Chapter 12: Prose

Introduction

In this chapter, you are going to look at a variety of texts and choose what you would like to read and that’s prose.

You will discuss your reading preferences with the class, explaining why you like or dislike certain genres. You will also read extracts from a novel, and answer questions about it.
Reading can bring much enjoyment, as well as widen your knowledge and improve your language skills and concentration. There are so many different types of texts to choose from, that everyone can find something that they enjoy reading.

It is also fun to discuss texts with our peers to find out what they enjoy reading, and to get ideas about what to read next. It is, therefore, useful to understand the literary terms that help us to analyse and discuss a text.

Hints/Tips
Genre is the type of story, for example, romance, crime novel, horror story, etc. In your exercise book, start a list of all the genres of text you can think of, including an explanation of each genre. Underline the genres you are interested in.

Activity 4.1 Understand key literary terms and discuss your favourite texts
1. Write the list of literary terms in your exercise book.
setting plot themes structure
Use a dictionary to find the meaning of each word. Write the definition next to each literary term. Your teacher will help you if there is anything you do not understand. Some terms apply to drama and poetry too. 

2. Write a few sentences about how you feel about reading, and which books/ or texts you have read recently. Include any online articles that you may have read.
3. Discuss your reading experiences with the class. See if you can identify the setting, themes, plot or structure of the texts you have read, and explain these to the class. Listen to the experiences of the other class members, and make a note of any texts you think you may enjoy reading.



“You stole it from her garden?” I frowned.
it. As a gift for her muroora.”
Nhamo grinned mischievously. “No, I didn’t steal it. I asked Amai for “Her muroora?” I exclaimed, my eyes bright. “You told her she had a daughter-in-law?” I could hardly believe it – this was my dream come 20
true!

“Well, you know,” he teased, “if this was the time of our forefathers, could have just come to your homestead with some mice and taken you
there and then…”
“Ah, Nhamo!” I giggled. “Don’t tease me! You know things have changed since those days!”
it…

Nhamo laughed. “Oh I know times have changed! Now one needs many cattle – and money too – to pay the bride-price. But it’s all worth especially if the bride is as special as you. Ruva rangu…” My heart somersaulted as he said that. “So I told my mother about you,” Nhamo went on, placing the pumpkin in my hands. “And I told my uncle. We will send the munyai soon, with a message from our family. He will be the intermediary when we discuss the roora.”
I laughed with joy, throwing my head back, my heart soaring. “How could your mother have ever named you Nhamo? Nhamo –
misfortune? No, never my love!” And we both laughed until Rudo called me to come back home with her.

2. Read and discuss the questions with a partner. Then answer them in your
exercise book.

a) Why do you think Nhamo’s eyes lit up when he saw Tariro?
b) Tariro says, fireflies leaped and swooped inside me. She is not speaking of real fireflies here – she is using a metaphor. What does this metaphor communicate to the reader?
c) Why does Nhamo give Tariro a pumpkin?
d) Why does Tariro frown when she asks if he stole the pumpkin? e) What is Nhamo trying to tell Tariro when he calls her his mother’s muroora?

3. The introduction tells us that the setting is the rural areas of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) in 1964. Can you find any other clues in the extract that would tell us where and when the story is set?
4. Foreshadowing is used when events are hinted at, which will occur later on in the text. Can you find any evidence of foreshadowing in this extract?

My father looked offended. “What is it he wants to talk about? Can he not speak to me in private? I am, after all, the leader of my people. If he has anything to tell them, he can tell them through me.” The messenger looked embarrassed. “Actually,” he confided, “it was the Deputy Commissioner who insisted that he speak with all of Baas Thompson wanted to discuss it with you privately but Baas Watson said, no, these native chiefs must not get too big for their boots. He wants to speak to the people direct.”

“So Watson is coming, not Thompson?”
The messenger nodded.
I felt a sense of foreboding when I heard this. I could not understand why.
I could see that Baba was not pleased, as he pressed his lips together and clenched his hands around his walking stick. But what could he do? “Tell him they will be here,” Baba said at last, and his shoulders sagged just a little.

The messenger thanked him gratefully and ran back to pick up his bicycle.
Baba turned and looked at us, and the other wives and children who had assembled. “We should prepare ourselves for bad news,” he said shortly and turned to MaZiyanai, suddenly irritated. “What are you waiting for, woman?” he barked. “Prepare my tea and my bath!” And he stalked off to brood over the meeting to come.

2. Read and discuss the questions with a partner. Answer them in your exercise book.
a) In paragraph 3, the messenger seemed to have remembered his manners. What does this tell you about his behaviour when he first arrived at the homestead?

b) Why is Tariro’s father offended by the messenger’s news?

c) The messenger tells Tariro’s father that Watson said the native chiefs must not get too big for their boots (think themselves important). What does this tell us about Watson’s attitude to the local people?

d) In line 30 Tariro’s father’s shoulders sagged just a little after giving the messenger his answer. Why do you think this is?

e) Why does Tariro’s father shout at his wife MaZiyanai, after the messenger has left?
3. The theme is the ideas or concepts that the text deals with. Discuss with a
friend what theme, or themes, are introduced in this extract.

