CHAPTER SUMMARIES
CHAPTER 6: OLARINKOI
Kaelo makes a pompous speech introducing Joseph Parmuat. Despite the warning, Taiyo is still infatuated with Joseph and decides to make him a confidante. Resian is critical and dismissive of her father’s pompous speech and generally how females are viewed by men. In a defiant mood, Resian expresses her mind on the subject of unfair men towards women. Surprisingly and daringly, she portrays the defiance to her aunt, mother and Resian. The listeners are deeply embarrassed. Aunt Botorr says Resian has a bad spirit that can only be treated through circumcision. Taiyo’s questions who Olarinkoi is and is answered by Joseph by telling a legendary story. Ilarinkon is a legend who was a great fighter who saved the Maa community from being wiped out by an adversary while their morans had gone for a raid. Ilarinkon warriors abused women until one day women discovered how to deal with the problem. Their collective resolution ironically gave birth to enkamuratani who was handed over an Olmurunya. Hence the birth of FGM and therefore according to Joseph, only women can stop the barbaric FGM.
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CHAPTER SUMMARIES
CHAPTER 5: DEPRESSED ONE
Taiyo and Resian are distressed. Resian feels Taiyo is taking too long before broaching the issue of their university studies with their father. The issue of FGM makes the two girls have a sleepless night. Taiyo is also disturbed by the cultural law that does not allow her relationship with Joseph Parmuat, the primary school teacher and a music enthusiast. The two girls cry a lot that night. The day before, Joseph had promised to visit her and also coach her in traditional music. The thought of enkamuratani (circumciser) and Olmurunya (circumcising blade) makes Taiyo shudder with dread. In Resian’s mind it is clear that enkamuratani and her Olmurunya cannot have their way with her, maybe over her dead body. CHAPTER SUMMARIES
CHAPTER 4: HOME COMING CEREMONY
In order to re-link himself to the community ole Kaelo holds a big celebration party which is also made for blessing his home. Members from the five Maa clans: Ilmolelian, Ilmakesen, Ilukumae, Ilaiser and illtarosero are invited. The Kaelo’s belong to the Ilmolelian clan. Ole Kaelo’s are very actively involved in the preparation of the homecoming ceremony. During the dances, Taiyo is attracted to the manager of music, a young local primary school music teacher Joseph Parmuat but unfortunately they belong to the same clan and forging any intimate relationship is an abomination. A carnival mood is witnessed during the party for the generous Kaelo, has offered plenty of foodstuffs. In the dance Taiyo’s talent is brought forth for she is really attracted to the song and dance. We learn that she has always done well in music festivals too. Unfortunately, her father denied her a chance to go for a music extravaganza in Mombasa which would have developed her talent. Lastly, Musanka leads in the blessing section. He calls upon the community to welcome the Kaelo’s back home. Kaelo is advised to involve himself in the community affairs and Nasila. He is also advised to take care of his family and children. CHAPTER SUMMARIES
In order to re-link himself to the community ole Kaelo holds a big celebration party which is also made for blessing his home. Members from the five Maa clans: Ilmolelian, Ilmakesen, Ilukumae, Ilaiser and illtarosero are invited.
The Kaelo’s belong to the Ilmolelian clan. Ole Kaelo’s are very actively involved in the preparation of the homecoming ceremony. During the dances, Taiyo is attracted to the manager of music, a young local primary school music teacher Joseph Parmuat but unfortunately they belong to the same clan and forging any intimate relationship is an abomination. A carnival mood is witnessed during the party for the generous Kaelo, has offered plenty of foodstuffs. CHAPTER SUMMARIES
Ole Kaelo ushers his family into the newly constructed house. The Kaelo’s are elated by the new house.
In a flashback Mama Milanoi remembers how she was married by Kaelo while she was eighteen and Kaelo twenty four years old. The couple has enjoyed peace generally since then but since she does not have a son, Mama Milanoi feels she has failed Kaelo. CHAPTER SUMMARIES
Life at the rural Nasila is contrasted with that of Nakuru town. Uncle Simiren is a polygamous man. He has four wives and sixteen children. Each of these wives has a house .
The girls are introduced to the sixteen cousins by the senior most aunt, and the eldest wife. The children are aged between three and sixteen years and out of the four wives, two aunts are pregnant. Resian and Taiyo are allowed to go walking. The girls make the observation that the four aunts are not happy as well and the kids are not contented. Resian outrightly says she is not ready to be a parent and that she will first learn. CHAPTER SUMMARIES
As the novel begins, Ole Kaelo is reprimanding loaders for being slow. The couple is relocating from Nakuru to Nasila after Ole Kaelo is retrenched from Agribix Limited where he has been working as the commercial manager.
