Share your strongest ideas about one or more of the following points:
1. the confrontation Tengo and Frikkie have in the final chapter
2. your understanding of how the story ends
3. the theme (message) of the novel
4. references you can make to the hero's journey
5. connections the story has to our contemporary life
54 comments:
I really like the end of the novel and the idea of Frikkie and Tengo meeting again. It was a great plan. At first Tengo doesn’t realize that it is Frikkie but after a while the shockwave hits him. I think there are a lot of things that they would have likes to say to each other they just didn’t have the self-confidence to do so. I think that Tengo actually realizes he has missed Frikkie when he sees him and regrets a lot of the things he did. Frikkie seems surprised, but although he doesn’t seem very happy at that time, he probably is. Deep inside of him his heart is urging to just reach out and give him a hug. The good-bye is very rushed but it really tells the reader a lot about both of them. The book has been great to read, with some really touching moments showing true friendship and loyalty.
I think the onfrontation of Frikkie and Tengo is quite strange since most of the time Tengo get angry but other times he feels sorry for Frikkie but he doesn't show it so i think that's quite strange.
I found the ending of the novel to be like the beggining: boring. The novel only had three exciting pages, during the confrontation between Frikkie and Tengo. The message was a worthy one, though since the book has stopped being published, there isn't much point to it. If the story had been more interesting, with a better plot, the book might still be publishing and the message would still be told.
i think that the end was either dragged out or rushed. the end was very interesting how all of the traits of the characters were shown. like how tengo hates violence and he didn't like to hold, let alone point it at frikkie.
I think the theme in Waiting for the Rain was that friendship is unbreakable. I this is the theme because at the beiginning of the story Frikkie and Tengo are really close. Then they drift apart from each other when Tengo moved to Johannesburg. Then when they met up at the end of the book, they remember all the good times and become friends again.
I think that the end of the book was okay. I think that the dialogue was very convincing and from Tengo's heart. I think that Frikkie is a dompkup (stupid child). I think that Frikkie is ignorant and he just can't think outside the box because he defends himself saying that it's not his fault or his family's fault.I agree with Mathias when he says that the ending was rushed but you can really see alot of their character through that. The author thought a lot about what would be the problems between 2 good friends stuck in this situation. The book itself was okay but some parts were boring.
I like that there are many different themes and topics in Waiting For the Rain. It is about Frienship, Change, Racism, Freedom, Hope, and many other things. Each of the themes are very powerful and meaningful. The book teaches you a lot about life. A theme that I like is 'change is inevitable' and no matter how hard you try, things don't stay the same forever.
The book also lets you hear about other poeple's struggles and make you appreciate your own life.
I, too, really like the ending. I think it describes change. My favorite part is when Tengo realizes that he is now taller than Frikkie. It is a metaphore to say that he is now smarter and is more aware than Frikkie about what is happening and what is about to happen. I also like Tengo's realization (that it isn't the fault of the Boers entirely)while he was trying to explain to Frikkie the truth. And finally, when Tengo has a sudden doubt about Frikkie telling on him, because Frikkie is now a soldier, but almost on the same instant that soldier turned into Frikkie again and Tengo knew he was safe. That shows trust.
I alo think that it was good that in the end they confronted each other. When Teong had the gun he felt a sence of power that he had not fe before. That could represent that it will take power to overrun the white rule and make South Africa a mixed community, that has everone as equal. I think Tengo should hav given the gun to Joseph instead of hiding it under the floor.
I consider the ending to Gordon's book "Waiting for the Rain" very eccentric. The ending is definitely touching because it shows loyalty and trust but it also shows change.
What I've learned from the story is how huge affection skin colors or races have to a society. Even though Tengo and Frikkie have established a firm friendship by spending a lot of time together, but mere their skin colors break their friendship that seemed to never be broken. This event idicates the power of the vicious relationship between the whites and the blacks that are being established by spending even more time than Tengo and Frikkie's friendship.
