35 pages 1 hour read

Bessie Head

When Rain Clouds Gather

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1968

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Essay Topics

1.

Which character, of all those depicted in When Rain Clouds Gather, is most important to the success and progress of Golema Mmidi? Why?

2.

How would the novel be different if it were told entirely from the perspective of one character, such as Makhaya or Gilbert? Would this kind of focus improve or weaken the novel?

3.

Why does Bessie Head show Matenge’s perspective rather than treating him entirely as a villain? What do his moments of weakness and insecurity add to the novel?