Summary

-(Draft) The story is about Chief Labong’o having to sacrifice his one and only daughter
Oganda to the lake monster in order to get rain. The story itself took place in a village that
was suffering from water scarcity and they desperately needed water to survive. The story
started with Oganda running toward Labong’o awaiting to hear about the news of rain. When
she asked him, Labong’o didn't say anything.So, Oganda instead ran back to the village to
alert them that Labong’o is back. Once Labong’o was back, instead of telling everyone about
the news he went into his own hut, which means he must not be disturbed. Inside the hut
Labong’o must make a decision of what to do. Having to sacrifice his one and only daughter
based on a prophecy that was told by a medicine man took a toll on him, he himself did not
want to sacrifice his daughter but when he became a chief he made a vow to do whatever he
can to save his own tribe. But this doesn't stop him from doing it. In the
afternoon( midday)Labong’o told his daughter to wait in a hut and went to beat the drum to
assemble the household to discuss their next decision. During the discussion Labong’o
could barely hold back the tears as he brought out the news about sacrificing his daughter
and Oganda mother fainted and was brought back to her hut. Her family was shocked but
the tribe people instead started singing and cheering for Oganda. Meanwhile, Oganda was
curious about what her family might be talking about, and she concluded that they are talking
about her marriage. She went ahead and thought about her marriage options or choice
going through 3 of her options. While she was thinking about her marriage her grandma
came and she startled Oganda, Oganda asked her grandma what it's about that made the
people so cheerful but instead of answering, her grandma blocked the hut door. While all of
this was happening the people or the villagers singing and chanting was getting nearer as
they brought Oganda gifts to her hut and Oganda actually heard what they were singing
about. She found out that she was gonna be sacrificed for rain. Oganda went ahead and
barged through the door knocking her grandmother down. Outside, the villagers were
chanting and there was Labong’o standing motionless. Labong’o brought Oganda to her
mother's hut and broke the news to her. Then the news itself spread throughout the country
and by sunset the chief village was full of friends and relatives who came to congratulate and
offer gifts. Oganda for being chosen to be sacrificed for rain. The people there would keep
dancing to keep Oganda company and prepare a farewell feast in the morning. As night
approaches Oganda begins to think about her life, as people of her age dance to keep her
company. By morning the feast was ready But Oganda didn't eat at all. As the time for her
departure came close she was being prepped to walk to the lake to be sacrificed. She was
anointed with sacred oil and was informed that Osinda( one of her marriage options) was
busy. By afternoon the whole village stood by the gate to say their goodbye, Labong’go
himself gave Oganda a bracelet and her mother wept on her back for a while. Before she
started heading to the lake, she turned back and took a last final look at her home before
departing. Walking to the lake she entered a forest, alone and scared she kept singing. She
kept walking and by midnight she was tired so she decided to rest until morning. After
continuing her walk she finally reached the tong which is a strip of land separating the
country and the sacred place that was known as Kar lamo. Before she cross d the tong into
the sacred land, a large crowd gathered to see her and a young child gave her a small ear
ring to Oganda to give it to the young child's sister. She went ahead and continued on her
path reaching a sandy area, Oganda continued on and mid way she felt the presence of
somebody and because of the fact that she's alone and was scared she thought it was a
monster .Oganda ran with all she had but the presence caught up to her and then she
fainted. Afterward she regained consciousness and found out that it was Osinda(one of her
marriage option). Finding out it was Osinda, she had a moment where she was willing to
sacrifice herself anyways because she felt as if her family abandoned her, but Osinda was
able to bring her back and manage to convince her to run away with him to stay alive.
Osinda gave her a coat to wear to help her feel better of abandoning her duty( sacrificing for
rain) and as both of them were running away, in the distance it actually rained.

Character Analysis
Character Analysis

1. Oganda

• Personality:

o Brave/Selfless: She felt like “a flower nipped in the bud,” knowing that her death was
approaching, yet she did not seek a way to avoid it. From the perspective of saving
people’s lives, she did not care about her own.

o Sacrificial: She sacrificed her life for the rain, which could bring relief to her people.

o Positive-minded: She always believed that the people around her were good to her. For
example, she discovered that she was a stranger among them. If they really loved her as
they had always proposed, why were they not sympathetic? Why were they not making any
attempt to save her? This shows that she had always been kind to everyone and
considered the Luo people as her own.

