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RAJMPELLA

PASSED LIKE A SHADOW- ANALYSIS

TITLE: PASSED LIKE A SHADOW

AUTHOR: BERNARD MAPALALA
DAR ES SALAAM UNIVERSITY PRESS.
SETTING: WESTERN PART OF UGANDA

SUMMARY
Mapalala begins his masterpiece by a prologue in which he cites the real example in Dar es Salaam
Tanzania, where a passenger boarded a bus from Kinondoni on his way to hospital. The man
appears to have lost his weight in a span of time, and he is very suspicious about the blood test that
he is about to go and perform
The laboratory technician was his friend who had an ambiguous moment when it comes on giving
out the test results. The man’s test truly indicated that he was HIV positive
While the technician asks himself severally on how he will give the results to his friend, he
remembers the way he attended the funerals of his own three blood brothers in Bukoba.
The disease seems to unite the whole East Africa

CHAPTER ONE
The author cites in Adyeri’s home where a sister called Abooki cooks a very delicious meal, then
after eating, the father appears while staggering due to his high intake of alcohol, Abooki brings
some food for her father where Atwoki (Abooki’s brother) spills the food tray.
The struggles begin, where Adyeri beats Atwoki severely, on the process, the mother ( Amoti )
returns home from the market only to find adyeri beating Atwoki. Amoti interrupts where now the
beating also meets her. It’s a fight between a mother and a father. Atwoki tries to save his mother,
and when she gets a chance she runs away. Adyeri also leaves home to another woman (nyumba
Ndogo), he didn’t come back that night.

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CHAPTER TWO
Vicky ( the daughter of Adyeri’s late sister) comes back home with a fiancé (munyamahanga -
alien). Earlier Vicky ran away from home after having a serious fight with Adyeri his uncle when
he finds her along the street riding a bycicle contrary to the ethics of the tribe. Amoti does not
receive this guest happily. The fiancé (Akena) wants to marry Vicky, but adyeri imposes very
high bride price for him which makes him (akena ) to fail to marry Vicky.
The bride price was:
15 heads ofcattle, including three bulls;
8 goats
50,000/= shillings for buying bark cloth
15,000/= shillings for buying daddy’s walking stick and
2 jerry cans of beer
Akena leaves away with failure altogether with his panel of negotiation.
Vicky remains stressed and frustrated, Amoti is happy for what has happened. Adyeri curses the
man for failing to reach for the deal.

CHAPTER THREE
Abooki and Atwoki are at school (std II), Atwoki, joyfully playing childish games, very talented
ones, but poverty undermines him they don’t have even a radio at his home. From school, they go
home together with Abooki, but Abooki plays an extra role of cooking the evening meal.
Araali is their uncle, he comes to visit them, he brings them with gifts, and they really love him.
He brings food, this act shames Adyeri who comes home alcoholized and staggering. Adyeri
accuses himself of failing to provide for his house.

CHAPTER FOUR
Vicky joins the group of whores ( Kunihira and Tusiime) who did not well finish their secondary
education due to their bad adolescent behaviours. They own a tailoring shop at Kachwamba,
financed by a Muzungu boyfriend; they finally manage to pollute Vicky’s mind. They are
prostitutious advising Vicky to have ran away with that man (Akena). They convince her to have
boyfriends, Vicky is deceived, falls in the trap, she adorns her self, the boys chase her like the way

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flies follow the rotten meet. Vicky succeeds to fish a big fish, she moves away from home for once
and for all. Gone for good.

CHAPTER FIVE
Adyeri is welcome at Kinyamasika Primary school to attend the graduation, where he is mocked
for what he has achieved in his life, what is he proud of now?, as he has already grown old, what
memories will he leave in the world? The children sing a song that reflects the above message. He
even leaves the hall before the end of the ceremony. In this chapter Adyeri is reflected of being an
ex head master of St. Leo’s High School, where he engaged in love affairs with his secretary
Birugi, he built a house for her, and opened a shop for her, yet he had many other maids around.
He is then approved of having HIV/AIDS. He breaks away with Birugi, where his belongings are
thrown out of the house he built for her. Now the children’s education s cared by uncle Araali.

CHAPTER SIX
Atwoki rises into a marvelous footballer; he wins a spectacular goal for Uganda V/S Egypt. The
Uganda president invites him for dinner in the white house palace. He grows famous as the bullet
of Fort portal. He builds his mother a house. News come to them that their father Adyeri is deadly
sick, they leastly care. After some time, the car brakes at their door, it’s the half dead body of their
sick father. The men who brought Adyeri released a very wise advice for the family

CHAPTER SEVEN
Atwoki is invited to Kampala by his friend David; there Atwoki is pressurized to engage in un safe
sexual affairs, he is surrounded by sexually explicit girls, magazines, out goings. David’s father is
also a womanizer, and he does not act as a father to David. David takes his father like a brother;
they ironically plant the advertisements that say “JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST AIDS. USE
CONDOMS” Atwoki is connected to a girl/woman called Edda by David.

