joseph sacrifice for his love for Taiyo? 4mks 6. Explain the meaning of the following vocabulary as used in the excerpt. 4mks a destiny b infantile c petulantly d primitive 7. What happens immediately after this extract? 2mks 2. Read the excerpt below and answer the questions that follow You are mad! Resian screamed at him. You are stark mad if you think I am your wife. I can only be your wife over my dead body. Yes, you and my father can kill me and carry my dead body to your palatial home. He was stunned by those harsh words.


You are stark mad if you think I am your wife. I can only be your wife over my dead body. Yes, you and my father can kill me and carry my dead body to your palatial home. He was stunned by those harsh words. He winced as if he had been struck. Then already harsh line of his mouth tightened and he stood tense for a moment. Then he relaxed and watched her mockingly. You can never escape Resian, he repeated quietly, smiling. The very normality of his voice as he spoke those monstrous words was most shocking and disturbing to her. Whether you scream your heart out, or jump into the deep sea, Resian, you are mine. You are my wife from now henceforth Iwant to go now. Resian announced angrily shuddering with disgust and terror. You want to go? He asked, the contemptuous quiet of his voice a menace by itself. Go! You want to be persuaded, coaxed and pampered to marry Oloisudori Lonkiyaa? Sorry I will not do that! If you want to go, please yourself. You may opt to go, but when you are mine, you will do as I please. No one plays games with Oloisudori. Ask your father, he will tell you. Stop it! Stop it! Resian screamed excruciatingly pained by the disdainful remarks of Oloisudori. Putting her hands over her ears, she made a dash for the door. He made no effort to stop her but she flung it open and turned to glare at him with tearful eyes You are mad! She screamed again sobbingly. You are stark mad! You hear me? You are nothing but ol-ushuushi. She walked away and as she did so, she heard his soft laughter behind her. 1. Say what happens before this excerpt. 3mks 2. How is Oloisudori portrayed in this excerpt? 4mks 3. Describe the feeling of Resian in this excerpt 3mks 4. From other areas of the novel, state other crimes that are practiced by Oloisudori. 3mks . 5. How does the writer utilize irony in this excerpt? 3mks 6. You are my wife from now henceforth Rewrite in the reported speech. 1mk 7.


3mks 6. You are my wife from now henceforth Rewrite in the reported speech. 1mk 7. Explain the meaning of the following words 4mks a Pamperedb Disgust c Mad d Palatial 7. What happens immediately after this extract? 3mks 3. Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow. They were silent as they climbed the hill on their way back from Nasila river to draw water. The water containers that they carried on their backs were now heavy. The straps that supported the containers pressed down their heads with a painful exhaustion. As they walked, each one of them allowed her mind to fleetingly roam the fanciful land of wishful thinking. Resian thought how wonderful it would be, had she had a chance to enroll at the Egerton University and after graduation had a chance to work with her role model, Minik ene Nkoitoi, the Emakererei at the sheep ranch that she managed. She imagined herself already there driving a large flock of sheep. And when she thought of sheep, her mind flew back to fifteen years or so earlier and reminisced the first time she saw a sheep. It was a childhood memory, a memorable picture from the swirling scene around her which had been captured and preserved by her mind when she and Taiyo accompanied their father to the Nakuru Agricultural Show. She could still see in her mind a group of big, docile, tawny woolly animals that stood panting drowsily in a green pasture, with the sun beaming down brightly from a clear blue sky. She had then admired the white long overcoats that the handlers wore. Taiyo also thought of Emakererei. She would ask Joseph Parmuat, to assist her compose a song in her praise. She had already put words to a tune she had composed to ridicule the three women who she thought collaborated with men to oppress the women folk. They were Nasila s three blind mice who, she thought, did not seem to know that the world was changing.


