Village People by Bessie Head

About the Author

• Bessie Head (6 July 1937 – 17 April 1986): Born in Pietermaritzburg, Natal.
• Experienced challenges such as poverty, racial segregation, and gender discrimination.
• Moved to Botswana in 1964, where she worked as a teacher and in farming education.
• Known for writing about the difficulties faced by African rural communities in her novels and short stories.
• Died in Serowe, Botswana.

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Summary of the Story

• Village People consists of an introductory essay and two short stories.
• These elements explore the poverty, humanity, and hope found in rural Botswana.

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Introductory Essay

• Focuses on poverty in rural Botswana and its effects on human dignity.
• Key Points:
  • Poverty is so common that people do not recognise its signs anymore.
  • Starvation and malnutrition lead to slow changes in people's lives.
  • Despite hardship, rural villagers remain kind, warm, and loving.

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Story One: The Old Woman

Plot:

• An old woman collapses due to extreme hunger.
• The narrator prepares food for the woman and sends a child to fetch her.
• Later, the old woman's family thanks the narrator with a token of water.
• The story highlights how ordinary people show kindness and generosity despite poverty.

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Story Two: Summer Sun

• Narrator: A young girl living with her family while waiting for the rains.
• Plot:
  • The family struggles with drought, relying on goats and wild plants to survive.
  • The narrator spends time reading and learning English, motivated by her cousin Lebenan.
  • Themes include self-improvement, education, and resilience amidst hardships.

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Themes

Poverty/Struggle

• Life is a constant battle for survival in rural Botswana.
• Examples:
  • The old woman's starvation.
  • The family's reliance on wild plants during drought.

Kindness/Humanity

• Villagers show compassion despite their struggles.
• Examples:
  • The narrator shares food with the old woman.
  • The young girl brings water as a token of thanks.

Hope

• Hope for rain and a better future keeps the villagers going.
• Examples:
  • Villagers pray for rain.
  • The narrator believes education will lead to change.

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How is the Story Told?

Setting:

Rural Botswana during drought seasons.

Structure and Plot:

• Does not follow a conventional plot.
• Focuses on episodes and experiences.

Characterisation:

• The Old Woman: Honest, humble, and grateful.
• The Narrator (in both stories): Compassionate, insightful, and hopeful.
• Lebenan: Encourages education as a path to progress.

Style:

• Simple and direct, with repetitive imagery for emphasis.

Narrator's Point of View:

• Story One: Told from the third-person perspective.
• Story Two: Told in the first-person as the narrator reflects on her life.

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Diction and Figurative Language

Personification and Similes:

• "Poverty has a home in Africa… like a quiet second skin."
• "Her arms were as flat as boards."

Metaphors:

• "Keeping her face empty…"

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Tone and Mood

Tone:

• Despair: Reflects the harsh realities of poverty.
• Hopeful: Belief in rain and education as solutions.

Mood:

• Serious and sombre due to the struggles of daily survival.

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