Out of Africa Literary Elements

Memoir

Set in British East Africa, modern-day Kenya, Ngong Hills, between 1914 and 1931.

First-person narrative from Karen's perspective

The tone is commemorative, and the mood is idyllic.

The central character is Karen, a Danish woman, and the antagonist is the colonial government.

The conflict is between Karen and the government officials who suspend the Ngoma dance when the locals want to bid goodbye to Karen before she leaves Africa. Karen is angry with the government officials and says that they are small-minded.

The climax comes when Karen actualizes her dream of leaving the locals in safe hands by securing them an alternate land before selling her properties.

The hard economic times and drought foreshadowed the departure of Karen from Kenya.

The value of livestock compensation in the shooting incident is understated.

The memoir alludes to the Great Depression of 1929, which impacted negatively on business. The story of Karen's failure in her pioneer farming in Kenya alludes to the events of the Great Depression. Karen could not pay her bills and was forced to close her farm.

The description of the African culture, the costumes during the Ngoma dance, and the screen landscape depict a sense of sight to the reader.

The primary paradox is that Karen concludes that life in Africa is superior to Europe, which contradicts readers’ expectations. Europe is advanced economically because of modern architecture and infrastructure.

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The young antelope Lulu is personified because Karen treats her as a human being. Karen considers Lulu as one of her daughters in the house.