She would ask Joseph Parmuat, to assist her compose a song in her praise. She had already put words to a tune she had composed to ridicule the three women who she thought collaborated with men to oppress the women folk. They were Nasila s three blind mice who, she thought, did not seem to know that the world was changing. Those were the enkasakutoni, who threatened to curse intoiye nemengalana and ensured they did not get husbands nor children: the midwife Enkaitoyoni who threatened to spy on the young women as they gave birth to ensure that any who was still among intoiyenemengalana had her status altered there and then; and the dreadedEnkamuratani, who would never tire of wielding her olmurunya menacingly. 1. Place the excerpt in its immediate context. 4Mks 2. Identify and illustrate two aspects of style in this excerpt. 4Mks 3. Discuss two themes evident in the excerpt. 4Mks 4. Discuss one character trait of Resian and Taiyo in the excerpt. 4Mks 5. The straps that supported the containers pressed down their heads with a painful exhaustion. Rewrite beginning: with . 1Mk 6. How do Resian s thoughts now come to be fulfilled in future? Briefly explain. 4Mks 7. Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the excerpt. 4Mks i Reminisced ii Collaborated iii Dreaded iv Menacingly 4. Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow Yes, Papaai, Resian said apprehensively. I am here. Taiyo tells me you are calling me? Yes, yes, her father replied. Please take a seat. Yes, Papaai, Resian repeated as she sat on a chair far away from her father. Come nearer child, her father said pleasantly. Why do you sit a mile away? Come nearer. Resian moved her chair hardly an inch from where it was and then she looked up into her father s face with eager expectation. If I do remember well, her father began in a low even tone, you will be nineteen in September this year, am I right You are quite right, Papaai. Resian answered eyeing him curiously.


Why do you sit a mile away? Come nearer. Resian moved her chair hardly an inch from where it was and then she looked up into her father s face with eager expectation. If I do remember well, her father began in a low even tone, you will be nineteen in September this year, am I right You are quite right, Papaai. Resian answered eyeing him curiously. His face was unusually kind. His eyes held hers as he smiled broadly. That s it! She thought triumphantly. That must be it! You and I have not discussed important issues for a long time, he said with a friendly chuckle that was intended to bring her closer to him. I thought today would be the best day to break the news. Your future is very important to me, my dear child. Resian thought the concern in her father s voice, rang false. She hesitated, but could not holdherself any more. The anxiety was too great. Papaai, is it Yeiyo or Taiyo who spoke to you? She asked sensationally, thinking she was stating the obvious. But seeing her father s face cloud, she added quickly. Who between them spoke to you about our enrolment at the Egerton University? What are you talking about, child? Her father, who seemed dumbfounded, asked after a long and uncomfortable silence. Both Yeiyo and Taiyo promised to talk to you about it, and I thought she had. What, in the name of God are you talking about, child? He repeated, this time agitated and shaking his head vigorously. No, I have never spoken to anybody about any of you enrolling at the university. Never! When I said I wanted us to discuss your future, that isn t what I meant at all. Of course not! Resian looked at her father s face enquiringly. 1. What has happened before the excerpt? 3mks 2. What is so ironical in this passage? Explain your answer referring to elsewhere in the novel. 3mks 3. Your future is very important to me, my dear child From elsewhere in the novel, explain why Ole Kaelo tells his daughter so. 3Mks 4. Discuss two aspects of character in Resian in this excerpt. 4Mks 5. What major issue is addressed in this excerpt?


