Plot Summary 2
My Literature Lesson, today, looks at the plot summary of the major events that occur in The River and the Source.
The story is divided into four parts. The first part focuses on Akoko’s birth, childhood and marriage, the second looks at Akoko’s daughter, the third follows Akoko’s grand-daughter – Elizabeth and her family while the fourth pays attention to Akoko’s great-grandchildren.
Part 1: GIRL CHILD
The story begins with the birth of Akoko, the first daughter of Odero Gogni, the Chief of Yimbo. Akoko grows into a beautiful woman and her suitor, Owuor Kembo has to pay thirty head of cattle to marry her. The two are blessed with two boys – Obura and Owang’ Sino and a girl named Nyabera.
Unfortunately, Akoko losses her eldest son, her husband and her younger son to death, in quick succession which leaves her in the hands of her brother-in-law – Otieno Kembo.
Chief Otieno Kembo inherits the seat left vacant by his elder brother and uses the opportunity to take over Akoko’s property. Akoko is defiant and resorts to get help from the White man in Kisuma. Akoko manages to get some of her possessions back and decides to go back to Yimbo.
Part II: – THE ART OF GIVING
In this part, Nyabera is married to Okumu who, unfortunately, dies. Since Nyabera is only twenty-six, she is inherited by Ogoma Kwach – as tero custom dictates. Nyabera and Ogoma sire two children but both die due to sickle cell anaemia.
Battered and bruised, Nyabera seeks refuge at Aluor Mission where she is later joined by her mother, her daughter and nephew, Owuor. Nyabera goes back to Kwach in the hope of rekindling their marriage but is unsuccessful and returns to the mission.
Owuor Sino, the rightful heir to Owuor Kembo, drops his desire to succeed as Chief and instead opts to join priesthood. Awiti, on the other hand, trains as a teacher in a local college where she encounters Mark Sugu – a former soldier.
After meeting Mark Sigu, Akoko dies peacefully in her sleep and her grandson – Peter Owuor Kembo – presides over the mass.
Awiti, who is baptized as Elizabeth, and Mark move to Nakuru where they start a family. Their first child dies due to the young couple’s ignorance but they’re soon blessed with a set of twins.
Part III: – LOVE AND LIFE.
Elizabeth and Mark move to Nakuru where they soon get a baby boy – Aoro. This is during the struggle for Kenya’s independence and due to political tension in Nakuru, Elizabeth is forced to go back to Aluor mission.
She comes back and the couple gets a boy, Tony, another set of twins – Opiyo and Odongo and the last born is a girl who they name Mary.
While Aoro shows interest in Medicine, Tony wants to pursue priesthood. Very and Becky take different paths with the former becoming an electrical engineer while the latter finds a career as an air hostess. Becky meets John Courtney – a Canadian – and the two get married.
Part IV: VARIABLE WINDS
Aoro joins medical school where he meets Wandia Mugo and the two develop a close friendship. While Aoro is an intern in Nairobi, Wandia is sent to Machakos for the same. The two get married despite coming from different tribes and they are blessed with a set of twins – Daniel and Lisa.
Becky, who is unhappy in her marriage despite being wealthy, leaves John and due to her unfaithfulness, becomes HIV positive and dies soon afterwards.
The Aoros adopt Becky’s children as they get two more children of their own – Mugo and Kipusa. It is also discovered that Daniel is suffering from Down’s syndrome and leukemia but his parents refuse to give up hope.
Wandia secures a scholarship at John Hopkin’s Hospital in America, where she is awarded a PhD. in medicine.
The book ends when Elizabeth dies having seen her children prosper in different areas of life
when does Akoko’s grandmother appeal to the chanted lamentation for akoko crying endlessly
When his grandchild died
nyar asembo was lamenting when akoko was crying endless because she was not named accordingly,the spirit of the slain of grandma nyar asembo’s sister felt wronged n thereby made akoko to cry so that akoko can be named after her.
It Is True I Support
basing your illustrstions from the noval the river and the source discuss the role of women in the society.20marks
it’s novel not naval
Hehehe…that’s a typo, Aggy.
basing your illustrstions from the noval the river and the source,discuss the role of women in the continuity of the cimmunity in the society.
they are the source of the life and also to support their men. eg Akoko whom she is very determined.and supports Owuor kembo her husband
the river and the sources is the best setbook
Hi Kelvin, I think so too.
the river and the source isthe best setbook ever.
