Unit 2 Assignment (ENG130)

 
 

Unit 2: Setting Literary Response Submission Link

Attached Files:

•  ENG 130 Setting Unit Literary Response pdf ENG 130 Setting Unit Literary Response pdf – Alternative Formats (152.776 KB)

This assignment focuses on your ability to: learn how to interpret the literary device of setting and how it affects the character of the story/poem.The purpose of completing this assignment is: as a student, in your career, and individual lives, you will often need to look beyond the plot and summary of what you are reading and put a different spin on it. An example of this might be interpreting data and the varying components of how that data was created, as well as what to do with the data as you move forward 

Running

head: PLOT LITERACY

1

PLOT LITERACY 3

Unit

1

Assignment

–

Plot

Literacy

Dorothy Sansoni

ENG1

30

–

Literature and Compositon

Dr. George Beat

ty

January 17, 2021

Education is gradually becoming a basic need though many might not agree with this statement. Nevertheless, individuals like me that have at one time or a number of times faced the wrath of illiteracy can understand and support the argument. As a child, I had a smooth and good upbringing and having come from a middle economic class family, I was taken to relatively good schools. My parents were involved in different economic activities that occupied much of their time. Nevertheless, whenever they could have time especially my mother, she could take the time to study with me and also share a word of advice. The challenge is that as a child, I did not understand the importance of studying hard and hence I could take things for granted. I could spend my time with friends playing around, socializing, and even adventure.

As they say, time waits for no one; time was passing fast and within years, I was done with my elementary school and by now, my parents had accepted that I was a low to average academic performer but good in sports. Little or less did my parents know that I was paying limited attention to my studies and I was keeping bad company. My parents disappointed in me, they sort for available high school options and luckily, I got admitted. Being a boarding school granted me a chance to lie to my parents about different charges only to obtain cash from them but at some point, I got caught and punished by my parents and the school administration. My class teacher whom I despised could talk to me and comment that I was a blight student only if I paid attention and utilized my time properly. Sadly, I could not hear of it and after some years, I sat for my final exams and flopped something that made my dad to lose hope in me.

After high school, I did not support my parents’ idea to join technical college or higher learning and I remained adamant that I wanted to venture into business. Friends tried to advise me and this time my father refused to support me start a business. After working odds jobs, I wasted over three years and by now, my mates were clearing higher learning and others had joined corporate employment. I started realizing that I was alone and by now my father did not want to hear about my business ideas and pushed me to seek employment. Whenever and wherever I sought for employment, they could ask for my papers which I did not have, and frustrations started to hit me hard and this is the time I started to realize and understand the importance of being educated.

This is the time I started regretting the time I had lost since elementary and I made up my decision to get educated despite being older than the students joining colleges at that time. The fact that my high school grades could not allow me join university, I had no option but first join college and later university. This time now, I had a different mindset and I fear awkward and weird due to the fact that I was school with students three to five years younger than me. Nevertheless, this did not bother me. By the end of the first year, I was the leading student and the words of my high school class teacher got revived in me that I was a blight student only if I paid attention.

After doing very well in college, I managed to get admission in one of the best universities where I pursued a course of my dreams and passion. Today I am a successful corporate person because of the day I decided to join school as a mature person.

Running head: PLOT LITERACY

1

Unit

1

Assignment

–

Plot
Literacy

Dorothy Sansoni

ENG1
30

–

Literature and Compositon

Dr. George Beat
ty

January 17, 2021

Running head: PLOT LITERACY 1

Unit 1 Assignment – Plot Literacy

Dorothy Sansoni

ENG130 – Literature and Compositon

Dr. George Beatty

January 17, 2021

245

Money, the least of his worries

Hilda Gathanga

*

time must come when a man knows he should get a wife.
Wambua knew that time had come. He had prepared himself
financially. The wedding show on Citizen TV had filled girls

nowadays with expensive options on how the cake and food should
be served. His head ached when he thought about what the flowers
and tents and chairs would cost him. Nowadays the girls wanted
sleek cars in the entourage, the rovers and limos. Those would cost
him heavily.

…
The wedding expenses were the second concern, unfortunately.

He was concerned about the traditional or cultural financial
obligations he had to cover. His girlfriend had just informed him of
the introductions. He had to go to her home to see her parents and,
no, it would not be advisable to go alone. He should go with one or
two friends. One should be a married man. He is the one who will
talk and introduce him to the family. Why did things have to be so
complicated?

…
Then there was the visit with his parents and siblings. The

cultural name for it was Family Introductions. Then there was the
Kuhadaithigi, where he was expected to put a small deposit to
secure the girl. When Wanja had suggested the amount that would
be required for the deposit, he had laughed out loudly. Fifty
thousand Kes! Clearly, it was one of her small jokes. But her face
had remained solemn and she actually looked hurt and disappointed.
He had redeemed himself quickly and smiled at her. The joke had
been his laughter; of course, that was the range of the deposit
nowadays.

