The Choice by Tanzanian author Mwamgwirani J. Mwakimatu was a winner of the 2011 Burt Award for African Literature. This young adult novel reals in and focuses on prevalent themes throughout the category of adolescent literature, such as autonomy, self-identity, and finding oneself. In addition to that, this novel also deals with themes relevant to Tanzanian culture, such as traditionalism of family and societal interactions. This novel’s title, The Choice, is reflective of its main theme throughout: the choice between whether to or not to engage in premarital sex. Though, I would argue that this theme is not explicitly explored in depth, it is represented as a main component of the story on the back-cover plot summary. However, in order to better understand my thoughts on the novel, it is imperative to understand the basic happenings of the book.
Mwakimatu’s story focuses on the main character of Mria, a seventeen-year-old girl living in Vyemani, Tanzania with her family. Mria is immediately represented in the novel as a character who is thoughtful and insightful to the world around her. The opening pages of the novel explores this side of Mria when it is written, “Still looking at the candle she wandered exactly how it felt to be a candle, lighting up for others and in the process killing yourself” (Mwakimatu, 3). So, right away, the reader is presented with a vague sense of foreshadowing that leaves them wandering in what ways is Mria comparing herself to this burning candle.
Mria is in love with her neighbor, David. Twenty-three-year old David is studying law at a nearby university. While he is still a young man, David is, however, quite a bit older than high school-aged Mria. This is not where the differences end between Mria and David. I have not yet mentioned, but another theme represented in this novel is that of religious differences. Mria is from a family of devout Muslims, while David, on the other hand, is from a Christian family. This revelation only serves to further complicate the relationship between these two characters. Not only that, but David has also been pressuring Mria to have sex with him. Though he realizes that he would love her the same whether or not she gave in to him, David admits that the main reason for him constantly asking her for sex is because of his college friends and the pressure they put on him to do so. After weeks of not speaking, David proclaims his love through a letter that includes an apology for something he is not aware he even did. This letter is the driving factor in making Mria realize that she does, in fact, love David and they tell each other so at the closing of the novel.
When I first began reading The Choice, I felt that it was a promising source of adolescent experience and a coming-of-age story. Mria was a young, teenaged girl who was in love with an older boy. She was hesitant to give into David’s inquiries for sex because of the social stigma that may come along with premarital sexual relations. This is absolutely indicative of a coming-to-age of novel and allows for Mria to also explore themes of choice and self-identity. As I read on into the latter portions of the novel, my more lasting reaction in response to this novel was one of disconnect. It seems that this story did not quite finish what it started, figuratively. As I mentioned previously, the very cover of the book represents the issue of premarital sex as the main theme of the novel. At first, it seemed like that was true as Mria was faced with the decision of whether or not to give into David’s requests for sex. However, as the book goes on, Mria and David never once discuss the issue of sex again other than that initial time.
For me, the disconnect in this book lies within the plot of the novel. The storyline does not have one coherent plot, nor does it have a climax. While the author clearly sets up the beginning of a plot by introducing Mria and David as a sort of “Romeo and Juliet” type relationship. However, as the story progresses, all of the differences between the two characters seem to be forgotten completely by the end of the novel. The beginning of the novel shows the readers that Mria and David have major religious differences and, not only that, David is pressuring Mria to sleep with him, which she does not want to do. So my lingering question is, why are these plot lines implemented at the start of the story, yet not addressed at any other point?
This novel also makes me wonder if the plot could perhaps do more harm than good young people who read it. Mria’s character is in a relationship in which the man has been constantly pressuring her for sex; something she is not ready to partake in. However, David never once accepts Mria’s decision, instead choosing to constantly pressure her. For example, he says, “You say you love me, you tell your friends the same. But you just won’t have sex with me. Why Mria… I just cannot take this anymore” (Mwakimatu, 45). Then, at the end of the novel, it is as if Mria forgets completely the reasons for which their relationship was strained in the first place and she blindly takes David back. I find this to be concerning for young people, as it may be a false representation of what love looks like. Love is not constantly being pressured to do something you do not want to do, yet this novel depicts it as such.
To conclude, Mwamgwirani J. Mwakimatu’s novel The Choice was one of disconnect for me. The main themes of the novel are not carried through until the end, thus creating a sense of lack of plot throughout. Additionally, Mria and David’s relationship is depicted as true love where in reality it is an example of what an unhealthy relationship can look like, as David is constantly pressuring Mria for sex that she does not want. The novel did present itself as a coming of age novel, yet I felt Mria showed no true character development. The Choice seemed to be chaotic with not real rhyme or reason, yet I feel the important takeaways of this novel could be to recognize the misconceptions of Mria and David’s relationship and to realize that it is a relationship that is not indicative of healthy communication.
Works Cited
Mwakimatu, Mwamgwirani J. The Choice. Mkuki Na Nyota Publishers Ltd. 2011