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Margaret Ogola,The River and The Source. 'Parental guidance is important in shaping up one’s destiny.' Drawing illustrates from the novel The River and The Source by...

      

Margaret Ogola,The River and The Source.

'Parental guidance is important in shaping up one’s destiny.' Drawing illustrates from the novel The River and The Source by Margaret Ogola. Write an essay illustrating the truth of this statement

  

Answers

Martin
THE RIVER AND THE SOURCE BY MARGARET OGOLA

Parental guidance is crucial in determing one’s destiny. Those who heed some good and wise advice from parents or guardians end up successful in life while those who defy wise counsel end up suffering. This is evident in the novel. The River and the source by Margaret Ogola where various characters’ destiny is determined by their response to the guidance by receive.
Accept any other relevant introduction.

i) Obura’s defiance
- Obura defies his parents guidance in his quest to see the world and the whiteman which leads to his death.Obura learns of Jorochere, the white people, their magic. He becomes curious to travel and see them. Nyaroche and Ambere informs Obura that the whitemen have pesa, money currency, that can buy anything and have powerful medicine for any fever.
- Akoko guides him to consider marrying because Obura is the chief son and therefore has the duty to marry and provide grandchildren for her pg 51.
- When chief Owour learns about Obura’s curiosity, he advises him to think of getting married to have children first before going out to see the world.
- However, Obura defies the advice of his parents by running away with Ambere and Nyaroche pg 55-56. He is recruited in war between Germans and British and gets killed in the war pg 61. Obura’s fate, thus is because of being rebellious to his parents’ guidance.

ii) Becky’s rebellious nature
- Becky is another character who defies parental guidance leading to her death from HIV/AIDS pg 211.
- After O’ level, Becky refuses to go back to school to study for advanced level certificate; she instead wanted to become an air-hostess. Her father Mark, refuses to her go because he feared for male predators upon her. Mark instead advises Becky to continue with A level.
- Becky does not work hard at this level and she gets one weak principle in literature and flinked in the rest of the subject. Becky pays attention to the results as would have been expected.
- Becky instead rebels and goes to stay with her friends in Nairobi to become air-hostess.
- She achieves her dream but becomes so promiscuous and materialistic that she breaks up with Johnny Courtney, the father and eventually dies of HIV/AIDS

iii) Awiti’s obedience and determination.
- Awiti succeeds in life due to guidance she received from her mother Nyabera and her grandmother Akoko.
- Nyabera introduces Awiti and Owour to Christianity at Alour missin centre pg 115-116. They learn catechism and reading.
- Awiti develops her grandmother’s steady determination which was not surprising because her grandmother was her confident and mentor pg 130.
- This determination makes Awiti do well in subjects she dialiked maths and eventually posses the highest performance, “Sweet sense of victory' she is the best of the five students who passed pg 130.
- Awiti invited to a newly opened Teachers Training college and becomes a teacher. Awiti marries Mark sign and together raise a wonderful family.

iv) Owour’s obedience
- Peter Owour Kembo excels in his parenthood due to the guidance he receives from Akoko and Nyabera. Peter says Akoko was both father and mother to him pg 153 and gave her life for them.
- Nyabera introduces him to Christianity. He enrolled in catechism and reading classes at Alour mission. Pg 115-116
Akoko supports him when he develops interest in priesthood because Akoko was aware that the world was changing.
- In the seminary, things were particularly tough, but he was determined. Tis was because he had learned from his grandmother Akoko that a job once begun had to be completed pg127
- Owour was no quitter. He believed one day will be father Peter than a bishop and he comes to achieve this pg 127.
- Peter Owour who had never known his father had Akoko as his mother and father pg 127 and emulated her traits especially determination which leads to his success in priest hood.

v) Aoro learns the hard way.
- Aoro, Elizabeth Awiti’s son, succeeds in life due to the parental guidance he receives.Mark Sigu and Elizabeth value education and provides this to their children.
- At one time Aoro becomes indiscipline at school. He is suspended from school for infringement of a few rules and ruffling the head boy’s teachers.
- Mark never gave him a chance to explain. He ordered Aoro to look for work immediately and accomadation in a month. Tis made Aoro to be disciplined in school and he performs exemplaery well to join university. Aoro says to Wandra that he liked medicine and would be a surgeon.
- Aoro appreciates that this would never have been possible if his father hadn’t been so tough on him pg 267.This shows that parental guidance is key in shaping one’s destiny.
- Pg 268 Wandia says Aoro has utmost respect for Mark, his father, and tries to emulate him in most thing: and Wandia feels she is lucky to have him; he is interesting to live with.
- Wandia also notes that Aoro tries to take unexplored path to good husband and fatherhood without noticing he is emulating his father Sigu. (pg 268)

vi) Nyabera’s obedience
- Nyabera overcomes suffering and pain as a result of discriminative customary practices when she needs her mother’s guidance and later joins Christianity.
- After the demise of her two sons, Akoko visits Nyabera and guides her on how to overcome suffering without becoming a bitter person.
- Pg 74-75 cry, my child, for one does not bury a child without burying a part of one’s soul with it….yesterday is not today and today is not tomorrow……weep my child…..into a snake that devours you from inside’
- When Nyabera is prejudicial about the white people and implores her not to make the journey to Kisumu.Akoko
corrsts her saying tha a daughter of hers should not sound so foolish pg77 she reminds Nyabera to be the woman she brought her up to be suffering not withstanding’. I know you have suffered, but suffering is the lot of many.To suffer is not a curse unless you have earned it…..But to have a child is one thing, to bring it up to be human fit to live with others is soethingelse altogether’ pg 77-78
-Nyabera listens to her mother and realises that suffering is part of life. She doesn’t need to worry about Akoko or young Owour’s safety.
- Nyabera looks up Pilipo and gets direction to the ission and makes her epic journey to Alour to seek solace.(pg 101-104)
- Nyabera’s offspring excel in education.Awiti becomes a teacher, pg 130 her grandchildren like Aoro becomes a doctor pg 267

Conclusion
It is important for one to heed parental advice as seen above OR
Many characters in the novel succed because they appreciate the guidance they received while a few suffer when they rebel against it.
marto answered the question on June 11, 2019 at 07:41

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