Sample excerpt 2 1. Oloisudori informs Resian of the benefits she will get for marrying him. Resian gets very annoyed and speechless. Resian learns that her father has alreadyreceived dowry for her marriage to Oloisudori. He reports to her that their fate is sealed. 2. Contemptuous. He asked, the contemptuous quiet of his voice a menace by itself. Proud. He feels superior and egocentric. No one plays games with Oloisudori. Asked your father, he will tell you. 3. She is feeling disappointed and desperate of her father s action of receiving dowry with an aim of sealing her marriage with Oloisudori. She feels really betrayed. 4. Extortion, assassinations shadowy businesses, sexual immorality,robber, smuggler, poacher 5. It is ironical that Oloisudori who is older than Resian s father plans to marry Resian a young girl even after he is told her wish is to study at the university. It is also ironical that Kaelo has already picked dowry from Oloisudori and has never bothered to inform Resian of it. 6. He told her that she was her wife from then henceforth. 7. A Insane b Grand like a palace c Strong loathe d Treat with excessive care8. Resian rans blindly knocking a chair and a table and disappears past Oloisudori s driver. She goes to her father s shop. She is raving mad with indignation. She becomes very disappointed with her father. Sample excerpt 3 1. Before the excerpt, Taiyo and Resian go to the River to fetch water. They remember their discussion with their aunt and admire Minik s fight against women oppression by men. They muse that men must be very angry with her for snatching five hundred girls from her. After the excerpt, Taiyo sings the song she has composed about three women whom she refers as mice silently in her heart. One of those women is the enkamuratani chasing a woman with a knife. 2. Flashback- Resian recalls fifteen years back when she and Taiyo accompanied their father to the Nakuru agricultural show and she saw sheep the first time. Vivid description-The sheep are vividly described as big, docile tawny wooly animals.


2. Flashback- Resian recalls fifteen years back when she and Taiyo accompanied their father to the Nakuru agricultural show and she saw sheep the first time. Vivid description-The sheep are vividly described as big, docile tawny wooly animals. Metaphors-She calls the three women who collaborated with men to oppress women as Nasila s three blind mice. 3. Theme of Determination or optimism. Resian is full of optimism that one day she would join Egerton university. Women as their own enemies. The three Nasila women collaborated with men to oppress women. Negative cultural practices. The three women propagate negative cultural practices against women such as F.G.M. 4. Resian is visionary. She thought how wonderful it would be, had she a chance to enroll at the Egerton University. She dreams of going to university. Taiyo-critical-she wants to compose a song ridiculing three Nasilian women who collaborated with men to oppress women. 5. With a painful exhaustion, the straps that supported the containers pressed down their heads. 6. Later, she is rescued from a planned marriage by Nabaru and is taken to Minik s ranch. There, she is given a house and a job. Minik also helps in securing their admission at Egerton University. She also gives a scholarship. The novel ends when she and Taiyo are going to University. 7. Recall Recalled Worked together Feared Threateningly Sample Excerpt 4 1.Ole Kaelo sends Taiyo to call Resian for him. Resian feels hopeful and excited that she is being called to be informed about admission to the university. She thinks that it is her mother or sister who has talked to her father about the matter. 2. It is ironical for Resian to think that her father is going to tell her about her dream wish of joining Egerton University but he has plans to marry her off to his friend Oloisudori. This is even as he says your future is very important to me 3. He says this because he has plans to marry her to his friend Oloisudori. If this succeeds, his business would be saved because Oloisudori had helped him establish the business and even building his house in Nasila. 4. Ignorant- she thinks that her father has good news about joining university which is not the case. She says, That s it! She thought triumphantly.


4. Ignorant- she thinks that her father has good news about joining university which is not the case. She says, That s it! She thought triumphantly. Is it Yeiyo or Taiyo who spoke to you? Apprehensive. She replies to her father apprehensively. Fearful- she is in fear of her father. She sits on a chair far from her father. 5. Determination optimism. Resian is very much determined to join Egerton University. She thinks it is the reason why her father has called her. Who between them spoke to you about our enrollment at the Egerton University. 6. After the excerpt, Ole Kaelo hesitates telling Resian what he wanted to tell her and tells her to go to the kitchen. He tells her to tell her mother to come. 7. She asked him who between them had spoken to him about their enrollment at the Egerton University. 8. Suspense. The reader is left in suspense wanting to know why Ole Kaelo had called his daughter. Dialogue- there is dialogue between Resian and her father. It reveals the strained relationship between daughter and father. Nervously worriedly fearfully Sit far away Control herselfTroubled disturbed PRACTICE EXCERPTS 1. Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow However, the notion that he was about to hand over his own daughter to a gangster continued to gnaw at the conscience of Ole Kaelo relentlessly. He felt guilty, especially when he recalled the atrocities that were known to have been committed by Oloisudori over the years. But another voice told him quietly that he was being foolish and unreasonable to question his own conscience over the matter of Oloisudori, for he was just one among many who were enjoying the fruits of their labour. And it was hardly anybody s business to know how honest that labour was. After all, the small voice reassured him tauntingly, those who committed bigger crimes such as Goldenberg and Anglo-leasing, were still enjoying the fruits of their labour. Had they not invested the yields of their ill-gotten money in housing estates, in shares, in import and exports in tourism, in transport and in other trades, just as Oloisudori had done?


