Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 6K views

    LEAVING by Vasanji Synopsis: Main Characters: 1. Aloo

    Uploaded by

    Rosli Din
    The story follows a mother raising her five children alone in Tanzania after her husband's early death. She moves them to a quieter neighborhood to provide a better study environment. Her youngest son Aloo excels in school and is inspired by a former teacher to study abroad. He is offered a scholarship to study medicine in California. The mother refuses due to finances and fear of losing him. On advice, she allows Aloo to leave, realizing her children must grow up. In his first letter home, Aloo's excitement makes the mother uncertain of his return.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    LEAVING by Vasanji Synopsis: Main Characters: 1. Aloo

    Uploaded by

    Rosli Din
    6K views3 pages
    The story follows a mother raising her five children alone in Tanzania after her husband's early death. She moves them to a quieter neighborhood to provide a better study environment. Her youngest son Aloo excels in school and is inspired by a former teacher to study abroad. He is offered a scholarship to study medicine in California. The mother refuses due to finances and fear of losing him. On advice, she allows Aloo to leave, realizing her children must grow up. In his first letter home, Aloo's excitement makes the mother uncertain of his return.

    Original Description:

    literature work for form 4

    Original Title

    LEAVING by Vasanji

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The story follows a mother raising her five children alone in Tanzania after her husband's early death. She moves them to a quieter neighborhood to provide a better study environment. Her youngest son Aloo excels in school and is inspired by a former teacher to study abroad. He is offered a scholarship to study medicine in California. The mother refuses due to finances and fear of losing him. On advice, she allows Aloo to leave, realizing her children must grow up. In his first letter home, Aloo's excitement makes the mother uncertain of his return.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    6K views3 pages

    LEAVING by Vasanji Synopsis: Main Characters: 1. Aloo

    Uploaded by

    Rosli Din
    The story follows a mother raising her five children alone in Tanzania after her husband's early death. She moves them to a quieter neighborhood to provide a better study environment. Her youngest son Aloo excels in school and is inspired by a former teacher to study abroad. He is offered a scholarship to study medicine in California. The mother refuses due to finances and fear of losing him. On advice, she allows Aloo to leave, realizing her children must grow up. In his first letter home, Aloo's excitement makes the mother uncertain of his return.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 3

    LEAVING by Vasanji

    Synopsis

    Leaving is set in Tanzania. It is a story of a woman who raises her five children
    alone after the early death of her husband.After her two elder daughters get
    married and the eldest son acquires a job,the mother focuses on the two younger
    ones, Aloo and the youngest (the narrator). Aloo is in his final year in school
    and the girl is in university.She pins all her hopes on them that they will have a
    better education.She sells their store and moves them to Upanga.The place is
    quieter and provides a better environment for them to study.The return of Mr
    Datoo, a former teacher inspires Aloo to think of furthering his education in
    America. He wants study medicine. He starts writing to American universities to
    get the necessary information .He is not keen on studying agriculture in a local
    university.He is offered a place with a scholarship in the California Institute of
    Technology. However,his mother would not allow him to accept the offer,citing
    finances and fear of losing him as the reasons.Finally,on the advice of a school
    officer,the mother relents and accepts the idea of allowing Aloo to leave home
    for a different sky.The narrator,for the first time,sees her mother as a person and
    not just as her mother-someone who has always thought only of the children's
    welfare.Aloo's first letter was a graphic enthusiastic account of London but to
    the mother,she is uncertain of his return.

    Plots

    1. Exposition: Mother and her two children move to Upanga


    2. Rising action: Aloo writes to universities in America
    3. Climax: Aloo is offered a scholarship to study in America and discusses the offer
    with his mother
    4. Falling action: The family goes to see Me Velji and mother allows Aloo to go to
    America
    5. Resolution: Aloo leaves for America

    Character and characteristics


    Main characters:

    1. Aloo

     youngest child in the family-doing his final year in school.


     a good student who does well in school examinations,straight As.
     is inspired by a former teacher who returns from America for a visit to think o
    furthering his education overseas in America.
     not keen on studying agriculture at a local university
     diligent-writes to universities to get necessary information for further studies
     ambitious-wants to study medicine
     extremely happy when offered a scholarship to study in California Institute of
    Technology
     spirited and courageous-willing to do part-time work while studying
     tries to convince other that he will definitely return to his homeland after his studies
     obedient-willing to accept mother's decision-does not speak about overseas education
    and prepares to study agriculture locally
     could not suppress his excitement when mother finally allows him to go overseas
     writes from London to mother-letter so full of excitement creates doubts in mother's
    mind about the future.

    2. Mother

     mother of the five children and runs a store in Uhuru Street-single-handedly raises five
    children after early death of husband
     Aloo's mother became a widow at thirty-three and had refused ever since to marry for
    fear that the next husband would ask her to take her children to the 'boarding'
     thinks of the children's future-willing to sacrifice for them -closes down the store and
    moves family to a quieter part of town-better environment for studying-a big change
    for her
     ambitious about her children's education-wants them to do well
     afraid to let youngest son go for overseas education-afraid he might not return
    home,take a European wife or forget his roots
     at the same time wise or understanding about situation-children have to grow up and
    leave home one day-but hopes to hold on to them as long as possible
     loving and caring-take steps to ensure youngest son leave for further studies with a
    happy frame of mind
     after receiving letter from Aloo who writes letter from London-feels unsure that Aloo
    will return to hometown in Tanzania

    Minor characters

    1. Aloo's sibling (narrator)

     second youngest in family and studying in a local university


     supportive of and understands Aloo's needs to study overseas and not in local
    university
     loving and caring of mother and understands mother's refusal to allow Aloo to study
    overseas
     observant-observes mother's face and sees her as a person and not just as their mother-
    recalls mother's worried unsmiling face looking after them in her own

    2. Mr Datoo

     a former teacher in Aloo's school-came back from America for a visit


     it was his visit that inspired Aloo to think about his future-of studying overseas in
    America
    3. Mr Velji

     a school officer who gives an objective comment about Aloo's studies overseas
     knows that Aloo will get a good education but fears mother may lose a son
     has an understanding look when he reads the content of Aloo's letter from London

    Themes

    1. Mother's love
    2. Separation from loved ones
    3. Seizing opprtunities
    4. Sacrifice/Selflessness
    5. The importance of education
    6. Fear of the unfamiliar
    7. courage and strength to stand up to one's principles
    8. determination brings success
    9. parental sacrifice for family members
    10. .letting go of family members to let them become independent
    11. willingness to gain new experience and exposure

    Moral Values

    1. Hard work and patience will be rewarded


    2. Good education is very important
    3. we must not let opportunities pass us by.
    4. We must be grateful to our parents.
    5. We must try not to be judgmental about the things we do not understand

    You might also like