Reference no: EM133336345
Case Study: In "The Collector of Treasures," Bessie Head examines the problems facing women in post-independent Botswana. Once Botswana gained independence from England in 1966, the nation began the task of rebuilding, and new career opportunities opened for many citizens. (Note that Head's story points to the fact that these opportunities mainly existed for men.) Did independence from the imperial country improve women's lives? Head shows her readers that women continue to face sexism, abuse, and heartbreak. The colonial rule only added to the inequities that existed between men and women, so rebuilding the nation with healthy communities and families proves to be a difficult task.
The story opens at its conclusion. Head's protagonist, Dikeledi Mokopi, arrives at a women's prison. She has been convicted of murdering her husband, Garesgo Moenkopi. Immediately, the reader becomes aware that a variety of women at the prison have committed the same crime. What types of abuses do these women endure? What we learn through the story is that Dikeledi is an industrious, loving, single mother, so why did she commit this criminal act? What kind of husband was Garesgo? How does Mokopi's marriage compare with Thebolo's marriage? How does Head's contrasting depiction of these two marriages speak to the problem of rebuilding a nation in which not all of its citizens are treated equally?
Question: analyze either
a) analyzes the protagonist,
b) responds to one or more of the questions listed above, or
c) compares the Moenkopi and Thebolo marriages. At the end of the post, pose a question to the class. Respond to at least one of the questions offered by your classmates.
2. Look at the "Civil Peace" discussion prompts located under and post that responds to one or more of these prompts.