In the last chapter Tengo and Frikkie meet each other again. I think that this was a really good idea. It is because we can see how different Tengo and Frikkie are now. They started as best friends and in the ending they were fighting each other. When Tengo let Frikkie go, Frikkie said "I want, I want". This makes you wonder what Frikkie wanted. I think it was for their friendship to continue. The meeting helped Frikkie realize it.
From the meeting Tengo found out more about himself. I think this would help Tengo's future. If he had not met Frikkie he might have become a murderer. This would have ruined the image of Tengo.
I chose number 3. I think that this book wants to tell us that even if the friendship destroy once, it doesn't mean that they are not friend anymore. For example, in the last of this story, Frikkie was going to shoot a black, but he noticed that it is Tengo. I thought he's going to shoot, but he didn't and he let Tengo leave. Therefore, I think they accept each other.
As a result, this book wants to tell us that how important "Friendship" is.
When I was reading the last chapter, I felt confused. Why was Tengo so agitated when he met his best friend in his childhood? He got anger quite often. The life of Frikkie was not that tough because he was a white. He couldn’t understand what Tengo blame him for. The dramatic encounter between Tengo and Frikkie told us that they already became two enemies because of their different lives that caused by their different colors. Tengo let Frikkie go at last; Frikkie also kept his promise to don’t tell anybody about what happened between him and Tengo. They should be ruthless to each other but why did they do so? I read again the question on the back cover of this book: can the two hold on to the friendship that began before turmoil shattered their dreams? I think the answer should be yes. I think what they did was all because of their friendship.
I personally enjoyed this book and I thought that the last confrontation between Frikkie and Tengo was a good way to end the book. At the end when Frikkie kept blaming the trouble in the townships on the so called agitators, I was not surprised that Frikkie would think so narrow-mindedly for a while but at the end he seems to finally understand what Tengo is talking about; when he’s in the jeep mumbling “I wish”. This story only goes as far as near the end of Apartheid but everyone including the whites can see in the end their the ones who are going to have to change and they all know that no one escapes change, That’s what I believe the message or Theme of the novel is. At the end of this book it seems as if Tengo is at the end of his journey, is he or is it a new beginning? This story does have a connection to our lives, such as there will always be people who think narrow-mindedly and there will always be fair and unfair, but do you think that we can change that?
I had a great enjoyment when I read Waiting for the Rain. I’ve learn that it is difficult to keep a flawless friendship between differences skin color. Personally I think the ending of the book was fabulous, because Tengo finally got the chance to explain and complain his confusion and dissatisfaction to Frikkie, on what happened during their childhood in the farm; the ruthless treatment to him or neglects when he’s hurt.
The theme when Tengo and Frikke talking in the hut was a good answer for Tengo’s confusion, “Why people treat blacks differently and cruelly? Or surprisingly that most of whites could not understand where their supremacy is from (such as Frikkie) and just depreciated or disdained blacks.” As Frikkie’s responses, I noticed that education for white is the causes of viewing blacks inferior, because he mentioned that his Ma, Pa and teachers all taught him that way.
I wasn’t surprised that Tengo didn’t shoot Frikkie, because I knew he wouldn’t. I believed that the power of friendship is big enough to solve the problem between differences in color.
Relating to previous posts that I have made about Frikkie’s apparent ignorance, the time arrives where Tengo decides to explain to Frikkie the unfairness from his perspective. We have noticed that Tengo can be passive for long periods of time and suddenly burst in anger, so it was inevitable that it would eventually happen in front of Frikkie. As one of our outcome statements states, people can view the same events differently. It is obvious that Tengo and Frikkie had opposing opinions about apartheid. They both have much to say in their defence, but generally Tengo blames Frikkie for not understanding but accepting the fact that Tengo and all blacks are treated as inferiors. Frikkie is taken aback and says that he knows no better because his family, his mother, father, aunt, uncle, and teachers had all taught him that it was to be that way. On page 196, Frikkie says that it – it being white supremacy – started a long time ago and that it was not his fault to be born white. He said that his ancestors were very religious and that had influenced their actions, and argues with Tengo saying that his people had a right to be there because they had worked hard for what they had. On page 200: “‘But what about us! Where can we go? Do you want to push us into the sea!? There’s no other place for us-this is our home too!’” All in all, they needed balance: equal amounts of land and resources.