But another voice told him quietly that he was being foolish and unreasonable to question his own conscience over the matter of Oloisudori, for he was just one among many who were enjoying the fruits of their labour. And it was hardly anybody s business to know how honest that labour was. After all, the small voice reassured him tauntingly, those who committed bigger crimes such as Goldenberg and Anglo-leasing, were still enjoying the fruits of their labour. Had they not invested the yields of their ill-gotten money in housing estates, in shares, in import and exports in tourism, in transport and in other trades, just as Oloisudori had done? When he went to bed later that evening, he remained awake for many hours pondering over those disturbing thoughts that went through his mind fleetingly, like water that churned violently in a turbulent sea. He thought of Oloisudori s impending visit and his intended marriage to Resian. He knew the success of failure of the event would determine the fate of his business. Even his continued ownership of that house where he and his family lived, depended on the outcomes of that event. Should Oloisudori fail to get Resian and recall the loan he had extended to him to buy that house, he was done. And knowing Oloisudori, he could very easily draw the rug from beneath his feet, leaving him vulnerable to all kinds of vagaries. And the thoughts gave him anxious moments. At dawn when sleep overtook him, Ole Kaelo had a pleasant dream. Resian had consented to Oloisudori s proposal. After Oloisudori reported that to him, he was greatly pleased and relieved. His wife was rapturous. Although they were astonished at the turn of events, they were relieved to know that they would not have to live with the guilt of having forced their daughter to get married. What a wise child his once hardheaded daughter had turned to be after all! And how devious! After all those years of sullenness, awkwardness and tactlessness, she had finally brought relief to their life and ushered in a period of peace and tranquility. But then, it was just that. A dream! 1. Place the excerpt in its immediate context. 4Mks 2. Discuss three major issues in this excerpt. 6Mks 3. Discuss two character traits of Ole Kaelo in this excerpt.


Discuss three major issues in this excerpt. 6Mks 3. Discuss two character traits of Ole Kaelo in this excerpt. 4Mks 4. And the thoughts gave him anxious moments Add a question tag. 1Mk 5. Discuss any three aspects of style in this excerpt. 6Mks 6. Explain the meaning of the following expressions from the excerpt. 4Mks i . Gnaw ii . Pondering iii . Impending visit iv . He was done. 2. Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow. Her dream was rudely and violently interrupted by a thunderous bang and a loud roar of laughter. She woke up with a start, jumped up to her feet and stared at the door with wide panic-stricken eyes. For a moment she could not figure out her surroundings and called out the name of her sister Taiyo. She was terrified. The door flung open and Olarinkoi staggered in. He was stone drunk. Resian stared at him unblinkingly as he walked towards her and she backed off terrified, squeezing herself flatly against the wall. He followed her there and got hold of her shoulders and shook her violently glaring at her with his glittering eyes. You silly thing, he thundered angrily. I tell you to prepare food and you refuse to do so, eh? Today you will know who is the owner of this home. If you are still in doubt, let me tell you frankly that from today on you are my wife, hear that, eh? You are my wife. For a long time you have been sneering at me, showing how highly educated you are. Today we shall see how educated your body is! Yes, we shall see! He got hold of her hand and began dragging her into the other room. At first she did not understand his intention until he began unfastening her buttons with his rough trembling hands. Then the truth came, and with it, terror and panic. She tried to get away from him, but he held her effortlessly as he brutally continued fumbling with her dress, trying to loosen it. She screamed as loudly as she could while she pushed him away and thrashed frantically about. But that did not deter him and he totally ignored her screams holding her more firmly with his strong arms. Against her loud protest, he tore her garments and began to push her towards the bed.