CHAPTER EIGHT
Vicky is married (locally) to a wealthy business man, Vicky cooks good food, (this man had
married many wives and divorced them and four children) un fortunately Vicky is barren, she

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cannot deliver babies; this forces them to go to the witch doctor to check for a medicine, by the
advice of her husband
They travel during the mid night through their car, they reach to the witch doctors home, he
demands money (the witch doctor). He uses shared tools to prick Vicky’s stomach and tattoos it
with his wizard dose. He lies that Vicky will have twins. Vicky is contaminated by HIV.

CHAPTER NINE
Adyeri dies of HIV/AIDS, many mourns for him, particularly his drinking pals. they argue a lot of
things, like where did Adyeri get this disease, can his son be the victim too? no! where is the origin
of this disease? The Bazungu?
Atwoki goes to Kampala, three months passes, no word from him, he just sent a little money. So
the burden of responsibility rests in Abooki’s hands
Abooki boards a bus to Kasese to see if Vicky can finance them, she finds Vicky is very sick,
Vicky gives her a sufficient (large) amount of money. Vicky is affected already.
Abooki visits a friend called John, john cons her and rapes her, spoils her virginity

CHAPTER TEN
Abooki is more stressed, she suspects of being infected, she goes for a blood test where she is
proved of being negative. The technician ( Jonathan) loves Abooki at the first sight, same applies
to Abooki.
Atwoki arrives in Katumba, he finds his mother is already buried, he was very healthily poor.
They go to visit uncle Araali who forgives Atwoki and sympathetically welcomes him home.
Uncle’s home was very beautiful.

THEMES
 HIV/ AIDS PANDEMIC
This is the major theme in this book. Many of the characters are being infected by HIV/ AIDS. It
begins by Adyeri who is infected and he dies of it. It is believed that he got it from Birugi his
partner. Consequently, Amoti is the victim as she receives it form Adyeri her husband Adyeri.
Atwoki the son of Adyeri and Amoti, is also the victim of HIV/AIDS; it is believed that he

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received it from Kampala when he was cruising (with David and Edda). Vicky the daughter of
Adyeri’s sister is also affected with SLIM (HIV/AIDS), which she receives it from the witch
doctor’s prickling. And also her husband must be the victim.

 CONFLICT
INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
In Mapalala’s passed like a shadow, conflict has been reflected through various characters.
Example:
Adyeri V/S Amoti: when Adyeri was canning/ beating Atwoki.
Adyeri V/S Atwoki: when Atwoki spilled down Adyeri’s delicious meal
Adyeri v/s Birugi: till Adyeri’s belongings are thrown out of the house which he built for her
Adyeri V/S God. When the kids were singing at Kinyamasika Primary school in chapter five,
Adyeri was hungry even with God, he blamed God for the condition in which he was.
Kunihira, Tusiime v/s Vicky; when Vicky was contending their ideas on sleeping with man to make
money.
INTRA-PERSONAL CONFLICT
Abooki convinces herself to go for a blood test after being raped by John.

 POVERTY
Adyeri dies of poverty, he does not have even a radio (Atwoki was accused of this by his fellow
kids), his house. He fails even to provide food for his house until when uncle Araali comes to save
the day. Adyeri is poor that he cannot even care for the children’s school. Araali also cares for it.

 FAMILY INSTABILITY

The stability of a family brings peace, love, prosperity and success but when there is uncertainty,
the family loses direction and stands at risk of breaking up. For example conflicts between
parents or children and parent, parent irresponsibility, drunkardness, marriage unfaithfulness, job
mishandling and HIV/AIDS. Family conflict: example Adyeri’s family breaks up due to this. He
has poor relationship with his children and wife due to his harsh behavior and drunkardness. He
ends up dying with HIV/AIDS and his family fell apart.

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 IRRESPONSIBILITY

This shows the habit of not caring or thinking carefully about something. In this novel there are
many events as we can see that Adyeri was a drunkard and unfaithful to his wife. That led him to
have no time to care for his family as a result children received poor parental care.

