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The Story Of An African Farm

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The excerpt is focused on the theme of "truth," which can be seen throughout "The Story of an African Farm". In this book, several of the characters are faced with the challenge of seeing societal norms for what they really are, and placing a price on education. Through becoming educated, and being exposed to the truth, each one of them either decides to change or stay the same. The conflict tears some of them apart internally, while others are faced with a desperate urgency to be vocal in order to save themselves.

Explain and define any themes that are evident in "The Story of an African Farm"?

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Solution Summary

Readers will gain a clear understanding of who the characters are in "The Story of an African Farm," including their ideologies. Readers will also learn about the societal values of African villages, and the challenges that each character faces on a daily basis. The theme of truth is discussed in this entry as it relates to the transformation and stagnation of some of the characters and how their personalities affect one another.

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Several themes can be pulled from "The Story of an African Farm," many of which are very controversial.

• Is the truth really the truth?
• Is feminism self-destructive?
• Is submission constructive?
• Is God real or an illusion?
• And can the truth be captured in the mirage of a lie?

There is no real answer except that the truth is something that comes from within. Be true to thine ownself is the only way that the characters in this story will find any peace from searching for the truth. This is shown through each and every one of the definitions of truth displayed by Waldo, Lyndall, Em, George and even Tant Sannie. They all have a commonality and that is, they must all search for the truth in order find themselves and their place in society.

In the very second chapter of the novel, Waldo learns from a stranger that truth is something that cannot be obtained or captured in a cage like a bird. The imagery of the birds being captured show that the entities that they represent are only temporal. Truth, which is revealed through wisdom, is something that must be earned. Immortality, being the one thing/bird that the stranger tries to hold on to, is the only thing that seems worth fighting for. The traveler knows that the truth is not guaranteed to him, but if he can obtain immortality, he will have a chance to learn what the truth is over time. Through his journey, he finds that he truth can only be discovered in the afterlife.

For Em, the truth consists of being obedient and content with life in general. The truth is not something that she has sought for herself, but something that has been ...

Solution provided by:
Tamara Daniels, MS
Education
  • Master Online Teacher Certificate, University of Illinois
  • MS, National Louis University
  • MA, National Louis University
  • BA, University of Illinois
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