In the process of creating a cohesive society and better consensus on basic issues, literature is a relevant arena. Since art and creative work are meant for humanity, they have the power to bring people together, allowing them to feel and share the emotions mentioned in the work.
In the novel called “Bones,” the writer, Chenjerai Hove, artistically created the major character Marita in a way that influences the empathy and critical thinking of the readers. Evidence for this statement is presented in the following paragraphs. Enjoy your reading.
Hove opened the story with the persuasive begging of the protagonist Marita. Marita, who had only one son in the military, worked as an employee on a white man’s farmland alongside her husband Marume.
This white man abused the locals without any regard for them and was beyond the reach of local authorities. In their culture, having only one child was taboo, leading to psychological abuse directed at Marita. Even the white man, Manyepo, abused her severely because she had no child to work on his farmland. There was also a young girl who worked with her, named Janifa, who was the girlfriend of Marita’s son.
Before joining the military, Marita’s son wrote a letter to Janifa. Marita discovered this letter and frequently begged Janifa to read it to her, as it made her feel as though her son was still with her. “But she calls me to read the letter all the time without end, even in the night, everybody else asleep in their huts, on their mats, but she still wants to hear what he wrote to me. I say all the time, I feel ashamed” (1988, p. 1).
Despite being illiterate, Marita believed in the importance of education for women. She expressed this belief when preparing to listen to Janifa read the letter. She said, “It is good to send children to school, my child. Children should not be kept at home like cats and dogs” (1988, p. 6).
Marita’s character was portrayed as sympathetic and caring for Janifa, who was forced to work on the white man’s farm. Marita was concerned for Janifa’s well-being and took on some of Janifa’s work before starting her own. Janifa recalled Marita’s words: “You should be in school so that you do not end up in the same grave that will swallow your mother and me?” (1988, p. 41).
She was very logical and saw things from different perspectives. As a trend, when workers in Manyepo’s field became tired, it was their children who took over the task. Therefore, Marita was doing her best to prevent Janifa from taking on the task of her parents. She did this by helping her with field work and giving her time to attend her school classes on time. Marita expressed her fear to Janifa, saying: “I feel sad for you… to think that Manyepo wants you to take your mother’s place in the fields. We have better things to look forward to, child. Not this endless suffering. You were not born to suffer, child” (1988, p. 41).
The story of Marita was mainly narrated by Janifa. She told the story with deep sorrow and sympathy. In the ninth section of the novel, Marita’s sympathy was portrayed. In one incident, some fighters, known as terrorists, arrived at the farm without guns so as not to arouse suspicion. They met Marita and engaged in dialogue about the events in the farm and how the white man was treating them. Janifa told us that Manyepo was a very exploitative and bad man who harassed both men and women workers in many ways. When one of the soldiers asked Marita about the white man, she said that he was just a man like any other. He was not that bad, and should not be blamed for anything. Here is the evidence from the novel:
“How is the white farmer you are working for? Does he do bad things to you and other workers? Say if he is evil and we will bring you his corpse in a short time. We have no time to waste. How is he? …
I said his badness is just like any other person’s badness. It does not deserve to earn him death” (1988, p. 62-63).
Even though Marita was telling the soldiers a different story, Janifa knew the reality and remembered her reaction to Marita’s actions to the readers as follows: “Did I not see Manyepo kick you as if you were a football? Did I not hear him curse at you, calling you all the bad things that the tongue can mention and not rot? Marita, your heart surprises me” (1988, p. 63).
One could interpret Marita’s response to the fighters as a lie. Janifa was also in dilemma for the mismatch that she saw between the words that Marita told her before and the lie that Marita did in this incident. The following is their dialogue that clearly showed the smartness and sympathy of Marita:
“But Marita, why did you save Manyepo’s life by lying like that?”
“Child, what do you think his mother will say when she hears that another woman sent her son to his death?”
“But Marita, did you not say that the tongue that lies will die a shameful death?”
“Yes, child, but it is better to let that tongue kill itself than to help it kill itself. The white man thinks we are children, that is why his tongue is loose. The day he learns that we are also grown-ups, he will learn to tighten his tongue. He was brought up like that. You do not expect him to think differently from what his mother told him” (1988, p. 63).
Marita was the most selfless and smart character in the novel. Instead of seeking revenge on the white man who violated her physically and psychologically, she chose to endure her pain internally rather than letting the white man’s mother worry if he was going to die. She was fair and reasonable, believing that the white man’s character was shaped by his mother, and therefore, he should not be blamed.
Her smartness is visible in two ways. First, she believed that since she knows the pain of losing a son, she does not want anyone else to feel it as she did. This is a display of humanity and empathy. Second, she blamed the mother of the white man because it was his mother who did not teach him how to be a good man during his childhood.
Such thoughts are important for controlling one’s emotions and judgments on issues that affect the well-being of individuals and groups. In this, Hove advised humans to be logical and critical before making decisions. Instead of becoming emotional and passing judgment, expanding one’s thinking is important. Despite the painful realities that occurred, protecting one’s emotions and giving others a chance is a sign of a thoughtful personality.
Overall, Marita’s character in the novel “Bones” is portrayed as selfless and logical, providing valuable lessons for readers. The writer’s use of humor, suspense, and language helped to convey the character’s depth and complexity. By reading such works, readers can develop empathy and understanding for others, contributing to social cohesion. I invite you to read the book for a better understanding.
BY MEKDES TAYE (PhD)
The Ethiopian Herald December 12/2024