1. Read the extract.

Chapter 5 Confrontation
The news that the Deputy Commissioner, Watson, brought is indeed bad. The land that the villagers lived on, and farm, was to be taken from them to be farmed by white farmers, while they had to move to the ‘reserve’ lands. The people are horrified and look to Tariro’s father for leadership, but he does nothing to defy the orders. Nhamo is furious when Watson humiliates Tariro, and he tries to attack him – but Watson’s men beat Nhamo mercilessly.

Eventually, Watson called the men off. They gave Nhamo one last kick and then hauled him up to drag him to the waiting vehicle.
I scrambled to my feet and ran towards them. “Where are you taking him?” I screamed at them.
The guns turned on me immediately, but, although I felt a cold wave 5 ran to Nhamo. His eyes were swollen shut, his face a mess of crimson of dread wash over me, my blood was too hot. I pushed them aside and blood and purple bruises.

“Nhamo, Nhamo,” I moaned. “What have they done to you, moyo wangu?”

Watson swung himself up into his truck and glared at the terrified huddle of men, women and children who had, by now, gathered in the homestead to witness the scene. He waved his gun over their heads. “Let this be a warning to you all!” he shouted. “Don’t get any silly ideas in your heads. You have two weeks to get your things and move to the reserve. My men will be here to make sure that everything goes smoothly.”

“But where are you taking him?” I screamed again, hot tears searing my cheeks, my face contorted with anguish.
“As for this one, don’t you worry about him,” muttered Watson grimly. “He has assaulted one of Her Majesty’s officers. We’ll teach him He turned the key and the engine roared. a lesson he’ll never forget
“Come on, you boys, checha, hurry up!”

And they left, carrying my brave, foolish, bleeding Nhamo with them. When they had gone, all that could be heard was the worried murmuring of the men, women and children and the high, keening cry that came from my throat as I sank to the ground and sat rocking, my hands pressed to the red soil where Nhamo’s blood bloomed in dark patches. I felt as if my heart had been torn in two.
I could not look in Baba’s eyes that night.

2. Answer the questions in your exercise book. Swap your book with a partner. Mark each other’s work.
a) Describe how Tariro is feeling in this extract.

b) In line 13, Watson says, “Don’t get any silly ideas in
Who is he speaking to?
What does he mean by these words?
your heads”

c) Read Watson’s words, in lines 20-22. What do you think will happen to Nhamo?

d) Why does Tariro say, in line 30, that she could not look in Baba’s eyes that night?

3. Work in a group to answer questions.
a) Does this extract introduce any new themes to the story, or does it develop the same themes as you mentioned in Activity 4.3?

b) Summarise the plot of the story up to this point. Write this summary in your exercise book.
c) Discuss how the story could continue and end. Write your ideas for a suitable ending in your exercise book. Share your ideas with the rest of the class and listen to the ideas that other groups present.

Activity 4.5 Read previous extracts and a new extract
Work on your own.
Answer the questions from the extracts in this chapter.

1. Look at the way in which Nhamo is described in the first extract. Write down some of the words used, for example warm, brown eyes, in line 3. Now read the third extract again, and write down the words used to describe Nhamo there. Write a sentence describing the difference between the two descriptions.Hints

Take note of how the words make you feel. Warm, brown eyes has a very positive message, and makes the reader feel happy and comfortable. This unspoken message that many words have, is called the connotation of the words.

2. Read extracts 2 and 3 again.

a) Why do you think Tariro’s father did nothing to stop the Deputy Commissioner and his men in extract 3?
b) Do you think he made the correct decision? Give reasons for your answer.
3. Look at the structure of the extract, especially the introduction, where the setting and characters are introduced; the conflict, is the difficulties faced by the characters in the story and climax, which is the most exciting part of the story. Which term would you apply to each of the extracts given here? Give reasons for your answer.

4. Read the next extract, and answer the questions.
[My brother] Farai left with a group of comrades who had come to talk to us about the liberation struggle. I saw his eyes light up when the young man, his face obscured by a bushy beard, spoke in stirring terms about the liberation to come, about the necessity of armed resistance. In the morning, Farai was gone.

And, in 1975, in the year Herbert Chitepo was assassinated, in the year that Robert Mugabe became the leader of ZANU, I left [my daughter] Tawona in [my sister] Mainini’s care and melted into the bush to fight alongside the comrades, our boys, vakomana vedu.
a) Explain why Farai’s eyes lit up when he listened to the young man talking.
b)Read the elements of structure (introduction, conflict, escalation of tension, climax or resolution). Which of the elements are fitting for this
extract? Explain your answer.