When Rain Clouds Gather Questions and Answers
When Rain Clouds Gather
Was Makhaya in love with Paulina in When Rain Clouds Gather?
Makhaya was in love with Paulina. Initially, Makhaya is not in love with Paulina. In contrast, she is attracted to Makhaya from the start due to his good looks. Being as assertive and self-confident...
When Rain Clouds Gather
What are Gilbert's and Makhaya's attitudes towards women and men's roles in relationships?
Gilbert and Makhaya have contrasting views on gender roles in relationships. Gilbert, a white Englishman, believes men should lead and tends to underestimate women's abilities, as seen in his...
When Rain Clouds Gather
How does Chief Matenge hinder progress in Golema Mmidi in When Rain Clouds Gather?
Chief Matenge hinders progress in Golema Mmidi by opposing Gilbert's efforts to introduce cooperative farming and modern agricultural practices. Matenge, representing traditional and authoritarian...
When Rain Clouds Gather
How does When Rain Clouds Gather explore the positive aspects of power?
The novel When Rain Clouds Gather explores the good that power can accomplish by creating a striking contrast. On the one hand is a selfish leader motivated only by personal gain. On the other hand...
When Rain Clouds Gather
Why did Chief Matenge commit suicide in When Rain Clouds Gather?
Chief Matenge commits suicide due to the rising collective power against his oppressive rule. His suicide occurs when Paulina, backed by many villagers, confronts him after her son's death. This act...
When Rain Clouds Gather
How do Dinorego, Makhaya, and Gilbert represent ideal human behavior in When Rain Clouds Gather?
Makhaya might epitomize how human beings should act because if a person is in a destructive environment, they should try to move on to a more positive situation. Gilbert might epitomize how a human...
When Rain Clouds Gather
How does When Rain Clouds Gather depict divergence from racial conflict and female oppression?
A divergence from racial conflict in When Rain Clouds Gather can be seen in the positive relationship that Gilbert has with various members of the local community in Botswana. The stereotype of women...
When Rain Clouds Gather
Why was Makhaya jailed in South Africa in When Rain Clouds Gather?
Makhaya was jailed in South Africa for sabotage as he was a Zulu rebel fighting against the apartheid regime. As a freedom fighter, he opposed the oppressive government and was imprisoned for his...
When Rain Clouds Gather
Why did Gilbert want to bring the cattle near the village in When Rain Clouds Gather?
Gilbert wanted to bring the cattle near the village because he identified overgrazing as a major issue due to drought conditions, which left little forage for livestock. His solution was to implement...
When Rain Clouds Gather
How does Bessie Head depict women's oppression in When Rain Clouds Gather?
Bessie Head depicts women's oppression in rural Botswana through the character of Paulina Sebeso. Paulina faces poverty after her husband's suicide and feels compelled to remarry for financial...
When Rain Clouds Gather
How does When Rain Clouds Gather depict divergence of opinions and beliefs among characters?
"When Rain Clouds Gather" explores the divergence of opinions and beliefs through conflicts between foreign innovations and native traditions in the Botswana village of Golema Mmidi. Gilbert, an...
When Rain Clouds Gather
What is the context of the novel When Rain Clouds Gather?
The context in which this novel was written is political and historical. At the time when Bessie Head wrote When Rain Clouds Gather, she was a refugee from apartheid, the formal system of racial...
When Rain Clouds Gather
How does Makhaya treat women in When Rain Clouds Gather?
Initially, Makhaya treats women quite badly. Having escaped apartheid-era South Africa, he freely admits that he doesn't care about people, and this naturally extends to women. However, he realizes...