The River Between, a Kenyan novel written by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, is set during a time of colonialism with British settlers in the country’s central region, with the Mau Mau Uprising as its supporting story arc. The story tells of two rivaling ridges in east Africa, due to their differences in faith. Kameno, home to tribe traditionalists, and Makuyu, now inhabited by reformed Christians and British settlers, provide the setting for the protagonist Waiyaki, who struggles throughout the story trying to unite the two ridges. Waiyaki, the young yet exceptional leader, is set to struggle as his father, Chege, tells him that he, because he is the last in his family line, is the one destined to unite the ridges.
Elaborating more on the Mau Mau Uprising, the story is set so that the main conflict is the British presence, so the opposing ridges, Kameno or Makuyu, have something to either embrace or oppose. This took place around the time the British colony of Kenya was striving for African decolonization, therefore explaining all the high tensions between Makuyu and Kameno, as well as the urgency to fight from the Kiama. The British presence was due to Kenya’s state of emergency, which was later lifted (not seen in the novel), and Kenya’s negotiation for independence successful in the late 1950’s.
The story line, however, took place in the midst of the rebellion, with the Kiama barely beginning to use brutal ways, such as burning huts of new Christian converts, plans of kidnapping, and so on. Waiyaki, as we are told from the beginning, has a prophecy of uniting the two ridges. He, however, encounters many struggles and opposition from both ridges. As a boy he was sent to Siriana, along with his two friends, Kinuthia and Kamau, to become e...
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...rtant the river is. The river, known as the Honia River, is known as the “soul of Kameno and Makuyu.”(Thiong’o 1) The river served two purposes: to separate the ridges and to unite them. It gives life two both ridges, both Makuyu and Kameno fetch water from the river, as do animals. It is where the people of Kameno hold the circumcision ritual, where their youth are led into adulthood. Physically the river separates the two ridges, yet it also unites them. I chose to see the river as a metaphor, as it neither only separates nor does it only unite. Much like through out the book we aren’t given the impression that Christianity is entirely bad nor tribe traditions entirely good. It is through Waiyaki’s internal struggle that Ngugi’s voice comes in, inviting the reader to see how we can admire the good from each culture and not alienate it because of its unfamiliarity.
Follow The River by James Alexander Thom is about Mary Ingles gruesome but yet courageous tale of her remarkable 1,000 mile journey home after she had escaped form the captivity of the Shawnee Indians. Through Mary Ingles hard work and determination she proved that all obstacles big and small can be overcome.
In June Jordan's essay “Many Rivers to Cross,” Jordan explains how multiple events in her life, including her mother’s death, led her to realize that women should “stand up” and not allow men to control them. The title of the essay is very indicative of the process that she had to go through before she came to this epiphany. Jordan’s husband is a man who is a part of the patriarchy that disrespects women. Her father is another example of a man who doesn’t know better than to oppress women, while Mrs. Hazel Griffin is the antithesis to his misogynistic ideology. Mrs. Griffin is a strong, independent women who doesn't need a man to be happy or successful. Jordan believes that women should be strong, like Hazel Griffin, and not give up when they are being persecuted, rather than being weak and submitting to oppression, like Jordan’s mother.
The River is essential in helping Siddhartha come to an important realization of Unity. He hears the river laugh at him, making him realize that he is acting foolish.
In the novel Segu, Maryse Conde beautifully constructs personal and in depth images of African history through the use of four main characters that depict the struggles and importance of family in what is now present day Mali. These four characters and also brothers, by the names of Tiekoro, Siga, Naba, and Malobali are faced with a world changing around their beloved city of Bambara with new customs of the Islamic religion and the developing ideas of European commerce and slave trade. These new expansions in Africa become stepping stones for the Troare brothers to face head on and they have brought both victory and heartache for them and their family. These four characters are centralized throughout this novel because they provide the reader with an inside account of what life is like during a time where traditional Africa begins to change due to the forceful injection of conquering settlers and religions. This creates a split between family members, a mixing of cultures, and the loss of one’s traditions in the Bambara society which is a reflection of the (WHAT ARE SOME CHANGES) changes that occur in societies across the world.
Life can bring unexpected events that individuals might not be prepared to confront. This was the case of O’Brien in the story, “On the Rainy River” from the book The Things They Carried. As an author and character O’Brien describes his experiences about the Vietnam War. In the story, he faces the conflict of whether he should or should not go to war after being drafted. He could not imagine how tough fighting must be, without knowing how to fight, and the reason for such a war. In addition, O’Brien is terrified of the idea of leaving his family, friends and everything he loves behind. He decides to run away from his responsibility with the society. However, a feeling of shame and embarrassment makes him go to war. O’Brien considers himself a coward for doing something he does not agree with; on the other hand, thinking about the outcome of his decision makes him a brave man. Therefore, an individual that considers the consequences of his acts is nobler than a war hero.
The two rivers that are part of the Devon School property symbolize how Gene and Finny grew up through the course of the novel. The Devon River is preferred by the students because it is above the dam and contains clean water. It is a symbol of childhood and innocence, because it is safe and simple. It is preferred to show how the boys choose to hold onto their youth instead of growing up. The Naguamsett is the disgustingly dirty river which symbolizes adulthood because of its complexity.