Tengo also realizes that his people have also been to accepting. His parents, for example, would not allow him to question their hardship and poverty. He claimed that they were unquestioning and unable to grasp the fact that there were other possibilities. He agreed with Joseph that it was very much the parents’ faults, because their problems could have been easier to solve earlier on. The fact is that both black and white people have been too accepting, and that is what needed to change. On page 211, one of Frikkie’s thought is quite perplexing: “Choked by the tears filling his throat, he could not tell them that he was wishing that it could all have been different…and yet could have stayed just the way it was.” This shows the aforementioned acceptance, although Frikkie now understands that change needs to take place. Change is difficult for Frikkie.
Tengo and Frikkie confronted each other's perspective and rage in the final chapter. The story ends by Tengo and Frikkie both understanding what they each thought, but one doesn't really beleive in another. (Frikkie's a soldier, he is one of them.) This is what Tengo thought towards the end of the story. The theme of the novel is not only did Apartheid tear apart South Africa as a whole, but it also tore apart close personal relationships also.
I agree with those who think the theme of this novel is about the friendship. Reading the last part of Waiting for the Rain, I was amazed that Tengo and Frikkie both met at the township where Tengo lives. I was astounded by the movement of this story; how this ends. There were several scenes telling us the theme of this novel but especially in the last part, I had a strong confidence that made my belief assure of what the theme about. The scene was when Tengo had the gun and Frikkie was sinking down on the floor by suffering Tengo’s attack. Tengo was testifying what he had experienced in the past; the life that is controlled by Apartheid. In opposite, Frikkie was explaining that he was doing everything based on the Apartheid law and everything was not his fault. However, Tengo had the gun so that Frikkie’s life was depending on Tengo. After this scene I predicted that their friendship would save Frikkie. According to the end, their friendship had saved Frikkie and I think this was the first time that Frikkie didn’t do anything to the black in the township. Consequently, I think the author wanted to tell us either about Apartheid and also how important and valuable the friendship is.
I agree with mathias, i also liked the ending of the book very much, i thought it was a wonderful idea that Frikkie and Tengo met again and in that way, they got to express how they felt about each other and apartheid.
In this book Tengo goes through the heros journey, he gets his call when his desire to study begins, but his mentors 'parents' try to stop him from crossing the treshold, going to school in johanesburg , tengo finds himself in the abyss of his journey when he loses all the hope and stops studying but he goes through it and after meeting with frikkie again he transforms and he makes up his mind, he decides to study and then help educate the black kids in South africa.
The ending of the novel was quite interesting. We already know that laws like apartheid were passed in South Africa because of how the Afrikaners viewed the Bible. That comes from sources like "The Power of One" and Tengo's essay's conclusion on page 139. But what is puzzling is why such laws were upheld when the disasters caused by them were so blatantly obvious.
On page 197, I think Tengo sums up why laws like apartheid were upheld: "...you don't see that the thing you did wrong was not notice that anything was wrong." As we learned in our Consumer Economics + Identity Unit back in the first quarter, the perspective and perception of everything counts, and in order to understand anything, one must look at all sides and angles of it.
Also, concerning the Hero's Journey in Chapters 15-16, I think that Tengo undergoes a transformation from a scholar to a "freedom fighter". His revelation comes in pages 174-175, when Tengo realizes that he is scared of being alone in other countries, confined to a life of books and such, and that he'd rather fight for freedom. However, in a twist to the Hero's Journey, Tengo faces his abyss in his confrontation with Frikkie. The odd thing is that this can be seen as a cycle within another cycle: Tengo's transformation and revelation (in which he realizes he wants to fight for black freedom) may ALSO be his call to adventure. This leaves the mind to wonder what could come next.
