Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
By M.G. Vassanji
PLOT
Exposition
After Aloo's sister Razia gets married and leaves home,
their mother sells her shop and they move to Upanga, a
remote part of town. She wants her two youngest children
to have a better life instead of helping in her store.
Climax
Mother says that there is no money to send him to
America. She accuses Aloo of being a disloyal son for
wanting to leave her. Aloo is very upset.
Rising Action
Aloo spends time with Mr Datoo, an
ex-teacher at their local school who
moved to America and returns for a
visit. Aloo starts dreaming about
going to study in America. He writes
to American universities to apply for a
scholarship. A famous university
offers Aloo a scholarship.
Resolution
Falling action
Mother goes to Mr Velji for advice. He confirms that the
scholarship is a great opportunity for Aloo. After thinking
about it. Mother relents and finds the money to send Aloo
to America. Before giving in, she makes Aloo promise not
to marry a foreign wife and to stay away from bad habits.
Kichwele Street/Uhuru
Streetnoisy, busy part of
the town
Central part of Dar es
Salaam, the commercial
capital of Tanzania
Upanga - a very quiet
place, countryside, only a
few houses, no
streetlights, a 'lonely,
frightening' place (p. 32)
KEY EVENTS
SOCIAL SETTING
PRESENT DAY TANZANIA, AFRICA
CHARACTER
Aloo
The youngest child in the family
Finishing secondary school
A smart studentachieved all A's in
the school exam (p. 37)
ALOO
CHARACTER TRAITS
Ambitious
Determined
Resourceful
Adventurous
Emotional
Mother
Became a widow at the age of thirtythree
Ran a shop business in the town
Changed with agefrom a smiling
and pretty woman to one who is
worried and unsmiling, deep lines on
her face, less hair, a rounder body and
a voice no longer soft (p.38)
MOTHER
CHARACTER TRAITS
Responsible mother
Loving, protective
Self-sacrificing
Traditional-minded
Narrator
Aloo's elder sibling (it is not revealed
whether the narrator is a boy or a girl)
A university student
NARRATOR
CHARACTER TRAITS
Understanding
Caring
Responsible,
mature
Observant
Quiet, passive
MINOR CHARACTERS
Mr Velji
A school officer, he has a large head, a
small neat body, looks clever (p. 36)
Helpful, understands Mother's concern - 'if
you send him, you will lose your son...' (p. 37)
Mr Datoo
An ex-schoolteacher who went to America
Influences Aloo to dream of going to
America to study
THEMES
THEMES
Ambition
Aloo is a very ambitious boy who wants a
better life for himself. Instead of being content
with the offer to study at a local university, he
seeks a better opportunity and is ecstatic to
receive the scholarship to study in America.
He has a hunger to learn more than what his
little town has to offer and seems to soak up
all the new things he sees and experiences in
London.
THEMES
MESSAGE
MESSAGE
MORAL VALUES