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SUMITRA'S STORY, Rukshana Smith
A Graph of Sumitra's Progress towards Independence
In your group, think back over Sumitra's development from an obedient 10-year-old to the 17-year-old "freedom fighter" who steps into a new life at the end of the novel. Make notes on the different stages in her life:
e.g.
- Moving to England: "in a state of numbed shock" (p.19)
- Pressure from home and school (p.35)
- Sumitra meets Maria, a sympathetic listener (Chp 6)
Now take a sheet of A3 paper and use your notes to draw a line graph of Sumitra's progress towards independence. The vertical (y) axis of your graph can have a sad face at the bottom - down where negative numbers normally appear - while there can be a smiley face at the top. The horizontal (x) axis represents time - Sumitra's Ugandan childhood on the left, her 17th year on the extreme right. Scribble your notes beside each high or low point in the graph.
Different groups will probably have slightly different graphs, but they should all show the major "ups and downs" of Sumitra's life.
Frankie Meehan