• Appearance: Oganda was admired for her beauty, which made her an important figure and
led to her being chosen for the sacrifice.

• Background: Oganda was the only daughter among the twenty children of Labong’o. She
was very special to the family, as her father had long desired a daughter, leading him to
marry five wives.

• Change & Growth: Oganda had always been cherished until the day the Luo people
suffered from a lack of rain. They declared that Oganda was the only girl the ancestors
needed as a sacrifice. Her life was suddenly turned upside down—she had to die for her
people. On the day of the sacrifice, Oganda lost consciousness, thinking she would die.
However, she was rescued by Osinda, who truly loved her and saved her life.

• Weakness: Oganda was selfless, always putting others before herself. She also gave up
easily without even trying to think of a solution.

2. Osinda

• Personality:

o Gentle: Osinda had always treated Oganda gently since they were young. Every
thought Oganda had of him was positive. For example, she heard her heart pounding so
loudly as she thought of him.

o Deeply in love: Osinda came to save Oganda without thinking about the consequences
if he failed. “We must escape quickly to an unknown land,” Osinda said urgently. “We
must run away from the wrath of the ancestors and the retaliation of the monster.” Even
 though Osinda knew that something very bad could happen if they escaped, he still
fought for her life, no matter what.

• Appearance: His appearance is not described in detail, but he is likely good-looking, as

Oganda tends to admire handsome men. She had previously thought of Kech, whom she
described as very handsome, with sweet, meek eyes and roaring laughter.

• Background: Osinda was a young warrior in love with Oganda, hoping to marry her. The
two had a strong connection before the events of the story, as Oganda had always wanted
to be with him.

• Change & Growth: At the beginning of the story, Osinda does not take any action
regarding Uganda's situation. However, when her life is in danger, he grows into a decisive
and fearless person, taking the bold step to rescue her.

• Weaknesses: The only weakness that can be considered is his disrespect for the
ancestors. He tried to take Oganda away, not knowing whether it would bring disaster upon
her.

3. Labong’o

• Personality: Struggles between duty and personal emotions: He says, “She is my only
daughter, but she is also the child of the people.” This shows that while he truly loved
Oganda, he had to put his people first.

• Appearance: Labong’o was likely strong. The way people respected and listened to him
showed that he had a commanding presence.

• Background: As the chief of the Luo tribe, he was responsible for making decisions for the
entire community. He strictly followed traditions and customs passed down from his
ancestors. To avoid disrespecting them, he forced himself to sacrifice his only beloved
daughter.

• Change & Growth: Labong’o changed from a strong leader to a heartbroken father. He
cried in private after allowing Oganda to sacrifice herself for the Luo people.

• Weaknesses: Labong’o was a tragic figure—despite having power, he was unable to save
his own daughter. His inability to protect Oganda from the sacrifice showed his helplessness.
However, he was not heartless; he was simply bound by duty.

Conflict
_Internal conflict
-Labong’o’s village is experiencing a drought that hasn’t rained for a long time. The solution
is that he has to follow as a leader, he has to follow his tradition by sacrificing his one and
only daughter Oganda to the lake monster in order to get rain to survive his villagers.
-He is difficult to make a decision because he has 5 wives, but he has only a favorite
daughter.
-she doesn't want to be sacrificed because if she agrees, it means that she has to die.
- she wants to help her villagers, but she also wants to marry Osinda.
_External conflict
-She doesn’t want to sacrifice herself by following village tradition.
-The villagers want Oganda to sacrifice to get rain.
_Solution
-Rain still falls although you don’t sacrifice, but it just needs time.
Theme Analysis

