‘Looking for a Rain God’ written by Bessie Head is a story based on
supernatural belief where a family sacrifices (बलि दिनु) innocent little children so as to make
rain god happy.
Summary of ‘Looking for a Rain God’ by Bessie Head
About the writer Bessie
Head
Bessie Amelia Emery
Head was a South African writer who is usually considered Botswana's most
influential writer. She wrote novels, short fiction and autobiographical works
that are infused with spiritual (धार्मिक/
ईश्वरीय)
questioning and
reflection (चिन्तन).
Setting of ‘Looking
for a Rain God’
The
story is set in rural (ग्रामीण) Botswana (बोत्सवाना), Africa, where the people basically farm off the
vast bush land. The year is 1958.
Characters in the
story ‘Looking for a Rain God’
1. Mokgobja (मोक्गोब्जा)
- Hardworking farmer, 70 years old.
- Believes in tradition (परम्परा).
- Head of the family who decides to start
farming after the rainfall – a decision-maker.
- Maintains self-control.
- The desperation (निरासजनक) of the situation drives him to an
irresponsible (गैरजिम्मेवारपूर्ण) act
– he convinces the others to sacrifice his two granddaughters.
2. Ramadi (रमादी)
- Mokgobja’s son.
- Farmer and supporter of his family.
- Initially he is in despair. However,
maintains self-control as he believes that man has to be strong.
- The absence of the rainfall and the
wailing (विलाप गर्नु ) of
the two women (Tiro and Nesta) affect his self-control.
- He becomes irrational (अविवेकी) and agrees to his father’s
suggestion to sacrifice (बलिदान दिनु) his
two children (Neo and Boseyong).
3. Tiro and Nesta (तिरो, नेस्ता)
- Ramadi’s wife, Tiro and her sister, Nesta
are hardworking and good home-makers.
- When confronted with the prospect of
another year of starvation, they become emotionally weak and disillusioned.
They eventually break down.
4. Neo and Boseyong (नियो, बोसेयोङ)
- The two children
- Innocent and cheerful.
- They imitate the adult world when they
play with each other.
- Their innocent and untainted nature
results in them being considered as appropriate sacrifices to appease (खुशी पार्नु ) the
Rain God.
Summary of Looking for a Rain God
“Looking for a
Rain God” is about an African family’s desperate (हताश) struggle against a drought (खडेरी) that results in tragic
outcome.
An African
village is plagued (पीडित) by a 7-year drought. The villagers, who are
mainly farmers, suffer from starvation (भोकमरी ) as they are dependent on the rain
to grow their crop. Finally, the rain comes and many families rush out to
resume farming.
Mokgobja and his
family are one of the first to clear and plough their land. Their hopes are
scattered (टुक्रा-टुक्रा हुनु) when the rain only lasts for two weeks. Fearing
the starvation that they have to face the following year, Mokgobja’s
daughter-in-law and her sister become hysterical (emotionally uncontrolled).
Mokgobja
remembers an ancient rain-making ceremony (प्रथा) which involves the ritual (धार्मिक संस्कार) sacrifice of young children to appease Rain God.
Mokgobja and his son, sacrifice Ramadi’s two young daughters.
Unfortunately,
the rain does not come. At the end, Mokgobja and his family return to the
village, filled with despair, guilt and fear. The other villagers doubt about
the missing children. Soon the police arrive and Tiro, the children’s mother,
breaks down and confesses (स्वीकार गर्नु). At the end, Mokgobja and his son
are sentenced to death.