When Beryl is quite young, she reflects that "softness and helplessness got you nothing in this place." Do you agree with her? Or do you think Beryl placed too much value on strength and independence?
Created: 08/26/16
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When Beryl is quite young, she reflects that "softness and helplessness got you nothing in this place." Do you agree with her? Or do you think Beryl placed too much value on strength and independence?
Join Date: 07/13/16
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I do agree. The Kenyan frontier was no place for someone who was helpless or soft. You had to be on your guard living in the wild with any number of things that could kill you. Animals, insects, snakes, infections. Kenya was no place for wimps then, and probably not even now.
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This was a time and country that required one to be proactive. The elements and environment were against you. It was a constant struggle to make it and move forward. Those who were "soft and helpless" wouldn't make it as they didn't have the drive and perseverance to move forward and succeed. Beryl was tough and didn't wait for things to happen, she made them happen.
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On first reading, I was inclined to believe this was referring to the harsh climate in which she existed. But, after finishing the book, I believe it was more a reference to the society in which she had to exist. I found all the British she encountered to be harsh critics and very hypocritical in their relationships.
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