stylistic devices
Night and day it burned, and now the villagers had no need for candles or lamps.
Inversion: accentuates that this light burns constantly, and contrary to expectations, especially at night. It's impact shows that usual utensils are not necessary any longer.
livestock
animals (such as cattle, sheep) that are kept on a farm
Rufus
- young journalist who tries to find the kidnapped woman
- (thereby) discovers way more about the political wrongdoing in his country than he expected
the delta
- stands for the interwinded branches of politics, history, military, militants and economy
- represents a chaos by going back and forth in time (flashbacks, many subplots)
They looked dirty, [...] as if they had been dragged through an acreage of ash.
hyperbole: emphasizes the maltreatment of the militants by the military
to wither
here: plants dry up due to drought/ pollution
Zaq
- used to be a renown reporter/ journalist, but has lost his passion for the job
- suffers from dengue fever during their journey
journalism
- means of communication/ "mediator" between the militants and the government
- voice of the common people
- journalists= the only people allowed to be brought to the kidnapped in order to prove their good conditions
[...] the gas flares shake in the wind, wavering and dimming, but always regrouping to shine again.
personification: points out their power and impact as they are able to permanently reunite into a vast "sea of light" that makes their days become night
to devastate sth.
to destroy sth.
Isabel Floode
- kidnapped woman of an influential British oil company employer
- kidnapped for ransom: represents common procedures attributable to Nigeria's dealings with its people
oil
- greed
- money rules the world
We watched the incoming tide deposit bits of wood and grass and bird feathers at our feet.
enumeration: points out the characteristics of their surroundings and creates a rhythm that reminds of the wavery movement of the water
expatriate (n)
sb who lives abroad (usu.for work and only a limited point of time)
Michael
- young boy (of approx.10 years of age)
- desperate and anxious, hopes for a better future in Port Harcourt
- represents a lost generation
water
- source of life
- transport routes (villages most likely reachable via boats)
I swayed like a height-drunk alpinist, half-way through his climb, unsure if he was ever going to get to the top, ...
simile: Rufus is overwhelmed by the situation they got stuck in, not being capable of any kind of orientation anymore
to be instructed
to be taught
the Niger Delta
- used to be a paradise, characterized by abundant vegetation
- holds huge amounts of a natural resource (oil) and therefore is devastated at maximum
Chief Malabo
- never wanted to give in to the oil companies that intended to take over his village
- did so on behalf of the whole village, as this was the land of their ancestors
- got accused of plotting against the federal government, got arrested, got killed (= Ken Saro-Wiwa, the pioneer environmental activist, who got executed by the government because he stood in their way)