Reading Diary B: Stories from Congo Part 1

Stories from Congo Part 1

How Gazelle Got Married

I really liked this story for its humor and happy ending. The dog was characterized perfectly for his ADD and short-term memory. I love dogs, but I realize that they are easily distracted and forgetful. That being said, I thought it was funny how the dog would continually forget the two daughter's names if he were to do anything on his way back to his master. 

The Vanishing Wife

I feel really bad for Buite. He is treated like crap by his own brother and can never catch a break. Despite finding a wife that gave him everything while wandering the jungle, he lost it all for one silly mistake. His brother, Swarmi, is not a good person and is a horrible brother.

Another Vanishing Wife

Mavunga represents a lot of people in today's society in that he wants to please everybody, even his enemies and people that treat him poorly. It also happens too often that someone does not realize when they have something good until it is too late. In his case, his wife made him attractive, loved him, and gave him everything, only asking for him not to tell anyone how they met. 

How Kengi Lost Her Child

This is a pretty ridiculous story. The two women are married to the same man, yet cannot share anything with each other. After taking some beans from the other wife without asking, they come to an agreement that anything born on their land was to be theirs. The other wife has a child on the other's land and ends up having to give the baby to her. Why would she take her husband's other wife's baby just for a stupid agreement, especially knowing that she could not nourish the child with breast milk like the mother? 

(photograph from the book)

The Twin Brothers

It seems like people do not value life very much in the Congo and that it does not mean much to be someone's sibling because they just kill each other for the most trivial of disagreements. Just when I thought it was going to end happily, it takes a horrible turn for the worst. Luemba deserved the followers for all that he had done for Mavunga, considering he brought him back from the dead and saved his wife from adultery. Technically, Luemba became the elder brother when he brought Mavunga back to life because it was basically a rebirth. In the end, I thought both Luemba and Mavunga got what they deserved; however I think death is a little extreme.

The Younger Brother Who Knew More Than The Elder

I liked this story about the brother's much more because they both ended up living. Regardless of how much they argued and disliked each other, I think it is despicable that the elder brother would not stand up for the life of his younger brother's wife. Agreements take precedence over family, logic, and morality in these stories, no matter how ridiculous the agreement or situation.