CHief Matenge’s Character Sketch Essay

This assignment is base on Bessie trains classic novel, When Rain Clouds Gather. It gives an assessment of sensation of the novels main lineaments, head Matenge and in the process exposes him as an undoubtedly indulge drawing card. This is supported by the gentlemany intertwined facts and quotations that portray his character as much(prenominal) a leader and these are selected and empowered from the novel.Byrne, Kalua, Scheepers and Kane (2012100) provide the tail for the readers agreement that Chief Matenge is a corrupt leader which in turn shapes the whole negative perspective of his temper when they signalise him as representing the Old Africa at its worst moral degeneration. Going through with(predicate) the whole novel the reader struggles and compensatetu onlyy loses the battle in decision anywhere where any positive nonions are associated with Chief Matenge. Bryne et al (2012100) present Matenge as a villain, a bad person who is openly corrupt.He is indubitabl y the antagonist and the opposer of Gilbert Balfour and Makhaya who habitually point of view for good in the name of progress and development in the novel. pass (198718) introduces Chief Matenge as preponderant Chief Sekotos troublesome and less- locomoteed younger fellow. This already gives the reader an idea of what sort of personality Chief Matenge has. This description of him sets the tone in the whole novel as he is further draw using such adjectives and phrases as arouse avariciousness and unpleasant personality, (Head 198718).It soon becomes apparent that Chief Matenges br other, Paramount Chief Sekoto does non like his own brother, as the arguing nothing upset Chief Sekoto more than than a visit from his brother, whom he had great classified as belonging to the insane interpreter of populace (Head 198748) clearly displays. Paramount Chief Sekoto is state to have always sided with resolutionrs who his brother constantly upset. Head (198718) presents Matenge as having a devil that drove him and would ensconce after some chastising from Chief Sekoto only to awaken its clamouring and yaup a few months subsequent.Matenges wickedness is further unfolded in the craving of Chief Sekoto to destroy him for all the family feuds and intrigues he had instigated (Head 198720). Ironically, Paramount Chief Sekoto was not what one would call a shining example of morality. Chief Sekoto, although he was widely known as a good chief (Head 198719) save like his brother Matenge lived off the slave labour of the hapless and his lands were locomote free of charge by the lamentable, and he was washed, bathed and fed by the poor (Head 198719). In turn Matenge likewise strongly despised his brother Paramount Chief Sekoto.Head (198742) dis impedes this when she reveals his conceptions about his brother who he on the QT thought was an amicable, pleasant nitwit of a brother in the supreme model. Matenge covet is brothers position of Paramount Chief. Maten ge is referred to as evil interminable condemnations in the novel. Dinorego further exposes this evilness or corruptness when he confides in Makhaya that he (Matenge) was the evil force delaying progress in the small town. Dinorego reveals Matenges machinations to damage and delay the starting of the farm and the kine co-operative which are projects that are supposed to push development in the crossroads.Matenge is said to have specially sabotaged Gilbert Balfour on the cattle co-operative because he was personally benefitting from buying the poor villagers cattle at a low price and making considerable profits by then selling them at a frequently higher price. Matenge took advantage of the poor villagers inability to hire railway trucks to send off their own cattle because they could not afford it. Matenge fought Gilbert Balfours cattle co-operative because it would put him out of business. Matenges falsehoods and cunningness are clearly portrayed when he lies to the villag ers that Gilbert wanted to enslave them,Was it true they wanted to know, that Gilbert had secretly purchased land from the paramount Chief and was using the name co-operative to enslave the good deal? That was what Chief Matenge had told them (Head 198735). The reader would not hesitate to label Matenge as rapacious and selfish. Head (198741) reveals that Matenge lived alone (before Joas Tsepe joined him) in a big cream-painted theater. The other villagers are said to have lived in small and rude mud huts and were in fact not allowed to build brick houses without permission from the Chief which was rarely given, if at all.Head (198741) goes on to mention that the central village where Matenges mansion was situated contained one genuinely poor general dealers shop which supplied the villagers with the bare necessities