The Rain Of My Blood Analysis: George Mujajati

The Rain of my blood: Act 3,Scene 2 Analysis

The setting of the scene is in the bush, in the wilderness. Negomo is mad, probably because of the loss of his dear wife and the fact that he cannot locate his son Chamunorwa. Now he is in a deranged state. He is running about wildly. The scene is the shortest of all the scenes in the play. The appearance of Negomo with tattered and torn clothes symbolizes the overwhelming confusion in his mind.

The playwright or dramatist employs an apostrophe when Negomo calls out to an absent or silent Chamunorwa. An apostrophe is a literary technique usually used in poetry where the poet or persona addresses a silent, absent listener or a dead person. It can also qualify as a monologue or soliloquy to reveal Negomo’s confused state which represents his unbearable loss so far. The repetition of the name Chamunorwa is another technique designed to show Negomo’s longing to be reunited with his son Chamunorwa. The ellipsis shows he Negomo has many other issues he intends to tell his son.He calls out loudly and desperately so that maybe his son could hear him but he remains silent as shown by stage directions that show “silence” . The name Chamunorwa is written in bold or capital letters “CHAMUNORWA”  to highlight the idea that he sorely or desperately misses his son. He implores or begs his son to come back and go to school. He regrets Chamunorwa’s decision to fight the white man. He is spiritually defeated. The monologue/soliloquy/apostrophe reveals he has been culturally captured by Christianity as a religion. He thinks fighting the white man is the same as fighting Jesus Christ. He conflates Christianity and the White man. He thinks they are one and the same thing. Negomo is very desperate. The whole scene brings out a regretful and desperate tone.

The Rain of My Blood: Act 3, Scene 1 Analysis

The setting changes from the training camp where Chamunorwa and Tawanda went for military training to the theatre of war, Centenary District, Mashonaland.

The scene opens with singing of a revolutionary song emboldening freedom fighters to continue with the struggle. The song thanks Pan Africanist leaders like Samora Machel of Mozambique and Julius Nyerere of Tanzania who played a pivotal role in assisting Zimbabwe freedom fighters with bases, ammunition and training camps during the liberation struggle. It also denounces or castigates traitors such as Nyati for their betrayal of the liberation struggle. Nyati is a freedom fighter known for betraying the freedom fighters to the white Rhodesian Forces and causing the bombing and massacres of freedom fighters and refugees at Nyadzonia and Chimoio in Mozambique.

Rhodesian soldiers also march on stage carrying FN rifles. The first soldier, later identified as SergeantGoredema calls out for Lance Corporal Chitanda immediately to appear before him. He informs him that he has been to Lieutenant Francis Jeffries (son of Jeffries Sanderson who fought Chamunorwa and caused the expulsion of Negomo and family from Altena Farm).Francis Jeffries wants the black soldiers to extract information from captives Munjai and Negomo about the whereabouts of their son who has returned from military training and is operating in the District using the name Kid Marongorongo. Soldier 2 tells Soldier 1that the prisoners are not cooperating and he has so far failed to extract any information. The prisoners are refusing to talk. For 2 weeks they are refusing to talk. The sergeant orders the prisoners to be brought to him for further torture and interrogation. After a short interval, Munjai is brought in, chained (fettered) and heavily bandaged in head and arms. This clearly shows the cruelty of war. She has been going through an ordeal (difficult period) of torture by the Rhodesian soldiers. The gruesome instruments of torture are also brought to the stage. This is designed to create a very intimidating atmosphere for the prisoners so that they agree to talk and give the soldiers information they want. Munjai and Negomo have been captured to give information about the operations of their son Chamunorwa. Sergeant Goredema begins by threatening Munjai and boasting about his cruelty and ability to extract information he wants from war captives. A lot of stage directions show Goredema bragging about his cruelty. He narrates the expulsion of Chamunorwa and Negomo from Altena Farm, the dismissal of Chamunorwa and Tawanda from Chegato Mission and Chamunorwa’s escape to Zambia and Tanzania for military training, his return to Zimbabwe and his operations in the District. He ends by asking for Chamunorwa’s whereabouts or where he is hiding. He accuses Chamunorwa of murder, rape and torture of innocent civilians in the District. This is very ironic since the Rhodesian soldiers are the ones commiting rape, murder and torture. What follows is very saddening. Munjai is tortured using different methods such as the whip, electric shock, the bucket method and pinching by a pair of pliers. The soldiers do it repeatedly and cruelly. They demonstrate their sadistic and cruel nature on the helpless and defenceless woman. Despite the torture, Munjai refuses to reveal the whereabouts of her son. She remains resolute and uncompromising. Singing is heard in the background to embolden Munjai. Munjai actually mocks and berates the soldiers and tells them that either they would kill her or she would kill them. She challenges them to hunt for him (Chamunorwa) if they were real men worth their salt. Munjai attempts to grab a gun from Soldier 1 but she is unfortunately shot dead by Soldier 2 who is Lance Corporal Chitanda. This fills the stage with sadness. It also brings out the sacrificial nature of Munjai who does no sell out despite the torture she is subjected to. She is juxtaposed to the black soldiers Chitanda and Goredema who choose to side with the oppressors to torture and kill Zimbabweans.

At Mt Darwin police camp, a prison Chaplain ironically carrying a Bible is brought in to relay the sad news of the death of Munjai to Negomo her husband. The Chaplain beats about the bush about the news to an already hardened Negomo. Negomo appears unmoved by his wife’s death. He is a stoic and he is resigned to his fate. He is also prepared to die. When the reality and horror of the death of his wife sinks into his mind, Negomo stops singing. He asks why the soldiers are persecuting him. He calls the world a dungeon or prison and asks whether one day he will be free. Negomo becomes hysterical (mad) and starts calling out madly and wildly. He runs off stage and the soldier guarding him aims his gun at him. However, the Chaplain viciously restrains or dissuades him from shooting Negomo. The soldier says he is carrying out Lieutenant Francis Jeffries’ instruction to shoot any prisoner attempting to escape. However, the Chaplain tells him he will explain to the Lieutenant. This shows some positive and empathetic side of the Chaplain. The whole scene demonstrates the cruelty of war. War causes death, displacement and torture of civilians. However, the scene shows the sacrifice by the likes of Munjai who refused to sell out despite the extreme torture she receives from Rhodesian soldiers. Rhodesian soldiers are portrayed as sadistic or cruel.

Act 3, Scene 2 can also be described as a Dramatic Monologue. The scene is action packed, reveals actions , thoughts and insights of the speaker who is alone on stage and speaks to a silent or absent listener.