Theme 1: Tradition vs. Change

One of the most important themes is the conflict between tradition and
change. Example: The villagers strongly believe in the ancient tradition of
sacrificing a virgin girl to bring rain. This ritual has been passed down for
generations, but it’s challenged when Oganda, the chosen girl, and her
lover, Osinda, decide to break free.
•Quotation: “The rain would not come unless a pure girl was
sacrificed to the lake monster.”
_This reflects the villagers’ deep belief in their tradition. However, when
Oganda and Osinda defy this tradition, the rain finally comes, suggesting
that sometimes, change is necessary for a better future.
Theme 2: Love and Sacrifice
Another powerful theme is love and sacrifice. Example: Oganda is willing
to sacrifice herself for the village, but her love for Osinda becomes the
force that drives her to escape the sacrifice. Osinda’s love and bravery also
empower him to go against the village’s customs to save her.
•Quotation:“I am ready to die for my people.”
-This shows Oganda’s sense of duty to her people, but love and sacrifice
are ultimately what allow her to challenge the ritual.
Theme 3: The Power of Belief
The villagers’ strong belief in the ritual is another central theme.
Example: They believe that the sacrifice is the only way to bring rain, and
their faith in this belief controls their actions. However, the rain comes
only when Oganda defies the ritual, showing that sometimes blind belief
can be limiting.
•Quotation: “As Oganda walked toward the lake, the sky darkened,
and thunder rumbled.”
-The villagers believe in the ritual so strongly that it seems to affect nature
itself. However, it’s only when Oganda escapes that true change happens.
Theme 4: The Role of Leadership
The story also explores leadership. Example: Chief Labong’o, as the
leader of the village, is torn between his love for his daughter and his duty
to his people. His leadership is tested when he must decide whether to
continue with the ritual or break from it.
•Quotation: “He was the chief and had to make decisions that were
difficult, but for the good of the village.”
-This highlights the complexity of leadership, as Labong’o must choose
between following tradition or protecting his daughter.
Literary Devices
+ Characterization
● Oganda
- Direct: the only daughter of the village's chief, Labong’o, the daughter which he was
so desperate to have.
- Indirect: Labong’o married again and again to find a wife that would bear him a
daughter. However, all of them bore him all boys until he met Manya, Oganda’s
mother, who would soon give birth to Oganda and granted his wish of having a
daughter.
- Direct: she was said to be very beautiful, and charming.
- Indirect: her father cried about how pitiful it was for his beautiful daughter to be taken
away by fate. When she came of age, many men in the village fell in love with her
and tried to ask for her in marriage.
- Direct: Oganda said that “she loves Osinda”
- Indirect: she wore the brass waist chain that he gave her since they were kids on her
waist.
- Direct:
- Indirect: after she realized that she was made to be the sacrifice for the rain, she
cried for how unfair it was for her and the future she imagined to have but never had.
However, she was willing to die for the village so they could have the rain.
● Osinda:
- Direct: the author stated he was a fine young man.
- Indirect: Oganda wished to marry him because he looked the most handsome among
the men who asked for her hand in marriage.
- Direct: he was known to be Oganda’s childhood sweetheart.
- Indirect: he gave a brass waist chain as a promise belonging to her, and she wore it
every day. The brass waist chain symbolized their romantic relationship.
- brave. Ex: knowing himself that he had to go against his own people’s beliefs and
traditional rituals and that his actions could cause a big conflict if anyone had caught
both of them trying to go against the tradition, Osinda still came to save Oganda from
her death at the last minute. He was ready to break the circle patterns even if it
meant going against traditional norms, the people, and their beliefs.
● Labong’o
- Direct: he is the chief of the Luo people, husband to Manya, and father to Oganda.
He was told to be warm-hearted, responsible, and very affectionate towards his only
daughter.
 - Indirect: responsible. Ex: as a father who had only one daughter, Laboung’o
cherished Oganda very much. He did not want to sacrifice his own daughter to the
lake monster, but the role of the village’s chief wrapped in his hand. He had to take
action even if it meant giving up on his daughter’s life. In the end, he made the
sacrifice to fulfill his role as the village’s chief who was responsible for the well-being
of the village.
● Manya
- Direct: Mother to Oganda, and 5th wife to Labong’o. She's very sensitive, timid, and
superstitious.
- Indirect: passive. Ex: She was in a deep grief for what her daughter was gonna face,
and did not want to sacrifice her. However, she didn’t have the courage to persuade
her husband to find another way to protect their daughter since all of them thought
the sacrifice was the only solution. She went against her own wish since she believed
her needs weren’t helpful enough in the situation to voice it to her husband.
+ Symbolism
● Rain: growth, transformation.

