IS RESIAN RAPED IN BLOSSOMS OF THE SAVANNAH?

Was Resian raped in Blossoms of the Savannah?

Many teachers and students have grappled with this question ever

since Blossoms of the Savannah was approved as a set text by KICD.

First Taiyo and Resian face a near-rape experience in the hands of

Ntare Muyo and Lante son of Kanyira. (pg 140-141)

Luckily they are saved by Olarinkoi. 

When Olarinkoi later abducts Resian and takes her to his home in

Inkiito, he tries to rape her. He comes home while stone drunk and barks angrily at Resian who had refused to make him food. 

“I tell you to prepare food and you refuse to do so, eh? Today you will know who is the owner of this home.” (pg 221)

He insists that Resian is his wife. He grabs her and starts unfastening

her buttons while she resists and fights back tenaciously. She screams

fruitlessly unable to free herself from his firm grip. She manages to bite his thumb and almost amputates it. 

“She thrusts his thumb into her mouth; sunk her teeth into the flesh like a ferocious animal and tenaciously held unto it tugging at it fiercely like a lioness” (pg221)

Olarinkoi howls with pain but finally manages to hit her hard on

her ribcage with his elbow and on the side of her head. 

Resian passes out and when she regains consciousness it is not

clear exactly what transpired. She is lying in a makeshift bed. She is naked, in excruciating pain and bleeding from the nose. Resian recalls the incident with Oloisudori, the quarrel with her father, the trip with Olarinkoi and the struggle with him as he tried to rape her. (pg 222)

Nabaru insinuates that Olarinkoi tried to rape Resian but did not

succeed. 

“What was not in the prediction was what Olarinkoi tried to do with you. Rape was not part of the programme“ (pg 232)

Even Olarinkoi himself suggests that he did not accomplish his

goal.

He says: “I’ll not repeat what I tried to do last time and I regret having been forced to hit you” (pg 241)

We learn that Olarinkoi does not succeed to rape Resian based on

what Nabaru (Enkabaani) tells Resian.

“I will never forget the way you bravely wrestled with that brute called Olarinkoi and bit his thumb so severely that he was unable to rape you as he had intended” (pg 253).

In conclusion, Olarinkoi does not succeed to rape Resian. 

Literature rewards virtues and punishes vices.

Olarinkoi abducts and attempts to rape Resian. He is punished when he is shamefully scolded by his mother that he hides and also suffers the pain inflicted when Resian bites his thumb. 

Resian is a virtuous character. She is assertive and determined. She

tells off her father Ole Kaelo when he tries to marry her off to old

Olosisudori against her wish. She also fights off Olarinkoi determinedly

and is rewarded. She manages to avoid early marriage and FGM and even rape. She also manages to join Egerton University. 

From this we learn that evil does not pay but determination is rewarded.

Next: Blossoms of the Savannah Essays

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