I think the ending shows something that most people ignore: the similarities between the Boer and Black South African perspectives. Today, blacks and whites are considered as equals with the same rights to the lands they inhabit. 20 years ago, whites were superior, and blacks were treated as "guests" to South Africa. The only reason that the whites even allowed them to remain was A) for a source of cheap labour and B) 4 million whites armed with guns are still no match for a mob of 40 million rebelling black men.
if you pay attention to Joseph and Tengo's speeches, they hint not at a Nation where white men and black men are equal, but at a nation of only black men. Tengo said that Frikkie would never inherit Oom Koos' farm because it will be given to the Africans who deserve it. I feel this is rather hypocritical. Instead of gesturing at equal rights, Joseph and Tengo envision a nation where the native Africans are superior to the European settlers.
Tengo believes in Joseph's cause because he agrees with it. Frikkie, though, like so many of his brethren, has been brainwashed by those around him. If you were raised in a world where White men are superior, it would be difficult to envision the world in any other way. In a way, it is not actually the Afrikaaners of Frikkie's time's fault. It is the fault of those who devised the Apartheid system. Because of them, the future South African generations were raised into their ideology and the vicious cycle would eventually continue.
In that light, it makes sense to say that the cycle would have continued if the black men hadn't done the right thing. What was the right thing? Just to stand up against the old to open the door for the new.
I personally thought the ending of 'Waitng for the Rain' was amazing. It showed proof of real friendship and love beyond the rules of society. Even with the system of aparthied being used, I found it really unique that in the end, with everything they've been through, their friendship still worked out. Even though the last chapter was very long, I found it quite entertaining.
I think the massage of the novel is that the skin color and race doesn't mean they are different. Like Tengo and Frikkie, blacks and whites can build a friendship.
At the end of the book, Tengo and Frikkie shared their ouw ideas about apartheid and regained friendship. I think this is a good ending but if I was author I would have write what kind of lives Tengo and Frikkie chose. Did Tengo went to America? Did Frikkie died or he survived and quit army? It was great if there was chapter 17 which is about Tengo and Frikkie's future. Where are they and what are they doing after 5 years from chapter 16.
I chose number 3. I think that this book wants to tell us that even if the friendship destroy once, it doesn't mean that they are not friend anymore. For example, in the last of this story, Tengo found a soidier adn it was Frikkie. Tengo was very mad,so I thought he's going to shoot, but he didn't and he let Tengo leave and Frikkie didn't tell anyone about it. After finished talking, Tengo left there and he said that he doesn't hate Frikkie. Therefore I learned that Tengo hates whites, but not Frikkie and he wasn't mad at Frikkie even if Tengo hates whites. Therefore, I think they accept each other.
As a result, this book wants to tell us that how important "Friendship" is.
After reading chapter 16 in the book WFTR, I found out that Tengo and Frikkie's conversation is not going well. I think they are having problem understanding each other because they argue what is going on such as who's fault and what problem. In other word, they have different perspective because they have different background knowledge. Although, in my perception, Tengo's statements are more reasonable than Frikkie's statements because Tengo is the one who is feeling the problem. On the other hand, Frikkie is one who stops tries the stop the problem, so he looks down on the problem.
Its last was very sad. Tengo told what Tengo was thinking to Frikkie. Tengo said Frikkie can't understand these thinking because Frikkie is white, Tengo is black. I think that means Tengo wanted to change that laws or government.
Tengo was saying what black people thinking to Frikkie....
This book taught me a lot of important things such as Apartheid. Apartheid is the worst things in this world. This book is saying if white and black live together, it made worth way when it is at 1900, but now, we have same rights. And we have Apartheid now. It is sin now. However, one of area has it. So we have to stop it. Ahd make it better ways. That is world. And we have to make no apartheid world. That is what Black people believing...
I think that the ending of Waiting for the Rain was very surprising. Frikkie was a soldier and he went in the metal house and some black person used this metal bar and hit Frikkie in the head. Frikkie fainted for a while and when the person that hit Frikkie, saw him, he was shocked because it's his own friend. When Frikkie got up confused, he noticed that the black person was Tengo. They had a bad conversation going on. Frikkie and Tengo have differnet perspective about the army. Frikkie went to the hospital and Tengo went to his aunt's house.
