Maru
by Bessie Amelia Emery
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At a glance:
- Author: Bessie Amelia Emery
- First Published: 1971
- Type of Work: Social criticism
- Time of Work: Mid-twentieth century
- Setting: Botswana
- Characters: Maru, Moleka, Margaret Cadmore, Margaret Cadmore, Dikeledi
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism, Novel
- Subjects: Discrimination, Africa or Africans, Blacks, Love or romance, Race, Twentieth century, Education or educators, Art or artists, Prejudices or antipathies, Missions or missionaries, Villages, Books, Poverty or poor people, Rulers
- Locales: Africa, Botswana
The Novel
Maru, one of the Totems or chiefs in his African village of Dilepe and soon to be the village’s paramount chief, is the title character of Bessie Head’s novel, but it is Margaret Cadmore, a member of the Bushman tribe and thus an untouchable in his society, who changes Maru’s personal history and that of her tribe as well when she comes to teach school in Dilepe.
Because she is a Bushman or a Masarwa, Margaret is as looked down upon as the village’s stray dog, with tin cans tied to its tail as a form of torment by the cruel boys of the village....
(The entire page is 2073 words.)
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