LEAVING LEAVING BY M.G. VASSANJI The Author M.G. Vassanji
Born on 45 May /065 in Nairo"i# 7enya an! raise! raise! in Tan)ania.
3e&eive! a Ba&heor of S&ien&e fro% Massa&husetts Institute of Te&hnoogy.
Move! to +ana!a in /012 $here he "e&a%e the resear&h asso&iate in the (niversity of Toronto.
:u"ishe! his first nove# the &riti&ay;a&&ai%e! The Gunny Sa&*# in /020.
Sin&e then has $ritten si9 noves# t$o &oe&tions of short stories# a %e%oir an! a "iography.
A %e%"er of the 8r!er of +ana!a.
Synopsis of Leaving Leaving tes the story of a young In!ian "oy# Aoo# Aoo# $ho eaves ho%e to pursue his e!u&ation in A%eri&a. The story is to! through the eyes of his e!er si"ing# a o&a university stu!ent. They are the t$o youngest &hi!ren in their fa%iy# an! they ive $ith their %other in a 'uiet to$n &ae! (panga# Tan)ania. Tan)ania. Their t$o o!er sisters an! an o!er "rother have area! y eft the nest. Their %other has high hopes for the% to stu!y har!. Aoo# Aoo# "eing a "right stu!ent# is inspire! to go to A%eri&a to stu!y after his for%er tea&her# $ho is in to$n for a visit# ta*s so %u&h a"out it. Aoo tries to fin! out %ore a"out s&hoarships an! universities in A%eri&a an! starts to appy to every university he &ou! fin!. Mean$hie# his %other !oes not not see% to ta*e hi% seriousy unti unti he re&eives an offer fro% the +aifornia Institute of Te&hnoogy# $ith fu s&hoarship. Mu&h to Aoo,s !isappoint%ent# Mother !oes not ao$ hi% to go "e&ause she is afrai! that $hen Aoo eaves# he $i never return. They see* a!vi&e fro% Mr Veji# Veji# a s&hoo offi&er $ho &o%fir%s that the offer is genuine. -eeing sy%patheti& to$ar!s Aoo# Mother $eighs in the offer. -inay# $ith a heavy heart# she ao$s Aoo to go to A%eri&a. Setting
The story opens in (huru Street# Tan)ania# $here Mother an! her five &hi!ren ive. It is a "usy#
"usting street fie! $ith &ars# "uses an! "i&y&es. Later# after her three e!est &hi!ren eave ho%e# Mother %oves to (panga# a oney an! 'uiet
to$n# $ith her t$o youngest &hi!ren. =hen they first %ove!# there $ere on y a fe$ houses in the neigh"ourhoo!. Behin! the housing area $as $i!# un!eveope! an! $ith ta trees. At night# the fa%iy &ou! hear nothing "ut the soun!s of inse&ts an! s%a ani%as. In this house is $here %ost of the &onversations ta*es pa&e. 8ther o&ations %entione! are> ; Tanga# a to$n on the &oast north of ?ar es Saaa%# Tan)ania,s &apita &ity# $here 3a)ia ives ; Mr Veji,s offi&e# $here Mother see*s a!vi&e ; A%eri&a# $here Mr ?atoo ives an! $here Aoo $ants to stu!y ; Lon!on# $here Aoo $rites a etter ho%e The story "egins $ith an intro!u&tion to the fa%iy an! their ives over the years. The %ain story
ta*es pa&e over severa %onths @ fro% the ti%e Aoo starts thin*ing of stu!ying in A%eri&a unti $hen he $rites a etter ho%e fro% Lon!on. This story $as first pu"ishe! in /00.