... has been labeled “terroristic”, yet this was completely overshadowed by the colonial government and vigilantes killing over 11,000 suspected rebels. The Mau Mau movement and the heavyhanded response helped to bring an end to British rule, but when Kenya was granted independence, Mau Mau had nothing to do with it. The poor people of Kenya were terrified as the government responded to the Mau Mau movement, the armed forces didn’t know where to attack, so they used terrorist tactics in response, murdering whoever they could find, destroying entire villages, in order to stop the Mau Mau.
The Mississippi River is one of the world 's extraordinary rivers. It is the longest in the United States, more than twenty-three hundred miles in length, as it structures the outskirts of ten states, just about bisecting the mainland (Currie,2003, 8). This waterway has a long history also, and it has touched the lives of numerous individuals. The Mississippi is said to start at Lake Itasca in Minnesota. In 1832, pilgrim Henry Schoolcraft named this lake, not after any neighborhood Indian name, but rather from the Latin words for "genuine head" which are veritas caput abbreviated to "Itasca" (Currie, 2003, 4). In any case, much sooner than its source was named it was a navigational waterway. The Indians who initially lived on the banks of the stream were known as the Mississippians. From 800 to 1500, these people groups utilized the waterway for exchange. They dug out
Running along the outermost rim of the shield is the Ocean River, the river that is at once the barrier between the quick and the dead, and also the frontier of the known and imagined worlds. One of the last descriptions on the shield, this river could perhaps be a symbol for total inclusiveness and eternity, and for the stability of the larger perspective.
One of the largest geographic physical structures in the United States is the Colorado River. Human activity and its interaction with this great river have an interesting history. The resources provided by the river have been used by humans, and caused conflict for human populations as well. One of these conflicts is water distribution, and the effects drought conditions have played in this distribution throughout the southwestern region. Major cities such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, and other communities in the southwest depend on the river. It provides water for over 20 million people, irrigation for 2 million acres of land, four thousand megawatts of hydroelectric energy, and over twenty million annual visitors for recreation purposes. Also, once in Mexico, the river provides water to irrigate half a million acres of farmland, and municipal and industrial water for 2 million people living in this delta region. The river distributes its flow from lakes and canals along its journey as well. Due to climate change, human demand, natural forces like evaporation and human-induced climate change this water supply is in conflict. Also, a recent change that began in March of 2014 will bring a temporary water surge to the delta of the Colorado River for the first time in many years to help restore this region, and it’s possible it could reach the Sea of Cortez once again.
1.) The natural process that has been occurring is the erosion of the earth between the Mississippi river and the Atchafalaya river. If the erosion and the flooding continue then the water will destroy the land and everything there. For years the head of the Atchafalaya river was blocked by a massive “raft” -a 30 mile log jam- that defined the efforts of settlers to remove it, In 1839, the State of Louisiana began to dislodge the raft and open up the river as a free flowing and navigable stream. The removal of the log jam provided an opportunity for the Atchafalaya river to enlarge, becoming deeper and wider and carry more and more of the Mississippi’s flow. The Atchafalaya river offered the Mississippi river a shorter outlet to the Gulf of Mexico -- 142 miles compared to 315 -- and by 1951 it was apparent that, unless something was done soon, the Mississippi would take the course of the Atchafalaya.
In “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”, the river stands as a symbol of endlessness, geographical awareness, and the epitome of the human soul. Hughes uses the literary elements of repetition and simile to paint the river as a symbol of timelessness. This is evident in the first two lines of the poem. Hughes introduces this timeless symbol, stating, “I've known rivers: I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins” (Hughes 1-2). These opening lines of the poem identifies that the rivers Hughes is speaking about are older than the existence of human life. This indicates the rivers’ qualities of knowledge, permanence, and the ability to endure all. Humans associate “age” with these traits and the longevity of a river makes it a force to be reckoned with. The use of a simile in the line of the poem is to prompt the audience that this is truly a contrast between that ancient wisdom, strength, and determination of the river and the same qualities that characterize a human being. The imagery portrayed in the poem of blood flowing through human veins like a river flows ...
If one were to travel 36 miles Southeast of Green Bay they would run into a small town known as Two Rivers. Two rivers is located on the coast of Lake Michigan. Two Rivers is surrounded on three sides by the majestic Lake Michigan. Not far from Two Rivers is its sister city Manitowoc.
It was tradition. Every Sunday after church my dad, brother, and I would drive through the fields checking crops and whatever else made their homes in my father's fields. Then we'd drive down to the river to check how high or low it was, or to see how much worse the river was cutting into the land. The river flowed right at the end of the road, so my dad would always pretend he was going to drive straight into it. We live about one in a half miles from the Missouri River. We have our own private road that winds down to a small shoot that connects to it. Because of our closeness to the Missouri, I have grown to love and admire it. It is an enormous and amazing machine to me. I find peace and love for it. It's funny how much alike Jeff, Luke, (the two main characters in Kent Meyer's The River Warren) and I are towards our rivers. Their River Warren is my Big Missouri.
In the novel When Rain Clouds Gather, by Bessie Head, the protagonist, Makhaya, deals with suffering, trauma and eventual healing, particularly when he arrives in Golema Mmidi. At the same time, the novel deals with problems of tribalism, greed and hate in a postcolonial state. Throughout the novel, Makhaya attempts to resolve these struggles and create a new future for himself.