AUTHOR: BERNARD MAPALALA
SETTING: WESTERN PART OF UGANDA
PUBLISHER: DAR-ES-SALAAM UNIVERSITY PRESS (DUP)
YEAR: 2006
TITLE: PASSED LIKE A SHADOW.
This is a symbolic title which reflects the catastrophe that attacked
the member of the two families, Adyeri’s family and David’s family. They
all passed away like a vanishing shadow, except only one member of
Adyeri’s family (Abooki) who survived the pandemic.
SETTING
The setting of novel “PASSED LIKE A SHADOW” is Western part of Uganda.
The book was written during the end of Tanzania and Uganda war (1979).
PLOT
A chronological arrangement of events in the story. E.g. in “Passed
like a shadow” the first chapter of the novel introduces Atwoki and
Abooki. In chapter six and seven we are introduced to Atwoki as a famous
footballer. Adyeri was brought back home serious sick, after few days
he passes away. Atwoki becomes a victim; he wishes to die in Kitagwenda.
The plot of this book is straight – forward narration.
CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATION
Adyeri
He was the father of Atwoki and Abooki. He was a hot-tempered man and an
irresponsible parent. He was a reputable womanizer. Due to his
prostitution he was trapped by Birungi and at the end of the day he
finds himself a victim. He passed away having passed through great
suffering. His family isolated him and found himself alone.
Amoti
A short woman and very talkative. She was Atwoki and Abooki’s mother.
She had a bad heart and could not forgive other people. A very
responsible mother who fulfilled her duty as the mother of the family.
She was not faithful in her marriage.
Atwoki
He was a talented footballer with expectations of becoming a superstar.
He was a good lad and did not know the ways of the world. When he went
to Kampala he was disfigured or persuaded by David to start engaging in
sexual affairs with girls. He was a kind boy and forgave easily unlike
his mother. He becomes a victim of HIV /AIDS as a result of engaging
with prostitutes or harlots e.g Edda
Abooki
She was kind and an introvert. She took care of her mother when she was
seriously sick on bed. She was raped by John and lost her virginity.
When she tested for HIV /AIDS and pregnancy, she had negative results.
She was optimistic and a good adviser.
Vicky
She was an orphan whose parents passed away long time ago. She tolerated
mistreatment from her uncle and aunt but later on she ran away and got
married to Aliganyira. She became a reputable prostitute as the result
of peer pressure She was infected with HIV/AIDS and passed away.
Uncle Araali
He was a kind man who encouraged Atwoki to be a great footballer in future. He welcomed Abooki and Atwoki to live with them.
Aliganyira
He was Vicky‘s husband. He was a famous business man. He was famous and
he was a womanizer. He was very superstitious. At the end, due to his
prostitution he infected his wife (Vicky) with HIV.
Tusiime and Kunihira
They were Vicky’s friends.They were secondary school rejects. They were
prostitutes who earned their daily bread through selling their bodies.
They convinced Vicky to sell her body since she was poor and received
unfair treatment from her uncle and aunt.
David
Atwoki’s friend in kampala. He was the only son from a rich family. He
was a University reject. He was a reputable prostitute and when Atwoki
visited him in kampala, he taught him how to hunt for women. He infected
girls expressively knowing that he was infected with HIV/AIDS. At the
end, David’s family perish completely with HIV/AIDS.
Edda
She was a reputable harlot in kampala. She succeeded to corner Atwoki and infected him with HIV/AIDS.
John
He was a boy from a rich family. He used the loop hole of helping Abooki
to trap her. He raped her when the girl paid a visit to his room.
Birungi
She was Adyeri’s secretary at St. Leo’s High School. She trapped Adyeri
and cornered him. When he notices that Adyeri is bankrupt, she chased
him away. At the end Birungi falls a victim of HIV/AIDS.
Jonathan
He was a counselor who used his knowledge of counseling to encourage Abooki. In the end, they fell in love.
STLYLE
Style is the technique used by the writer in writing his or her work.
Style has to do with the ability of language by the writer,e.g. the use
of figures of speech. Simple or complex language used by writer.
- Hyperbole:
E.g. -Abooki was in a nightmare.
Dad gave him a classic slap.
Amoti’s eye’s nearly popped out
Dad gave him a classic slap.
Amoti’s eye’s nearly popped out
- Simile
Comparison of two objects which are unlike using “as” or “like”. e.g she walked towards him as a lioness (pg 3).
He was as humble as a dove (pg 8)
He was as humble as a dove (pg 8)
- Sayings
e.g. life is not easy (pg 9)
I have hit the jackpot
Men are like buses (pg 6) - Personification
Eg. Amoti’s eye’s nearly popped out (pg 8)
- Idioms.
