Initial Observations: (In Chronological Order)
- The epigraph – ‘Don’t let’s go to the dogs tonight, For mother will be there’ – could hint at her mother’s alcoholism, as ‘going to the dogs’ is an expression for going out, but also an expression for getting ruined. The latter part of the epigraph’s meaning could suggest her fear of letting herself go, and following in the footsteps of her mother.
- Bobo thinking that African time was ‘kind’ in contrast to Britain’s ‘mean’ time reflects how the natural optimism of childhood has influenced her to value her home, Africa, above Britain, the nation that her parents cling on to idealising.
- ‘A hundred… of us.’ – Her mother’s overt racism displays how fragrantly the white colonisers looked down upon the majority black population, without care for offence, or even self-preservation. This stands in stark contrast to our contemporary society, which is still victim to institutional and personal racism, but in a far more subtle, hidden way, as social etiquette towards race as evolved significantly. Her mother’s view ties into the idea of sub-humanism, and how in her eyes the lives of Kenyans just objectively mean less than white lives, perhaps indicating complete ignorance to this as a problematic attitude, or perhaps instead reflecting her upbringing and education under colonial Britain.
- ‘Chapter One – The War… Chapter Four – Being Nicola Fuller of Central Africa’ – Bobo’s mother ultimately places greater importance on herself than tragic circumstances such as war or ‘Dead Children’, showcasing her privilege and ego, as well as the spectacle of being a colonial woman in the British Empire.
- ‘Suitably dramatic’ – Further reinforces the idea of ignorance through her false nobility. The following quote ‘We are prepared to die, you see, to keep one country white-run’ proves that martyrdom and self-sacrifice are not always noble, exploring themes also raised in Persepolis, as Bobo’s mother wishes to give her life for an objectively immoral, even evil, cause.
- ‘A poetic Shona way of saying ‘War of Liberation’ – The choice of adjective ‘poetic’ suggests that Bobo sees a beauty in the language of the local people, and thus that she admires them. This ties into the idea of the impartial, innocent nature of children, which allows Bobo to respect the native people’s culture.
- ‘The War drums were brought out from their dark corners and dusted off’ subverts the idea of native savagery held by the white settlers when they came to Africa. This quote indicates that they are not a violent people, and only bring out their weapons to face the already-drawn weapons of the British,
- ‘Before that, the land was moveable’ – The land is alive, it lived, it had freedom, like the natives. This implies a negative connotation, but ‘It still does’ reminds the reader that human affairs are irrelevant to nature; the African sun shines regardless, so how much power do the British really have against the unchanging cycle of death and rebirth?
- ‘A corruption of ‘Amatobos” – The choice of noun ‘corruption’ is exactly what the British did, corrupt the native culture. It connotes evil, and twistedness, which is also true of the conquest.