People have to make sacrifices every single day. Whether such sacrifice serves to benefit themselves, those around them, or society at large, people find that the decision to give up some aspects of their lives is prevalent in human nature. Both spectrums of this theme are explored thoroughly in The Rain Came by Grace Ogot. Often, in tribal cultures like the one depicted in this story, tribe members are asked to make sacrifices to please some sort of ancestor or overlord. However, this wasn't the only example of how individuals in history had to decide what sacrifices to make to ensure they got what they wanted. While almost every character mentioned in the story has to give up at least one thing at some point, it is the chief's daughter, Oganda, who is faced with two instances of personal sacrifice. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first of many difficult decisions falls on the shoulders of the great chief Labong'o; no father in his right mind would allow his daughter to be sent to her death. Labong'o, as strong as he is, struggles to make this decision as he must listen to the rainmaker and sacrifice his only daughter to allow the rain to return to his villagers. “The boss must not cry. Society had declared him the bravest of men. But Labong'o no longer cared. He assumed the position of a simple father and wept bitterly.” (Ogot 1) Realizing that the decision to sacrifice one's daughter to save the rest of the villagers brings even the strongest and bravest of the villagers back to their roots. Labong'o also explores the idea of sacrificing the entire village just to save his lonely sacred daughter. These thoughts are quickly put aside when the chief realizes that he has a duty to his villagers and cannot allow his interests to come before those of the entire tribe. This sacrifice made by Labong'o may very well be the most selfless and difficult of all in all of history. While Chief Labong'o laments having to sacrifice his own daughter, most of his villagers rejoice in knowing that their savior has been appointed. This brief detail illustrates how sacrifice for a larger purpose is a joyous thing, only for those who do not have to lose anything. Although Oganda is openly a revered member of the tribe, the villagers who do not have close personal ties to her almost immediately realize that allowing just one of their own to die will save them and bring great prosperity to the whole. Tribe members even act as if it is a great honor to give their lives for such a sacred purpose. They make it even clearer by creating a song that says “It's to save the people, if it's to give us rain, let Ogando go. Let Oganda die for his people and his ancestors” (Ogot 3). This small detail allows us to better understand how sacrifice can have incredibly different effects on the people involved. The most confusing dilemma, however, concerns the great chief's daughter, Oganda. Even though he doesn't seem to have a choice, Oganda must make the greatest sacrifice possible, giving his life for the people of his village. This sacrifice does not benefit her in any way and involves how her character was raised under strong morals and the idea that the needs of the whole are placed much higher than the needs of the individual. As strong as these morals are, at some point the survival instinct must kick in. “Forgetting 1964.
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