1.2 Looking for a Rain God (by Bessie Head)
⟰ First मा यो chapter चाहिं खास के को बारेमा हो?
➪ The story is about an African village suffering from drought. An elder named Mokgobja believes an ancient ritual sacrifice will bring rain. He kills his granddaughters but rain still does not come, showing the tragedy of believing in harmful traditions.
⟰ त्यसो भए यसको actual summary चाहिं के हो त?
Summary of the Chapter:
➪ “Looking for a Rain God” is a sad story about an African family facing a long drought (खडेरी) and having a terrible result.
In an African village, a 7-year drought causes problems. The villagers, mostly farmers, go hungry because they need rain for their crops. Finally, when the rain comes, families rush out to start farming again.
Mokgobja and his family are among the first to clear and plow their land. Their hopes are destroyed when the rain only lasts for two weeks. Thinking of future hunger, Mokgobja family becomes very worried and scared.
Mokgobja remembers an old ceremony to make rain, which involves sacrificing young children to please the Rain God. Sadly, Mokgobja and his son (Ramadi) sacrifice Ramadi’s two young daughters.
But, the rain doesn’t come. In the end, Mokgobja and his family go back to the village, feeling sad, guilty, and scared. Other villagers wonder about the missing children. The police come, and Tiro, the children’s mother, confesses and reveals the truth. In the end, Mokgobja and his son are sentenced to death for religious murder.
⟰ अनि अब यो chapter बाट exam मा आउन सक्ने question हरु के के हुन् त?
Exam Questions:
Type 1 (5-Mark Question)
Question 1: How does the prolonged drought impact the villagers in “Looking for a Rain God,” and why is rain so crucial for them?
Answer: The villagers in “Looking for a Rain God” have a hard time because there’s no rain for seven years. This makes them hungry and suffer. Rain is super important for them because they are farmers, and they need it to grow their crops. Without rain, they can’t have enough food, and life becomes tough for everyone.
Question 2: What motivates Mokgobja and his family to resort to the ancient rain-making ceremony, and why do they choose to sacrifice young children?
Answer: Mokgobja’s family decides to do an old rain-making ceremony because they are desperate for rain. In this ceremony, they choose to sacrifice young children to make the Rain God happy. They believe doing this extreme thing is the only way to get rain and save their crops, even though it means doing something very sad and difficult.
Question 3: How does the story explore the emotional impact on Mokgobja’s family after the rain only lasts for two weeks?
Answer: When the rain only lasts two weeks, Mokgobja’s family feels really sad. They had hoped for a good harvest, but it doesn’t happen. Now, they are scared about not having enough food later. Mokgobja’s daughter-in-law and her sister become very upset, showing how the failed plan affects their emotions and makes life even harder for them.
Question 4: What are the consequences for Mokgobja and his family after the failed rain-making ceremony, and how does the community react to the missing children?
Answer: After the failed ceremony, Mokgobja and his family go back to the village feeling very sad, guilty, and scared. The community starts asking where the missing children are. When the police come, Tiro, the children’s mother, tells the truth. In the end, Mokgobja and his son are told they will be put to death. This shows how serious the consequences are for their desperate actions and how it affects the whole community.
Type 2 (10-Mark Question):
Q1: Why does Mokgobja decide to sacrifice Ramadi’s children even though he knows it is wrong? What does this show about the power of tradition and superstition?
A1: Mokgobja decides to sacrifice the girls because after 7 years of drought he is very worried and wants to make the rain come. There has been no rain for a long time and he is scared his family will starve with no crops. When he remembers the ancient ritual of sacrificing children to please the Rain God, he starts to believe this is the only way.
This shows how strong the pull of traditional beliefs can be. When people are struggling and afraid, they may turn back to rituals and superstitions from the past, even if it is morally wrong. Mokgobja’s fear makes him practice a very wrongful act. The story demonstrates the dangers that can happen when people trust old traditions too much instead of thinking in a reasonable way. Hard and hopeless times can make people believe in supernatural promises offered by rituals rather than facing reality. Mokgobja puts his hope in magic and is guided by fear and superstition. This shows the power fear and tradition can have over people’s choices.
Q2: Describe how “Looking for a Rain God” by Bessie Head presents enduring power of ancient tribal rituals and their conflict with contemporary codes of behavior in African life. [2078, Q.No.5, TU]
A2: The story shows how strong the pull of ancient rituals can be for certain members of traditional communities compared to modern thinking. In the story, there has been no rain for a long time in Mokgobja’s village and he is scared that his family will die of hunger without any crops. In his helpless and hopeless state, he remembers the ancient ritual of sacrificing children to please the Rain God, and starts to believe this is the only way.
When people are struggling and afraid, they may turn to rituals and superstitions from the past, even if it is morally wrong. Mokgobja’s belief in the ancient child sacrifice ritual is an example of this. This shows reliance on (निर्भरता) the supernatural power of old tribal customs over practical solutions. Mokgobja chooses obeying the rituals over contemporary moral codes against murder. His belief in the ceremonies is so strong that he sacrifices reason and ethics.
In contrast, the modern police at the end follow rules of law and justice. They do not care about cultural tradition. They objectively examine the facts of the crime. This represents how current society rejects harmful practices even if they are part of tradition. So the story highlights the conflict between enduring tribal ritual practices versus modern codes of human rights and rational thinking. It reveals the continued power these ancient rituals have over people like Mokgobja who are immersed in that belief. Modern values are not always able to replace the age-old belief systems and ways of thinking.
Type 3 (15-Mark Question)
Q1: In the story “Looking for A Rain God”, how does Mokgobja’s belief in the rain ritual lead to tragic consequences that destroy his family? Do you think he deserves sympathy for trusting in traditional beliefs or condemnation for his actions?
A1: Mokgobja’s complete faith in the rain ritual has very tragic results that break his whole family. Because he blindly believes sacrificing the girls will make it rain, he commits the immoral act of murdering his own granddaughters. But after the killings, rain still does not come. So his horrible act achieves nothing in the end, showing the ritual was useless superstition. Mokgobja and his son are sentenced to death for religious murder and thus his choice destroys many lives.
I do not have any sympathy for Mokgobja, although the drought made him desperate and people sometimes believe in strange traditions during hard times. I feel that he deserves strong criticism for his act. His ritual belief does not justify murder of innocents. As an elder, he should have been wiser and able to separate harmful practices from community values. Trust cannot excuse harm. Mokgobja may regret his mistake, but this cannot undo the damage or bring back the lives of those innocent children. Belief requires responsibility. When customs do more evil than good, moral courage requires questioning them. Mokgobja’s blind faith led to great immorality and unforgivable crime.