 TRIBALISM
They call Vicky’s fiancé, A Munyamahanga, meaning stranger or alien, Amoti does not advice
Vicky to marry Akena because he is not of their tribe. She suspects that Akena eats people. So in
their society one from the other tribe cannot marry from the other tribe

 PROSTITUTION
Kunihira and Tusiime play this role in Bernard’s novel. They sleep with any man to make money.
They are financed a tailoring shop by a Muzungu. They convince Vicky to engage in the same
business.

 BLACK MAIL AND RAPING

John deceives/lies/blackmails Abooki, Abooki goes to John’s home taking him as a friend, when
she goes for a short call, John uses the opportunity to put drugs in Abooki’s coke, when Abooki
comes back, she drinks it and then she becomes un conscious, hence John rapes her.

 SUPERSTITION

Amoti believed that Birungi, her husband’s concubine, had bewitched him. The drunkard men
who used to drink together with Adyeri believed that Adyeri’s death was due to Slim. They had
very little knowledge about the disease; hence there was a belief among people that the disease
was based on witchcraft. It was abominable for a woman to ride a bicycle in this community as
this was termed to be the sign of prostitution.

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 CORRUPTION
The husband of Vicky was a smuggler of some products to Zaire, and the district commissioner
co operated with that business, that’s why they are friends and the D.C is about to ask the man to
build a big building for him

 AWARENESS: The old men (Adyeri’s pals) are aware of the disease, eating every one
of them. Abooki is aware of the rapid spread of the slim and the way it has killed her two
parents. She takes an extra care.

 THE POSITION OF A WOMAN

A WOMAN AS A MOTHER of LOVE AND CARE

Amoti plays this role better. She cares for Atwoki and Abooki her children, when Atwoki is beaten,
she intervines and the beating shifts to her by Adyeri.

A WOMAN THE ONLY SOURCE OF CHILDREN.

Aliganyira (business man) marries Vicky and he wishes to have children with her. This desire takes
them to the witch doctor.
Amoti is the mother of Abooki and Atwoki

A WOMAN AS A PROSTITUTE
Kunihira and Tusiime plays this role. Also Birugi plays this role in this novel.
Edda ( the girl in kampala who winked to Atwoki) is also a prostitute

A WOMAN AS A RESPONSIBLE PERSON

Amoti is responsible for her family, she goes to the market to sell things and buy other needs for
the family. She is sometimes the home’s bread winner.

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Abooki is responsible for cooking the evening meal after coming back from school, though Atwoki
goes to play.

A WOMAN AS A STRONG AND STRICT PERSON

Amoti is strong and strict on Adyeri’s improper behaviours. She even leaves Adyeri to die in the
former old house. She doesn’t like to go and care for him. She says let her women go and look
after him

 PROTEST
o Amoti protests against Adyeri’s bad behavior.( Womanizing)
o Atwoki protests the beating from his father by swinging back.
o Amoti protests Adyeri from beating Atwoki their son.
o Vicky protests the convincing of Kunihira and Tusiime for her to engage in prostitution.
o Vicky protests the rows from Adyeri when he found her riding the bicycle. That’s why she runs
away, only to come back on the engagement time.
o Atwoki protests against David’s convincing to engage in prostitutional behavior.

 CULTURE AND ETHICS

BRIDE PRICE
It is African culture for a woman to be married through the payment of dowry. E.g. Vicky, though
Adyeri imposes too much prices, so as to quit from poverty.

ETHICS AND TABOOS

In ancient Africa a woman was not allowed to ride on a bicycle.

 THE IMPACTS OF BAD GROUPS (PEER PRESSURE)

FORMS
TITLE: PASSED LIKE A SHADOW.

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This is a symbolic title which reflects the catastrophe that attacked the member of the two
families, Adyeri’s family and David’s family. They all passed away like a vanishing shadow,
except only one member of Adyeri’s family (Abooki) who survived the pandemic.

SETTING

The setting of novel “PASSED LIKE A SHADOW” is Western part of Uganda. The book was
written during the end of Tanzania and Uganda war (1979).

PLOT

A chronological arrangement of events in the story. E.g. in “Passed like a shadow” the first
chapter of the novel introduces Atwoki and Abooki. In chapter six and seven we are introduced
to Atwoki as a famous footballer. Adyeri was brought back home serious sick, after few days he
passes away. Atwoki becomes a victim; he wishes to die in Kitagwenda. The plot of this book is
straight – forward narration.

CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATION

Adyeri

He was the father of Atwoki and Abooki. He was a hot-tempered man and an irresponsible
parent. He was a reputable womanizer. Due to his prostitution he was trapped by Birungi and at
the end of the day he finds himself a victim. He passed away having passed through great
suffering. His family isolated him and found himself alone.

