POSITION OT WOMEN AND OTHER THEMES

POSITION OF WOMEN.

Women occupy different positions in different societies. Some authors portray women in a positive way while others portray their negative aspects or both. In this novel, women occupy the following positions;

a.    Women as portrayed as tools for pleasure by men.

Most men use women just to satisfy their sexual desires. The following examples illustrate the point. Abooki by John, Edda by Atwoki, Birungi by Adyeri, David with his father were using a lot of women and girls for the same reason. This increases their chance of getting HIV.

b.    Women are portrayed as prostitutes.

In the novel we see some women/girls engaging in commercial sex as a solution to poverty. These include; Vicky, Kunihira and Tusiime.

c.    Women are portrayed as weak person.

A woman is shown as a weak vessel that men can manipulate the way they wish. Amoti receives constant beating from her husband. Also Vicky is denied the chance of marrying Akena by her uncle because of bride price which she has no say about.

d.    Women are portrayed as superstitious.

Women also believe in witchcraft. Amoti believes that the sickness of her husband is due to witchcraft. She says that her husband has been bewitched by Birungi.

e.    A woman is portrayed a jealous person.

We are told that Amoti does not want Vicky to marry Akena because of jealousy. As a result she puts an obstacle that Akena is a Munyamahanga (a man from another tribe). Also she is jealous of the wife of the rich shopkeeper.

g.    Women are portrayed as caretaker of the  family.

Despite all her weaknesses, Amoti has a positive side. She manages to take a good care of her children even after family separation. We are told that until they reach High school.

h.    A woman is portrayed as a betrayer.

We are told that Adyeri loses his job because of the financial scandal that he squandered the school funds to build Birungi a house and sells his plot of land to open a shop for her. Yet when he is sick she throw

Other themes include;

 Irresponsibility,

Adyeri is an irresponsible father and leader. As a leader he failed to do anything for which to be remembered for. As a father he fails to provide for the family basic needs. Due to his drinking habit he fails to foot the food bills in the house. That’s why uncle Araali comes and finds children with no food and foots the food bills. He also fails to take good care of his niece and leaves her to get engaged in prostitutions and he doesn’t care.

 Tribalism,

Amoti has a spirit of tribalism. She denies Vicky to marry Akena saying he’s a man from another tribe calling him a Munyamahanga.