INCIDENT IN THE PARK ANALYSIS PDF – MEJA MWANGI
A silent song and other stories
Focus
·
Idleness
of city dwellers
Summary of Incident
in the Park
In Incident
in the Park, Kenyan author Meja Mwangi paints a grim picture of a
loafer-infested park, with portentous air hanging forlornly over it. The story
ends when an innocent fruit-seller is stoned to death by a mob, in a case of
mistaken identity.
The short story
opens with a gloomy description of the park. We meet some park loungers who
waste hours on end sleeping in the park. Most of the idlers do not pay heed to
the parliament and City Hall clocks, and would rather loll all day doing
nothing.
At 1:00 , office
workers come out of their offices in swarms. They are then swallowed by the sad
city as they disperse in search of lunch. The idlers in the park nonchalantly
watch the workers emerge from their offices, disappear into the city and even
anticipate the wave of workers to return from various eateries and flood
past the park back to their various offices.
“The patched park
was almost dead, alive only with a few idlers.”
Among the idle men
sitting or lying under trees and shrubs is a fruit-seller. He sits under a shrub
taking stock of his sales. He mumbles and curses and lays on his back, covering
his face with his bony hands. He lounges during lunch break. Maybe he is too
poor to afford a meal.
More idle men sit
by a small lake watching a couple of men paddling hired boats. These loafers
while away doing this every day.
The park is poorly
maintained. A pond in the park is choking with ugly weeds. An idle man defies
the order not to feed the hungry fish and defiantly throws rubbish into the
water.
Soon he starts
conversing with a fellow idler. They chat about how fish are like people. The
largest fish in the pond bullies the smaller fish as they compete for food in
their feeding ground. The man feeding the fish avers that there is a great big
fish that could drink all water in the ocean and cause a great drought making
the world to come to an end. The huge monster supposedly eats other fish.
In the park, we
also meet two ice cream men who desperately try to sell their ice cream to no
avail.
Later, city
constables confront the fruit-seller about his license and identity card. He
claims that he left them at home and tries to bribe them with five shillings
and later ten shillings but they would hear nothing of it. He desperately
pleads with the men to let him go. He has a case with a judge he calls a tyrant.
He sells fruits to raise a fine for the case. He further offers the constables
one basket of fruits and 10 shillings. He even offers them both his fruit
baskets desperately trying to buy his freedom.
When they remain steadfast,
decides to run for it but sadly he is accosted by a mob who mistake him for a
thief and they stone him to death. They judge him based on his dirty torn clothes
and a mean hungry face - the uniform of his trade.
The police come to
collect the body but no one is willing to appear as a witness to recount the
events leading to the poor man’s untimely demise in the hands of a callous
erratic mob.
The two loungers
who were talking about fish witnessed the whole spectacle before drifting
guiltily back to the park to continue loafing.
The park is once
again tranquil, just like a pond moments after someone splashes something into
the water.
New words
Taken a heavy toll
Forlornly
Gaunt
Shimmer
Growling
Clogged up
Insistent
Gushed
Ravenous
Tide
Patched
Gnarled
Unceremoniously
Unshod
Muttering
Frothing
Confounded
Unnoticing
With a start
Slouching
Trudged along
Tyrant
Sanctuary
Nabbed
Hit out
Lunged
Furtively
Haunches
Ebbed
Subdued
Wonderful...I av understood the plot ...bless u
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback.
DeleteGrateful
ReplyDeleteWelcome
DeleteView essays on silent song and other stories
ReplyDeleteHi
Wekati post more essay questions on short stories. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion.
DeleteWell have now understood plot thank you a lot but please post more essays on the stories in the book soon
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback. I will.
DeleteThank you wefwe
ReplyDeleteWelcome
DeleteAmazing,im a student at nanyuki high school,and i really appreciate your help
ReplyDeleteam also a student at nanyuki high really glad for the help
DeleteWhat is the significance of the title incident in the park
ReplyDeleteThanks man
ReplyDeleteI have a question 👋
ReplyDeleteApart from mob justice and for the fruit seller having to meet up with the judge what other conflict arises between the police and the civilians from incident in the park.
Thank you so much in advance,and also for the good work done
I have a question 👋
ReplyDeleteApart from mob justice and for the fruit seller having to meet up with the judge what other conflict arises between the police and the civilians from incident in the park.
Thank you so much in advance,and also for the good work done
I don't see the essence of this. No style, no themes...useless
ReplyDeleteStyles and themes are tested in paper 2. In paper 3, we test universal human values. Short stories are not used to teach styles, themes or character traits. Thanks for the feedback.
DeleteGood work mwalimu. Who's this big fish and what is symbol implied?
ReplyDeleteI think the big fish tries to portray the
ReplyDeletegovernment
Am a student of Mbita high school. Thank you so much. You've really helped me a lot. Am so grateful
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