The main message that Margaret Ogola wants to express is that of the “undefeatable
womanhood of Africa”.
She seems to be telling us that “The African woman through determination, hard work
and courage contributes a lot to the survival of the family despite male dominance.
a) Loyalty of family and family unity
Commitment to one's family and people is prevalent in the novel. In Yimbo, life is
peaceful and orderly because dark (neigbourliness) and what (brotherliness) were valued
highly. People treasure family relationships and ties e.g. people are always referred to as
“son of so and so” e.g. Akoko's father is reoffered to as “Odero son of the great chief
Gogni Adinda” (pg 16). They also treasure marriage because it brings about new family
ties. Akoko and Owuor have extraordinary love for one another and their three children.
The author says of them: “Even by the standards of the time, it was a close knit family,
with the father standing resolutely between the world and his little band” (pg 42) their
love and concern for their children is evident when Obura expresses his wish to go out of
Sakwa and when he eventually left and died away from home the parents are really
heartbroken. Akoko lived for and gave all the survival of her family. She travels to
Kisumu to seek help from the colonial government when the 2 year old Owuor was
threatened by Otieno. Akoko instills into her children and grandchildren the sense of
loyalty to family and unity which is evident in later generations.
Commitment to family is also evident in Elizabeth's and Mar'?s family. Mark has the
devoted love of his wife and the affection of all his children. Mark and Elizabeth are
united in bringing up their seven children and are committed to their well-being and their
education. Mark studies privately so as to get a promotion and improve the welfare of his
family. Nothing gives Elizabeth more happiness than to see the love and unity among her
children before she dies (pg 285 Aoro and Wandia). Were also is very committed to
family. Apart from their four children they adopted Becky's two children and they lived
the ideals of family unity, love and commitment. Wandia did not want to leave her family
to go abroad for further studies but when she finally goes Aoro manages well and other
family members come in to help. Problems that threaten the family unity are easily solved
because of commitment, love and concern for the family's welfare. Note that family
members who chose not to marry because of their vocations are also committed to family
ideals e.g. Peter Owuor and Tony who become priests and Vera who joins Opus Dei as a
non-marrying member and were very committed to the members of their families also so
that the unity and love also existed in the extended member of the family eg. among
Akoko and her brothers and nephews etc it is through loyalty to family and family unity
that brings about the survival and continuity of the Akoko family. Love for one another
and the desire to emulate older members instill positive values like hard work, clarity of
vision, determination commitment etc in every generation. Members who lack
commitment to the family like Otieno Kembo and Beck suffer and become failures in life.
b) Suffering and endurance
The successful characters did not always lead easy lives. Their success in life is due to
their determination and endurance. They have learnt to endure, get over their suffering
and carry on with their lives. The characters undergo a lot of suffering especially in the
hands of fate e.g. Akoko and her daughter Nyabera when their loved ones die. The author
comments on suffering, sometimes in a direct statement e.g. (pg 90) she says of Nyabera.
“....her entire life seemed one big disaster”. This is because of 26 years old Nyabera had
lost four children and her husband the author also says of Akoko and Owuor pg 56
“There are two ways to deal with pain – either bear it until time heal or commit suicide”.
But the two wouldn't commit suicide for it was a great taboo to do so. We also hear much
about suffering through Akoko. She tells her daughter Nyabera who has just lost two
children “It is for us men to wash away our painful confusion with tears and then carry
on”. She also tells her “How you come through suffering is what will make or break you”.
Akoko learns to live with suffering, has a strong spirit and positive altitude towards life.
She lost her first born Obura in the 1st world war, her husband nine years later and her last
born Sino at a very young age. She also suffers insults and plundering of her wealth by
her brother – in –law Otieno. Akoko also suffers the pain of her daughter whom she
witnesses losing her five children and her husband. Through her characters Ogola
expresses the need for someone to cope with suffering. The need to remain strong in
spirit, uncowed, hopeful, determine and not to loose clarity of vision and suffering. The
author makes the spirit that suffering helps people to empathize with others suffering and
to seek practical solutions to their problems e.g. Akoko learns to go through suffering
unafraid, with hope, clarity of vision and determination. She seeks practical solutions to
her problems. Akoko learns not to let pain cow her down. Hence, she tells her daughter
(pg 94-5) “Bitterness is poison to the spirit for it breeds nothing but vipers some of which
might consume your very self”. Nyabera who suffers great misery learns from her mother
to bear pain. The new religion she to turns gives her hope the liveliness of her only
daughter Awiti and the realization that her nephew Owuor loved her just like a mother
gives her the strength to cope with suffering. After Akoko?s death Nyabere is able to
console her daughter Elizabeth with very strongwords.
Pg 145-6) “Life does not always turn out as we exactly want it or as we expect it. Once
in a while it may give you a blow from which you think you cannot recover, but if you
still have the breath in you, always continue fighting for your grandmother used to say,
yesterday is not today and today is not tomorrow. Each day rises fresh from the hands of
God bringing with it what it will” (pg 145- 6).
