Title: Themes:
Setting:
The boy in the title refers to Friedman, the main character. 1. Gender roles=
The story takes place in a rural
He is a boy who has a magical wind blowing for him. In the story, there is no sense of equality
village in Ga-Sefete-Molemo ward.
He is loved and envied by other parents who see him being different between the sexes.
It is at the dawn of independence
from other children. The boys do as they please, and no one gives
in Botswana (1960s).
The winds of change are the results of the new attitudes and lifestyles them guidance on how to behave as they
of the community at large. grow up.
The wind is the cause of the boy’s death. They go wherever they want, leaving home in
Figuratively, the boy lives in a care-free world with no rules and the morning only to come back after sunset.
consequences. Girls stay at home and perform household
He becomes a victim of the winds of political change in his community. duties that include fetching water.
It is assumed that they do not need any
The Wind and a education, and that puts a spotlight on gender
Characters: roles.
1. Friedman=
Mood:
Boy Sejosenye becomes the envy of other women
happy, because she can plough the land, which is a
He is a lovable young boy who is brilliant, talented, duty that is mainly associated with men.
optimistic
and naughty like other boys.
sad, angry, 2. Loyalty=
He is imaginative. (He loves to listen to the stories
emotional Friedman is loyal to his grandmother.
his grandmother tells and gets captivated by
Robinson Crusoe’s heroic actions.) He listens to her stories and teachings, and
He is very loyal. (He stays close to his grandmother emulates the heroes from the stories that he
Summary:
and wants to help her all the time.) has listened to.
2. Sejosenye= The story is about a grandmother (Sejosenye) who is raising her He goes hunting so that he and his
She is a loving grandmother who loves her daughter’s son in a rural village because her daughter had to grandmother can have meat.
grandchild unconditionally. continue working and could not take the child with her. He becomes more loyal to his grandmother
She is a non-conformist. They live in Ga-Sefete-Molemo ward. Sejosenye takes Friedman and wants to help her in any way.
She is a confident woman. (She holds her head high everywhere with her; there is a close bond between the Sejosenye is loyal to Friedman. She is there
even when the society thinks she has committed grandmother and her grandson. Sejosenye is very proud of her for him throughout his life
scandalous acts.) grandson She takes him everywhere she goes; she is
She is physically strong and independent. (She He is the apple of her eye. very proud of her grandson.
ploughs the fields whilst other women sit and wait The boy lives a care-free life and gets killed in an accident. 3. Change and modernity=
for their husbands to do it.) His death affects the grandmother so much that she also dies and Towards the end of the story there is
3. Dr Friedman= gets buried two weeks after the boy’s funeral. evidence of change and modernity.
He is friendly. ‘foreign’ doctor who works at the Although the village is still rural and
hospital where ‘baby’ Friedman was born. predominantly agricultural, there is an
He is an exemplary/role model. (Sejosenye decides to Tone: emergence of a new class of people who are
name her grandson after him because of his friendly modern and buying cars.
behaviour towards Sejosenye when she visits the 1. Cheerful, appreciative:
Friedman lives a happy life and brings happiness to his The driver of the truck that kills Friedman
hospital.) does not have a driver’s licence, he rushes to
grandmother.
2. Sympathetic, disappointed, and dull: get a truck so that he could fit into the
Friedman and Sejosenye’s deaths leave the villagers privileged class.
miserable
Setting:
The boy in the title refers to Friedman, the main character. 1. Gender roles=
The story takes place in a rural
He is a boy who has a magical wind blowing for him. In the story, there is no sense of equality
village in Ga-Sefete-Molemo ward.
He is loved and envied by other parents who see him being different between the sexes.
It is at the dawn of independence
from other children. The boys do as they please, and no one gives
in Botswana (1960s).
The winds of change are the results of the new attitudes and lifestyles them guidance on how to behave as they
of the community at large. grow up.
The wind is the cause of the boy’s death. They go wherever they want, leaving home in
Figuratively, the boy lives in a care-free world with no rules and the morning only to come back after sunset.
consequences. Girls stay at home and perform household
He becomes a victim of the winds of political change in his community. duties that include fetching water.
It is assumed that they do not need any
The Wind and a education, and that puts a spotlight on gender
Characters: roles.
1. Friedman=
Mood:
Boy Sejosenye becomes the envy of other women
happy, because she can plough the land, which is a
He is a lovable young boy who is brilliant, talented, duty that is mainly associated with men.
optimistic
and naughty like other boys.
sad, angry, 2. Loyalty=
He is imaginative. (He loves to listen to the stories
emotional Friedman is loyal to his grandmother.
his grandmother tells and gets captivated by
Robinson Crusoe’s heroic actions.) He listens to her stories and teachings, and
He is very loyal. (He stays close to his grandmother emulates the heroes from the stories that he
Summary:
and wants to help her all the time.) has listened to.
2. Sejosenye= The story is about a grandmother (Sejosenye) who is raising her He goes hunting so that he and his
She is a loving grandmother who loves her daughter’s son in a rural village because her daughter had to grandmother can have meat.
grandchild unconditionally. continue working and could not take the child with her. He becomes more loyal to his grandmother
She is a non-conformist. They live in Ga-Sefete-Molemo ward. Sejosenye takes Friedman and wants to help her in any way.
She is a confident woman. (She holds her head high everywhere with her; there is a close bond between the Sejosenye is loyal to Friedman. She is there
even when the society thinks she has committed grandmother and her grandson. Sejosenye is very proud of her for him throughout his life
scandalous acts.) grandson She takes him everywhere she goes; she is
She is physically strong and independent. (She He is the apple of her eye. very proud of her grandson.
ploughs the fields whilst other women sit and wait The boy lives a care-free life and gets killed in an accident. 3. Change and modernity=
for their husbands to do it.) His death affects the grandmother so much that she also dies and Towards the end of the story there is
3. Dr Friedman= gets buried two weeks after the boy’s funeral. evidence of change and modernity.
He is friendly. ‘foreign’ doctor who works at the Although the village is still rural and
hospital where ‘baby’ Friedman was born. predominantly agricultural, there is an
He is an exemplary/role model. (Sejosenye decides to Tone: emergence of a new class of people who are
name her grandson after him because of his friendly modern and buying cars.
behaviour towards Sejosenye when she visits the 1. Cheerful, appreciative:
Friedman lives a happy life and brings happiness to his The driver of the truck that kills Friedman
hospital.) does not have a driver’s licence, he rushes to
grandmother.
2. Sympathetic, disappointed, and dull: get a truck so that he could fit into the
Friedman and Sejosenye’s deaths leave the villagers privileged class.
miserable