The theme of WftR is 'Friends for ever' well Tengo wanted to give up friendship to get a better future while Frikkie is very sad because his best friend left him alone in his life. The book is telling that friends are very important, if you leave (ditch) your friends you and him/her will feel sad, which Tengo now feels in his house, lonely. If you could ask Tengo if he have forgotten about Frikkie, He will say that he didn't forgot him but he wants a better future which it would not be a good, bright future because he might get killed by the Boers. In times like these Apartheid is only one to blame. If there is no apartheid the friendship would survive through the story.
I don't really like the ending because I wanted to know what happened to them after. There should be just a page more explaining what happened in their future; one paragraph per character including Tengo's sister, Joseph and such. I just want to see how things turned out.
And about how Tengo said Frikkie wouldn't get the farm. I think that is not equal/fair anymore, the blacks wanted to be superior. They should just fight for their rights then gain equal economical status by themselves. I'd feel sorry for Frikkie if he didn't get the farm.
I think the ending wasn't that impressive. The author should have added an epilogue to the ending. Even though the conclusion of Tengo and Frikkie's friendship was complete, there are still questions lingering in my mind. Will he die in this war? or will he come back to his education and become a person who can give knowledge to others as well. I think the author showed us what the black South Africans felt perfectly . The author changed a kind hearted person who used to live in a farm, far away from the township and the conflict into a person who can hate the whites and can kill them.
I chose no, the confrontation Tengo and Frikkie have in the final chapter. I think it was interesting how Tnego and Frikkie met together as an enemy. Tengo and Frikkie were friends since they were young kid, so I don’t think they hate each other. But when they were having conversation, there was some spike between them because they were friend each other but before that they were enemies for that time. I think Tengo was mad at Frikkie just because of his feeling to the whites, because white people treated black people like a dogs. But Tengo didn’t really hate Frikkie, because he didn’t treated Tengo like an Frikkie treated Tengo as his best friend. And I think that is why Tengo couldn’t kill Frikkie even thought he had chance to kill him.
think that this is a very good ending. The way that Tengo and Frikkie meet again but now in a different situation is a very good literal and figurative way of showing an example of apartheid. The literal way is that Tengo has the gun and Frikkie was the one defenseless and unarmed. This shows apartheid literally, the difference between blacks and whites but turned around at that instant, when Tengo had power. The figurative way of apartheid is the feelings and thoughts blacks have that are not discussed. For whites it’s different, because the blacks don’t talk about it, so the whites think that they are superior. This is the figurative way of apartheid, a way that you can’t see but blacks feel it while whites don’t. I think that the figurative apartheid is what both Tengo and Frikkie where trying to explain to each other but from their perspectives. Tengo was trying to point out to Frikkie that he was doing wrong by not noticing that he was wrong. Frikkie was trying to point out that it was not his fault that he never saw the problem because no one ever showed or explained to him that blacks are not satisfied with the difference between blacks and whites. So chapter 16 was practically about how black children feel and how white children feel about the same situation but totally different feelings and interpretations about it.
I liked the end of the story that is Tengo and Frikkie met and talked each other. Also I wondered Tengo still liked Frikkie because he was angry at him but Frikkie asked him "Do you hate me?" when he answered "No".
The message of WftR is the friendship. After read the this book, I think all readers thought about what is friendship. In the story, Tengo is black and Frikkie is white, but they are friends. They didn't care about apartheid in the beginnig of the story however after Tengo went to Johanesburg, their relationship, friendship had change to bad. It can say their friendship was destroy. Still at the end of the story, they became friends again. I think Frikkie thought he and Tengo are good friends through the end. Anyway, the important thing that is relate all the people is kindness, and the skin color is doesn't matter. May be Tengo and Frikkie had the opinion like this so they could keep their relationship that calls friendship.
At the end of the story, Frikkie and Tengo meet each other with badly wounded. The time they had spent for years and all their child hood were seems like a dream. However, even though they almost forgot each other for years, Frikkie still kept the red clay bull with form of small cow. At this point, I'm able to find symbol of cow which represents the power of friendship.
I learned from this story how society affect people's personality. Even though Frikkie and Tengo didn't hate each other, Tengo still afraids of whites and Frikkie still believes that he has to follow the order to keep killing blacks.