She screamed as loudly as she could while she pushed him away and thrashed frantically about. But that did not deter him and he totally ignored her screams holding her more firmly with his strong arms. Against her loud protest, he tore her garments and began to push her towards the bed. Then desperately she took the last chance of self defense and self-preservation. Mustering all her strength, she thrust his thumb into her mouth; sunk her teeth intothe flesh like a ferocious animal and tenaciously held onto it, tugging at it fiercely like a lioness. She could feel the flesh tearing and she tasted the salt of his blood as it filled her mouth but she clung unto the thumb as Olarinkoi howled with pain. 1. Make notes on the contents of Resian s dream. 4Mks 2. Discuss one character traits of Resian in this excerpt. 2Mks 3. What has greatly changed in Olarinkoi in this excerpt compared to his earlier conduct in the novel? 3Mks 4. Identify and illustrate two aspects of style in this excerpt. 4Mks 5. Explain two major issues raised in the excerpt. 4Mks 6. Explain what happens immediately after the excerpt. 3Mks 7. Today we shall see how educated your body is Rewrite in reported speech. 1Mk 8. Explain the meaning of the following expressions in the passage. 4 Mks i . Unblinkingly ii . Effortlessly iii . Mustering iv . Howled 3. Read the excerpt below and answer the questions that follow Nothing is wrong with me, Resian retorted furiously. And pointing at the living room, with her figure, she fiercely charged, I have no quarrel with my father for whom, I have tremendous respect. It is the likes of Olarinkoi I am mad at, and all those other males who come here ordering us to do that or the other for them, simply because they are males. When women visit us, they give us the leeway to respond to their requests. But as we burn our fingers here Mr.Olarinkoi is dozing off comfortably in our living room waiting for his lunch and possibly a little angry and impatient with us for delaying it. It is enough, cried Yeiyo Botorr viciously.


It is the likes of Olarinkoi I am mad at, and all those other males who come here ordering us to do that or the other for them, simply because they are males. When women visit us, they give us the leeway to respond to their requests. But as we burn our fingers here Mr.Olarinkoi is dozing off comfortably in our living room waiting for his lunch and possibly a little angry and impatient with us for delaying it. It is enough, cried Yeiyo Botorr viciously. She instantly abandoned the peeling of potatoes and threw the knife into the pail that held the peeled potatoes. Supporting herself by holding onto a nearby wall, she painfully lifted a large, heavy body. My enkaini, I agree with you that something is wrong with our child, and I think I know what ails her. Come along with me and I will tell you what I think ails her. I am not sick Resian was saying that when she was cut short by Taiyo. Even if you are not sick, you cannot argue with Yeiyo Botorr, Taiyo told her sternly as soon as they were out of earshot of their mother and Yeiyo Botorr, there are things one has to learn on their own. One of them is that you cannot antagonize the older people by arguing with them, however, untenable their argument may be. That goes without saying, my dear little sister. 1. What happens before this extract? 3mks 2. Comment on any two stylistic devices used in the extract. 4mks 3. Explain any issue brought about in this extract. 3mks 4. What is the character of Yeiyoo Botorr from this extract? 4mks 5. From elsewhere in this text how does Olarinkoi contribute to the plot development of the novel? 3mks 6. Re-write and add a question tag. 1mks Nothing is wrong with me. 7. Write the meaning of the following vocabulary. 4mks a Sternly b Antagonize c Retorted d Leeway 8. What happens immediately after this extract? 3mks 4.


