INTERPRETATION AND ANAYSIS OF THE SHORT STORIES
TITLE : Hawa The Bus Driver
AUTHOR : Richard S Mabala
SETTING : In Dar es Salaam particularly Manzese
YEAR OF PUBLICATION : 1988
PUBLISHER : Longman Group UK Ltd
Plot and short summary of the book
Hawa The Bus Driver is a story about Hawa Ibrahim whom lives at Manzese in Dar es Salaam. She lives with her husband Selemani, her son, Hassan and her daughter Saada. They have rented two rooms. Hawa is more famous than her husband is. This fame angers her husband.
Most people at Manzese address Hawa as “Hawa the Great“ its shown that at the first selemani was happy that his wife was famous but later begin to be very jealous.
Hawa is not ready to leave her job as bus driver, instead she requests her husband not to stop her from doing that job. Later her husband agreed not to stop her after friends and other workers had come to advise and convince him not to stop Hawa from the job.
THE PLOT OF THE BOOK OR STORY
The book Hawa The Bus Driver has six chapters;
The first chapter : Hawa The Bus Driver introduces Hawa The Bus Driver. The second chapter, Hawa’s day, explains how Hawa spends her day. the third chapter, Hawa and the drunkard, discusses how Hawa deals with the drunkard who causes trouble in the bus. In the fourth chapter, Hawa and the thieves, we are told how Hawa deals with the thieves. The fifth chapter, The accident, talks about the accident. The last chapter, Selemani is jealous, reveals Selemani’s jealous of his wife’s fame
This story reflects the social and economic situation of Tanzania. therefore the story is relevant to Tanzania in particular and Africa in general.
The story has used simple and comprehensible language which can be easily understood by the learners.
CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATION
1. Hawa Ibrahim
Ø She is the main character in the story.
Ø She is strong, tough, tall and weighs 82 kilogrammes.
Ø She is married to Selemani, therefore is the the wife of Selemani and has two children, the son, Hassan and the daughter, Saada.
Ø She shows true love to her husband and takes care of her children well.
Ø She is one among few women who are drivers in the city.
Ø She is more famus than her husband in Manzese and Dar es Sallam in general. This angers her husband, he doesn’t like the way people address him as Hawa’s husband instead he wants people to say Selemaniu’s wife.
2. Selemani
Ø He is the husband of Hawa, he is also tall and strong like the wife.
Ø He is a worker at Urafiki Textile Mill where he is a machine operator.
Ø He loves his wife and he is dynamic. At fist he is very happy because his wife is very famous but later he becomes jealous and he wants to be famous than the wife is.
3. Hassan
He is the son of Hawa and Selemani
4. Saada
She is the daughter of Hawa and Selemani.
5. Meshack
He is bus conductor of Hawa Ibrahim.
6. George
Is the primary school tacher and live in the same place with Hawa.
7. Chausiku
This is Hawa’s best friend, the two often sit together in the evenings, cooking vitumbua, plaiting their hairs or just chatting.
8. The doctor
This is the person who saves the life of primary school boy who is heat by the fast running bus called CHANGU NI CHANGU CHOTA CHAKO KWINGINE, the bust does not stop to help the boy.
9. The inspector
He is the policeman who comes to inspect the accident caused by the bus called CHANGU NI CHANGU CHOTA CHAKO KWINGINE. The bus injured the primary school boy. The inspector doesnot support the decision made by Hawa of sending the boy to the nearby hospital. people react against Inspector and support, thank and appreciate Hawa for her wise decision. The inspector at last calm down.
10. The boy
He is primary school boy who is hit by the fast moving bus called CHANGU NI CHANGU CHOTA CHAKO KWINGINE. He is left on the road helpless. Later, he is saved by Hawa who tries to stop the bus but in vain.
Prepared by:
Emily A Mwambola
Tel: 0757290816
Email: emilyam016@gmail.com
0 Comments