Ogola expresses that suffering will always be with us and if we are able to deal with it
positively and without bitterness. Then we come through stronger and better people the
later generations also suffer. E.g. Bekcy causes concern and suffering to her parents mark
and Elizabeth. Her behaviour causes pain to her sister Vera. She suffers the consequences
of the kind of life she has lived and later dies of Aids. Aoro and Wandia's son Daniel who
is born with a handicap and later develops leukemia is a source of pain to his parents. Note
that characters learn to cope with suffering however, those who don't like Becky who
gives in to bitterness dies with it.
c) Continuity through change
The Novel is about survival and continuity of certain ideals of the human nature. The
historical times change and the story traverses five generations but the ideals survive and
are conveyed through characters who live in different generations. These ideals are:
clarity, of vision, endurance, courage, determination decisiveness, intellect, hard work,
wisdom, love etc. the Author says of Akoko thatched is the source of this symbolic river
of life. Though very wise, one would not say that she had been in the wrong era or that if
she had lived in a different era she would have been a great intellectual a pioneer and
leader of humanity. Ogola says that her clarity of vision and strength of character could
have been “a discomfiture to all men of all ages and she would therefore never really have
fitted in that, this or any other century? (pg 133). Ogola makes a statement that human
values and ideals withstand time, place, sex and age. In part 1 and 2 of the novel the
author creates a strong picture of traditional life, and the powerful role of life is secure,
orderly and peaceful and each member of society knew his or her place. Neighborliness
and brotherliness were valued highly. The author expresses the wisdom of the people in
dealing with misfortunes and tragedy e.g. when the Jodongo settles the dispute between
Akoko and her matrimonial home (pg 41). When a ceremony was performed on Awiti so
that an evil spirit would not take her (pg 89). Ogola create a picture of high quality of life
and social relations. She expresses a mixture of hard work and leisure and constant
education of the young. With the onset of change the kind of life and the ideals cherished
by the people are threatened change comes with the colonial government – the sirikal.
Much of the rich traditional way is lost. Akoko at first rejects this change when her son
Obura expresses his desire to travel and “see what other people do, how different from us
they are” (pg 45) Akoko's answer “only an ideal mind can think up such nonsense” (pg
45). Expresses her unwillingness to accept change. However, her youngest son Sino, the
last traditional chief has already to make contact with the outside world. Ogola shows us
that change is inevitable and society is dynamic. Akoko who had earlier rejected change
embraces it when she needs massive support against Otieno she makes the journey to the
D.C at Kisumu and makes use of his authority to get justice done. Akoko provides
continuity in change. With her daughter Nyabera and two grandchildren. They become
Christians and with that open the door for her grandchildren to formal education.
However, they do not neglect to educate Owuor and Awiti in the ways of their people.
Although none of her grandsons or great grand sons inherit Owuor Kembo's seat as chiefs
of Sakwa. They become outstanding leaders in their own fields. Because of the qualities
they inherit from Akoko and Owuor as stated earlier, qualities that withstand time, and
becomes useful at whatever historical period.
e.g. Peter Owuor Kembo her grandson – becomes a bishop her grandson in-;law mark
Sigu- becomes a top manager. Her great grandson Aoro- becomes a leading physician and
his wife Wandia the first Kenyan woman to acquire a doctorate in medicine. Although
chik is no longer mentioned in the new generation, the values that chik instilled in Akoko
are in her descendant e.g. values such as family loyalty and unity, hard work, belief in
God and his laws, love, concern etc.
The Epic journeys made by Akoko become important stages in the development of
continuity through change. Akoko's journey to Kisumu with Opiyo and Odongo is told
later with great detail and good humour it was to be passed down from generation to
generation. Nyabera's journey to Aluor to find the Christian mission, Akoko and
Nyabera's journey to Aluor with Awiti and Awuor bring the old and the new way of life
together.
Akoko told the children stories of the heroes of old and history of the tribe and Maria told
their stories of baby Jesus. Akoko lives on in the memories of her great grandchildren.
Father Tony, one of Akoko's great grandchildren says that “To her life was like a river,
flowing from eternity to eternity”.
d) Religion
The people of Yimbo and Sakwa believed in Were and in the spirits of their ancestors and
they also practice their religion through worship and sacrificing to him. They believe in
praying to God when faced with problems. Akoko's grandmother invokes the god Were
and the ancestors in the attempt to find out why the little girl cries so much. People
believe that angering their god and their ancestors contributes to their misery. Hence
Akoko prays to their god Were and the departed spirits of their ancestors to show them
where they may have gone wrong. So that they could rectify themselves and save the little
girl. The people of Yimbo place their lives in the care of Were and the ancestors e.g.
Akoko resigns to the fact that Were had forgotten to create a man good enough for her
when she is 19 and unmarried. Akoko and Owuor prays to Were to make the evil spell
pass when their son expresses desire to go away from Sakwa to see the Whiteman.
When Obura family leaves home, Akoko prays to Were to spare her son and protect him,
Akoko?s belief in Were gives her hope and strength to live on while comforting her
daughter Nyabera, who has lot so many children, Akoko tells her that each day rises fresh
from the hands of Were. Religion contributes to Akoko's success and she passes this to
her children. When Nyabera suffers unbearable misery, due to the death of her children
she turns to the new religion, where she finds consolation. When Nyabera introduces
Akoko and the two children Owuor and Awiti to the new religion, Akoko is said to have
taken to it “like ngege (fish) to water” she is committed to her new religion as she had
been in her belief in Were.
The new religion gives them spiritual satisfaction and a place to settle and earn a
livelihood of Aluor mission. Christianity shapes the lives of Akoko and her children and
opens new horizons for change. The children Owuor and Awiti are educated in the
mission and Owuor becomes a priest. Awiti was to live a very religious life passing on the
same ideals to her children. Two of him, Vera and Tony their entire lives to God. Vera,
through intelligent and highly educated feels there is something lacking in her life which
cannot be fulfilled by marriage or education. Ogola expresses the view that God is still in
charge and he has a role to play in people's lives even in modern society e.g Wandia who
had not been a Christian and blamed God for the suffering of her son Daniel who has
blood cancer. Later turns to God when Vera convinces her that God was in control and
when she learns that her son is not fatally ill like Akoko in the older days she prays for her
son.
Other themes are:
Culture Modernity
Determination
Hard work
Titany answered the question on November 11, 2021 at 08:54