POSSIBLE SCOPE: ENG 1501

How does Bessie Head use symbolism in her novel When rain clouds gather and what effect does it have
on the way we read and respond to the story?

In the novel When rain clouds gather, Bessie Head uses symbolism to express the transition from the
harsh life of tribalism, to the development of modern day co-operatives and the effect it has on the
community.

One of the main symbolic images in the text is the recurring theme of When rain clouds gather. This
incomplete and open statement refers to the progression and change Golema Mmidi is facing now that
Makhaya and Gilbert have joined up with the community. Rain clouds gathering at first suggests a
negative atmosphere to the novel, as clouds lead to the blockage of the sun and so provide a cold and dark
mood.

However, rain clouds make a transition from being negative to positive through the book, as it is later
discovered that rain clouds gathering are desired and looked forward to, with the Botswana people going
so far as to call “all good things and all good people rain”. Those rain clouds come to symbolize hope,
recovery, the rewards of faith, new growth” (P, I). The reader is asked to change his earlier preconception
on rain clouds and realize that rain provides water which is a necessity in the Botswana desert. It is
required to grow the crops, vegetation, and quench the cattle’s thirst, who provide the only source of
income in the village.

Moreover, the rain clouds symbolize the villagers of Golema Mmidi getting together once they realize
through Makhaya and Gilbert that by co-operating they can achieve much more then they could
individually. They join forces against Matenge because they have more influence in bigger numbers. The
reader is told that “the rain clouds always gathered in September”, except for now. This signifies the
breaking of tribalism and the tradition that has kept the villagers underdeveloped and poor for so long.
Those metaphorical rain clouds stop following the...

 ...WHEN RAIN CLOUDS GATHER THEMES * TRIBALISM * APARTHEID * RACISM *

DESCRIMINATION * PROGRESSION – DEVELOPMENT * BLACK/BLACK –
WHITE/BLACK – MALE/FEMALE * SOCIAL INJUSTICE When rain clouds gather written
by Bessie Head is set in Botswana. The protagonist, Makhaya Maseko is escaping from South
Africa as he does not want to be part of the apartheid system, he just wants peace and equality.
The aims of the author are to show the horrible living conditions due to the same problem of
tribalism as chiefs only thought about themselves and prevented local people to develop. We can
clearly see how harsh the living conditions were as it is mentioned ‘all those eighty cattle lay
scattered about, quite still, quite dead’ this happened because of the dry season, not a single living
thing could be seen as the passed by. When they finally got to the cattle post ‘vultures began
swooping down in a straight column on the already decomposing carcasses’ this made it even
clearer as there were only dead bodies and vultures were ready to eat them. These quotes
anticipate us about the death of the child. This was such an important moment because it shows
us the love between these two characters, Paulina is hurt as her son has died but Makhaya is there
to support her. Also, it shows us how the child lived away from the family and so he...
 When Rain Clouds Gather

...particularly, the corrupt and oppressive leadership seen on the African continent. He is
the antagonist and villain of the novel “When Rain Clouds Gather”. When we are first
introduced to Chief Matenje, he is referred to as the “troublesome and unpopular brother”
of the “paramount chief named Sekoto” (Head 2008:18). Chief Sekoto appointed Chief
Matenje as the subchief of Golema Mmidi, a small, rural village in Botswana. He is
extremely disliked by the villagers because of his “overwhelming avariciousness and
unpleasant personality” (Head 2008: 18). Chief Matenje’s unattractive and hard
appearance is influenced by the angry, tortured and negative life which he had lived. He
is described as having a “long, gloomy, melancholy, suspicious face” (Head 2008: 43).
When the protagonist, Makhaya Maseko, first meets the Chief, he sees the face of a
“tortured man” with “scarred deep ridges across his brow and down his cheeks” (Head
2008: 65). He notes that this is the face of a man who has only experienced the “storms
and winters of life, never the warm dissolving sun of love” (Head 2008:18). Chief
Matenje “really believed he was ‘royalty’” (Head 2008: 62). He used a number of items,
including “a high-backed kingly chair” and “a deep, purple tasselled and expensive
gown” (Head 2008: 62), to display this image. He even wished to display this royalty in
his actions. When he first...

