The Conflict between Survival and Ethics in Botswana’s Ritual Sacrifice: Bessie Head’s “Looking for a Rain God”

Abstract

This thesis aims to examine the ethical problems of Botswana people in front of extreme natural disasters, focusing on the novel “Looking for a Rain God” by Bessie Head, a female exile writer from South Africa. This novel deals with natural disasters that threaten human survival and realistically depicts how helpless and depraved they are when the huge natural environment overwhelms Africans. In particular, Head notes what unexpected behaviors Botswanans in physical and psychological distress hang on to when faced with the worst drought that has lasted for years through “Looking for a Rain God”, In other words, it focuses on the power of drought that makes even human desperate efforts meaningless and the desperate situation of Botswana people. Furthermore, the author questions whether the act committed by the main character family can be judged by the standard of justice and ethics when faced with the worst conditions, and asks Africans who struggle between survival and justice, survival and ethics whether such a dichotomous foundation can be valid. This paper analyzes these questions and discusses what the author’s intention is to try to change the subject from race to natural environment. In addition, this thesis explores that the writer discuss the importance of the narrative of female exile writers who are mixed-race by examining what differentiated positions can be redefined in English-speaking African literature through changes in the theme.