African Short Stories 1

The False Prophet



The False Prophet, by Sembene Ousmane, is a story about a lazy, apathetic man who travels around preaching for money. Eventually his deceitfulness catches up to him and he has to pay a high price. This story reminds me very much of the saying, "What goes around, comes around." It illustrates a very good example of Karma and reinforces the reasons for living a life based on honesty. I strongly believe most people would benefit from a story such as this because it gives the reader a firm grasp on the concept and importance of morality.





Certain Winds from the South



Certain Winds from the South, by Ama Ata Aido, is a western African story about a family that is divided by a war with Germany. The father must go to southern Africa and leave his beloved family behind for a period of time. This story makes a connection with the reader that is unlike most others. Anyone who reads this story can understand its significance because nobody would want to deal with the possibility of losing a family member. I would most likely recommend Certain Winds from the South to anyone who has a family member serving this nation over seas.





The Apprentice



The Apprentice, by Odun Balogun, is a story about a young man who is an apprentice for a blacksmith. The blacksmith is very critical about his apprentice's work and eventually fires him. The apprentice then goes to work for his former master's brother who is also very critical. It is my belief that this story is meant to remind the reader that even the toughest situations can be overcome. After reading this story I immediately got the impression that the author's point was to make the reader feel inspired to overcome adversity.





The Will of Allah



The Will of Allah, by David Owoyele, is a west African story about two thieves who work together to steal for a living. While on a "job" one thief gets bitten by a cobra and subsequently tricks his partner into getting bit too. This story is an example of why a life of crime doesn't pay. Early in the story one of the thieves stands before a judge and expresses his discontent for the law. The judge warns him that a life of crime will only lead an undesirable end. The thief ignores the warning and pays the ultimate price. I firmly believe that those who ignore such profound warnings do pay a high price, as this story illustrates.





Civil Peace



Civil Peace, by Chinua Achebe, is an African story about a man who lost all but his family in a war. With no money at all he manages to start his own business to get back on his feet and support the family. In very little time this goal is achieved through hard work and dedication. To me, this story represents the ideology of hard work paying great rewards. Like the man in this story, anyone can amass a significant amount of wealth if they make the right choices and stay committed to their cause.





The Gentlemen of the Jungle


The Gentlemen of the Jungle is a fictional east African story about a man who has his home unjustly taken away from him by an elephant. He then builds new homes only to have them taken away by several other animals in the jungle. The man decides to get revenge by luring all of the animals into an even bigger, nicer home. Soon after the animals begin to argue amongst themselves while the man locks them inside and sets the house on fire. I found this African short story to be much more interesting than the western African stories because it is much more imaginative. To add, the conclusion was far more satisfying and entertaining.