FULL ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL “REDEMPTION ROAD” BY ELMA

 

FULL ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL “REDEMPTION ROAD” BY ELMA

 

• Chapter 1-5 Summary of *Elma Shaw’s Redemption Road
• Chapter 6-10 Summary of *Elma Shaw’s Redemption Road
• Chapter 11-15 Summary of *Elma Shaw’s Redemption Road
• Chapter 16-18 Summary of *Elma Shaw’s Redemption Road*
• Chapter 19-26 Summary of *Elma Shaw’s Redemption Road
• Chapter 27-34 Summary of *Elma Shaw’s Redemption Road
• Characters in *Elma Shaw’s Redemption Road
• Plot Summary of *Elma Shaw’s Redemption Road
• Themes in *Elma Shaw’s Redemption Road

BACKGROUND OF THE NOVEL

The novel tells the story of life in a war-torn Liberia, it is very challenging especially for Bendu Lewis. She is a young woman who took it upon herself to counsel traumatized survivors of the Liberian civil war despite the fact that she was struggling with her own war-time experiences and secret. When she discovered that the warlord/commander who held her captive during the war was in town, Bendu swore to bring him to justice for the atrocities he committed in the past, and at the same time make amends and confront her own painful war secret.

 

SETTING OF THE NOVEL

The novel “Redemption Road” was set in Monrovia, Liberia during the administration of President Charles Taylor.

 

PLOT/SUMMARY

The story started with the memorial service of Bendu Lewis grandmother Granny Catherine May Tyler Lewis who had died ten years earlier during the war and her body was never found. Bendu’s parents Benjamin and Eva Lewis returned to Liberia just for the memorial service (they left Liberia after the death of their son Benjamin). During the service, Bendu recalled how she carried her granny in a wheelbarrow during the war and ran for their lives. Some soldiers (Commander Cobra’s men) captured her as she sat beside her grandmother’s corpse weeping. Bendu went back to work after her granny’s memorial service where she ran and NGO with Agnes called Peace In Practice (PIP). Calvin, who was Bendu’s brother’s childhood friend worked for the “World Journal” and had come to interview her as regards her NGO. At PIP, Bendu and Agnes helped young women who had survived the war through providing them with therapy sessions (Rosetta, Josephine, Tenneh).

On her way back from work one faithful day, she saw Commander Cobra who had captured her during the war. She was scared and had reoccurring nightmares, she always dreamt that she was back in camp Duluma (where she and other women held captive were trained to fight). Bendu decided that she was going to prosecute Cobra for his war crimes. Siatta (Bendu’s sister), Calvin and Agnes were not in support of the idea. Bendu was always plagued with the thought of what would happen to her if her family and friends found out what she did during the war. Back at camp Duluma, Bendu had a husband named Samson who always beat her up brutally. Bendu later came to realize that Cobra had changed his name to Moses Varney and after she reported him to the police, there was nothing much to do because she had no evidence against him.

Moses Varney was in Liberia to arrange for some weapons and he was angry that he gave his info to Bendu because the police were now after him. Varney had to arrange with Weah his driver to kidnap and kill Bendu, but fortunately for Bendu, she escaped. It was at the hospital where Calvin took her to get treated for the injury Varney inflicted on her, that she told those present about her war experience at camp Duluma. Bendu had given birth to a baby girl for Samson, but Bendu abandoned her 14days after her birth and left the camp. Agnes urged Bendu to drop the case against Varney, but she insisted on pressing charges. Bendu told Siatta that she wanted to find her daughter, she went to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) so they could help her to track her and possibly find her daughter.

Bendu later found out in a newspaper that Varney had been killed by a bullet to the head in his hotel room. The police came to arrest her Bendu in connection to Varney’s death but she was later released after an interrogation. Bendu’s mother Eva returned for her son Benjamin’s memorial and it was then that she told Bendu and Siatta how he was killed. Eva spent time with her two daughters and prepared a room in anticipation for the return of her Bendu’s lost daughter.

Calvin launched the “Benjamin Lewis Jr Memorial Scholarship Program” for war affected youths. Siatta filed for divorce from her Terrance (he was a cheat and knew Moses Varney). Bendu finally found her lost daughter May, who was finally back home with her

MAJOR INCIDENTS IN THE NOVEL

1. Granny May’s death and Bendu’s capture during the war.
2. Bendu’s interview with Calvin at her NGO Peace In Practice.
3. Bendu’s therapy session as PIP with Rosetta, Josephine and Tenneh.
4. Bendu’s fear and reoccurring nightmare after seeing Commander Cobra at a gas station.
5. Moses Varney’s visit to Judge Dagoesh at the courthouse.
6. Bendu’s experience during the war at camp Duluma and with Samson her war husband.
7. Commander Cobra meets Bendu at a supermarket and gives her his address.
8. Agnes and Bendu’s visit to Lieutenant James Trapeh for the arrest of Cobra.
9. Varney’s meeting with Diallo for the business of two shipments of weapons.
10.  Calvin hiring a lawyer for and his surprise dinner at her apartment.
11.  Varney kidnaps Bendu but she escaped with a severe head injury.
12.  Bendu reveals to Siatta, Calvin, Terrance and Agnes what she did during the war at Duluma camp.
13.  Bendu’s dream about her attempted escape from Duluma.
14.  Varney gets a call from the Chief about his writ of arrest and had to leave the hotel.
15.  Bendu’s proposal for funds for her NGO was rejected.
16.  The implementation of “The Truth Project” at PIP and Bendu’s desire to find her daughter.
17.  Varney’s death published in the newspaper and Bendu’s arrest.
18.  The discovery that it was Terrance who prompted Bendu’s arrest and helped Cobra avoid the writ of arrest.
19.  Eva Lewis returns for Benjamin’s memorial and her revelation of how she was killed.
20.  Calvin’s launch of the Benjamin Lewis Jr Memorial Scholarship, Siatta filing for divorce from Terrance.
21.  Bendu finally finds her daughter May through the help of the ICRC.