4mks a Sternly b Antagonize c Retorted d Leeway 8.What happens immediately after this extract? 3mks 4.Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow At seven o clock in the evening after the lights had been put on, and the traditional esuguroi drink had been served in generous measures, tongues loosened and hearts gladdened. Soon after, the party gathered momentum and voices rose. Within no time, one could hardly be heard over the hubbub of talk and laughter. And as the pleasurable and lively celebration progressed, voices became animated; hands andarms gesticulated vigorously while heads turned more often. Eyes searched out acquaintances within the throng of revelers. And it was all pomp and gaiety as ivory adorned and bejeweled fingers fluttered; bare shoulders gleamed in the light multicoloured bead ornaments glittered upon elaborately bedecked necks: pendulous ilmiintoni of all colours dangled loosely down extended ear-lobes: and the bright colours of lesos, kangas, red shukas and multicoloured blankets, all turned the Ole Kaelo living room into a kaleidoscope of shifting light and colour.1.Place this extract in its immediate context. 4mks 2.State and explain two thematic concerns in this context. 4mks 3.What is the significance of the use of words like esuguroi, ilmiintoni, lesos, kangas, and shukas? 3mks 4.Identify and explain two character traits of ole Kaelo. 4mks 5.Eyes searched out acquaintances within the throng of revelers. Rewrite to form a question 1mk 6.Which other party has an equal weight from the rest of the novel. What is its significance? 3mks 7.Comment on the prevalent mood in the context. 2mks 8.Explain the meaning of the following words: 4mks a Hubbub b Gesticulated c Gaiety d Dangled.


Walterakach gmail.com 2014THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN BY WALTER AKACH THE DEFINITIVE GUIDETOWHEN THE SUN GOES DOWNBYWALTER AKACH2 Table of Contents The guilt, Rayda Jacobs 2 When The Sun Goes Down, Goro wa Kamau .8 Leaving, Moyez G. Vassanji ...15 The War of the Ears, Moses Isegawa 21 The Mirror, Haruki Murakami .30 Diamond Dust, Anita Desai 35 Arrested Development, Sandisile Tshuma 42 Sandra Street, Michael Anthony ...48 Twilight Trek, Sefi Atta ..52 I Stand Here Ironing, Tillie Olsen ..........65 The Retraction, Stanley Onjezani Kenani .....77 The Bamboo Hut, Grace Ogot 85 Tuesday Siesta, Gabriel Garcia Marquez ..91 Two Stories of a House, Leila Abouzeid 100 Law of the Grazing Fields, Cyprian Ekwensi..106 White Hands, Jane Katjavivi .112 The Guilt, Rayda Jacobs South Africa 3 1. Plot a. Introduction We meet Mrs. Lilian Thurgood at the side of her house picking guavas. Her two dogs: Tembi and Tor alert her of somebody s presence at her gate. She is not a very strong woman; she walks with the aid of a cane. Flowers are everywhere sprouting in her compound and this gives her pleasure. B. Narrative Hook She engage s the man at the gate in a conversation c. Rising Action William Sidlay has a letter to prove that he is collecting money for some organization. He is looking for handouts donations if he can t find work. Lilian doubts the authenticity of the letter. Even as she rummages for change in her purse, she knew she was making a mistake to empathize with William. People like William took advantage of people like Lilian or murdered them. Lilian, like the rest of the whites, was filled with guilt of having gained her privileged position because of her race. She gives him the five rand, even though she could ill afford it. D. Climax William offers to work for the money. He says it s too much.


D. Climax William offers to work for the money. He says it s too much. She opens the gate for him to clean her garden, despite doubts. He however refuses to stop working when she Lilian makes the request. She had to go into the4 house for the phone was ringing. William followed her there. E. Falling Action Lilian bids him to leave but he declines. He demands 10 rand for his effort. When she threatens to call her husband, William tells her that she lives alone. He insists on ten rand besides the 5 he d been given. F. D nouement Feeling threatened she sets the dogs on him. She gets a gun from her bedroom. She gets back her five rand before seeing him off. Although she comes out of the episode unscathed, she does not boast about it to her friends, may be still consumes with guilt. Where there was guilt there was opportunity. Write an essay to confirm this using Rayda Jacob s The Guilt for your illustrations. 2. Setting The story is set in s white suburb in South Africa. Mrs. Lilian a pensioner Thurgood s home is a fortress, 10 foot high wall fence, and has a large compound in which she has fruit trees: guavas and lemons. She also has flowers in her garden: geraniums, basil and oregano. She lives alone. The incident with William takes place in the morning. 3. Conflict. The Guilt has both external and internal conflict. I Internal conflicts - First Mrs. Lilian Thurgood experiences internal conflict. She did not have to answer the call at the gate. She says she had ignored many such calls. 5 - She also suffers from internal conflict when confronted with the forged letter William Sidlay presents. She takes it anyway. -. She is faced with another instance of internal conflict when she discovers that she has 5 rand 23 cents. The five rand she thinks is too much and the 23 cents too little. She gives him the five rand in spite of herself. -. Another instance of internal conflict is on the night it was raining and she had to get the door. She wonders whether it is racist to it one were afraid to open doors to strangers. She does it anyway to make for the guilt of benefitting from the old regime. Ii External Conflict - William Sidlay threatens Lilian physically.


