Essay Questions

What is May’s painful memory in her life?

May is the central character of this story, and she cannot forget the day when her mother committed suicide. May was still a young girl fond of fishing, and she did not realize that her mother was having issues troubling her in life. One day, May and her brother are sent to go fishing by their mother late-night. However, the mother was sending away her kids to get a chance of killing herself without them witnessing. When May and her brother came back, they found an ambulance in their compound, and in their astonishment, their mother had killed herself. That is the painful memory that May has been living within her life.

What are the evils of racial discrimination witnessed in the book ‘Swallow the Air’?

Winch's book is a continuation of many other publications that focus on the evils of racial discrimination. When May goes to have a walk on the beach, she sees several white boys having fun, and she does not view herself as a lesser human being because of her black color. However, the white boys are racists, and once they see May, they decide to rape her because she is a black girl. It is saddening that young black boys already know that black people deserve to be treated inhumanely. May's rape represents the misery the black people go through the hands of the whites.

How does poor parenting emerge as one of the main themes?

May's mother gave up her parental responsibilities earlier in her life and decided to commit suicide. May and her brother Bill were left under the care of their absent father. May and Bill spent most of their time with Aunty, whose life took a drastic turn when May's mother killed herself. The suicide incident drove Aunty into gambling and alcohol. When Bill turned eighteen, he was influenced by Aunt's behavior and became an alcoholic. May's father was absent all that time, but he sent an apology letter saying that he was sorry for not being around. The police arrested Bill because he was found traveling with the wrong group of people. The misfortunes that befell May and her brother are a result of poor parenting.