Analysis Of When Rain Clouds Gather By Bessie Head

In ‘When rain clouds gathers’ Mantenge, (who’s the antagonist) is the sub chief who is seen as a cruel and oppressive ruler by the people of Golema Mmidi (Botswana - Apartheid era), a self-sufficient village popular in agriculture and a place that promotes comfort and freedom which Mantenge goes against. However after his death things in the village changed towards the better and the following will be discussing how. Chief Mantenge who is a very selfish individual promotes the opposite of what Golema Mmidi stands for, as he is terrified by the people of the village and is viewed more of a tyrant rather than a leader “troublesome and unpopular brother”. After attempting to assassinate his brother as a result of feeling threatened by Gilbert and pro-reforms, he then spreads false narratives about natives more so about the protagonist (Makhaya) which symbolizes his backward thinking and him not wanting to change. This goes completely against the ‘welcoming’ image that the village promotes.

A good example of a leader that lives up to Golema Mmidi’s message is Chief Sekoto (his brother) , who’s seen as diligent, respectful/respectable and supported by villagers due to the way he interacts and deals with their issues. However in Chapter 10 Mantenge’s reign starts to decline after his sickness as well as the changes in agriculture and positive developments that happen. Mantenge in essence was the reason in the first place why the village didn’t move forward because it was either his way or no other, he plotted against Makhaya and is an evil man at heart and does not have humanity which led to him being feared and the village remaining stagnant due to people being afraid to express ideas.

Botswana was a place (like South Africa) that experienced colonization and other systems which resulted in after effects in leadership or hierarchy. Makhaya is an example of a person that ran away from the traumatic system of apartheid, he describes this hierarchy by saying; “It’s a law of life that they rise up that there are man-made laws to keep them down there; after time it begins to drive you crazy. You either drink too much, or you join underground sabotage movements which are riddled with spies. You keep a piece of paper in your pocket with a plan to blow something up and you get thrown in jail for two years before you’ve blown anything up”.

This system traumatized Makhaya’s way of thinking, which changes after he gets to spend some time with Gilbert who is a white individual, Makhaya wasn’t used to living in peace with a white person. When coming to the village Makhaya rejects tribalism as he feels it is a system made to put men at the top while looking down upon women and their contributions. One of the larger hierarchies that develop is that of “Makhaya” which translates to “Home”, a name which he apologizes for in his introduction to the village as well as a name he is ashamed of because he feels is a symbol of customs and traditions that further cause separation amongst black people. Makhaya consistently unburdens himself of a past filled with submitting to social marks. He sees the incongruity of his name, signifying "the person who remains at home" and endeavors to discover an existence that isn't managed by forced recognizable proof.

Another hierarchy characterized by the community is the miseducation or neglect of women in the agricultural sense, patriarchy. The village failed in giving women education regarding agriculture and its economic benefits. Tribalism is represented by Chief Mantenge who doesn’t even recognize women as equal to men. The women (Maria and Paulina) are the real reason for the integration as well as the development of the village. In essence the changing of hierarchy regarding different political groups as well as traditional norms and practices are something Makhaya feels need change as he sees all power as being either corrupt or easily influenced/broken down. However it can be said that Golema Mmidi did last all these years under their standard traditions and methods, with Chief Mantenge being chief, the village was still being sufficient and consistent in their agriculture production and profit. But Chief Mantenge indeed slowed down development in that he refused the poor to rise or to change their circumstances which shows the problem in hierarchy, the fact that a person has the power to setback many people poses an issue in Makhaya and others eyes “I don’t i approve of dictatorships in any form...” Makhaya, Gilbert and Paulina are the main characters responsible for the change that occurs in Golema Mmidi. Makhaya brought with him an educational background being that he was an educated journalist (in a period where most black people weren’t tertiary educated), Gilbert brought with him the agricultural vision for the area as well as the promise of improving the economy of the village and its people through the arrival of Makhaya (as he also didn’t agree with tribalism and its traditions, whereas Paulina gave women a voice in a field dominated by men).

The changes that occurred had the help of people such as Maria and Chief Sekoto who were influential in the villages development. Paulina unlike the other women in the village didn’t have a man, others had “permanent lovers or husbands” which also indicates the difference between her and other women in the village and has her sole focus on the tobacco growing project until Naturally falling for Makhaya which is a change she thought she’d never experience. However through these Characters working together and weaking the reign of Mantenge, they were then able to bring about change and make the area more developed. The cowardly suicide of Mantenge was the last straw of dictatorship as Gilbert now influenced people and educated them regarding farming and economics, which is something Mantenge was afraid of (since he wanted the poor to remain the same).

Another major change that occurs is that of the protagonist Makhaya who now found what he was longing for, a home...and has now settled in and found himself as well as peace and freedom amongst the villagers of Batswana which is a huge leap from fleeing apartheid infested Southern Africa to being highly respected and responsible for the change of many. Therefore it is made evident that there was a significant change in the Golema Mmidi village right before and after Chief Mantenge (who is presented as the obstacle for change). This change came through a native, a white male as well as a female, which highlights how the people that were looked down upon and rejected through traditions bring about positive change. However the people’s co-operation and working hand in hand without judgment and most importantly fear of hierarchy through dictatorship also played a large role in the transformation of Golema Mmidi.