Chapter 1. Flashcards
Fourteen-year-old Tambudzai opens the novel with the arresting line. What did she say?
“I was not sorry when my brother died.”
Tambu introduces her elder brother, Nhamo, as arrogant. What context does she say this in?
Nhamo was expected to take the bus home, a mode of transportation he detested: he doesn’t like the smells or how slow it is and additionally he is expected to walk 2 miles from the bus station to the homestead. He prefers it when his uncle and the headmaster of the mission school, Babamukuru, drives him home. Tambu describes the beautiful walk from the bus station to the village, wondering how Nhamo could despise it.
What does Nhamo suggest concerning the transportation problems that Babamukuru argued were unnecessary?
Nhamo also suggests often that the school hire a special bus for him and the one other student in their area, but the mission was considered to be in Umtali so Babamukuru said there was no need to hire a special bus.
What would have been an additional problem if the school had hired a special bus for Nhamo and the other student in their area?
Additionally, this would still mean that Nhamo would have to walk about two miles from the bus stop to the homestead.
Why did Babamukuru often force Nhamo to take the bus instead of driving Nhamo in his automobile?
Babamukuru often forced Nhamo to take the bus out of concern that he was becoming too proud.
Tambu doesn’t understand why Nhamo despises the walk to the homestead. What does she say about the walk to the homestead?
The walk home winds through fields where friends work, through fruit trees, and by the river, which is called the Nyamarira. Tambu explains that there are several spots where children can swim and others where women do laundry.
What happened when Tambu was young, regarding the District Council houses and the river where everyone washed?
However, Tambu says that when she was young, the government built District Council houses near where everyone washed, which meant that people began crossing the river there to reach the shops and an ale house.
What does Nhamo do to avoid the 2-mile walk home?
Nhamo usually avoids it altogether by staying at the mission for holidays.
Whose idea was it for Nhamo to attend the boarding school and why did they come up with it?
It had been Babamukuru’s idea for Nhamo to attend the boarding school in 1965, hoping it would boost the family’s earning potential because Nhamo had been performing well at the local school.
Why did Babamukuru suggest that Nhamo attend the boarding school?
Attending the boarding school would allow Nhamo to enter a profession and raise the family out of poverty.
How did Jeremiah feel about Babamukuru’s offer for Nhamo to attend the mission?
Jeremiah had been delighted at the prospect, saying to Nhamo, “If I had your brains … I would have been a teacher by now. Or maybe even a doctor!”
Tambu once asked Jeremiah to explain how smart Babamukuru was. What was Jeremiah’s response?
Jeremiah replied that Babamukuru had been an avid reader and had been given the chance to learn by attending a mission from an early age.
Why did Jeremiah touch on the fact that Babamukuru was given the chance to learn?
Babamukuru began attending a mission at an early age. The missionaries looked after him so well that the books came naturally.
Not long after going to the mission, Nhamo stopped coming home for the holidays, what was his excuse and what was he avoiding?
Not long after going to the mission, Nhamo stopped coming home for holidays, always citing the need to study. This allowed him to avoid the corn harvest, which is uncomfortably itchy work.
What did Nhamo begin to think about all of the “poverty” at the homestead?
The poverty “began to offend him,” and he stopped helping with chores—unless Babamukuru was there to watch or help.
