Blossoms of the Savannah Literary Elements

Fiction

Nasila, a small village in Africa

The novel has a third-person omniscient narrator, focalized mostly through the point of view of Resian, the younger daughter of Kaelo.

The tone is mostly a combination of fear and anger from the perspective of the sisters. The mood is one of helplessness at the start of the novel, but changes gradually to one of optimism.

Resian and Taiyo are the protagonists; their parents are the antagonists.

There is conflict throughout the novel between Resian and her father, as she wants to attend university but he demands that she become a dutiful wife following the strict traditions in Nasila.

Both Taiyo and Resian manage to escape to Tanzania thanks to the medicine woman who takes care of them.

Olarinkoi's apparent willingness to help Resian escape foreshadows the revelation that his real intention is to kidnap her for himself.

Kaelo describes female circumcision simply as a tradition, which understates the mutilation done to the women and the barbaric nature of the process.

Each of the characters is described using exceptionally vivid visual imagery, and the surroundings are described in such a way that the author employs our other senses as well, particularly our sense of smell, describing the foliage in the village.

The term "the village" is used an a metonymy to refer to the individuals living there.