"Oh they cheered to see it. I have not seen so much cheering since a homecoming game. Everybody jumped for joy. Me too, at first, for I was thinking, Horray, a halfway decent meal at last. If I eat one more omlet i think i'll turn over easy and cluck. By the end of the day everybody was smeared with blood like creepy,, happy ghouls, and I couldnt bear to be one of them myself. Everything changed. The villagers transformed into brutish creatures before my very eyes, with their hungry mouths gaping wide." (pp. 350, said by Rachel)
It seems like necessities vary from continent to continent. One typical 'necessity' for Westerners is some kind of transport, like a car, to make it to work and school. The necessities of Africans come down to the nitty gritty- Food. In this chapter where the village used fire to surround jungle animals then shoot them because desperate times called for desperate measures, as Rachel says, it seemed as if everyone turned into savages. Even Leah, with her rebellious bow and error, shot and killed and skinned too.
The crazed actions of the people came from desperation, which made me think about my own life, what i myself have experienced, and what i have seen others go through.
Never have I been through this kind of need, but to compare to personal experience, if i DO need something, like a grade or something, I'll sacrifice sleep and a social life to get it. Not as crazy as risking their life and rounding up every person in their village to get what they need, but you get it.
Remember in a few chapters before this event? The lion ants (i think theyre called) all come out and destroy EVERYTHING. alone, a little ant cant do anything, but they got so depserate they worked together and created a catastrophe, injuring people, and destroying animals and crops and houses.
POINT BEING: desperate times can make people or things crazy enough to act out unlike they ever would. We can all relate, because we have social situations that provoke this at one time or another.
Just remembered this part too.
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"The Simbas would shoot me on sight, its true. Theyre an army of pure desperation and hate. Young Stanlyville boys and old vilage men, anyone who can find a gun or machete, all banded together."
Okay, so we can see how two very different groups came together against the nation and the Independence movement. This is more than common in non-fiction reality. Look to human history and all our wars and independence movements. Look at the World Wars and tell me desperation was not a motive behind millions of deaths. Desperate for safety, independence, a title, respect, land, resources, people, etc. etc.
People fight when they are desperate.
I agree with Ruth, like “people tend to show their true colors in desperate terms” but if you think of it though, it’s kind of scary. People who you think they are turn out to be someone totally different, and we definitely see a lot of similar situations where business buddies backstab each other for the greater benefit of the company, for instance “Social Network”.
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