I also learned that people's strong belifs or love will not easily broke by effect of the society. Tengo and Frikkie are different race. Those two take important role of this story related to time of society. At this point, I assume that even aparthied can't break their frinedship.
I had fun time when I read this book. I learned that friendship is very important and valuable, because in this book Frikkie and Tengo were really good friend at the beginning, but when the time passed they got changed. When they both learned about apartheid, their friendship wasn’t good as before. After they became adult and they met each other, but they couldn’t recognize so they tried to kill each other but somehow they noticed that they were friend and Tengo had let Frikkie to go. If I was Tengo and white people treats black very badly I would get angry or mad at them and try very hard to fix it. It was a good book and I had enjoyed reading this book.
The ending is great, with all the words they spoke, it is like an open heart talking with Frikke about what he felt and it is really straight forward how he say things, because Tengo hidden it for so long in his brain.
I think the message W4TR is sending us is, when your friend is hurt and you as a best friend doesn't realize the pain in him; it is even worse pain when a friend doesn't know that it hurts. He felt hurt because Frikkie didn’t realize that’s why it ended up this way that whites were apart from blacks.
I think the ending to the novel wasn’t as impressive as I thought it would be. The way that the author made Frikkie and Tengo meet again was good but as the talk continues the situation get worse, but at the end of the talk, Frikkie then understands Tengo but the part where Tengo doesn’t trust Frikkie is the part where I don’t like it. The theme of this story tells about how the apartheid breaks up the population of South Africa and brings total violence to an all colorful and peaceful country. The book reflects on how the apartheid makes lives in South Africa different.
I feel very impressed with the ending of “Waiting for the Rain” novel because the novel teaches me lots of lessons and life’s perspective. Many quotes in the novel are very powerful and meaningful to me. As I see from Frikkie and Tengo conversation, I believe that there are some hidden quotes in it that effect their own beliefs. It also educates me how to see things in different ways. I receive lots of messages from the novel as well such as friendship, freedom, hope, races and many others things. I think that the ending was connected to the Atonement part of the Hero’s Journey. The reason is that after Tengo and Frikkie had a serious conversation which represents one as the Blacks and the other as the Whites, to show how they think about the issue of the protest or what changes they have made. Now, they realize each other’s identity more and know others’ point of view. Therefore, after they understand the situation already, though even they go back to the place where they belong and do the thing they believe it was right, they still realize each other’s perspective.
I thought that the ending of the story related to apartheid very well, because in the beginning they were best friends but over time Tengo wanted to learn more and left Frikkie alone.
I also think that the ending is like the beginning because Tengo and Frikkie went through the whole Hero's Journey and now they are going through a whole different journey.
When Frikkie and Tengo met at the end Frikkie was trying to let Tengo remember the good times that they shared, Tengo remembered those thoughts and Frikkie being able to let Tengo remember the times they shared together shows the true meaning of friendship.
Socratic seminar! Another one coming up! I am so excited. The time we had a socratic seminar was last semester. All I remembered was we discussed about important quotes from the book "THE LITTLE PRINCE" and how each person had an opinion towards those quotes. It was very interesting to me because I found out more about other people's perspective and how other people think towards the book. I think that having a socratic seminar will make me understand more about the aparthield and how each person in my humanities class will think towards the book "Waiting for the Rain." The quotes from the book that will be discussed about on Wednesday will tell me alot! I am so excited and ready to listen and share my perspectives and my friends. This might help me do better in the ASSESSMENT too! :)
I agree with Phantila that the theme of this book is about friendship and change. I also think that the book is about how the past affects the present (outcome statement #1). Friendship can exist no matter what the conditions may be. Frikkie and Tengo were best friends even though Frikkie was white and Tengo was black. Frikkie was supposed to Tengo like his slave, but he didn’t do that and instead, treated him like a normal friend. Also, not even the apartheid could separate them from being friends.
The other theme, which is about change, is that things can’t last forever. After a period of time, both Tengo and Frikkie had changed their perceptions of things. Tengo now thought of the whites as his enemies and thought that their actions were wrong and injustice. Frikkie did not see blacks as normal people anymore, but thought of them as slaves, troublemakers, and someone lower than himself.