 A Character Sketch of Chief Matenge in Bessie Head s "When Rain Clouds Gather" Essay

...Chief Matenge as an example of corrupt leadership in Bessie Head's "When Rain

Clouds Gather" Character Sketch - Chief Matenge Chief Matenge is first revered to in
the novel as Pamount Chief Sokoto's "troubIesome and unpopular younger brother".
p.18) We has "an overwhelming avariciousness and unpleasant personality". p. 18) He is
"intensely disliked by the villagers". (p. 18) Chief Sekoto 'wanted his brother [Matenge]
destroyed for all the family feuds and intrigues he had instigated." p.19 - 20) "Chief
Matenge lived in the central part of the village in a big cream painted mansion. He had
once been married and divorced, his wife retaining the two children of the marriage. For
many years he had lived done in the cream mansion until quite recently he had acquired a
guest and friend in a certain politician named has Tsepe." p.41) He keeps slaves that he
"'received as part of his heritage" (p. 42) "The mansion, the slaves, and a huge cream
Chevrolet, which he parked under a tree in the yard, were the only things that gave
Matenge a feeling of security in the village." (p. 42) He "commanded the largest
following of diehard traditionalists, the ones who h m generation to generation saw to it
that things remained as they were". (p. 42 - 43) He "understood tribalism". p.43)
"Matenge was the epitome of this darkness with his long, gloomy, melancholy,
suspicious face and his ceaseless intrigues, bitter...

 The Theme Within the Rain Clouds Essay

 ...The Themes Within The Rain Clouds “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” is a beautifully
written short story by Leslie Marmon Silko. Set in a modern 21st century time frame, this
story is about a Native American family’s grandfather passing away and how the family
gives him a proper, cultural funeral despite all of the modern traditions/challenges that
present them along the way. There are a couple themes that are displayed as the story is
told. The first theme that is the most prominent and apparent in this story shown is
respect. This theme is displayed throughout the entire story. The characters in the story
Ken, Leon, Louise and Teresa clearly have respect for Teofilo not just because he is their
grandfather, because he is an elder. In Native American culture, elders are considered the
wisest and most respected in their tribes. Ken and Leon show their respect by painting
Teofilo’s face “Across the brown wrinkled forehead he drew a streak of white and along
the high cheekbones he drew a strip of blue paint… Then Leon painted with the yellow
under the old man’s broad nose, and finally when he painted green across the chin, he
smiled” (Silko 403) and tying a feather in his hair “Leon took a piece of string out of his
pocket and tied a small grey feather in the old man’s long white hair.” (Silko 403) These
are traditions that are performed for a proper Native American burial ceremony,
something that the...

Chief Matenje is an example of corrupt leadership – particularly, the corrupt and oppressive leadership
seen on the African... continent. He is the antagonist and villain of the novel “When Rain Clouds
Gather”. When we are first introduced to Chief Matenje, he is referred to as the “troublesome and
unpopular brother” of the “paramount chief named Sekoto” (Head 2008:18). Chief Sekoto appointed
Chief Matenje as the subchief of Golema Mmidi, a small, rural village in Botswana...

One of the main themes is tribablism. Makhaya Maseko thinks he is running away from tribalism in
south Africa. Ironicaly he is running into a country where tribalism means "meat and drink to them",
that is, tribalism is important to them on a daily basis. The novel is writen by Bessie Head who
experience apatheid, hence it is from her perspective how she describes and criticizes tribalism.

Another theme is that of Education. When Makhaya came across an old man before he jumped the
border to Botswana; the old man indicated that it is Educatoin that man come to the "crossroads of life".
With education, contradiction arises between the modern and tribal world. Makhaya strives to seek a
balance in Human Rights, he said "People can respect him if they like, but only if he deserves it",
however in the tribal world is it all about tyranny and dominance as Makhaya explained how they
understood their neighbouring countries' languages because during the era of Shaka, the Zulus thought
they could rule the world, that's why they "bothered to learn the languages".