The River Between Summary Chapters 1-10
The River Between
Chapter 1:
- Setting: valley of life separating 2 villages: Kameno and Makuyu
- Honia River (important element, a character?) flows through this valley, this river joined the 2 villages
- The ridges personify the antagonism between the 2 tribal groups
- Kameno had produced 3 great men: Mugo the prophet, Kamiri the witch and Wachiori the warrior
- Theme of isolation: cut out from the rest of the world.
Chapter 2:
- Kinuthia and Kamau, 2 young boys are fighting
- Waiyaki (only son of Chege, younger than the 2 others) arrives and stops the fight with a look from his burning eyes.
- Chege had only 1 wife, many daughters but only one son.
- Chege was a respected man, some considered him as a seer, he warned his tribe against the white man when he was young but nobody listened to him.
- Relationship between Waiyaki and Chege; son not very comfortable?at ease with his father.
Chapter 3:
- Description of Waiyaki’s hypnotic eyes.
- Waiyaki’s second birth – preparation for circumcision
- Description of the ceremony
- Waiyaki frightens everyone as he acts in a way different to others (thinking he is really a baby again: shouting, crying, feeling pain and fear, trying to open his eyes etc…)
- Waiyaki now ready for initiation
Chapter 4:
- Again told about Waiyaki’s eyes: “strong and resolute look”, “evil glitter”
- Waiyaki and Chege go to the hills together.
- Waiyaki excited – passing of experience from one generation to the other
- Learn about the importance of nature: can both heal and poison
- Nature brings son and father closer.
- Waiyaki feels important, loved, in awe of his father.
- The mysterious tree: “ancient, holy, sacred, huge”
- Waiyaki impressed by the immensity of the land, intimidated by nature’s greatness and beauty.
Chapter 5:
- Son and father contemplate nature’s beauty.
- Chege warns his son about the white men.
- Waiyaki is scared but doesn’t have the courage to tell his father to stop teling him those
Chapter 1:
- Setting: valley of life separating 2 villages: Kameno and Makuyu
- Honia River (important element, a character?) flows through this valley, this river joined the 2 villages
- The ridges personify the antagonism between the 2 tribal groups
- Kameno had produced 3 great men: Mugo the prophet, Kamiri the witch and Wachiori the warrior
- Theme of isolation: cut out from the rest of the world.
Chapter 2:
- Kinuthia and Kamau, 2 young boys are fighting
- Waiyaki (only son of Chege, younger than the 2 others) arrives and stops the fight with a look from his burning eyes.
- Chege had only 1 wife, many daughters but only one son.
- Chege was a respected man, some considered him as a seer, he warned his tribe against the white man when he was young but nobody listened to him.
- Relationship between Waiyaki and Chege; son not very comfortable?at ease with his father.
Chapter 3:
- Description of Waiyaki’s hypnotic eyes.
- Waiyaki’s second birth – preparation for circumcision
- Description of the ceremony
- Waiyaki frightens everyone as he acts in a way different to others (thinking he is really a baby again: shouting, crying, feeling pain and fear, trying to open his eyes etc…)
- Waiyaki now ready for initiation
Chapter 4:
- Again told about Waiyaki’s eyes: “strong and resolute look”, “evil glitter”
- Waiyaki and Chege go to the hills together.
- Waiyaki excited – passing of experience from one generation to the other
- Learn about the importance of nature: can both heal and poison
- Nature brings son and father closer.
- Waiyaki feels important, loved, in awe of his father.
- The mysterious tree: “ancient, holy, sacred, huge”
- Waiyaki impressed by the immensity of the land, intimidated by nature’s greatness and beauty.
Chapter 5:
- Son and father contemplate nature’s beauty.
- Chege warns his son about the white men.
- Waiyaki is scared but doesn’t have the courage to tell his father to stop teling him those