Doris Lessing’s The Old Chief Mshlanga.

Doris Lessing’s The Old Chief Mshlanga
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Doris Lessing’s The Old Chief MshlangaIn Doris Lessing’s novella, The Old Chief Mshlanga the key characters are a young girl and Chief Mshlanga. However, other aspects include; the parents of the girl and other African locals who are essential in the social setting of the story. The young girl acts as the protagonist in the story. The girl is the protagonist who has the origins of English but resides in a place in Africa with her parents.
In the novel, there is antagonism between the black culture and the white culture, and it has played a significant role in defining the text. The girl who is nicknamed Nkosikaas has an inculcated white prospect to the African residents. She, therefore, takes them for granted through the white culture instilled by her parents and the folk tales she has read “The child was taught to take them for granted.” (Lessing, 2013). She lives with the reversed reality before she meets the old chief Mshlanga. Conflict portrays itself in the novel; one instance is where Nkosikaas opposes the society when she attempts to befriend the African residents “feeling an urgent helpless desire to get to know these men and women.” (Lessing, 2013). Later, she realized that she has to be welcomed by her society as opposed to assisting the old chief. There is also conflict between Nkosikaas and herself where she finds it difficult to decide whether to make friends with the natives or follow her society’s practices.

Conflict arises between father and the Old chief; this was after Mshlanga’s goats destroying the land of Nkosikaas’ father which resulted in an argument about what would be done to the goats. Eventually, the father retained all the goats and the Old chief had to move “Sometime later we heard that chief Mshlanga and his people had been moved.” (Lessing, 2013). Another instance of conflict is between the Old Chief and Society where he becomes an opponent to the society by being a native; he is rejected because of his culture.
A climax is demonstrated in the story where Nkosikaas’ father meets with the Old Chief after the destruction of his crops by Chief’s goats. They met to find a solution. The Old chief left sad stating “All this land, this land you call yours, is his land.” (Lessing, 2013). The story’s setting in place is in Africa. The story started with the account of the third person where the narrator talks about her past and her views on natives and Africa.
By adopting several techniques such as point of view, setting, and climax, the storyteller distances herself from the racism which designated her early life, and it aids in developing the story’s plot.
Reference
Lessing, D. (2013). The Old Chief Mshlanga. HarperCollins UK.