This piece of Academic writing in English Literature , specifically using African text resonates with our African, Nguni life as it involves spiritualism. This type of literary craft needs to be told as it it and in my views it doesn't have to be like those narrations that were told in the age of Vikings or classical age of China, it needs African flair as Bheki Maseko has done.

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MFSPEA3: ASSIGNMENT 1 (TAKE-HOME CAPS TEST)
S.P. MNGUNI, 216032396
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1) Literary Genre: Short-Story
The Fortune Snake, Mamlambo by Maseko Bheki, 1984
2) Selected Text
Mamlambo
Abstract
Mamlambo is a kind of snake that brings fortune to anyone who accommodates it.
One's money or livestock multiplies incredibly. This snake is available from
traditional doctors who provide instructions regarding its exploitation. Certain
necessities are to be sacrificed in order to maintain it. Sometimes you may have to
sacrifice your own children, or go without a car or clothes. It all depends on the
instructions of the doctor concerned.
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Extract
Here is an account of how Sophie acquired Mamlambo and what happened to her.
Sophie Zikode was a young, pretty, ebony-faced woman with a plump and intact
moderate body. Ever since she came to stay in the Golden City to work as a
domestic servant, she never had a steady boyfriend. The only man who lasted
longer than any other was Elias Malinga who was from Ermelo. He was the first
man she met when she came to Johannesburg and he was the only man she truly
loved. She was so obsessed with love that she readily abandoned any possessions
or habits that Elias disliked. In spite of the priority his children and wife in
Ermelo enjoyed, she was still prepared to marry Elias Malinga without the
slightest intention of disrupting his marriage during their love affair.
One day, after a quarrel, Elias went away and never came back again. She phoned
his place of employment to be told by a friend of Elias that he (Elias) had had
enough of her. She never heard from him ever again. After Elias, Sophie never
again had a steady boyfriend. They all deserted her after two or three months. But
it no longer hurt. The only name that haunted her day and night was Elias. Ever
since Elias left her she had never loved anybody else. All she wanted now was a
husband she could be loyal to. But she just could not find one. Then along came
Jonas, a tall, well-built Malawian who was much more considerate than any of the
other men. For the first time in her young life a thought came into her mind. She
must consult a traditional doctor for help. She wanted to keep Jonas forever. She
must see Baba Majola first thing in the morning. The following morning Sophie
visited Baba Majola who was a street cleaner. The old man listened
sympathetically to her problem while he swept rubbish out of a gutter. He told her

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to return at four in the afternoon. Sophie was there on time. Baba Majola gave her
a smelly sticky stuff in a bottle. He told her to rub her whole body with it before
the boyfriend came, and to put it under the pillow when they slept. The poor girl
agreed amicably. She did exactly as she had been told to do. She felt guilty as the
atmosphere became tense in the little room. They ate in silence as the clock on
the small table ticked away, disturbing the deep silence. Jonas was not his usual
self today. He was quiet in a strange manner. They were sleeping for some
minutes when Jonas felt something peculiar under the pillow. It felt cold and
smooth. 'Sophie, Sophie,' he called, shaking her gently. 'What is this under the
pillow?' Sophie had felt the strange object soon after they had climbed into bed.
But she had been scared to ask Jonas what it was. 'I don't know,' she replied
pretending to be sleepy. 'Switch on the light, let's have a look.' With a trembling
hand Jonas fumbled for the switch. 'Gosh, what a big snake!'
(Maseko, 1984:74-75)
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3) Choice of extract
The craft of story-telling is as old as the human community itself and no individual
culture can claim an advantage or precedence. (Adopted from To kill a man’s pride
and other stories from Southern Africa, 1984) Therefore, the text chosen above and
its extracts have a particular significance and specific values in education as it
retain rich facets that are aligned to human characteristics and culture.
Maseko’s Mamlambo as a literary piece of work revolves around the idea of
masculinity in which identity is determined as ‘Selfhood, Self-awareness and
Otherness’. In this case, Sophie Zikode as a protagonist is represented in relation
to others that her identity is not inorganic; however, she allows both teachers and
learners to see their weakness in a way that does not expose them in real-life
situation. The real main aim when using literature with our learners is to help them
unravel the many meanings in a text by providing them with fruitful ways of
involving them as a whole person, and provide excellent opportunities for them to
be able to express their personal opinions, reactions and feelings. As a teacher
who is using a piece of literature such as this one, will not only allow learners to be
passive recipients of knowledge, but also to allow them to introspect themselves by
further engaging and challenging the ideas this Short-Story is portraying where
Sophie as a rejected woman in desperate times calls for desperate measures by
allowing the centrality of magic to play its role. Maseko as a fictional narrator gives
readers insights with regards to the sphere of reality which is not a farfetched story
from the African perspective. Therefore, these kinds of folklores do happen behind
closed doors in deep of the night when no one is looking.
As an English teacher, I believe that a short-story as part of the literature cannot be
taught on its own without the use of a language, a learner can be taught to react to
speech and to the use of speech. He can interpret a role and come in exactly on

