Introspection and Reflection
- On pages 310-311, Obama writes that he finally felt a sense of belonging in Kenya: “For a span of weeks or months, you could experience the freedom that comes from not feeling watched, the freedom of believing that your hair grows as it’s supposed to grow and that your rump sways the way a rump is supposed to sway….Here the world was black, and so you were just you; you could discover all those things that were unique to your life without living a lie or committing a betrayal.” Have you ever experienced anything like this? Why? What was the situation? Did it last? What did you learn from the experience? How was your experience different from or similar to Obama’s?
- On page 307, Obama’s Aunt Zeituni tells Auma to make sure that Obama “doesn’t get lost again.” Explain what this expression means. Have you ever been “lost” in the way the term is used here? What happened? How did you feel at the time? How did your family and friends feel about you?
Suggestions for Essays, Presentatins, or Research Projects
- Chapter 15 introduces us to many members of Obama’s family. It’s sometimes hard to keep track of who is who and what each person’s relationship to Obama is. Using the family tree on this website as a guide, add a few descriptive sentences for each of the people listed. This will help you to remember the characters. You will add more information to this tree as you continue reading the Kenya section of Dreams from My Father, so make sure you leave plenty of room. When you have finished, try making your own family's tree, and be sure to add the descriptive details.
- In 1988, Obama visists Kenya, a former colony of Great Britain that became independent in 1963 after approximately 20 years of struggle. Use the links below to learn more about Kenya’s struggle for independence. Then, read Chapter 15 again, this time paying special attention to Obama’s and Auma’s feelings and thoughts about Kenya and its post-colonial society. What are their hopes and dreams for Kenya? Why are they sometimes bitter or cynical about what is happening in Kenya? Write an essay or prepare a presentation in which you briefly explain the history of Kenya’s independence struggle. Then, summarize the problems that Obama and Auma identify. End your paper with your own analysis: Do you think the problems can be solved? If so, how? If not, why?
- On page 314, Obama refers to a time “…before Kimathi and other angry young men in Soweto or Detroit or the Mekong Delta started to lash out in street crime and revolution.” Use the links below to learn more about the events and places to which Obama refers. When you have finished, choose one of the places, and write a paper in which you explain what happened and how the events in the place you chose to describe relate to the story that Obama tells about Kenya.
Useful Links for Further Research
Kenya History http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad21
Mau Mau http://www.jstor.org/stable/27502337?seq=2
Colonialism and Post-Colonialism
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=105&sid=34b18a87-387f-4ea6-a947-69a588205ddf%40sessionmgr104