She wonders whether it is racist to it one were afraid to open doors to strangers. She does it anyway to make for the guilt of benefitting from the old regime. Ii External Conflict - William Sidlay threatens Lilian physically. She gives Tembi Tor the first command which allowed them to terrorise but not draw blood. She wonders what they might do if she gave the second signal she doesn t use it. -. Next, she goes for the gun which she uses to drive William out of her compound and survives a potentially murderous situation. 4. Characters Although several characters are mentioned in this story, the action focuses on Lilian and William. A. Lilian Physical attributes - She is a white woman over sixty-six years old and walks with a limp owing to a painful leg for which she takes medicine. -. Assign character traits to Mrs. Lilian Thurgood based on the following situations. 6 i Can I help you? Lilian asked. Respectful courteous ii She handed the letter back to him and said, wait here, kind iii Based on the incidents with the African woman who d knocked her door at night, the woman who d seen her sitting in the stoep , the man who rung persistently at her gate, you would say that Lilian is generous? Iv Her sudden anger when confronted with five rand 23 cents and she longs for her husband s presence he would have ordered the man off the grounds. Insecure v She would not lock the door behind her, she told herself. She trusted him. Naive trusting vi He came forward. Sa! Lilian commanded the dogs. Decisive vii The fact that she did not give the last command to the Alsatians nor pull the trigger of the gun. Humane viii The fact that she did not tell the truth to Margaret, Ruth and Ethel May. Modest Assign character traits to William Sidlay based on the following situations. I The fact that he did not panic when confronted by Tembi Tor. Calm courageous brave7 ii The fact that he forged a letter to gain entry into white homes dishonest iii The fact that he wanted the five rand besides demanding for 10 rand. Greedy iv The fact that he knew Lilian lived alone and that no one was going to come to her aid.


I The fact that he did not panic when confronted by Tembi Tor. Calm courageous brave7 ii The fact that he forged a letter to gain entry into white homes dishonest iii The fact that he wanted the five rand besides demanding for 10 rand. Greedy iv The fact that he knew Lilian lived alone and that no one was going to come to her aid. Scheming v The fact that he moved towards Lilian when she threatened to call the police. Menacing vi Sidlay producing a letter allowing him to beg after being told by Lilian that she had no work. Persistent 5. POV The story is told from the omniscient narrator perspective. 6. Theme i Guilt All the generous actions of Mrs. Thurgood are driven by guilt-she says that it was making good on the guilt, the guilt they were accused of having. Ii Deception a William Sidlay forges a letter that he purports allows him to collect funds for an organisation. It is a plan to gain entry into white people s homes and either take advantage of their guilt or murder them. B The woman who d seen Lilian sitting on the stoep deceives her that she will sell8 her eight plants for four rand and plant them. She asks for water to wet the ground when Lilian returns with the hose she finds 30 plants planted and a bill of 12 rand which she had to pay. Iii Race relations The blacks do anything in their power to take advantage of the whites. On their part, the whites feel inclined to help the blacks because of the guilt they have that their privileged position was a benefit of the previous white regime. Question Show that people pay dearly for showing their weaknesses. Using Rayda Jacob s The Guilt show that this is true. 9 When the Sun Goes Down by Goro wa Kamau The Plot We meet Steve, a successful businessman, walking down the streets of his home town. He receives questioning stares from the people standing along the streets who pretend to be going on with their businesses while in truth they are discussing Steve. He runs into his boyhood friends, Kanja. He invites Kanja to his home for a chat. He asks Kanja to tell him of the rumours about him doing rounds in the town. Kanja informs him that it is rumoured that he is marrying Maureen.


