Table of Contents
SUMMARY
The story is centred on the biography of Chukwubuikem Ukpai how he was born what happen during his birth and the way they lived in their family how his mother favour a particular person in her family .
Chukwubuikem Ukpai in the story is child his birth is mysterious he was born during the war and nobody can tell if his parents are his biological parents. His birth has it root in contradiction so also his name; his birth took place at a point in time when Biafra was at war with Nigeria, then the where at the heart and climax of the war. His birth was so painful and prolonged because the doctor travelled to Owere.after his birth a jet bomber dealt the most wicked blow of all. Jet bomb was hard on the horizon, then followed an explosion which rocked the foundation of the hospital in the condition that many nurse and newly born mothers, patients and other workers ran halter sketcher, newly born baby’s and their mothers lose contact with their mother some died because of the bomb. It was at this point that Chukwubuikem was picked up by a nurse who clam to know her mother and handed chukwubuikem over to her mother but later another woman came and said that the child is his son that his name is Uzodimma and they resemble too much but the same nurse that picked him up insisted that he is not Uzodimma but he is Chukwubuikem .
Chukwubuikem is a good and intelligent boy who respects everybody and loved and liked him he went to seminary school and their he was respected and was giving a lot of awards in his school days, everybody was looking up to him to become to rev father after studying philosophy in the university he left his seminary life to struggle for life and to make ends meet
In the story Chukwubuikem mother is not a good woman she always bring problem into the family and between his children her children was separated because of their mother.
Plot
The story started with Chukwubuikem who wanted to know the secret behind his birth. He asked his uncle about the history behind his birth who told him everything about it, he told him that he was born during Biafra and Nigerian war, in the hospital on the day he was born the jet bomb which Nigeria army throw against the Biafra affected the foundation of the hospital where he was born everywhere was scattered and some children died at the sport this brought about parents fighting for children nobody was sure of his or her own child it was during his period that a nurse picked up chukwubuikem beside the door of the hospital and said that she know the mother of the child, she take Chukwubuikem to her mother, later that day another woman came and said that the baby is her child that his name is Uzodimma she was crying saying that she is sure that the baby is her child but the nurse who picked him up insisted that chukwubuikem is not her child that ws how she came into the family of Ukpai
He noticed this because of her mother’s attitude towards him both of them quarrel almost every day and they are not in good terms they lived the same roof but their mother never loved him she use to bring destruction to the family, she went to school and later went to seminary school he studied philosophy which every one think that he will be a rev father but after studying he left seminary to struggle for life he travelled to Lagos where he stayed with his cousin sister but later left her and start business just to make ends meet .
Setting
It was set in Nigeria time 1960 after the colonial era some events took place in the story in Umuekwunne, Ebeambia,Imo state, Onitsha, Nkpor, Enugu, Onuasata Enu-ugwu,Ogbete Market Mmaku Isele,3-3 near Onitsha, Lagos Gboko, Lybia.
In the story we have economic background, political background, social background, and religious background.
Language
The language used in the story is easy and simple for an average reader to understand
Point of view
The narrator speaks in the first person point of view it makes use of ‘I’ In telling us the story about Chukwubuikem and his way of life
Symbolism
The jet bomb symbolises disaster because it destroy a lot of things.
Tone and mood
The tone of the story is serious in telling us the struggles of Chukwubuikem. mood the mood of the story is serious
Themes in the story
- Theme of determination
- Theme of courage
- Theme of struggle and death
Theme of determination
Chukwubuikem determined to survive despite all that his mother is doing to him in their family how she make his brother the first son to be against him in the story. In the seminary he determined never to be intimidated by the first year theologian who wanted to deal with him in the seminary and his brother who wanted to go to Lydia determined and go through desert.
Theme of courage
Chukwubuikem have the courage to ask his uncle who is a teacher to tell him the history behind his birth to tell him everything about his birth which his uncle narrated to him how the events took place during the war.
Theme of struggle and death
In the story Chukwubuikem and his brother Ifekandu his brother who went to Lydia struggled to make ends meet after their mother deceived their elder brother who made him to stop caring for them and asking after them. He and his brother started struggling to see if they can make it in life which made his brother to travel to Lydia through desert but he later died in the story.