Discuss the styles in Margaret Ogola's The River and the Source

a) Description
Ogola describes her characters, their action, their feeling and sometimes their words. She
also describes events and scenes. Her vivid descriptions makes her work interesting,
captivating and this leaves an impact in the minds of the readers e.g. her vivid description
of Akoko as a bride to be bringsout her character.
Traditionally the girl at this point should have been the picture of demur shyness but not
Akoko. She walked in, steps measure, head held high, hands at her sides. Her head swiveled round a bit and then her gaze rested on Owuor and let him see what he was
getting. Akoko is courageous, daring and has a pioneering spirit and she also has a
graceful appearance. Look at the description of her beauty as perceived by her husband's
people ( pg 25) also very captivating. Her description where she is an old woman of 80
years you will realize that even at her age she is very wise, and courageous, a woman who
knows what is expected of her. The description of an improvised medical operation
theatre by Aoro who is fascinated by the medical field. The vivid description of the
operation depicts clearly what happens in a medical theatre. Though quite humorous, it
also brings out Aoro?s great intelligence and skill despite his young age. It reveals to us
what a successful surgeon he would be one day. Also not the Author's descriptions.
On the passing of time – (p71, 86). Suffering and pain – (pg 56) her vivid description of
deaths which leave an impact on her readers.

b) Poetic style
The Author uses poetic style to depict the beauty of the country or highlight certain
aspects of the people's lives etc e.g. pg 16 the day Owuor came to ask Akoko's hand in
marriage. “One fine morning as the waters of the Great Lake shimmered and trembled at
the slightest touch of the breeze and the Siala trees swayed gently in the warm air, the
harvest having been safety gathered into granaries a young man arrived in chief Odero's
compound. The poetic lines depict the beauty of the land around Lake Victoria. A land of
peace and plenty they lines also predict good things to come as Owuor is accepted by
Akoko's father to be her future husband. Contrast the description with another day when
a stranger arrives bringing very sad news about Obura's death pg 54) “one day when the
warm humid air lay too wt and heavy even to breath with hardly a breeze from the great
lake to stir it, a strange man with a long garb reaching down his ankles and a red head
dress that for all in the world resembled a two – dish- arrived in the village and asked for
the chief” (pg 54). This announces the arrival of the white man's messenger who comes to
tell Chief Owuor that his son Obura had died. The image of “warm humid air”. This
symbolizes the bad news The strange man” symbolizes the strange ways about to uproot
the traditional culture note also the description of Akoko's children .e.g. Nyabera had a
personality to “Charm the birds off the trees” but he (Obura) had the appetite of a starved
lion” (pg 29) the descriptions and comparisons brings out certain qualities in the people
and shows man's closeness to nature. Akoko's health a few days before her death is described poetically pg 132” ....her heart would do a strange dance within her rib- cage- almost like the flutter of a bird trying to break free” pg 132 the image of a bird trying to break free. Symbolize her life that is about to end.
Obura's death marks the beginning of tragedy in Akoko's family the author predicts more
suffering for the family by personifying tragedy. She says “tragedy can be sometimes like
a habitual drunk who keeps coming back for more.

c) Use of oral literature devices
The use of oral literature materials is common in African literature. This gives authentic
setting to a story the novel is partly set in traditional Luo land and the language used by
the characters embodies (the traditional folklore) e.g. of oral tradition /oral literature
materials
(i) Idiomatic expressions
NB: “Another rock for may sling”- which means a son “a home without daughters is like a
spring without a source “nobody could tell where the seasons had gone” (pg 14) the
expressions embody the wisdom of the people and makes the speech interesting. The
speech and conversations of the people especially in Parts I and two are basically
traditional. Owuor Kembo's address when he goes to Odero's home to for Akoko's hand
in marriage is traditional e.g. “My father. My brothers, I think you are greatly mistaken.
Not all women are the same. This woman is going to be my Mikai not just any wife” (pg
21). Note that vernacular words also contribute to the authenticity of the story. Akoko's
address to the Whiteman many years later also embodies the traditional wisdom. She talks
of the cultural values and traditions of the Luo people. The story of Akoko is told to her
grandchildren in the form of oral literature (pg 145). The history of the tribe was imparted
on the younger generations orally. As they walked to Kisumu during the epic journey,
Akoko narrated the history of the Luo people to her nephews (pg 74-5). African speech is
usually enriched by the use of proverbs. This is evident in the first parts of the novels
which has numerous examples of proverb which are expressions of the wisdom of the
people. The proverbs are mainly used by adults
e.g. Akoko?s father says of her birth “A home without daughtersis like a spring without a
source. A first wife who is the most important and respected in the Luo community is
proverbially described as “the central post that holds up a man?s hut (pg 34) Oloo,

Akoko's family spokesman during the dispute between Akoko and her matrimonial home
convinces the audience about a woman's worth to her husband by posing the proverbial
question “After all who knows the goodness of a tree but he who sits under its shade and
eats its fruits? (pg.40)
Akoko's wise advice to her daughter Nyabera is tall of figurative
e.g. “Yesterday is not today and today is not tomorrow” how can we appreciate light
unless we understand darkness” (pg 68). She uses figurative language to encourage her
daughter who had greatly suffered for her to have hope in life. Another example of
folklore is the use of songs, charts and dances. E.g. the young men who come to escort
Akoko from Yimbo to her husband's home in Sakwa composed chants to praise certain
qualities in themselves. And to highlight the power of some animal or forces the songs
causes amusement and expresses the youths logical thinking and also forms part of their
education. Pg23
“I am Odieng Suna, the mosquito
Tiny I am, but when I bite even the
great elephant flaps his big ears,
and another
“I am Oloo Polo, the sky When I
rumble
And send signs and wonders Even the
brave tremble?
Yet another sings
“I am Ong?ong? Taber So
handsome am I That when I
pass
Girls gape and drop their water pots” (pg 23)
Akoko sang a dirge full of praise for her husband as she mourned him as tradition
demanded (pg 63).

“women have given birth to sons but none are like Owuor the son of Kembo, of the line
of Maroko my friend, my husband.
Men live with their wives like cats and dogs, ravens and chicken
But not the son of Kembo
The Bong expresses Akoko's sense of loss her love for the husband. The sony also breaks
the monotony of the descriptive language and makes events in the novel dramatic (real)

d) Humour
Humour causes amusement, enjoyment of the text as the readers are made to laugh.
Ogola make the story much more enjoyable than if it were told from a serious or tragic
point of view. Her use of humour eases tension in very serious and traffic situations. E.g.
during the marriage negotiations for Akoko the author says of the situation. “You could
have heard the ants talk, so great was the silence” the statement portrays the seriousness
of the situation and also makes us laugh at the imagination of ants talking. When the
people of Sakwa record of the God of the white man for the first time their response was
quite humorous as is evident in their dialogue.
e.g. “in the world outside.... This was the one thousandth name hundredth and eighteenth
season” the people could not just understand how a god can have a son and the same son
die to save people. Hence, the conversation is quite humorous and the response
laughable. Note that the incident occurs at a time when there is a lot of misery, and
apprehension among the people of sakwa after their chief's son Obura disappears.
Hence, the humorous incident eases the tension. The description of Akoko's and her
nephews first view of the white people in Kisumu is also humorous. The word D.O
sounded to them like “Diyo” which meant to squeeze and they wanted to know whether
the D.O might want their brains. The description of the D.O?s clerk is also funny to Akoko
and her nephews.

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Titany answered the question on November 11, 2021 at 09:01