The last theme is how the past affects the present. In the past, the whites took control of the blacks and made their lives difficult. So now, Tengo and the blacks have a difficult life and are trying to regain their power because of the past. Also, Frikkie and the other whites are troubled because they have to go fight with the blacks because of the actions in the past. All the trouble and unfairness to the blacks was because of the events in the past.
I enjoyed 'Waiting For The Rain' and I think it was an educational yet fun to read. It was really neat how the author made the two characters meet again in the end of the book. Before it was always Frikkie who taught Tengo new things, but this time it was different. When Tengo confronted Frikkie and gave Frikkie knowledge that opened up his mind. Frikkie was never put into a position where he wondered why life had to be that way and why the blacks served as slaves to the whites. Tengo on the other hand was always asking himself questions that he himself could never answer.
I think that the theme of this book was that friendship is indestructable even in the worse circumstances. In the last chapters, Tengo is on the verge of pulling the trigger on Frikkie but he stops when he is reminded of the clay bull which symbolized their friendship. No matter how much Tengo hated the whites he would never be able to kill or hate Frikkie because of the relationship they have. Frienship is stronger than anything.
Overall I enjoyed 'Waiting For The Rain' and I think it is an educational yet fun read. I thought it was really neat how Shelia Gordon has the two main characters meet up in the shed in the end of the book.
I wish that the author could write more about Frikkie's side of the story though. It would be interesting to see the contrasts between Frikkie's luxurious life and Tengo's poor one.
Usually it is Frikkie who teaches Tengo new things but this time when they meet, it is Tengo who opens up Frikkie's mind about what is really going on. Frikkie has never been put in a position where he questions why things in his life are the way they are. Tengo, on the other hand is always asking himself why he eats and drinks off of a tin cup and plate while Frikkie eats off of beautifully hand-painted chinas. So when Tengo moves to Johannesburg, he learns a lot of different things and during his confrontation with Frikkie, he tells Frikkie how unfair his life has been with the apartheid going on.
I think that the theme of this book was that friendship is indestructible and that no matter what the conditions are, you can't break a strong relationship. At the end of the book Tengo is about to pull the trigger on Frikkie, but something stops him. It was Frikkie, who reminded Tengo of the fun times they had together, and the little clay bull that symbolized their friendship. No matter how much Tengo hated the whites, he would never be able to kill Frikkie because they were friends. And nothing would be able to destroy their friendship.
I don't like the ending very much, because the author doesn't tell what will happen next. The story ends by Frikkie leaving Tengo and went to the hospital. I think Tengo and Frikkie will be friend forever, because Tengo remember the clay bull that he gave Frikkie. I think Tengo will continues his life as the freedom fighter and Frikkie will went back to the farm and work with Oom Koos.
I especially liked the last chapter where Tengo and Frikkie have the final confrontation. They basically talked about apartheid and Tengo expressed how he felt when he was treated different from Frikkie. Frikkie got shocked because he never thought about how Black people would feel like. In my opinion, I think that the theme of the novel is that everything changes over time, and no one can avoid the change. I am very excited about tomorrow's Socratic Seminar and I have some interesting quotes to share. The whole novel connects to Hero's Journey because Tengo and Frikkie both explore the unknown world and go through some difficulties. However, In the end, their journeys aren't finished.
The Second Confrontation...
The most exciting part of the story, the second confrontation between Tengo and Frikkie. With more action than any part of the book, I was practically drinking up the words. The author did make this ending an exhilerating one. the arguement between them soon turns into a "reunion". Although the last page of the book was a dissapointment The last two chapters summed up the main concepts of friendship and our subject apartheid. I found the last page a dissapointment because I never imagined that the author would just let them turn back into the lives they were living before. This book was informational, giving me a better understanding of apartheid.
Although the contemporary life I live in is very different then the 1980's, I realize there are still conflicts between different races. The world, now a day, has a lot of problems with racism, but it is more of a ‘hushed’ issue, where I observe racism there really is no apartheid, when one race has more power and rights then the other. Although there are a few exception I have heard about, when people from a different races are not welcome in certain shops, restaurant, or schools. Mostly there is more of a difference in attitude and opinions, usually influenced by family members or society, that keeps some groups of different races separate.
