Kwaku (Masterplots II: African American Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Roy A. K. Heath
- First Published: 1982
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Tragedy
- Time of Work: The second half of the twentieth century
- Setting: Guyana
- Principal Characters: Kwaku Cholmondeley, Blossom Dean, Miss Gwendoline, Mr. Barzey, Kwaku’s uncle, Philomena, Rona
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: Child rearing or parenting, Africa or Africans, Power, personal or social, Twentieth century, Friendship, Doctors, Poverty or poor people, Alcoholism or alcoholics, Substance abuse, Violence, Greed, Guyana or Guyanese people, Medicine, Shoes or shoemakers
- Locales: Guyana
The Novel
Kwaku focuses on the life of its protagonist, who, despite the fact that he is orphaned, bowlegged, and seemingly incapable of staying out of trouble, manages to rise from being a humble shoemaker in C village to becoming a famous healer in New Amsterdam, a large Guyanese city. A series of events, including an ill-advised promise he makes, plunges him and his family into poverty, alcoholism, and violence.
Even when he is a child, Kwaku’s desires for glory and fame lead him into a series of comic misadventures. He is not malicious: “The only flaw in...
[The entire page is 2516 words long]
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