UNIVERSITY OF RWANDA

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

NYAGATARE CAMPUS

MODULE CODE: LIT 2144

MODULE TITLE: Survey of African literature

COMBINATION: FLE

REG NUMBER Signature

223024244
223015879
223003353
223000026
223024018

1.The summary

This story given to us is an extract from the novel The change of season by peter Clarke. This
short story is set in South Africa in the period of apartheid. This story is narrated in the first
person point of view.

The narrator starts by telling us the life in the class and how almost everyone in the class was
stupid especially this young kid called zondi who was always the last one. He was stupid at the
extent the narrator was very sorry for him. As time went by, the narrator and friends grew up and
changed a bit.

There’s this time when the narrator is sitting at the river with his friends and they start recalling
their childhood memories and they somehow miss their childhood moments. They talk about
their former teacher who is now a drunkard, talking about how he cared about his students that
he always corrected them…

They come across the memories of how they used to tease each other playing with their body
parts. They joke about one of their friends Geilie who was white, and al of a sudden it moves
Geilie badly and Zondi boost about having the most bigger horn than Geilie and talks about how
Geilie has kaffir blood inside him. At that moment they knew that things weren’t going to be the
same between them and Geilie.

They keep on talking about the past and we learn that Geilie changes into a stranger to his fiends
while he was studying at school of whites. And we come to learn that Zondi and his family are
forced to move in a place called Xhosa by the government. And they never heard about Zondi
again.

2. setting

when they ask about a setting of the story they simply want to mean when and where the
novel/story took place and we have, GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING AND HISTORICAL
SETTING.

 Geographical setting is all about the environment or geography of where the story takes
place also known as location or place. And in the story the change of season, the story
takes place in South Africa.
 Historical setting is all about the time period in which a literary work is set, including
specific events, social conditions and cultural norms of that time… and in the story the
changing of season, the historical setting is the Apartheid period… a time in South Africa
where white people oppressed black people in the country.

3.Characters and characterisation

Characters are the human beings or non-living things that play roles in the story. To mean that
without characters the story wouldn’t be a story. The character in this short story are the
following.

 Zondi: is the stupidest student in class always the last. He’s tall and he has a very deep
sense of humor and loves to play with his private part of the body.
  Geilie: is the white kid, with rich parents ‘cause we learn that he goes to study in a nice
school of white kids. He’s somehow serious because he didn’t like jokes. He’s easily
moved. And he holds grudges
 The narrator is a fair person who loves his friends because he thinks about Zondi and how
he can make him change his mind into a normal person. And he missed him now that he
was no longer in the same village as them. And the fact that he and the other friends visits
the old place shows that he still cares.
 Their teacher Meneer is now a drunkard but he used to care for his students and loved
them that he always told them to do right.
 Lucas francke; the friend of narrator smart and intelligent.
 Dolphie Arendse; A good friend of narrator was cool and calm student in a class.
 Oubas Coen; Like other classmates, he was a good participator of all actions in and out of
class.

4. Language

 Biblical allusion: is literary device which used to refer to the Christian I literary works in
order to make point. this biblical allusion was demonstrated in this story where narrator
used to tell “ those that are last shall be first and those who are first shall be last. On
p.247”. the narrator said that while criticizing zondi with manner of being the last in
class.

 Rhetorical questions: is question asked in order to create dramatic effect or to make point
rather than to get an answer. For example : p.247 in last paragraph narrator said “ it gives
me breathing space if I’m last , he would say . But for what? I would wonder. For
what ?”.
  Metonym: is word that names an object from a single characteristics of it or closer
related object to represent or stand for a broader set of ideas. For example: zondi said to
his friends “ my father’s cock is bigger than anybody else’s. there’s the real of Africa.

 Hyperbole: is an extreme exaggeration specifically for literary or rhetorical effect.

Hyperbole is an example of figurative language and it use intent and high degree of
exaggeration. For example “ we had burst out laughing “ on p.250. also on p.251 “his
teeth white in contrast of the darkness of his skin.” Said narrator.

 Repetition: is the use of repeating of some words in a story.

. was going to grow up and be baas …….

.was just going to grow big and be a labourer… p.251
These show repetition of “going to grow”.

5. Themes

Theme: is central idea in the story

Some of themes we found in the story are the following:

 Apartheid: through out the story, the narrator highlights the degree of racial segregation
among the children. Where Gielie illustrated as white among them .

 Conflict: is disagreement between two or more people or parties. The conflict was
illustrated clearly when Gielie used to separate himself from his friends after amusing
their naked bodies and no longer be a part of them hence conflict.

 Peer group: The children enjoyed playing games, making tiny oxen and ox-wagons of
clay, and toy cars and lorries from scrap wire, wrestling and to swim naked in the river
 and seeing who has the biggest cock this amused them as group and the elder used to sit
together and discuss while drinking beer as group of elder.

 Education: The children go to school and they had a drunkard teacher who is called
Meneer . this theme of education highlighted throughout the story as crucial thing
whereas Gielie going to high school for the whites in town.

 Christianity: mostly in different cases the story referred to bible verses like the line says
that “ those that are last shall be first and those who first will be last “ this line used by
narrator to show that even if zondi was always last but still there hope for him to be the
first .Bible used as great source to make characters not complaining much to the life
struggles (believing in what bible says) hence Christianity.

6. THE RELEVANCE OF STORY TO AFRICAN LITERATURE

The story is related to African literature because it includes theme and issues that specific to
African cultures, societies such as: colonialism, identity. It gives insight into the unique
experiences and perspectives of African citizens for instance; playing games for children and
making toys cars and lorries and also the elder gathering while drinking beer and also believing
in what bible says