After reading the book, the ending wasn't as dramatic as I imagined it to be. However, the confrontation of Tengo and Frikkie in the final chapter was like the atonement/ return in the hero's journey. When Frikkie and Tengo was in the shed, they talked about the apartheid, Tengo then expressed how he felt when he was treated different from Frikkie just because of his skin color. Frikkie was shocked. He never imagined that black people felt that way. This was like the atonement because in this chapter Tengo was able to finally express his thoughts that have been haunting him since he was around 10 years old. And by doing so, Tengo was able to be "at-one" with himself.
I think tomorrows socratic seminar will be very interesting because we are going to get to listen to everybody's ideas about the book, and i especially want to hear what people think about the ending.
It was awkward when Tengo and Frikkie met again; Tengo would hvae never done something like that to Frikkie, well at least not before anyways when they were still young and were the bestest of friends.
The confrontation between them was strong, both had thoughts of their own and even though shared, they didn't really agree with one another so much; neither would really give in, and both were pretty angry. It's like a best friend fight, except much more serious this time. When Tengo had the gun and had surrendered Frikkie, it was to show that the blacks would not stop now, would not stop from anything preventing them from freedom. That they would do anything they can to get their freedom back. And it's also saying that the blacks ARE going to get it, they are going to get what they want after all these years. The whites had a lot to lose while the blacks could only gain more, but the price them gaining more was severe and painful if they were to make it through, for the rain. For freedom. And at at the last part, where Frikkie was crying and Tengo let him go, it was like even though their skin differences they still had a good heart, even though of their thinking meant to what their skin color was opposed of, they were best friends and they both still defended each other; so I think the author is trying to say that the past really does determines the future, and what will become of it.
The shooting star also meant the call of adventure for Tengo, because after that he recieved his books immediately. His 'magical' books which left him for more more and more, like salt. And look what good it did him, just for a while. Because after that, he knew everything aobut apartheid, started beingt offended by how the whites treat him (his master even). So i think the shooting star meant to say that it was the time for him to start his adventure, and good luck. Even Ezekiel said that Tengo was going to bring them goodwill or something, or he was going to make his parents proud.
I also do not think the story ends just here, I think there is a lot more to this, whether Tengo decides to be a freedom fighter or to study overseas, and whether Frikkie will get the farmor not. And will these two 'best friends' meet again; we don't know..until the shooting star comes out again.
I also think that in 'WFR' the drought that kept going on for so many years now, and everyone was waiting for the rain. But in order to do so, we have to MAKE the rain ourselves, joining together, whites and blacks as one. Like when Tengo and Frikkie was together before, and oom koos said that it was like a miracle, a black and a white kid with those looks on their faces. Of such astonishment,
and freedom. You'd live for it, and you'd die for it.
I think the Socratic seminar was a good way to learn everyone's opinion and view of the ending of 'Waiting for the Rain'. During the seminar, I observed many people involved in the discussion and, I feel the seminar was very affective.
At the end of the story, Frikkie and Tengo meet each other with badly wounded. The time they had spent for years and all their child hood were seems like a dream. However, even though they almost forgot each other for years, Frikkie still kept the red clay bull with form of small cow. At this point, I'm able to find symbol of cow which represents the power of friendship.
I learned from this story how society affect people's personality. Even though Frikkie and Tengo didn't hate each other, Tengo still afraids of whites and Frikkie still believes that he has to follow the order to keep killing blacks.
I also learned that people's strong belifs or love will not easily broke by effect of the society. Tengo and Frikkie are different race. Those two take important role of this story related to time of society. At this point, I assume that even aparthied can't break their frinedship.
for me the way the story ends makes me ponder because i really want to know what happens next to both Tengo and Frikkie and do they both return to the farm and be reunited. but the way Frikke and Tengo meet in the last few chapter really surprised me a lot and i really thought that Tengo was going to shoot Frikkie or Frikkie was going to arrest him.
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