An African village struggles against 7-year droughts that
result in more than just hardship. In Looking for a Rain God, by Bessie Head,
the villagers suffer from a severe drought from which nothing can save them,
especially since the drought has been going on so long that people have lost
all hope of it ending anytime soon.
About the writer Bessie
Head
Bessie Head, who died in 1986, was one of the greatest South
African novelists of the twentieth century. She was born in Pretoria, South
Africa, in 1937 and died in Botswana where she had been living as an exile
after having fled from South Africa during Apartheid. After fleeing from South
Africa Bessie Head lived in Botswana, Tanzania and Zambia until her death in
1986 at the age of 49.
Looking for a Rain God by
Bessie Head [Summary]
"Looking for a
Rain God" is
about an African family's desperate struggle against a drought that results in a tragic outcome. An African village is plagued by a 7- year drought. Almost
all the villagers suffer from starvation
as they are dependent on the rain to grow their crop.
The rain finally comes and many families rush out to continue
farming. Mokgobja and his family are
one of the first to clear and plow their land. Their hopes are shattered when the rain was not
sufficient to cultivate the land. Fearing the starvation that they have to face
the following year, Mokgobja's daughter-in-law
and her sister, become hysterical.
Mokgobja remembers an ancient rain-making ceremony that involves the ritual sacrifice of young children to appease the rain god. Mokgobja and his son Ramadi, sacrifice Ramadi's two young daughters
expecting rain. Unfortunately, the rain does not
fall. Finally, Mokgobja and his family return to the village, filled
with despair, guilt, and fear of their deeds.
The other villagers could not see the children and become
suspicious about the missing children. Soon, the police arrive and Tiro, the
children's mother reveals the truth. Finally, Mokgobja and his son are
sentenced to death for religious murder.
Looking for a Rain God [Question
Answer]
Why is it significant that the events in this brief story actually
occurred one a period of seven years? What are the progressive effects of the
drought one this period?
Ans: Drought occurred over a period of
seven-year is very significant in the story. Due to long-year drought, land and
watering places become dry. Leaves of the tree withered. Earth sand changed
into white and black powder. Due to excessively hot and lack of grain, people
killed themselves hanging in the trees. Hypocrites, talismans, and witch
doctors giving fake instructions to the villagers earned money. The great
serious thing is caused by drought is that Mokgobja and his son sacrificed
their little kids in the hope of making them happy to the rain god.
When the options and
talismans were brought as offerings for the gods, in exchange of rain, fall,
why is it significant that some of the men in the village hang themselves? What
insight does this give you into the depths of desperation and despair that have
befallen everyone in the village?
Ans: The options and talismans were
brought as offerings to the gods in exchange for rain. They took many things
from innocent and poor villagers to offer the rain god. They did what they said
but all their effort and investment went in vain. Later, they had the problem
of hand to mouth. However, they offered them what they had for the rain. The
rain did not fall but extreme hot went to the highest peak. Later on, many
farmers killed themselves hanging from the tree.
Why is starvation
predicted for the coming year in the story Looking for a Rain God?
Ans: Starvation is predicted for the coming year because as
farmers plowed the land, the rain flew away and left the sky bare. The extreme
sun heat was in the sky. Each day, the land was covered in a haze of mist. Due
to heat, it was impossible to plant corn, maize, pumpkin, and water seeds on
the dry earth. Goatsalso stopped producing milk.
Do you think the ritual
sacrifice is similar to putting faith in charlatans, sorcerers, and witch
doctors?
Ans: In some cases, the ritual sacrifice is similar to
putting faith in charlatans, sorcerers, and witch doctors because, in the name
of making God happy, they encourage innocent people to follow the ritual
sacrifice. All of them are similar because they are based on superstition.
On the other hand, all charlatans, sorcerers, and witch
doctors may not enforce the ritual of murder to make the god happy. They just
may say that they are the representative of gods, so if they follow their
instructions, they may get rid of the problem. In the story too, they have
given herbs to rob the land so that the rain might fall. In fact, ritual
sacrifice is illegal. Humans should have a strong bond and ties with each
other.
In ritual sacrifice, they love to kill family members for
their benefit. In the story too, elder family members in the name of surviving
on the earth, murder their innocent baby girls.
How does the story “Looking for a Rain God” involve a conflict between the two opposite value systems of latent tribal beliefs and a superficial adherence to Christian religious practices?
Ans: Latent tribal beliefs are related to ancient African
tribes and cultures that believe in sacrificing small kids to make them happy
to rain God. In the story, all of the African farmers did not believe it, only
the old man, Mokgobja keep his faith in it.
A Christian religion’s practices teach people to follow and
believe in canters, witch doctors, charlants to get rid of the problem. Such
belief is so hypocritical because their mantras, talismans, trick do not work
in real life. By cheating people in the name of gods, they earn a pile of
money.
Why doesn't Head
withhold knowledge of the ending in telling the story? How does knowing what
happened to shift the focus of the story Looking for a Rain God into an attempt
to try to understand how it happened?
Ans: The writer, Head does not withhold knowledge of the
ending in telling the story because he wants to convey the message that ritual
sacrificing is illegal and such murderers are sentenced to death. In the story
what happened and how happened are quite important.
Due to poverty and lack of intelligence, family members kill
baby girls. So, how happened can give readers somehow sympathy for the killer.