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EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) – printed on 1/18/2021 1:12 PM via POST UNIVERSITY (TRAURIG LIBRARY)
AN: 1088010 ; Ce, Chin.; African Short Stories: Vol 2
Account: ns017336.main.eds

246

African Short Stories Vol. 2

…
The next step was the Ruracio. Why had he fallen for a girl

from Kiambu? The area was known for greedy parents who asked
for high dowry amounts that had caused several couples to break up.
It was as if the parents were looking for money to buy land or finish
the construction of their houses. One would be told how the girl was
educated and working, as if the man was not educated and working.
He had made sure he had a serious talk with Wanja about this
process. She was to control the greedy aunts and uncles. He hoped
his point had been clear. He would pay the necessary amount over
the years, as they said, dowry never quite ended. It could be paid
over the years in order to encourage relations between the two
families. If not he would pay, yes, but the woman would regret it the
rest of her life. She would pay for it indirectly every day they were
married, he thought mercilessly.

…
The last step should be the Itaara. Wanja’s family would come

to visit and see the place where their daughter had gone. He would
be covering the food bills for all these visits. The bill would be high
since Kenyans loved indulging in food. He loved food anyway so on
that part he could forgive them.

Wambua thought of his dad and a smile came to his face.
Wambua Senior! Now that had been a wise man. He had convinced
his wife to live with him and ignore all those traditional processes.
The relatives had been mad, the parents even madder. However, he
had convinced his wife that they should hold on to their stand. With
continued practice of such traditions when would Kenya become
modernized? Such mentalities were what continued to hold us back.
He wanted to do the same, but he had fallen in love with a Christian
girl who could not live with him without a wedding. Her family and
relatives would not attend the wedding without due processes being
followed. He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

He jumped in his seat when the vehicle behind him blared for
him to move forward. He had been caught up in his thoughts and the

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247

Literary Society International, LSi

lights had changed. His lane had ninety nine seconds to move before
the lights changed again. He pressed on the accelerator and moved
forward. Traffic on a Kenyan road was always a nightmare. No
wonder he had been lost in his thoughts. As he approached the
roundabout the movement become slower as the lanes decreased. He
felt like hitting someone. It was now thirty seconds left. When he
was just about to enter the Nyayo Stadium Roundabout the time was
up. The lights gave a warning orange and turned to red. He did not
care; he moved forward, jumping the lights and managing to go
round it just before the next lane picked up. Once on Mombasa
Road he was on high speed, manoeuvring in and out of the lanes,
past slow moving cars and following the drivers that were obviously
in a hurry like he was.

There was a slow, white Toyota Premio on his lane. He needed
to overtake it and move to the farthest land but it was a close call.
He was the master of taking risks and if it did not work out the
owner of the car would have to do an emergency brake. The driver
was already slow so Wambua reasoned that he should be okay. He
accelerated and cut in front of the car. He could not make it to the
other lane in time. A black Benz was already on the lane at high
speed. He braked suddenly to avoid hitting the white lorry in front
of him. He heard the high screeching of brakes from the Premio
behind him and tensed. Then a loud bang from behind almost
caused him to hit the car in front of him. He cursed as his car jerked
to a stop. Clicking his tongue he got out to assess the damage on his
black Subaru.

A dark middle-aged man with a small pot-belly got out. He was
also clicking and looking at him in disgust.

“Look at what you have done!”
“You should keep to the left if you know you will be so slow on

the road. It is not fair for a slow vehicle to be in the middle of the
road,” Wambua responded rudely. He was already calculating the
cost of repairing the two bumpers. His had the worst damage.

“Don’t be rude! I saw you jumping lights at the roundabout.

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African Short Stories Vol. 2

You think you own the roads of this country?” the old man asked.
“How much do you want?”
“Fifty thousand Kes,” the old man said without even thinking

about it.
Wambua clicked his tongue as he removed the money from his

wallet and gave the man.
He got back into his car and drove to his house in Imara Daima.

He would have to hitch a ride to go for his own introductions
tomorrow. There was no way he could go to his future in-laws with
a banged car.

The next day was busy even at about eleven when he went to

Capital Centre with a cab. He did a lot of shopping for most of the
foodstuff that were bound to give him a lot of points from his in-
laws. He waited for his two best friends, Otieno and Kariuki, to
come pick him up. The January heat was already making him sweat
profusely. He felt light-headed just from the heat.

They arrived Wanja’s home on time. The two men in the world
who understood him and the crap he did all the time. Otieno was a
Pointy, the son of an American woman and Luo man. He attracted
all the women in their world. Kariuki was a small, coconut-brown
man who talked excessively. They had taken a bypass and arrived in
Kiambu by three in the afternoon. Wanja had already called seven
times asking where he was. It was getting boring. His friends were
already teasing him for tying his neck to one tree. He was
committing to one woman for the rest of his life. They approached
an area in Kiambu that used to be uninhabited but now people had
bought land. There were unfinished constructions scattered across
the area. Very few families had moved into their dream homes.

Wanja’s family was one of the lucky ones. It was a massive
house that was painted in hues of brown and orange. Wanja, of
course, would have made specific descriptions on the shade of
brown and orange.

The house girl opened the door and welcomed them in. As they

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Literary Society International, LSi

entered the house and greeted the people inside, Wambua felt his
insides going numb. The only man in the house was the one he had
hit on Mombasa Road. Was this Wanja’s father? As the man turned
to him in shock and outrage, Wambua knew then that money was
the least of his worries.

EBSCOhost – printed on 1/18/2021 1:12 PM via POST UNIVERSITY (TRAURIG LIBRARY). All use subject to https://www.ebsco.com/terms-of-use