Shortstories:LeavingbyMGVassanji

SHORTSTORIES:LEAVINGBYM.GVASSANJI

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Synopsis
Thestory,LeavingissetinTanzania.Awomanraisesherfivechildrenaloneaftertheearlydeathof
herhusband.Afterthetwoeldergirlsgetmarriedandtheeldestsonacquiresajob,themother
focusesonthetwoyoungerones,Alooandtheyoungestdaughter(thenarrator).Alooisinhisfinal
yearinschoolandthegirlisinuniversity.Shepinsallherhopesonthemthattheywillhavea
bettereducation.Shewindsuptheirstoreandmovesthemtoaquieterpartoftown,Upanga.The
placeisquieterandprovidesabetterenvironmentforthemtostudy.ThereturnofMrDatoo,a
formerteacherinspiresAlootothinkoffurtheringhiseducationoverseasinmedicinein
America.HestartswritingtoAmericanuniversitiestogetthenecessaryinformation.Heisnotkeen
onstudyingagricultureinalocaluniversity.Heisofferedaplacewithascholarshipinthe
CaliforniaInstituteofTechnology.However,hismotherwouldnotallowhimtoacceptthe
offer,citingfinancesandfearoflosinghimasthereasons.Finally,ontheadviceofaschool
officer,themotherrelentsandacceptstheideaofallowingAlootoleavehomeforadifferent
sky.Thenarrator,forthefirsttime,seeshermotherasapersonandnotjustashermothersomeone
whohasalwaysthoughtonlyofthechildren'swelfare.Aloo'sfirstletterwasagraphicenthusiastic
accountofLondonbuttothemother,sheisuncertainofhisreturn.

Characterandcharactertraits
Aloo
youngestchildinthefamilydoinghisfinalyearinschool.
agoodstudentwhodoeswellinschoolexaminations,straightAs.
isinspiredbyaformerteacherwhoreturnsfromAmericaforavisittothinko
furtheringhiseducationoverseasinAmerica.
notkeenonstudyingagricultureatalocaluniversity
diligentwritestouniversitiestogetnecessaryinformationforfurtherstudies
ambitiouswantstostudymedicine
extremelyhappywhenofferedascholarshiptostudyinCaliforniaInstituteof
Technology
spiritedandcourageouswillingtodoparttimeworkwhilestudying
triestoconvinceotherthathewilldefinitelyreturntohishomelandafterhisstudies
obedientwillingtoacceptmother'sdecisiondoesnotspeakaboutoverseaseducation
andpreparestostudyagriculturelocally
couldnotsuppresshisexcitementwhenmotherfinallyallowshimtogooverseas
writesfromLondontomotherlettersofullofexcitementcreatesdoubtsinmother's
mindaboutthefuture.

Mother
motherofthefivechildrenandrunsastoreinUhuruStreetsinglehandedlyraises
fivechildrenafterearlydeathofhusband
Aloo'smotherbecameawidowatthirtythreeandhadrefusedeversincetomarryfor
fearthatthenexthusbandwouldaskhertotakeherchildrentothe'boarding'
thinksofthechildren'sfuturewillingtosacrificeforthemclosesdownthestoreand
movesfamilytoaquieterpartoftownbetterenvironmentforstudyingabigchange
forher
ambitiousaboutherchildren'seducationwantsthemtodowell
afraidtoletyoungestsongoforoverseaseducationafraidhemightnotreturn
home,takeaEuropeanwifeorforgethisroots
atthesametimewiseorunderstandingaboutsituationchildrenhavetogrowupand
leavehomeonedaybuthopestoholdontothemaslongaspossible
lovingandcaringtakestepstoensureyoungestsonleaveforfurtherstudieswitha
happyframeofmind
afterreceivingletterfromAloowhowritesletterfromLondonfeelsunsurethatAloo
willreturntohometowninTanzania

Minorcharacters
Aloo'ssibling(narrator)
secondyoungestinfamilyandstudyinginalocaluniversity
supportiveofandunderstandsAloo'sneedstostudyoverseasandnotinlocal
university
lovingandcaringofmotherandunderstandsmother'srefusaltoallowAlootostudy

overseas
observantobservesmother'sfaceandseesherasapersonandnotjustastheirmother
recallsmother'sworriedunsmilingfacelookingaftertheminherown
MrDatoo
aformerteacherinAloo'sschoolcamebackfromAmericaforavisit
AdsbyComponent%20Balance

itwashisvisitthatinspiredAlootothinkabouthisfutureofstudyingoverseasin
X | i
America
MrVelji
aschoolofficerwhogivesanobjectivecommentaboutAloo'sstudiesoverseas
knowsthatAloowillgetagoodeducationbutfearsmothermayloseason
hasanunderstandinglookwhenhereadsthecontentofAloo'sletterfromLondon

Themes/Moralvalues
familysupportandone'sambition
wemustgivesupporttofamilymembersandhelpthemachievetheirambition

initiative
whenweneedinformationforwhateverweareinterestedin,wemusttaketheinitiativetodo
somethingaboutit

ambition
itisgoodtobeambitious

courageandstrengthtostanduptoone'sprinciples
onemustbecourageousandhavethestrengthtostanduptowhatonebelievesin

determinationbringssuccess
ifoneisdeterminedandnotwaverfromone'sgoal,onewillbesuccesful

lettinggooffamilymemberstoletthembecomeindependent
itisgoodtowanttokeepfamilymembersaroundforever,butsometimesweneedtoletgofor
themtolivetheirownlife

willingnesstogainnewexperienceandexposure
newexperiencesandexposuretodifferentculturesandwaysoflifewouldenrichourlives

notafraidtofacetheunknown
wemustnotbeafraidtogetoutoftheknowntolearnabouttheunknown

parentalsacrificeforfamilymembers
parentsarealwayswillingtosacrificeforthegoodandhappinessoftheirchildren