How does the author lay
the psychological groundwork for what otherwise would come as a shock to the
choice of the two young girls in the family as sacrificial victims?
Ans: The author lays the psychological ground for what
otherwise would come as shock to the reader to kill the young girl. The old
man, Mokgobja thinks of ancient rituals. When he was very young, he had been
witnessed rain-making ceremonies. He thinks that a certain rain god accepted
only the sacrifice of the bodies of children. It seems that whatever he thinks
and does, is to make him happy to rain god.
Look carefully at how
the girls must appear to everyone else in the family, especially in a culture
where everyone, in order to survive, must contribute to the welfare of all.
Ans: In patriarchy, girls are as taken
as objects and in the name of making god happy, they even become ready to
sacrifice their children. In patriarchy, girls should be supportive and
obedient to their parents.
The story is trying to say that in ancient African tribes if
girls are not obedient in the work, parents think that they are their enemies
and even do not hesitate to kill them. From the earliest years of ancient
times, girls’ and women's status were defined by their relationship with men. A
woman was in second place to the man but she was never the first. Since early
historical times, women have been considered not only intellectually inferior
to men but also a major source of temptation and evil.
How do details such as
the girls' sloppiness (spilling food or water) and disobedience contribute to
the family's decision to kill them in exchange for rain?
Ans: From the girls, Neo and Boseyong imitation of the
mother's voice, we know how their parents treat them. They are quite happy in
their child’s world. They keep on the game of making houses and children from
sticks. They scold each other severely in an exact imitation of their mother.
They say like their mother ' you stupid thing when I send you
to draw water, why do you spill half of out of the bucket, can't you mind the
porridge pot without letting porridge burn '. Frustrated family members were
even how frustrated with the two girls ' disobedience.
So, they may think that they are no value in staying with
them.
In centuries past,
human sacrifices were universally characteristic of cults of worship in many
societies. But ritual murder is against the law in the story. Discuss the power
of law versus the power of customs and ideas passed down from ancestors
regarding such rituals.
Ans: The power of law is legal while the power of customs and
ideas are the continuation of traditional rituals and customs. If people
violate the law in the name of keeping their traditions and ritual alive, they
have to go to jail. In the story, the family members following their ritual,
kill their kids, so they are sentenced to death.
Practically, every tribe and civilization throughout African
history has participated in some sort of blood or human sacrifice. Even though
each group of people may have had very different beliefs and even different
rituals. Nevertheless, the extent to which blood had been used was extremely
different.
While some civilizations sacrificed thousands of humans, some
only participated in animals ' sacrifices, and others had no sacrifices at all.
Blood ceremonies happened for a number of various reasons, to make the rain,
for the construction of a new temple and so. Most often sacrifices were made to
satisfy the gods to make the rain god happy.
To what extent does
"Looking for a Rain God" give insight into situations that are so
extreme that the normal conceptions of what is right or wrong give way to the
question of survival?
Ans: In order to survive, people can follow the religion,
worship god but it is wrong to make a human sacrifice. They can follow their
ritual but while following the ritual, they should not violate the law. Neo and
Boseyong do nothing wrong throughout the story.
In reality, there is no justification for their death. All
they are doing is playing with their dolls. It is other people's desperation
that results in both Neo and Boseyong being killed to please the rain god.
Mokgobja fueled by the beliefs of his childhood feels as though he is doing the
honorable thing to please the rain god. It is as though Mokgobja believes that
everything will be all right once the rain begins to fall. Yet, it is also
interesting when the rain refuses to fall but Mokgobja does not blame the rain
god.
In fact, he appears to accept that there will be no rain with
or without a sacrifice. It is as though the sacrifice of Neo and Boseyong has
been pointless. Though some readers will find it hard to sympathize with
Mokgobja. It might be important to remember that he acted as he thought was
best under the circumstances.
Truly, it is wrong to sacrifice a child (or anybody else) to
a God that may or may not exist but so ingrained in Mokgobja's mind was the
goodness of the rain god that he believed that his actions were for the greater
good. It is only when he returns to the village and people start to become
suspicious that the truth comes out and Mokgobja faces the law. A family has
been torn apart and Mokgobja will lose his life for the crimes that he
committed.
To what extent does
this story Looking for a Rain God give insight into the lives of people who
live in colonized nations where Western values are superimposed on tribal
customs and beliefs?
Ans: In the story ‘Looking for a Rain God’, colonized man,
Mokgobja, and his tribes are imposed and superimposed on western values,
customs, and traditions. In Mokgobja's eyes, he is simply using Neo and
Boseyong for the greater god. So, his family may survive the drought and crops
might grow. Such practices may make an obligation to ask some readers to
question the value of life in the village. It also doesn't help Mokgobja. When
he returns to the village, other villagers are suspicious of him because they
do not see Neo and Boseyong.
As to whether Mokogobja is driven by shame or guilt is not
easy to say. However, he is to face justice for his actions. This could be
significant as Head may be highlighting how incompatible colonial law is with
traditional ways. Though it is also interesting that Mokgobja does not plead
his case. It is as though the reality of what he has done has set in and he
knows that his actions have been inappropriate.
Not only has Mokgobja been beaten by the land but he has also
been beaten by his mind. Whereas the women who initiated the killing of Neo and
Boseyong do not appear to have faced any form of punishment.