Main &hara&ters Aoo o o o o o
The youngest &hi! of a fa%iy of five si"ings A "right stu!ent in his ast year of s&hoo An o"e!ient stu!ent Loves to rea! 8ffere! a pa&e in the o&a university to stu!y agri&uture
Mother o o o
o o
A singe %other $ith five &hi!ren @ her hus"an! !ie! $hen she $as thirty;three 8n&e a "eauty in her younger !ays an! $ore pretty &othes No$ a pu%p $o%an $ith a $orrie!# uns%iing fa&e# thinning hair an! &oarse voi&e as a resut of having to raise her five &hi!ren $ithout a hus"an! Sefess an! a$ays put her &hi!ren first ?eter%ine! to raise her &hi!ren aone
The narrator o
The se&on! youngest &hi! of the fa%iy
o o o o
Na%e or gen!er are not %entione! in the story Stu!ies at the o&a university an! &o%es ho%e ony at $ee*en!s :er&eptive to the surroun!ing E%patheti& to$ar!s "oth Mother an! Aoo
Minor &hara&ters Mehroon o o
The o!est of the si"ings. Lives $ith her hus"an! in to$n.
3a)ia o o
The se&on! sister A ri&h house$ife in Tanga
The%es Separation •
In the story# Mother has to e9perien&e the pain an! sa!ness of separation as her &hi!ren gro$ up an!
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eave the fa%iy ho%e. -irst her t$o e!est !aughters %arry an! ive $ith their hus"an!s# an! then her e!est son eaves ho%e
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$hen he starts $or*ing. But perhaps her %ost painfu e9perien&e is $hen Aoo eaves for A%eri&a.
Sa&rifi&eSefessness This the%e is portraye! through the &hara&ter of Mother $ho has to %a*e %any sa&rifi&es $hie "ringing up her &hi!ren $ithout a hus"an!. She a$ays put her &hi!ren first an! refuses to re%arry if it %eans parting $ith her &hi!ren. Letting Aoo stu!ies in A%eri&a aso !epi&ts her sefessness as she *no$s he $ou! "e !evastate! if she refuse! hi%. Thus# even *no$ing that she %ight never see hi% again# she ets hi% go to a&hieve his !rea%.
A%"ition
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Aoo is a very a%"itious "oy $ho $ants a "etter ife for hi%sef. Instea! of "eing &ontent $ith the
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offer to stu!y at o&a university# he see*s a "etter opportunity an! is e&stati& to re&eive the s&hoarship to stu!y in A%eri&a.
Climax - Aloo discusses the matter with his amily. - is mother is suddenly angry that Aloo wants to go so ar away rom them and eels that he will never -ear of goes the unfa%iiar - !he amily to see Mr "el#i$ one o the school%s o&cers. •
Both Mother an! Mr Veji see% to have great suspi&ion of the un*no$n# espe&iay the =estern
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&ountries an! peope. 8n&e Aoo has "een a&&epte! into the A%eri&an university# "oth Mother an! Mr Veji "eieves that he
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$i never return. Mother aso fears that Aoo $ou! pi&* up the negative ha"its su&h as s%o*ing an! !rin*ing# an! %a*es hi% pro%ise that he $ou! never %arry a $hite $o%an.
Mora Vaues It is important to seize opportunities given to us. ; In the story# Aoo stu!ies very har! an! !oes $e in his e9a%s.
We must respect our elders. ; =hen Mother first o"je&ts his !e&ision to stu!y in A%eri&a# Aoo !oes not pursue the %atter further an! see%s resigne! to stu!y agri&uture at the o&a university. ; 8ut of respe&t# he !oes not re"e against his %other,s !e&ision an! ony spea*s of the %atter again after she as*s hi% a"out it. ; Both the narrator an! Aoo,s respe&t for Mr Veji is apparent $hen they stan! up as he enters the roo%.
PLOT
Exposition Mother and her two children move to Upanga.
Resolution - Aloo leaves or America.
We must be grateful to our parents. ; In the story# there is a point $hen the narrator has a ne$ a$areness of the har!ships that Mother %ust have gone through as a singe %other an! ho$ that %ust have &hange! her as a person. ; This tea&hes us to thin* a"out the sa&rifi&es our parents have %a!e for us too.
