The Role of Daily Sacrifice in the Rain Came

Men and women have to make sacrifices every single day. Whether such sacrifice serves to benefit them, those around them, or society in basic, people uncover that choices to give up aspects of their lives are prevalent in human nature. Both spectrums of this theme are completely explored in Grace Ogot’s The Rain Came. Usually, in tribal cultures such as the 1 illustrated in this story, the tribespeople are asked to make sacrifices to appease some sort of ancestor or overlord. However, this was not the only instance of how folks in the story had to decide on what sacrifices to make to guarantee they achieve what they wanted. Whilst nearly all characters pointed out in the story at some point have to give at least a single thing up, it is the chief’s daughter, Oganda, who is faced with two situations of private sacrifice.

The first of many tough choices falls upon the shoulders of the great chief Labong’o no father in his appropriate mind would let his daughter to be sent to death. Labong’o, as powerful as he is, struggles with making this selection as he have to listen to the rainmaker and sacrifice his only daughter to allow rain to return to his villagers. “The chief need to not weep. Society had declared him the bravest of guys. But Labong’o did not care anymore. He assumed the position of a easy father and wept bitterly.” (Ogot 1) Realizing that the choice to sacrifice his own daughter to save the rest of the villagers tears even the strongest and most brave of the villagers to his quite roots. Labong’o also explores the notion of sacrificing the entire village just to save his sacred lone daughter. These thoughts are speedily place to the side as the chief realizes that he has a duty to his villagers and cannot enable his interests to be placed above those of the complete tribe. This sacrifice produced by Labong’o might quite well be the most selfless and difficult of all throughout the story. Although chief Labong’o laments that he should sacrifice his personal daughter, most his villagers rejoice in understanding that their savior has been appointed. This short detail illustrates how sacrifice for a bigger goal is a joyous thing, only for those that do not have to shed anything.

While Oganda is openly a revered member of the tribe, the villagers that do not have close private connections with her practically immediately realize that permitting only one of them to die will save them and bring excellent prosperity to the complete. The tribespeople even act as if it is a great honor to give one’s life for such a sacred purpose. They clarify this even further by generating a song that goes “It is to save the folks, if it is to give us rain, let Ogando go. Let Oganda die for her folks, and for her ancestors,” (Ogot 3). This minor detail gains significant insight into just how sacrifice can have extremely different effects on those involved. The most confounding dilemma even so, comes down to the excellent chief’s daughter, Oganda. Despite the fact that it does not look that she has a option in the matter, Oganda need to make the greatest of all possible sacrifices, give her personal life for the folks of her village. This sacrifice serves to advantage her in no way, and implicates just how her character was raised beneath sturdy morals and the idea that the wants of the whole are placed considerably greater than the wants of the individual. Even so robust these morals are although, instincts of survival must kick in at some point. “Forgetting that there was only 1 door in the hut Oganda fought desperately to locate another exit. She must fight for her life. But there was none” (Ogot three). Oganda, just like any reasonable human, does not want to willingly shed her life. Her human nature dictates that the sacrifice of herself is not worth it at the really moment of hearing the news.

Right after a great amount of time, Oganda realizes that there is no other choice than to make this fantastic sacrifice. Although she realizes that the tribe will be greater from due to the fact of her, Oganda is noticed as timid and apprehensive about her fate. Again, this demonstrates that while there are predicted bonuses to sacrifice, at least one particular person will be on the losing end of the spectrum. What makes Oganda’s case of sacrifice so polarizing is the event that occurs at the end of the story. Oganda is faced with but one more not possible job of deciding what is more crucial: the individual, or the entire. Whilst sacrifice is often thought of as an unselfish act that rewards the entire alternatively of the individual, this is not the case. Selecting the pick private achieve over what will advantage the group is a type of sacrifice, no matter if it is selfish or not. Oganda ultimately has been convinced that her fate is to sacrifice herself for the tribe. “Osinda, Osinda! Please let me die. Let me run, the sun is going down. Let me die, let them have rain.” (Ogot 7) Despite the fact that these words are mentioned by Oganda in a fury to give herself to the lake monster, it requires a miniscule quantity of convincing by her lover, Osinda, to talk her from the ledge of death and escape to freedom. Oganda has rapidly devolved from being the savior of the tribe, to the achievable destroyer of her people. This point exhibits the notion that sacrifice will bring out not only the very best in individuals, but also the darkest element of men and women. Oganda knows that by performing this, she will endanger the lives of every single particular person in her village. Even so, she is blinded by each her really like for Osinda, and her instinct of survival. She is now providing up the thought the she will be a savior to her men and women, and the notion that she may possibly ever return to live a standard life. Whichever selection she was to make, sacrifice was going to be behind it either way. Osinda faces a very comparable quandary to Oganda in the sense that he must give up his standard life with the tribe. He also need to realize that by saving Oganda, he too is bringing wonderful danger to the folks of the village. Both sacrifices do not look to weigh on him as he sweeps Oganda from the cold grasp of death and requires her to safety and freedom. With out hesitation Osinda is prepared to give up his own life, just to be with his lover. With no hope of return he and Oganda are to reside their lives away from the tribe from then on.

The truth that the rain at some point came, regardless of the lack of sacrifice produced to the lake monster, does not take away from the wonderful sacrifices the characters depicted in the story have been forced to make. Chief Labong’o, whether he knows it or not, has lost his valuable only daughter. Oganda, who 1st was prepared to sacrifice her life for the good of the people, now nevertheless sacrifices her life at property to be with Osinda. The individuals of the village have permitted 1 of their personal to give her life. And finally, Osinda has provided his personal life for Oganda. All illustrations of sacrifice show that there is wonderful forfeiture of some aspects, just to obtain elements in other regions. Whether or not it be on one particular finish of the spectrum exactly where a fantastic loss is occurring for one’s self to let acquire for the good of the complete, or the putting of individual acquire over the great of all, sacrifice is a theme that is methodically covered throughout The Rain Came.

Works Cited Ogot, Grace. The Rain Came 1964.