Hi Isaac, I think so too.
An apt analysis .kudos!
Many thanks Wemali.
Character of akoko
i luv this novel its rilly captivatin
It’s a fantastic novel, Max.
thanks alot for the great work
Hi Zakaria. Thanks a lot for the compliments.
I love this novel…..my best set book
True, it’s a wonderful piece of work. Love it too.
Thanks alot for ua help keep up good work
Your’re welcome Cate.
hi Jon! you work is very attractive. Keep it up!
Hi Hilda. Thanks for your kind sentiments.
was it necessary for the author to subjectively kill and suppress many and raise one if not two in order to make women have a cut over men..why would women exist alongside men but compete favourably in a ideal society..won’t she handle them like what Mariama Ba does in So Long a letter?
Hi Tewan. I agree with you that Ogolla treats men rather harshly at times in the text. However, in order to propagate feminism, she had to use a set of coincidental circumstances that leave women such as Akoko and Nyabera on their own. Remember that though she ‘kills’ many men characters, the women also suffer as a result of their deaths. As for Ba, her text is an autobiography of her own life and she does not have the luxury of ‘killing’ anyone she wants – as far as her characters are concerned.
the setbook is very much comprehensive I love the inpirational quotes it contains
Great work. Big up yourself.
Thanks and big up yourself too.
Wow..thanks for the plot summary..this is my best setbook ever.
Heh…this is wonderful
l think river and the source is best set book so far
it is a nice set book
A good summary.
Short but so helpful.av never taught the book but i think i will enjoy teaching.very good analysis
Enjoy yourself Jean!
A very intresting novel ..my best book ever
Superb…. so much worthy of praise…
Hi Sheikh, thanks a lot for your sentiments.
i also need questions contained in the texts
Hi Robert, check under the ‘KCSE’ tab.
I have witnessed the theme of inheritance very successful at times,dont you think Ogola was trying to out do it?
Hi Patrick. I think Ogola was against it and that’s why we don’t see any successful wife-inheritance story in the text. But, Ogola is very clear that the tradition was only meant to secure the future of the deceased’s children and to give the widow some sense of protection. However, it is also clear that people like Ogoma Kwach abuse the tradition which ultimately leads to the end of it as a credible aspect of tradition.
Wow i love this bro,,,,big up
Thanks, Danny!
ilove the setbook
when asked to relate characters and the plot in the river and the source,what approach do you use?
Hi Lindah. Relating plot and the characters requires you to explain the ROLE that each character plays in the book. Role is the contribution that a character makes in the plot of the story. In other words, if you remove that character in the text, what will miss. For instance, if we remove the character of Akoko from the text, Nyabera,Awiti and their children would never be born. Therefore, Akoko acts as the source of the stream that later becomes a big river. Imagine the text without Otieno. If Otieno had not been there, maybe Akoko would never have gone to Kisuma or even to Aluor Mission. Therefore, Otieno plays a critical role in plot development. For more information about the role of characters and how they influence the plot, please follow this link http://myliteraturelesson.com/downloads-2/ Go through each character and at the end, look at the role that each character plays in the plot of the text I hope that helps.
love it too
Hi Brian. Glad to hear that.
Maria Nyabera is a woman who is torn between tradition and Christianity. Write an essay to prove this..
Hi Charles, I hope you don’t want me to write the essay. However, if you want to write yours, remember to talk about Nyabera’s desire for a boy child which makes her leave Aluor Mission to cohabit with Ogoma Kwach. Also, talk about how Nyabera abandons the church and goes to try and get married for the second time – which is against Christianity. Her African beliefs that a woman must have a husband or that a wife must give birth to boys are contradicting with her Christian beliefs of only getting married once and that all children are equal in the eyes of God, regardless of gender. I hope that gives you some guidelines to start you essay.
Would you mind writing the essay please…am lacking the perfect words to explain the whole thing
Hi Charles, I’m not sure I’ll be in a position to write a whole essay for you. However, I wouldn’t mind giving you some guidance on how to go about it.
Gud work.thumbs up.
Hi Delvin. Thanks a lot.
how do we categorize the kind of treatment that Mark Sigu impart on his son Aoro in accordance with stylistic devices.
Kindly send me the whole plot summary
What does mikai meaning
Your site in just too awesome. Eagerly waiting for the analysis of a doll’s house and blossoms of the savannah….
Thanks!
You’re welcome, Yiemi.