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cue. But when he reads or listens to any genre of literature, he then becomes part
of an audience and not the narrator, focalizer or the actor. Therefore, the role of the
teacher is to ensure that clarity of what happens in the story unlocks reality and
mirrors life situations in learners in a form of literature analysis. The function of the
character in literature helps to prolong the plot by introducing various themes to
support the development of a character in a story. Character makes the story
readable and interesting. In Mamlambo as a Short-Story, Maseko portrays Sophie
as a character that is judged from a point of her actions, by the readers (teachers
and learners) forgetting that it could be them tomorrow in the similar situation. The
extract in this text depicts Sophie as a character that changes overtime, simply
because she at first is seen as internally optimistic and motivated by the blindness
of affection from Elias then she get manipulated by other in a form of resentment.
And later she is seen so pessimistic in forging new relationships as these
relationships never last.
Her identity which is selfhood and self-awareness is compromised as it is also
linked to others. This teaches us that identity is indeed an embodiment of culture,
language, heritage and sense of belonging all bound together but when it
weakened, it completely erodes. By the virtue of nature, identity on the notion of
African perspective is highly imperative as it asserts an African pride. In
Mamlambo, character is interpreted by the reader as being endowed with particular
lenses about people trying to keep others for themselves by using external forces
particularly magic. Therefore, this short-story and its characters mirror our African
life where self and other awareness is promoted - Everyone has a propensity to get
so caught up in their own lives that they forget things that happen around them.
Learners are particularly prone to this; as a result it is the ultimate goal of education
to expose them to ideas from other cultures and perspectives.
4) Ways of teaching the extract
One of our main aims in the classroom should be to teach our students to read
literature using the appropriate literary strategies. This involves them not in reading
for some practical purpose, for example to obtain information, but rather in
analyzing a text in terms of what it might mean symbolically or philosophically.
Literature has a cultural value because of the stories that have been of central
important to the human race ever since it began, as far as we can recall. Cultures
are built on stories including histories, myths and legends, fables and so forth.
The teacher and the literary prescribed book
Reaching any definitive interpretation of a literary text with learners will not be a
solution, as a teacher, I will rather use the text as the basis for generating
discussions, worthwhile controversy and promoting critical thinking skills, where
learners will get to acquire the ability to think critically in terms of analyzing and

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criticizing the text, and writing skills where it will be an essential one way to become
a good writer by reading frequently.
As a teacher will read the story for myself at least twice and study it thoroughly in
order to understand it. All the unfamiliar words which I do not understand will be
looked up. For example, geographical references that will provides us the setting of
the story- setting also serves as a vital aspect of the story. And leaners during the
course of analyzing the text will not be passive recipients of knowledge, but rather
will make the necessary notes at the backs of their literature exercise books as well
so that they can later use it as a point of reference. Where the author is well known,
I as their teacher will provide few facts concerning the author himself (biographical
reference) as well as the tittles of other works by the same author.
In my literature lesson(s), I will have a preparation book for referencing in order to
be able to summarize the essence of each extract in the text and having a
framework of the entire text will allow my learners to have a clear and precise
picture of the whole text. As soon as I start reading, I would consider short and long
questions which will deal with the chosen text [Mamlambo] thoroughly and
formulated questions whether they are short or long will be there to specifically
stimulate the interest in learners to read more so that their level of understanding
the text could be elevated. By the virtue of pedagogy, learners tends to have
insights of the content when they are channeled to seek answers for those
questions perhaps through discussions, role-plays and pictures for further
demonstrations, and learners learn better if they are exposed to concrete ideas.
As a teacher, I think it will be beneficial for all of us to have a picture of the fortune
snake, Mamlambo as my learners will be coming from diverse cultures where some
haven’t seen Mamlambo before and others haven’t know about the manipulation of
nature in a form of magic as the storyline presents the male migrant who is
returning home to Malawi with his fiancée after she had used magic concoction to
keep him in a relationship with her [Mamlambo].
Hints concerning the methodology of literature
In my first literature lesson(s), I will provide my learners with the short background
of the work, one or two points concerning the author, where necessary, and outline
of the story. Because the subsequent lessons will concentrate on individual
chapters, it will also be a good idea to provide a general picture of the story and the
characters in the first lesson(s). I will also write up the framework on the board, and
let my learners to copy it at the back of their literature exercise books. Teaching
aids such as pictures and maps will be available because of the fact that they will
make my lesson and discussion of the work more interesting and easier for my
learners to comprehend.

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Duplicated page(s) with short and long questions regarding the extract will be
provided to harness the way I am facilitating this literature lesson(s) and I will also
set a date by when all the questions should be completely answered and will set up
an online quiz to check the level of their understanding regarding ‘Maseko’s
Mamlambo.’ I will also ensure that there is the variety in the presentation of my
lesson(s) dealing with the prescribed textbook, group reading (silent and loud) and
group discussions will be promoted to allow every learner to have an opinion about
the text and be able to align it with the real-life situations. And lastly, as a teacher I
will use dramatization from time to time to further demonstrate the life of Sophie,
her failed relationships and the witch-doctor she consulted and also how she and
Malawian boyfriend were terrified to see Mamlambo in their bedroom – learners
enjoy the literature if there is dramatization during the course of the lesson and it
channels them to remember very well when writing their tests and exams.

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Reference
This serial is available in Kunapipi:http://ro.uow.edu.au/kunapipi/vol6/iss3/13.
Follow this and additional works at:http://ro.uow.edu.au/kunapipi
Recommended Citation Maseko, Bheki, Mamlambo,Kunapipi, 6(3), 1984. Available
at:http://ro.uow.edu.au/kunapipi/vol6/iss3/13
Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further
information contact the UOW Library: research-pubs@uow.edu.au