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Self-interest is a vice that whoever engages in it is bound to fail.” Using Blossoms of the Savannah, write an essay to support this assertion....

      

Self-interest is a vice that whoever engages in it is bound to fail.” Using Blossoms of the Savannah, write an essay to support this assertion.

  

Answers


Martin
In ole kulet’s novel, Blossoms of the Savannah, a character who only cares about themselves in the end doesn’t succeed. This is brought out clearly by characters such as Ole Kaeelo and Olarinkoi.

Ole Kaelo who is only interested to become rich and be accepted in the nasilan culture as who and who in the community, willingly engages in lucrative business deals with oloisudori in exchange of his daughter, Resian. Ole Kaelo is retrenched(pg 1) and has to move to Nasila and make his agricultural business successful where he signs a contract with oloisudori even after he is warned by hi friend Ole Kaelo(pg 25-26). Oloisudori is known for his corrupt means and blackmail which Ole Kaelo falls into. He demands to marry Resian and if not Ole Kaelo would lose everything(pg 107-109,165). He sees the material side only if his daughter is m,,arrieed to Oloisudori yet the daughter wanted to go to the university. He goes ahead to even plan her kidnapping

Olarinkoi takes advantage of resian’s desperate situation to lure her to his home with the intention of marrying her. Ole Kaelo had sold her daughter to Oloisudori at a half a million and Resian runs from home to confront her father(pg 203-210). In frustration she walks to the Nasila river to clear her mind and olarinkoi promises to take her to Emakererei(pg 211) and she believes him as he had once saved her and Taiyo from the vagabonds(pg 140-143). Though that does not happen as he takes her to his home where he tries to rape her and resian fights by biting his finger almost amputating it(pg 212-220). Due to shame Olarinkoi has to hide and Resian is nursed back to health by Enkabaani(pg 230-234) who helps her escape to Emakererei(pg 245-255). Olarinkoi eventually loses Resian.

Oloisudori is greedy for power and wealth as he already has six wives and still wants to take Resian as a seventh wife. Being a wealthy businessman, who is known to be corrupt, immoral, an extortionist, a smuggler, a poacher and athug(pg 101, 236)’easily lures Ole Kaelo who wants to be rich and succeed in his business even afterrr being warned by ole Supeiyo to keep him away from his daughters(pg 26). When Oloisudori sees Resian the first time, he openly scans her and this makes Resian uncomfortable due to his amorous character(pg 91-98, 107, 203). As he thrives in extortion(pg 110), he threatens Ole Kaelo’s business in exchange of Resian and the father agrees due to his materialistic nature(pg 177,178, 188). Oloisudori tells heer he would marry her and this makes resian run away from home after aconfrotation with both noloisudori and his father(pg 203-210). In thee end he loses her and his amoured vehicles which are torched by labourers at Minik’s farm and he has to escape to save his dear life. (pg 281-284)

The mother to Olarinkoi(mono-eyeed woman) selfishly desires her son to marry Resian in an attempt to settle scores with Oloisuduri. She had foressen that Ole Kaelo would move to Nasila and Olarinkoi would marry one of his daughters(pg 232). Olarinkoi brings her to his home(pg 217-219) and shamelessly after a drinking spree tries to rape her where Resian bites his finger almost amputating it (pg 221-222). The plan all along was for Resian to get circumscised and get married to Olarinkoi but he has messed up. Olarinkoi’s mother is very bitter at rich people especially Oloisudori who abandoned her after the help she accorded him during his poaching days(pg 236) and she is happy that her son had snatched her from Oloisudori.(pg 228-229) In a way it is victory to her and she plans as soon as Resian gets better she will be circumcised and they will elope to Tanzania where they will stay until the search for Resian is over(pg 229) Enkaabani who was meant to treat her after circumscision is the one who helps her escape and thus spoils Olarinkoi’s mother’s plans. ( pg 245-255)

Mama Milanoi cares so much about the interest of her husband to retain her position as the wife and does not realize the pain and suffering she inflicts on her daughters and ends up losing both of them in the end. She welcomes btheideabof them relocating to Nasila where her children would be inculcated to Nasila culture and she is hopeful to bore her husband a son in the long run. She does this to please her husband even when he gets into a shoddy deal with Oloisudori to sell of her daughter she is happy after she sees the wealth that her future son-in-law is willing to give to her daughter. She doesn’t listen to the cry of Resian who wants to go to the university as she was meant to fight for her. When things get to be difficult, she tries seeking help from the women in the society who compares her to the proverbial hyena who is not sure of which culture to follow. In the end her daughter Resian runs away from home, Taiyo is forcefully circumcised and also loses her.

Conclusion

It is futile to only care about one’s interest as in the end it leads to misery.

marto answered the question on August 27, 2019 at 06:46


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