unanswered-cries
UNANSWERED CRIES
AUTHOR: OSMAN CONTEH
SETTING: FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE
PUBLISHER: MACMILLAN
YEAR: 2002
CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATION
The Novel ―Unanswered cries‖ has the following characters:
• OLABISI:The main character in the novel. She fights in opposition of circumcision. At the end she wins the case and is not circumcised.
• MAKALAY:Olabisi‘s mother, she is educated yet she remains to be superstitious. She believes in women‘s circumcision. To her, a clean and real woman is the one who is circumcised. The gorka (uncircumcised girl) is despised and isolated by the society.
• ADE JONES: Olabisi‘s father. He lives in Freetown with other women [OYAH]. He is fond of chasing skirts. He opposes her daughter to be circumcised and let the issue be settled in the court of law.
• OYAH: Ade‘s girlfriend in town. She is a lawyer by profession .She is a good woman since she loves Olabisi like her daughter. She wins the case as Ade‘s lawyer though on the other hand they are in a love relation.
• DAUDA: Makalay‘s second husband. He is wise since he does not support his wife on the issue of circumcising Olabisi.
• EDDY: he is Olabisi‘s boyfriend. He lets the rat out of the sack about his relationship with Olabisi, hence betrays his girlfriend.
• RUGIATU AND SALAY: these are Daughters of Yah Posseh. They are badly beaten by Olabilisi at the well and later at the forest. They, like their mother, believe that a clean and real woman is the one who is circumcised.
• AMADU: The hunter who collides with Olabisi in the forest. He believes in superstitions since he ties a big amulet on his hand. He betrays Makalay since he lets the girl go after being given money enough to buy two goats by Olabisi.
• SALAAM SESAY: Makalay‘s lawyer. He pleads the case on the side of Makalay but at the end they loses the case. Regardless of his knowledge in law, he supports the bondo secret group on women‘s circumcision.
• YAH POSSEH: The leader of bondo secret group .She is superstitious and believes in spirits .She is believed to possess magic power and she is highly feared in the community.
• DR.ASIATU: A gynecologist who explained the disadvantages of women circumcision in the court.
THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL
The novel ‗Unanswered cries‖ written by Osman Conteh has the following themes:
• CONFLICT: This misunderstanding occurrs between the following: OLABILISI VERSUS RUGIATU AND SALAY - The conflict occurs at the forest when Olabisi asks them if they are circumcised or not, so they start fighting when Olabisi calls them gorka .They also feels jealous as Olabisi comes from town; ADES JONES VERSUS MAKALAY: The conflicts between them occurr as the result of lack of faithfulness in marriage. Ades Jones likes chasing skirts. Their marriage breaks down due to jealous and lack of understanding between them. The act of Ade Jones prohibiting her daughter to be circumcised increases the conflict between them; MAKALAY VERSUS OYAH: Oyah takes the husband of Makalay. This causes conflict between them as everyone considers that she has right to be wife of Ade
Jones. Love and jealous played part to their misunderstanding; MAKALAY VERSUS HER DAUGHTER: The conflict is due to Makalay‘s demand of circumcising Olabisi without her will. Olabisi does not support her as she realizes the effects of women circumcision.
• BETRAYAL: Makalay betrays her only daughter (Olabisi) when she conspires with bondo secret group to circumcise her. Makalay says‖ whatever the spirit says I will do‖.The betrayal of Olabisi‘s father when he decides to marry a lawyer and leave her wife suffering in the village.Makalay betrayed her husband when she got a man to live with (Dauda)
• JEALOUS: Makalay feels jealous since her ex-husband falls in love with another woman .Rugiatu and Salay feels jealous since Olabisi is from the city and shows that she has confidence and self awareness.
• SELF AWARENESS: Olabisi is aware that women circumcision is dangerous to women during child birth .Doctor Asiatu was aware of the problems caused by genital mutilation. Ade Jones is aware that circumcision of women does more harm good.
• PROSTITUTION:This issue of prostitution is portrayed by the writer of this novel. The writer reveals through the main character Olabisi who starts engaging in love at the age of fourteen years old .Makalay gets pregnancy and hence this proves the failure of circumcision to reduce sexual desire. Also Ade Jones is notable skirt chaser. He does not control his sexual desire and ends up making love with other women who come close to him. • PHYSICAL FITNESS: Olabisi is trained by her boyfriend eddy to defend herself. She uses her body to defend Rugiatu and Salay and other people. So this shows how people can use their bodies to defend themselves.
• AFRICAN CULTURE: The writer portrays the customs and traditions of Temne people, the tribe is found in Sierra Leone. According to Temne tradition and beliefs, all women have to be circumcised to reduce sexual desire and become faithful to their husbands. So in their tribe, a woman who is not circumcised is called gborka. People believe in magic and outdated customs and traditions.
• POSITION OF WOMEN IN THE SOCIETY: The writer portrays a woman as weak creature .Women are circumcised without their will in order to reduce their sexual desire. Also women are portrayed as refreshment tools to men as in the novel; Ade Jones made love with different types of women before he gets married to Oyah.
• THE ROLE OF COERSIVE ORGANS IN DECISION MAKING:The court can be used by people to get their rights. The dispute between Ade Jones and Makalay is settled in court. Judge Lansana Kanuru leads the judgment that Olabilisi cannot be forced to be circumcised without her own consent since she is grown up. The bondo secret group is defeated before the court.
LANGUAGE USED IN THE NOVEL
The author uses simple English easy to understand since it is straight forward.
MESSAGE FROM THE NOVEL
The author shows good message to the society that women circumcision is not good since it brings a big effect to our health such as getting problems during birth, and lead transmission of disease such as HIV/AIDS, and most of women loose much blood and that lead to their death. So people need education about circumcision and stop ignorance.
RELEVANCE OF THE NOVEL TO THE SOCIETY
There are many people who practice circumcision. Most of Africans believe in superstition. As in the novel, theTemne people in Sierra Leone engage in women circumcision. Other societies who still practice women circumcision in East Africa are such as the Masai, Kikuyu,Luo and Kurya.
Exercise 3SAMPLEQUESTIONS
1. Female genital mutilation is a common practice in some African societies. It is carried out for a particular reason according to customs and traditions. In reference to any novel you have read, do you think the reasons given in support of the practice fair? Why?
2. Choose any TWO characters from the readings you have read and show the messages conveyed by the character. How relevant are the messages in our daily experience?
3. Betrayal seems to be a common issue in the society. Those who practice it seem to enjoy but its effects are far reaching. Discuss the truth of this phrase in reference to two readings you have read.
4. Unfaithfulness in marriage and in relationship tends to cause family or relationship breaks up. Discuss how this issue is portrayed in two readings you have read.
5. ―Our parents are very important agents of shaping our personalities‖ Verify this claim by using two novels of your choice.