E.g. Amoti don’t have a hard heart (pg 28)
- Imagination or imagery language is an art of author to create an image
E.g. His eye‘s popped out of his face.
- Symbols
Eg I regret to have married a pig
Slim- HIV/AIDS
THEMES
HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC
‘’Passed like a shadow’’ is a symbolic representation of how the disease
kills many people all of a sudden. The following events and situations
reveal the existence, causes and impact of the disease in the society.
For example in the novel, Tusiime, Kunihira, and University students
like David and grownups like Adyeri and David and Adyeri’s family perish
as they contract HIV/AIDS.That shows that if youths are sexually
irresponsible, they stand a high chance of being infected with HIV.
POVERTY
In the novel of “Passed like a shadow” poverty is a general situation of
inability to get basic needs. It acts as a catalyst in the spread of
AIDS. Due to this situation, some people especially girls look for men
who are well off economically so that they may survive. Example
Kunihira, Tusiime and someUniversity girls use this way as an
alternative to get money. For example Kunihira tells Vicky, “look how poor your dress is, you must be the most poorly dressed girl in fort portal….” this shows the level of poverty affect individuals so that leads people to get HIV/AIDS.
FAMILY INSTABILITY
The stability of a family brings peace, love, prosperity and success but
when there is uncertainty, the family loses direction and stands at
risk of breaking up. For example conflicts between parents or children
and parent, parent irresponsibility, drunkardness, marriage
unfaithfulness, job mishandling and HIV/AIDS. Family conflict: example
Adyeri’s family breaks up due to this. He has poor relationship with his
children and wife due to his harsh behavior and drunkardness. He ends
up dying with HIV/AIDS and his family fell apart.
IRRESPONSIBILITY
This shows the habit of not caring or thinking carefully about
something. In this novel there are many events as we can see that Adyeri
was a drunkard and unfaithful to his wife. That led him to have no time
to care for his family as a result children received poor parental
care.
MARRIAGE SYSTEM
Most couples are not faithful to each other as in ‘’Passed like a shadow
‘’Adyeri had many concubines, one of them being Birungi. Since he was
unfaithful in marriage, he ended up bringing HIV/AIDS to his wife,
Amoti. Aliganyira was not faithful and hence acquired the disease
(HIV/AIDS) and infected his wife (Vicky).
CONFLICT
There was a conflict in Adyeri’s family between Adyeri and his wife
Amoti. Adyeri was a cruel and irresponsible father who was hated by his
children Atwoki and Abooki. Amoti was not in good terms with Vicky and
she caused her to run away from home. Adyeri ended up in stiff conflict
with his ex-concubine, Birungi.
SUPERSTITION
Amoti believed that Birungi, her husband’s concubine, had bewitched him.
The drunkard men who used to drink together with Adyeri believed that
Adyeri’s death was due to Slim. They had very little knowledge about the
disease; hence there was a belief among people that the disease was
based on witchcraft. It was abominable for a woman to ride a bicycle in
this community as this was termed to be the sign of prostitution.
POSITION AND ROLE OF A WOMAN
This refers to the place in which woman is placed in relation to men in a
given society. In this novel, a woman is regarded as a tool for sexual
pleasure by men. This was shown through Adyeri, David, David’s father,
and Atwoki who had many sexual partners for pleasure. For example, David
told Atwoki “these were not created for nothing ….if you can’t enjoy girls, then I wonder what else you can enjoy in this world.” They
had careless behavior that they all perished of HIV/ AIDS. Women are
treated as source of money to men; Adyeri demanded big bride price from
Akena in order to marry her. Tusiime and Kunihira used their bodies to
run commercial sex to men. Men bought them as commodities. Tusiime tells
Vicky “as for me I will sleep with any man to make money, life is
not easy. Beauty can make your life different. Put your love for sale….”
MASSEGE
- HIV/AIDS is dangerous.
- Don’t trust anyone.
- People are ignorant of HIV/AIDS or don’t know much about HIV/AIDS hence majority practices infidelity and prostitution.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
- Discuss the essence of conflicts in the novel “Passed like a Shadow” and show the remedy the novelist suggests. How those conflicts help the novelist to reveal the society problems?
- By using the novel “Passed like a shadow”, discuss the functions of literature in our society.
- How have the writer of “Passed like a Shadow” used symbolism to present the intended message to the readers
- “Spread of HIV/AIDS is the product of society’s life style”. Referring to the novel “Passed like a Shadow” verify the above statement
- Marriage is considered to be an important social obligation in African societies; however, it sometimes leads the concerned parties into frustration. Show how true is the statement by referring to the reading you have read.
