The Plantation

“This place was an emblem of life to him—the high-pitched whistle of the birds; the cold drizzle of early morning dew, the soft, earthy, muskiness of the air; the endless reams of foliage and the rubber trees that glistened with sap.”

This quotation is an example of parallelism, and the descriptions of nature that follow the characterization of the plantation as an emblem of life stress the diversity of nature and life that the plantation contains. This parallelism also reinforces how this emblem of life will become lethal by the end of the story, as the petrol explodes, killing many of the villagers, including Namidi.

“But such noble thoughts soon evaporated as he turned the matter over in his mind. Yes, it was surely petrol, but of what benefit would this be to him? There was an opportunity here, if only the meddling of the villagers would let him. Then a small grin lit up his face. Yes, he knew what to do.”

Namidi’s conflict is apparent in these lines, which mirror the struggle between nature and civilization embodied in the placement of pipelines under the plantation. His intention to stop the leak and alert the village head evaporates just as the liquid petrol flows, and the small grin lighting up his face foreshadows the fire and explosions that soon occur as a result of the leak.

“‘He looks like he has seen a ghost,’ another said, clapping her hands excitedly. ‘And he has this smell around him,’ another one added. ‘It smells like something they use with their rubber,’ said another one. They stared at the departing figure and shook their heads in puzzlement.”

The discussion among the women of the village after Namidi avoids his normal conversations with them is another example of foreshadowing. The plantation, a place of life and nature, will soon become a place of death and devastation, and Namidi will be a ghost.