like sugar, tea and forte materials and shoes among other items. The location of Matenges big mansion was also in proximity to a three-roomed shack which serves a s the village first-string school. The jarring contrast of Matenges seemingly luxurious life agency and his surroundings nauseates the reader and speaks loudly of his greediness and selfishness.The reader can safely accuse Matenge of being a tribalist. Byrne et al (1987100) describe tribalism as the habituate of advancing ones own tribe above others and adjudicate other people on the basis of their tribal origins. Matenge is described as a die hard traditionalist (Head 198742). He wanted things to stick around the same. He is said to have understood tribalism and that it was essentially the rule of the unenlightened man who when he was in the majority, feared and despised anything that was not a part of the abysmal darkness in which he lived.(Head 198765) further portrays his disgust for other tribes when he is said to have dismissed Dinoregos greeting at some point with a slight gesture of the head which contained in it an inheritance of centuries of contempt for the ordinary man. His shaky and opportunistic relationship with Joas Tsepe is some other revelation of Matenges lopsided and corrupt character. Joas Tsepe was also corrupt and this is revealed in the sponsor that was shrouded in mystery who supplied him with money which enabled him to remain unemployed and to travel every six months by air as a very important person. Matenge also has xenophobic tendencies.His wish to chase Makhaya out of the village very much smelt of this. This is revealed when George Apple-by confides in Makhaya that Matenge wants him removed from the village because he is a refugee. Refugees were generally not liked in Botswana at the time of the books setting when many came from in the south Africa running onward from Apartheid, scarce Matenges particular hatred for Makhaya as a refugee and all like him comes out when he referred to him as a South African swine who always needs to run after his master (Head 198766), referring to Makhayas close association with Gilbert Balfour.To say Makhaya was thoroughly offended by this is an understatement for unbeknown to Matenge, he secretly formed thoughts of murdering him. In conclusion Head (198743) could not have summed up Chief Matenges character better when she described him as the epitome of darkness with his long gloomy, melancholy, suspicious face and his regular intrigues, bitter jealousy and hatred.Makhaya also equates him to several unsavoury items such as a lout, cheat, dog and swine and he reckoned the Matenges everywhere got themselves into a position over the poor (Head 1987136) The reader agrees with Mma Millipede when she quietly but unsuspectingly accurately predicts Chief Matenges demise. She tries to calm Makhaya after his dramatic take place with Chief Matenge where he is labeled a South African swine and says, hatful who err against human life like our Chief and the white man (referring to Apartheid in South Africa) do so only because they are more blind than others to the mystery of life.Some time life will catch up with them and put them away for good or change them (Head 169137). In Chief Matenges case, he was unlucky to not suffer the later of these predictions, but the former. After he comes back from a rather long absence from the village, he immediately gets back to what he knows best and command Pauline and six village elders to be tried. Unbeknown to him, the whole village was excited that the day had arrived that they would face their persecutor of many years (Head 169184).Because Matenge was not expecting a crowd, he panics, sack outs into the house, and rather than facing the crowd, commits suicide, and the reader discovers another isolated character that was lurking in Matenge all along, cowardice. Not even his servants stand by him at his time of need they beat a hasty retreat and leave him to deal with his issues alone and his eyes are opened and perhaps he finally sees himself for the monster that he is. The saddest part is not even his br other is quiet disappointed by his demise. Chief Sekotos digestion is said to have been upset the whole day by Matenges death, Head (1987189).The reader is sure it is not because he is grieving for his brother but he is unappreciative of the fuss and inconvenience that the death causes. Such is the exigency of the antagonist of When rain clouds gather. The reader applauds Bessie Head on successfully creating a fitting villain who one cannot help but hate. SOURCES CONSULTED Byrne, D, Kalua, F & Scheepers, R. 2012. Foundations in English Literary Studies. Only study Guide for ENG1501. Pretoria University of South Africa Head, B. 1987. When Rain Clouds Gather. Heinemann.