Summary
Summary Summaries
- Institution
- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Summaries, analysis, chapter breakdowns, character analysis
[Show more]
2 reviews
By: vkoromba • 6 year ago
By: lianigoussard • 6 year ago
Content preview
When Rain Clouds Gather1. Briefly dexcribe the setting of the novel
The ecents within the novel refer to a beginning in SA, but takes place in
Botswana
2. In 3 sentences, summarise its plot
The protagonist within the novel, Makhaya Maseko, illegally crosses the
border from SA into Botswana during the Apartheid era to escape
prison
Makhaya dreams of a better life in Botswana, and believes he had found
it when he settles in a village that seems modern and prosperous at 1st
Makhaya quickly learns that this is not so, as traditional ways of
surviving leads to disaster for the subsistence village and, it appears,
change into modernity is resisted by the leaders as it threatens
traditional power hierarchies
3. List at least 7 characters in the novel
Makhaya Maseko
Dinorego
Gilbert Balfour
Mma Millipede
Paulina
George Apple-by Smith
Matenge
4. Choose one of the character and describe his/her charactersitics –
both positive and negative
Makhaya
Makhaya, the protagonsit, has the positive characteristics of being
hones, honourable and, in some sense, a moral character
He refutes the idea of tribalism and, to some extent, it can be inferred
that he refutes racism
He is intelligent in the sense that he learns very quickly and his
dedication to change could be seen as an admirable trait
Some of the negative charactersitics of Makhyay are introduced later
within the novel where we learn about his true feelings towards racism
and how he regarded white people
We also learn about his ambitions that focused more on riches
, 5. Write 2 to 3 sentences describing the main theme (or idea) of the
novel
Many of the minor themes can be linked to the theme of ‘tribalism’, so I
would describe this as a main theme
In some sense, the protagonist believes that he runs away form
tribalism (racism as a form of tribalism as well) in SA, but ends up in a
village in Botswana where their very existence relies on the framework
of tribalism in terms of governance and subsistence
This extens beyond the boundaries of governance and subsistence to
legitimise selfish ambitions of power and exercises of power with
impunity at the xpense of the villagers in Golema Mmidi
6. What do we mean when we refer to the theme of a literary work?
The concept of theme can really be defined in 2 ways if one really thinks
about it
In the 1st instance, a theme can be defined as the message or particular
doctrine that the novel is to convey to the reader
It can be identified as an opinion that is emobodied throughout the
literary work with the intent to influence and persuade the reader to
accept it’s particular viewpoint
In the 2nd instance, a theme can also be defined as patterns created
within literary work by using repetition of specific lanuage and images
I now turn to ‘When Rain Clouds Gather’ for a more specific discussion
of themes
Many of the minor themes can be linked to the theme of ‘tribalism’, so I
would describe this as a main or major theme
In some sense, the protagonsit believes that he runs away form
tribalism (racism as a form of tribalism as well) in SA, but ends up in a
village in Botswana where their very existence relies on the framework
of tribalism in terms of goveranance and subsistence
This extends beyond the boundaries of governance and subsistence to
legitimise selfish ambitions of power and exercises of power with
impunity at the expense of the villagers in Golema Mmide
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller rishmanyar. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R50,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
77254 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy summaries for 14 years now