Alan Paton's Sundiat An Epic Of Old Mali

Short stories, myths, creation stories and other forms of oral tradition display important themes that a story’s audience should live by. A theme is a moral or lesson that is taught in a story. Themes are present in all African stories. These themes tend to support having good morals or strong leadership in society. An important theme is determination. Characters in African literature and tradition show this theme when facing a difficult task. “Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali” is a traditional legendary epic by an unknown author. It is about the 13th-century West African leader Sundiata Keita. “The Quarry” is a short story by Alan Paton. It is about Johnny Day, a 12-year-old boy, who climbed the face of an abandoned quarry in a coastal city in South Africa. Both stories show the theme of determination through the characters’ actions. …show more content…
Firstly, Sologon Kedjou goes to the queen mother Sassouma Bérété for a baobab leaf. Sassouma insulted Sologon because Sundiata could not walk still Sologon returned to her hut and hit Sundiata, which made him tell his mother that he will walk that day. Sudniata felt determined to make his mother happy. Secondly, Sundiata stated, “I am going to walk today,” to show his determination. Finally, Sundiata didn’t give up when he used the iron bar to stand up, even when his legs “were trembling as though from an electric shock.” Determination is shown as a key theme in the story through Sundiata’s actions when trying to