He invites Kanja to his home for a chat. He asks Kanja to tell him of the rumours about him doing rounds in the town. Kanja informs him that it is rumoured that he is marrying Maureen. We learn that people suspect that Maureen is infected with the HIV virus. Steve confirms it is true. Steve then relates the sad circumstances of Maureen s marriage to an abusive and promiscuous soldier. When Kanja meets Maureen, she unashamedly opens up and tells him how she learned that she was infected with HIV. It was long after she had struck friendship with Steve and was carrying his child. It is at this point that Steve also took an HIV test and it turned out that he too was positive. Maureen serves Kanja with juice he declines to take and finally Steve shares it with his son. This stigmatisation discrimination hurts Maureen and sends her into a depression. Despite Steve s appeal to her that they fight the disease together, she is unable to overcome her depressive mood. One evening while asleep, Maureen becomes delirious and starts mumbling bible verses. Tom, a sympathetic neighbor, helps Steve to take her to hospital. When Maureen realizes where she is, she stages a protest demanding to be taken home to die. She does not recover from her depression. 10 She is buried a week later. She leaves Steve and Kanja and Kimotho to continue the struggle. The Title The title, When the Sun Goes Down , is made in reference to Maureen s feelings of depression, hopelessness and guilt to the point of giving up on life. It creates the impression that for her, all is lost. Setting The story is set in a rural town in Central Kenya. The villagers know each other by age, name and family. This explains the concerns of each other s welfare. It also explains how this familiarity results into interference in the private lives of one another. The story is set in the modern times. HIV is a reality and so are ARV s. Conflict We shall approach conflict from two perspectives: conflict developed by Maureen. A Conflict developed by Steve. Steve largely develops external conflict i In the introductory part of the plot Steve is confronted with external conflict: between him and the villagers. He has made a decision that has not gone down well with the villagers. They believe that he deserves better than marrying Maureen.


Steve largely develops external conflict i In the introductory part of the plot Steve is confronted with external conflict: between him and the villagers. He has made a decision that has not gone down well with the villagers. They believe that he deserves better than marrying Maureen. This is because11 Maureen is HIV positive. However, no one is ready to seek his opinion on the matter but they all talk behind his back about his affair with Maureen. His decision to marry Maureen therefore alienates him from the people who looked up to him. His mind is however made up and he doesn t care what they think or say about him He; has no friends but Kanja ii The second external conflict he develops is between him and Kanja, his boyhood friend. Kanja has heard rumours about Steve s intentions to marry Maureen; however he is afraid for Steve because rumour also has it that she is HIV positive. Steve feels that Kanja, his only remaining friend, should not be part of the rumour mill. He has no control over this and it turns out that his friend indeed has come fishing for information based on the rumours he s heard. What is more, his friend had also made advances to Maureen but was unsuccessful. Further, his friend brings the HIV stigma right into their house when he refuses to drink the juice Maureen serves him. It is this conflict with Kanja that is central to the story and is responsible for the ultimate death of Maureen. Iii The other external conflict Steve develops is between him and Maureen. Pp19 Maureen explains to Kanja how Steve came to learn that he had HIV. This was her way of taking responsibility for pass the virus to him; this was her way of making him a victim and Steve resented it. He forbids her to reason like that but will not stop. 12 Pp22 Maureen is hurt by Kanja s refusal to take the juice she serves him. She says it s worthless to live if people cruelly discriminate against you. Steve would have none of this and implores her not to think like that to no avail. Pp25-26 Steve not only buys the most nutritious foods for her but also cooks them but Maureen wouldn t eat. She suffers from nausea after a few bites, what is more she yearns for death.