Commentaries and Attitude Towards traditional Society - Essay Example

But undoubtedly the viewpoints of their central characters, both mother and daughter named Margaret Cadmore in Bessie Head’s ‘Maru’ as well as Fama in Ahmedou Kourouma’s ‘The Suns of Independence’ are the ones that matter most of all. While in Maru the author presents a very strong case for doing away with the negative aspects of traditions like racial discrimination and hatred for one another, in Suns of Independence the author is seen lamenting about the changes brought about by modernity because they have diluted and replaced the old values.

Discussion In Maru the elder Margaret Cadmore, the missionary’s wife is disgusted at the level of animosity and racial hatred the Botswanan tribe has for the Bushmen. After finding that the Botswanan nurses at the hospital would not care to touch the body of the dead woman, Margaret’s real mother who died in childbirth, she takes over the duty of raising and educating the orphaned child. She is determined that by giving the child a proper education and upbringing, she can give her a better future away from the limiting factors of racial hatred and discrimination so much in evidence in African society.

Indeed Bessie Head herself was the victim of racial prejudice as she was the product of a wealthy white woman and a black African father, born in the era of apartheid in Soweto, South Africa. Even as the elder Margaret tries to break the taboos of racism and discrimination in traditional society she is only able to raise the adopted child without giving her a proper name or identity and treating her more like a servant than a daughter. She is in a way also a victim of the traditions of society and bound by them up to a point-she is not able to break free completely.

However she tells the younger Margaret that she has a destiny of her own and that she should lead her tribe out of the quagmire of racial hatred, discrimination and all the backwardness it entails. “One day, you will help your people.” This “created a purpose and burden in. [her] mind” (Head,17). Margaret too is aware of the quizzical glances she gets as a child and feels like an outcast or a misfit, however she does not let this get in the way of her future. When she grows up she decides to be a teacher far away from the city but is surprised to find on arriving at the village of Dilipedi that here too there is animosity and racial discrimination between the two tribes of the Botswanans and the Bushmen.

She is however determined and brave enough to end this racial hatred by her teachings and her open attitude free of prejudice or discrimination of any sort. In time her stance and her steadfastness earn her the praise and admiration of many villagers, including the friends Moleka and Maru. In fact they both fall in love with her separately and try to woo her, breaking their friendship. But while Moleka is held back by his adherence to the age old values and traditions of his tribe, Maru seizes the opportunity by giving Margaret bed and lodgings and later asking his sister Dilekedi to commission sketches just so that he can get closer to Margaret.

In time they get to know each other and when Maru proposes to her, she accepts. As a woman it allows the younger Margaret to be accepted by her own people. In turn, Maru is willing to break with the traditions of his society and sees Margaret as a ray of hope. He has a vision that with her by his side, they together could point a way for the tribe to