A CALF OF A BULL by Gatluak Jany

Plot Summary

In the introduction, readers meet the main character, Gatwec, whose beliefs and aspirations contradict the norms and traditions of his culture. Gatwec wants to go to school but his father wants him to only inspect the calves. He advocates for change in his community. But how can he change a community whose highly valued rituals like facial scarification he rejects and which he also betrays by joining the church that presents a foreign religion?

In the rising action, Gatwec is cleansed and baptised with ancestral beliefs. He is expected, when he comes of age and marries, to take over the spear and spiritual poles of Nyanjok – his family god. He becomes a class leader as soon as he joins school. However, the school is perceived badly by the elders. They accuse the school head teacher of recruiting his pupils into the church. James Tut, the church leader, is in dire conflict with the clan leaders. His betrayal of his ancestral god (Biel) and establishment of a foreign worship, have created bad luck in the clan.

After rejecting several scarification rituals and becoming a choir leader in the church, Gatwec runs away from his home and village in fear of his father’s violent anger. He is abducted by an Arab-army, taken as a child soldier captive and then serves as a domestic worker for an Arab army officer.

In the falling action, Gatwec reunites with his uncle and childhood friend – the son of the head of the church in his village. They school together and later Gatwec flees to his village due to a fighting in town in which his friend dies.

In the village, Duoth Bil, who has now taken over the clan leadership and ritual rites after the passing on of Gatwec’s father and the leopard master, welcomes Gatwec with distaste and disregard. He rejects Gatwec’s establishment of a school, citing that the children of men (who had bled on the scarification blade for manhood) cannot be taught by a boy. Unless Gatwec is scarified, he is a bad image and should not be accepted into the clan.