Dukwane’s Deliverance: Character Analysis

Everyone has a dream in life, while on this path to make the dream come true, there can be many hard decisions to make. These decisions can make a big impact on your life, so you need to follow your own instincts. You will probably feel like your life is very successful at some point, but I can quickly change, it is a complicated road to achieving this dream so you always need to keep your chin up, and listen to yourself. This is the situation in the short story by Neil Ramsorrun called Dukwane's Deliverance

The most important character in this short story is Dukwane. Dukwane is a young intelligent boy, and he shows us this by putting himself side by side with Barack Obama: ' ‘Then you'd better get used to the taste of that. If Barack can do it, so can I.' ' (p. 8 l. 23) with Dukwanes determination to be more in his life, he uses his parents as a reason, because with their lack of determination towards Dukwanes upbringing as a child, he wants to do and be more than his parents ever did, and to do this he considers that he got accepted from the Cambridge University as an opportunity, to make a difference in his life, and to be more than his parents: 'As he looked at his father sat there, his bottom shirt button open and exposing his belly overhanging his trousers, he felt a sense of sadness, but also a determination to be more.' (p. 8 l. 25-27)

Dukwane is a good kid in this short story, he always tries to the right in life and good towards others, this is why his instinct is to help and protect a young kid out, who was being followed by a gang: 'Dukwane gets up first, his hand raised to so try and calm the gang of four, instinctively he places his body between the kid and his pursuers.' (p. 10 l. 79-80) But the gang go after him instead and stab him which later makes him unable to walk. After the attack his friend Jermaine comes to visit him at the hospital, and seeing how frustrated he is, Jermaine suggests that they take revenge on the attacks, by getting another gang to attack them. This idea is not something Dukwane normally considered as he always sees the good in people. But his current attitude of frustration changes his mindset, and he does not oppose the idea of taking revenge: ''It's not right, D. They can't just go around stabbing people. No one cares about us. The police won't do shit, your dad's useless. It's down to you and me.' (p.11 l. 27-28) After Jermaine leaves, Dukwane dreams about his hero, namely Barack Obama. In the dream, Barack then encourages Dukwane to continue to pursue his dreams over his frustrations. As him being unable to walk does not need to stop him: ' ‘By your wits and guile and sheer persistence. This is what makes us rise above other men, it is how we face adversity; how we challenge those who hold us back, how we make real our dream.' ' (p. 12 l. 167-170) He realizes that taking revenge is not something he likes. He much rather wants to continue his plans: ' ‘I know man, I am. But everything that happens, happens for a reason. And I think this was meant to make me stronger in some way.'(…) ‘I'm gonna call King's.' ' (p. 12 l. 186-189)

The short story’s settings location is generally in London. Some of the Action takes place in Dukwane’s home in Camden, some of it is also on the streets, some at the fast food place Dukwane works, and some at the hospital. Dukwanes home in Camden. We don't really get that many details about Dukwan’s home, all we get is that his mother is often in the kitchen and that his father is also often watching TV in the living room.

The author writes these very descriptive sequences where he describes Dukwane's road with much detail so we as a reader can mentally image the place and setting: 'As he stepped out onto York Way, the sun was setting over King's Cross in the distance, a crimson candyfloss sky broken by a dozen cranes all busy building his city. [...] He could walk to Big Ben in 40 minutes from his house, and could almost see it from his street, but he couldn't really say he felt part of any of it. Yet.' (p 10 l. 34-38) This description makes the reader think that Dukwane is an outsider as the description is

described through Dukwanes eyes and he tells us that 'he couldn't really say he felt part of any of it. Yet' (p 10. l. 37-38) When he is putting the 'Yet' at the end we know that this is gonna change and he knows it as well.

The same very descriptive sequences are represented at midnight when Dukwane tries to help and protect the child from being killed, where he gets stabbed instead: “The road fell silent for what seemed like the first time that night. He glanced at his shopping list and headed towards the Turkish store. (…)As he crossed the road, the silence was pierced by the sound of footsteps from the alleyway to his right.” (p. 9-10 l.71- 76) But in this sequence, the Darkness and silence are the main things as it creates a very gloomy feeling, and we get the feeling that something is about to happen.

The fact that Dukwane gets stabbed on the public streets of London, by someone he actually knew, suggests that their society is very violent, in which young people just gather together in different gangs and engage in fights with each other, and that Jermaine actually makes a proposal to take revenge on those who stabbed Dukwane and threaten the child makes it even more violent that they even get this wild idea: '‘It's not right, D. They can't just go around stabbing people. No one cares about us. The police won't do shit, your dad's useless. It's down to you and me. You know the Bengalis my cousin Frankie hangs out with? Frankie says they're into some real heavy shit. He was telling me how one time they did this guy in because he stole their parking space.'' (p. 11 l. 127-130)

The title Dukwane's Deliverance is very meaningful as the word ‘Deliverance' is the action of rescued or set free. And at the end, we hear about Dukwane dreaming that Barack comes and rescues Dukwanes frustrations and thoughts of giving up on following his dreams to be a politician.