Not long ago Kaelo had denied Taiyo a chance to go to Mombasa to develop her talent. That is why Taiyo sympathizes with the loaders who are receiving strict instructions from her father. The two girls visualize what life in the new environment will be like. The girls are experiencing apprehension. Nakuru town has always bustled with life and they fear the shop that their father aims at starting may not pick. The Play: A Doll’s House by Henrik IbsenWomen are generally loving and self- sacrificing. Validate this statement basing your illustrations on the play ‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen (20mks)
Introduction
In today’s society, a person who claims to love you or really concerned about you would go to any level to show how much they care. Nora and Mrs. Linde clearly brings out this in the plays, A Doll”s House. Nora, proves her true love and concern when she risks by forging her father’s signature in order to acquire money for the sake of her husband’s health. She goes against societal expectations and provides financial support to Helmer when he fell ill and takes him to Italy to recover. This clearly portrays her love towards her husband. Nora sacrifices her comfort, a good and comfortable life and good clothes too in order to look for money and save as much as she can to pay the loan. She does odd jobs like embroidery and crocheting, she also saves some money given by Torvald and buys herself cheap and simple clothes with an aim of saving for the payment of the loan. Torvald also reminds her how she shut herself up for three weeks during the last Christmas Holiday making ornaments. This clearly portrays her love and sacrifice for her family. Mrs. Linde also sacrifices her happiness when she abandons Krogstad whom she really loved for a richer man. She did this in order to get money to take care of her sick mother and younger siblings. Later on the old man dies leaving her Childless, poor and lonely. This is real sacrifice for the sake of love. Christine Linde also sacrifices her honour and pride when she approaches Krogstad and apologies to him for her actions. She explains her reason for leaving him and asks him if they can come together as she feels empty and has no one to mourn for and no one to care for. Krogstad accept their proposal. This clearly brings Linde as a selfless person who is able to sacrifice for the sake of love and concern. Ann sacrifices her comfort in order to take of Nora and later Nora’s Children. Anne leaves her own daughter behind and moves in with Nora’s family to become Nora’s nurse. Nora had no mother and Ann fitted in the gap with lots of love. Even Nora wonders how Ann had the heart to give up raising her own child in order to work but it is clear that Anne had to make this sacrifice in order to fend for her own family. She gladly takes care of Nora’s children and contends herself with letters from her daughter on important occasions such as her wedding. In conclusion, it is clear that a person who loves and is concerned about another becomes selfless and goes to any extent to prove this as brought out in the essay. The Novel: Blossoms of the Savannah by Henry Ole Kulet.“Women are their own enemies.” Discuss this statement deriving your Illustrations from Henry Ole Kulet’s Blossoms of the Savannah.
In the society, the woes that women go through can be attributed to actions perpetrated by the same women. They are their own enemies. This is clearly illustrated below.
(Accept any relevant introduction) Mama Milanoi clearly brings this out when she is unable to stand up for her own daughters. Her adherence to tradition makes her a mere spectator as the girls go through torture like forced marriage to Oloisudori and even Taiyo’s forced circumcision by colluding with the Esoit women. Thus ending up an enemy to the girls. The brutality and contempt witnessed as Enkoiboni addressed Resian is evidence of women being their own worst enemies. She insults and mistreats Resian by intruding her privacy when she wants to confirm whether she was pregnant. She plans for her marriage to her son and even forced circumcision without her consent. This clearly shows that women are their own worst enemies. Simiren’s wives are compliant of the dictates of traditions unquestionably. When Mama Milanoi goes to seek advice pertaining Oloisudori’s case, they tell her that she and her husband were behaving like the proverbial greedy hyena that straddled two parallel paths with the ridiculous intention of reaching two destinations simultaneously so as not to miss the meals in either places. Yeiyo botorr also concludes that Resian has evil spirits when she stands her ground and also questions the nerve of the men sitting comfortably and waiting for food to be brought by women. Female circumcision was perpetrated by the women themselves as they tried to fight the torture and oppression metted to them by the Ilarinkon warriors. They simply are the reason that they have to contend with F.G.M today. All the perpetrators of female circumcision are women to an extent that Taiyo composed a song for the three women calling them “three blind mice” i.e. the Enkamuratani, (circumciser), the (spy) enkasakutoni and enkaitoyoni(midwife). In conclusion, women’s liberation can only be possible if they all came up in arms to form a united on front to fight injustices in the society. (Accept any other relevant conclusion) ![]()
The novel begins as Kaelo, his wife, Taiyo and Resian leave Nakuru for Nasila, a rural area in Maasai land. This is as a result of retrenchment of Kaelo who has been working as the manager of Agribix Limited.
On reaching Nasila, Ole Kaelo’s are welcomed by uncle Simiren’s family which consists of four wives and sixteen children. In a move towards settling in Nasila the new home, Ole Kaelo visits his old friend Ole Sumpeyo. It is thirty years since Ole Kaelo left Nasila for Nakuru. THE BIOGRAPHY OF HENRY OLE KULET![]()
Henry ole Kulet was born in 1946. He is a veteran and award winning Kenyan writer known for his novels which capture aspects of environment, culture and experiences of Maasai people.
He is an established author for he has written eight novels. Daughter of Maa is a story of quiet village that is stirred by a frenzy of activities by the arrival of a young and pretty community teacher, Anna Walangh. He authored It is possible in 1971, How To became a Man in 1972 and Bandits of Kibi in 1999. In Bandits of Kibi, he created scenes which came out during the Post-Election Violence in 2007 after the disputed elections. Henry Ole Kulet was raised in Enkare-Ngusur in Narok, Kenya. He studied farm management at Egerton College. In 1987, he retired from his career in agriculture. During his retirement, he wrote 9 books including Blossoms of the Savannah and was awarded the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature. BLOSSOMS OF the SAVANNAH: 47 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSQuestions
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SYNOPSIS OF BLOSSOMS OF THE SAVANNAH![]()
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