A Review By Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga
In reading the short stories of “Land
Without Thunder” by Grace Ogot one is likely to get deeply terrified with some
of the stories in the book. Absolutely,
it is very appalling to see the world overwhelmed with precarious events that
deserve to be blackened.
Unequivocally, the book evinces oodles
lessons that are blended with the sentiment of sadness and heroism. When you realize that an important person can
be seriously adored by the significance efforts that he/she did to others, it
can be quite breathtaking.
Consequentially, in “The Hero” we see how colleagues become concern
about Dr.Sserwadda who was recently admitted in the hospital. With an immense worry “Jerudine” was candidly
hurt and totally shattered by the incident in particular. “Tell them to save him, tell them
please. He promised me everlasting
freedom and happiness. They have to save
him. Please tell… them…” Unfortunately, ultimately it was excruciating
for the protagonist as Dr.Sserwadda was declared dead.
Another story that also encompasses
shocking details is Tekayo. He’s known
as the outstanding hunter who also had honest passion in herding his
livestock. His bravura in hunting is
utterly prodigious. All kind of wild
animals were not deleterious to him.
Actually, hunting was his habitual hobby that he regards with great
delectation
However, one thing that is surreal about
his hunting activity – was, none of the meat of the animal he had killed was
congenial to him. “One night, as he lay
awake, he asked himself where else he could hunt. And what animal would he be looking for? He had killed all the different animals in
the ‘Ghost Jungle’. He had risked his
life when he killed and ate the liver of a lion, a leopard and hyena, all of
which were tabooed by his clan.”
Eventually, this bizarre feeling of Tekayo
caused him to relinquish his habit of hunting.
And he end up insouciant and engaged on the act of barbaric cannibalism
which brew trouble for him. His inhumane
demeanour made him to kill the children and eat their liver and when it was
discovered, he immediately commits suicide.
It
is absolutely scandalous to see how the children are murdered and abused by
their love ones, people whom they trust – parents, Grandparents and community
at large. Currently, children in the
world are experiencing an unpleasant situation.
Instead of being loved and protected are raped, murdered and
abused. Child brutality in the world
today is augmented in an unacceptable way and solution must be found to curtail
it or thwart it completely.
Patently,
children are the future. Similar acts of
child brutality had happened in Nigeria were innocent school girls were
abducted by the rebel group Boko Haram.
In Palestine most of the victims of rocket firing by Israel are children,
figures showed that 218 Palestinian children have been killed in the conflict
so far. What about South Africa were the
desperadoes kidnapped children on the gunpoint and killed them.
Certainly, it is very impressive to read
such gargantuan short stories of the one of the prolific female African writer
“Land Without Thunder”. “The Hero” quite
honestly is awesome and it provides delectable and sterling quality of
knowledge. It necessary present striking
question - as which hero people should look at?
Children need the hero to protect them against bestial rapist and
murderers. The world needs the hero to
promote peace and prosperity not detrimental wars. Haplessly, when the hero demise the people
worried because they know that they have lost personage someone. Think about heroes such as Es’kiaMphahlele,
Julius Nyerere, John F Kennedy, Chinua Achebe, Bessie Head, Sol Plaatjie,
Nelson Mandela, Kofi Awoonor, Obi Egbuna, Maya Angelou, Nadine Glordimer etc.
Contents
The old white witch
The bamboo hut
The hero
Tekayo
Karantina
The green leaves
The empty basket
The white veil
Land without thunder
The rain came
Night sister
Elizabeth
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