The River and the Source By Margaret Ogola. The River and The Source, is a story about the girl child and the woman who is out...

      

The River and the Source By Margaret Ogola.
The River and The Source, is a story about the girl child and the woman who is out to fight for her rightful space and assert herself in a society, where she is discriminated and looked down upon by her male counterpart.'
Basing your illustrations from the Novel 'The River and The Source of Margaret Ogola, discuss the relevance of the above statement

  

Answers


Martin
Introduction

The luo community in which the river and the source is set is patriarchal and has traditions that down look the girl child and women; relegating them only to marriage and child bearing. The writer through the women characters of the novel like Akoko, Nyambera, Awiti paints a picture of a girl and a woman who is out to fight for her rights and prove her potential in a society that is dominated by men who down look upon women.

Body

- Akoko is born in a family of nine brothers and is the only girl for a long time before her sister is born. And to survive in such a household, she needed to stand strong and asserts herself against her many male brother’s domination. We are told that to survive in such a household, Akoko had to become fearless physically and could take tumbles and losses with a determined smile. From the novel we learn that; when her brother Oloo wanted to snatch something from her that she was playing with, she shouts at him 'dwaro mara' meaning she could not allow her brother to take from her what was rightly hers

- When her mother in law and Otieno accuse her of Juok (witchcraft) simply because Owuor Kembo couldn’t marry another second wife; and also because she had failed to get many children as expected by the society; she storms out of her husbands matrimonial home and leaves in a hast to protest against the allegations that were falsely leveled against her.
Akoko further goes to kisumu to seek redress from the whiteman’s serikali- the DO, against injustices that otieno had perpetrated against her; not only as a widow but also as a woman. She finally gains an upper hand over otieno and asserts herself as a fearless and courageous woman in face of male denomination and prejudice.

Against all expectations Awit proves sharp and intelligent at school and outsmarts all other male counterparts in the academic arena. Praise upon praise is poured on her as the men mummers that no man dare marry such a girl
She goes on to a teaching college and ends up becoming a primary school teacher against social expectations that saw a woman as only good for marriage and child bearing.

On the other hand Nyabera Awiti’s mother abandons her community and its traditions and seeks a new way of life at Aluor Christian mission, after suffering contempt from the society for failing to get many children as expected. She also suffers exploitation at the hands of Ogoma kwach who inherits her as a widow. The new way of life turns out to be a refuge not only for her with her troubled heart, but becomes a home of refuge for her mother Akoko and their daughter Awiti and young Peter Owour
At the university, Vera and Wandia prove themselves sharp and intelligent and compete favorably even outshining their male counterparts in faculties that were traditionally believed to be a preserve for men.

Conclusion

It is good to discriminate women and the girl child in our society. What a man can do a woman also can do and even better

marto answered the question on June 12, 2019 at 02:51


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