The rain put everything into a mess then wiped off the dirt that wouldn’t move away, so
better things could grow there. Transformation is the same. In order to transform and grow,
one must go through the pain that will come. It is the process of one going through pain, so
they are able to let it go and leave space for the best that has yet to come. Example:
Oganda’s suffering started with rain and ended with rain. Because of rain, she was made to
be the sacrifice, fell into despair, and suffered badly during her journey in the forest. Feeling
scared, helpless, unfair, and hurtful; she had no choice but to face it head on thinking this
would be the end of her. But her life didn’t end there. She was rescued by her beloved man,
and they ran away to a better place where she would live happily with him.

● The lake monster: death.

The lake monster that lived in the forest lake which the village stated it would take the
sacrificed person and grant the villagers rain, but nobody in the story knew what the monster
looked like, how they experienced it, nor if there really was a monster to begin with. The
villagers believed it existed somewhere in the forest lake. Death is the same. It is never
predictable. Nobody knows exactly when it will arrive for someone. We just know it exists
somewhere between our strings of life.

● The little girl: innocence.

Before Oganda left for her journey into the forest, a little girl handed her a bracelet belonging
to her sister who was sacrificed before Oganda’s turn. When she told Oganda to give the
necklace to her sister, she merely showed a significant emotion. Neither happiness nor
sadness had shown in her character. She did not know that these young women and her
sister had been sent to their deaths for the sake of the village all due to her young age. She
had yet to understand the seriousness of the situation. This indicated one's innocence.

● The brass waist chain: love, loyalty, and promise.

- Love: Osinda gave the brass waist chain to Oganda since they were kids and she
kept wearing it on her waist displaying their significant love and relationship.
- Loyalty: it indicates Oganda’s loyalty to their love. Oganda kept wearing the brass
waist chain even though she could wear any other better waist chain than the one he
gave her signified her loyalty.
- Promise: as the brass waist chain indicated to their love and loyalty, it could also
indicate the promise they made together at that time. Osinda gave it to her as a token
of his promise to her that he would marry her when they grow up, and Oganda wore
it until she came of age as a significant confirmation that their promise still stands.
-
Reflection

·Challenges/difficulties in reading this text: By finishing the reading of the whole story,
I could point out some of the challenges/difficulties such as:
- Culture context: Readers might be unfamiliar with these traditions and might miss
nuances in the characters' actions and motivations.
- Solution: Researching Luo culture and traditions, before or after reading, can
significantly enhance comprehension.
- Language and Symbolism: O'Got employs rich figurative language and symbolism,
particularly in her descriptions of nature and the rain.
- Solution: Rereading passages with strong imagery and considering the broader context
of the story can aid in understanding the symbolism, close reading and attention to detail is
required.

· Useful Ideas/Hidden Messages that Can Be Drawn from the Text:

- The Power of Nature: The story shows the overwhelming power of nature, particularly
in the context of a community dependent on rain for survival.
- Community and Shared Experience: The story highlights the importance of
community in overcoming adversity. The shared experience of the drought and the collective
relief brought by the rain underscores the strength of communal bonds.

· Other Values that Can Be Gained from Reading and Studying this Text:
- Empathy and cultural understanding: Reading "The Rain Came" fosters empathy for
communities facing environmental challenges and promotes cross-cultural understanding by
providing insights into the Luo way of life.
- Grateful for simple things: The story encourages an appreciation for the simple things
in life, such as rain, which is often taken for granted.

· Connection to the Real World and Examples:

- Drought in Sub-Saharan Africa: The story resonates with the realities of drought
experienced by many communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. For example, the recurring
droughts in the Horn of Africa (e.g., Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya) in recent decades have had
devastating consequences, mirroring the hardships depicted in O'Got's story. (Cite specific
reports from organizations like the UN or Oxfam with dates).

In conclusion: "The Rain Came" is a great and such a powerful story that offers valuable
insights into the human relationship with nature, the importance of community, as well as the
resilience of the human spirit. By acknowledging the cultural context and employing close
reading strategies, readers could fully appreciate the richness and depth of O'Got's narrative.