Amoti

A short woman and very talkative. She was Atwoki and Abooki’s mother. She had a bad heart
and could not forgive other people. A very responsible mother who fulfilled her duty as the
mother of the family. She was not faithful in her marriage.

Atwoki

He was a talented footballer with expectations of becoming a superstar. He was a good lad and
did not know the ways of the world. When he went to Kampala he was disfigured or persuaded
by David to start engaging in sexual affairs with girls. He was a kind boy and forgave easily

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unlike his mother. He becomes a victim of HIV /AIDS as a result of engaging with prostitutes or
harlots e.g Edda

Abooki

She was kind and an introvert. She took care of her mother when she was seriously sick on bed.
She was raped by John and lost her virginity. When she tested for HIV /AIDS and pregnancy,
she had negative results. She was optimistic and a good adviser.

Vicky

She was an orphan whose parents passed away long time ago. She tolerated mistreatment from
her uncle and aunt but later on she ran away and got married to Aliganyira. She became a
reputable prostitute as the result of peer pressure She was infected with HIV/AIDS and passed
away.

Uncle Araali

He was a kind man who encouraged Atwoki to be a great footballer in future. He welcomed
Abooki and Atwoki to live with them.

Aliganyira

He was Vicky‘s husband. He was a famous business man. He was famous and he was a
womanizer. He was very superstitious. At the end, due to his prostitution he infected his wife
(Vicky) with HIV.

Tusiime and Kunihira

They were Vicky’s friends.They were secondary school rejects. They were prostitutes who
earned their daily bread through selling their bodies. They convinced Vicky to sell her body
since she was poor and received unfair treatment from her uncle and aunt.

David

Atwoki’s friend in kampala. He was the only son from a rich family. He was a University reject.
He was a reputable prostitute and when Atwoki visited him in kampala, he taught him how to
hunt for women. He infected girls expressively knowing that he was infected with HIV/AIDS. At
the end, David’s family perish completely with HIV/AIDS.

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Edda

She was a reputable harlot in kampala. She succeeded to corner Atwoki and infected him with
HIV/AIDS.

John

He was a boy from a rich family. He used the loop hole of helping Abooki to trap her. He raped
her when the girl paid a visit to his room.

Birungi

She was Adyeri’s secretary at St. Leo’s High School. She trapped Adyeri and cornered him.
When he notices that Adyeri is bankrupt, she chased him away. At the end Birungi falls a victim
of HIV/AIDS.

Jonathan

He was a counselor who used his knowledge of counseling to encourage Abooki. In the end, they
fell in love.

STLYLE

Style is the technique used by the writer in writing his or her work. Style has to do with the
ability of language by the writer,e.g. the use of figures of speech. Simple or complex language
used by writer.

 Hyperbole:
E.g. -Abooki was in a nightmare.
Dad gave him a classic slap.
Amoti’s eye’s nearly popped out

 Simile
Comparison of two objects which are unlike using “as” or “like”. e.g she walked towards him as
a lioness (pg 3).
He was as humble as a dove (pg 8)

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 Sayings
e.g. life is not easy (pg 9)
I have hit the jackpot
Men are like buses (pg 6)
 Personification
Eg. Amoti’s eye’s nearly popped out (pg 8)

 Idioms.
E.g. Amoti don’t have a hard heart (pg 28)

 Imagination or imagery language is an art of author to create an image

E.g. His eye‘s popped out of his face.

 Symbols
Eg I regret to have married a pig

Slim- HIV/AIDS

LITERARY TECHNIQUES USED IN THIS NOVEL

REPETITION
Adyeri says “aha, aha” after seeing the spill of his food down the floor.
Also he says “Mea culpa Mea culpa” a Latin word meaning “poor me, poor me” crying for his
food spilled by Atwoki.
Amoti also repeats the word “Mawe, Mawe”
“knock, knock, knock knock” in page 27. A neighbor comes to plea to Amoti for Adyeri

HUMOUR
“Is the visitor short or tall?” a question posed by Adyeri to Amoti, when she was alerting him about
the visitor “Vicky’s fiancé”

SIMILES

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“Children feared him like hell”

IMAGERY
“Short Amoti” the author describes Amoti.
In page 28 the writer describes the sick condition of Adyeri

IRONY/SARCASM
“I am glad to be at home” while it is no true circumstantially.
“JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST AIDS, USE CONDOMS” This slogan was in the Visitors’ room, at
David father’s home where Atwoki was given to take a rest.

ONOMATOPOEA
“Haha haha” Adyeri laughs,
“knock knock knock knock,”

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