Tradition: Lost And Kept :: essays research papers

Tradition Lost and Kept     Each culture in the world follows its own customs and traditions. Thesetraditions, however, are sometimes broken to kick a compromise in their society,or are still unploughed throughout the cultures existence. In the story The Rain Came,an African tribe faces a harsh and desolate time because their tribe isexperiencing a severe drought and as a result the livestock is dying fromdehydration, the crops are drying out, and the tribes top dog is called upon toremedy the situation. Following their tribes tradition on asking the gods forassistance, the Chief detect the only way to eliminate the drought is bysacrificing his daughter in a traditional ritual. The events that follow bequeathshow how the tribes customs will be unbroken and baffled.     Tradition is shown in many parts of the story. The first example oftradition is evident in the scene where the Chief speaks to the ancestors to variety the sacrifice he loves his only daughter dearly and does not lack her to run. Unfortunately, he could not abandon his position as Chief and allow the battalion die from the drought either. In the tribe, it was customary for the Chiefto allow several wives and children. The Chief married five wives and the fifthone brought him a daughter. Another tradition that was shown in the story wasthe explanation of how Oganda (the chiefs only daughter) real her name. Hername meant "beans" because her skin was smooth, very much like the skins ofbeans. A extreme example of tradition is the sacrificing of Oganda. She isscheduled to be sacrificed to a lake monster in order for the tribal villages toreceive precipitation and irrigate. In modern days, we would limp the localsatellite forecast for the area and determine when to conserve water during adrought. However, in this story, tradition must be followed to allow the peopleto live and thrive, or does it?     Revealing the part s of the story where tradition is kept is important inorder to compare with the part where tradition is lost and compromised. TheChief keeps tradition when he arranges a meeting with all the family members boot out Oganda to discuss her sacrifice to better the chances of survival foreveryone else. Oganda believes that her family is discussing her marriage andher morale and hopes attach until her family informs her of the situation. Tothe villagers, it was a great honor to let a womans daughter to die for hercountry. To the Chief, it was a great and sad loss for his only daughter would