CHARACTERS/CHARACTERIZATION

Bendu Lewis; She is the main character/protagonist of the story. She had to go through the horrifying and terrifying experiences of war. After she was captured by Commander Cobra and taken to Duluma camp, she had to endure the pain and torture she got from her war husband Samson. Bendu finally got pregnant for him and after she gave birth to a baby girl, she abandoned the child with some of her friends at the camp and escaped. Years later, Bendu opened up an NGO called PIP (Peace In Practice), where she provided counselling for women who had escaped/survived the war. After she saw Cobra, she decided to prosecute him for his war crimes and at the same time reveal her war secret to her friends and family. Bendu was finally able to find her daughter May whom she abandoned during the war, and also make peace with those who caused her pain.

Commander Cobra/Moses Varney; He was a warlord at Duluma camp. He was very brutal and ruthless during the war, he killed for pleasure, burnt innocent men, women and children and even shot his own men. He was feared by all and it was he who handed Bendu over to Samson. After the war, he changed his name to Moses Varney. He came to Liberia to purchase some arms (weapons) for Chief but this was cut short because Bendu had reported him to the police. After his failed attempt to kidnap and kill Bendu, he was finally killed in his hotel room by a gunshot to his head.

Calvin; He was the late Benjamin’s friend. Calvin always blamed himself for Benji’s death. He worked with the “World Journal” and at some point, he interviewed Bendu as regards her NGO. He loved Bendu and wanted to be in a relationship with her, and he also helped Bendu in her quest to prosecute Cobra. He later launched the “Benjamin Lewis Jr Memorial Scholarship Program” for war affected youths. He did this in honor of his friend Benjamin.

Siatta Lewis; She was the sister of Bendu. Siatta did not experience the Liberian war because she came back to Liberia after the war, so she did not fully understand what happened during the war, and what people went through. She was married to Terrance whom she later divorced. She gave Bendu all her support as regards the arrest of Cobra and also for the search of Bendu’s lost daughter May.

Agnes; She ran the Peace In Practice (PIP) with Bendu Lewis. Agnes was the one who called Calvin and Siatta to the office when Bendu mentioned that she wanted to prosecute Commander Cobra. When Bendu wanted to head out to the police station, it was Agnes she called for help. Agnes was a supportive and good friend to Bendu and it was she who took Tenneh in to live with her after she was diagnosed of HIV.

Other characters in the novel includes;

Benjamin Lewis; Bendu’s deceased brother.

Tenneh; One of the girls Bendu and Agnes counselled at PIP.

Samson; Bendu’s war husband.

Rosetta and Josephine; There were among the women Bendu counselled at her NGO.

Eva Lewis; Bendu and Siatta’s mother.

Granny May; Bendu’s grandmother.

Terrance; Siatta’s husband.

Ma Musu; One of the war captives at Duluma camp.

Hannah; Ma Musu’s daughter.

May; Bendu’s lost daughter.

Orlando; Bendu’s cousin.

Lieutenant James Tarpeh; A police officer.

Chief; Moses Varney’s boss.

Diallo; He was in charge of the arm’s shipment 

THEMES IN THE NOVEL

DEATH; Life in a war-torn Liberia was not easy and it was challenging for Bendu Lewis. After she lost her grandmother and was captured by Commander Cobra, Bendu experienced and saw death in its realest form. Commander Cobra killed for pleasure/fun (including young men, women, children and even his own soldiers) and sometimes Bendu and other captives were made to witness it. Dead and rotting bodies were littered on the streets, innocent people lost their lives during the war including Benji, Bendu’s brother. All through the time the war was on, it was filled with nothing but death and chaos. Bendu also lost her fiancée Jonah to unknown circumstances.

REDEMPTION; When Bendu saw the warlord who captured her during the war (Commander Cobra) in town, she decides that for her own healing and redemption, she was going to bring him to justice for his past atrocities/war crimes. In Bendu’s pursuit of Cobra, she had to find the courage to redeem herself and make amends for her own painful and deep war time secret. After she revealed this secret to her friends and family, she was able to find peace and redemption and also went ahead to look for her lost daughter May.

WAR; The story is a story of war, a fictional story of true historical accounts of Liberians who went through and survived the 14year Liberian civil war. Bendu who was a war survivor took it upon herself to counsel traumatized survivors of the civil war. This was the reason why she opened her NGO Peace In Practice. Bendu struggled with her own war time memories having also lost Orlando her cousin and Granny May. The war always kept the citizens of Monrovia in fear, as they were always ready to run at the sound of the next gunshot.

LOVE; Calvin who was Benji’s childhood friend was in love with Bendu Lewis. We see at the beginning of the story how Agnes urged Bendu to give Calvin a chance in her life, because he always came to visit her at the office (pg15-16). He also went to the extent of setting up a surprise dinner at Bendu’s apartment. He was also there to help Bendu in her pursuit of Commander Cobra and when the police arrested Bendu in connection to Cobra’s death. All these went to show the extent of Calvin’s love for Bendu. Bendu and her late boyfriend Jonah were so much in love before his tragic death, and Bendu always remembered their relationship from time to time. Eva Lewis loved Benjamin her son, hence her return to Liberia for a pilgrimage to his grave. She also loved her grand daughter May even before she met her

Other themes in the novel includes; Rape and Abuse, Childbirth, Kidnap, etc.

 

LITERARY TECHNIQUES/DEVICES USED IN THE NOVEL

FLASHBACK; At some intervals in the story, the author made use of flashback to tell/show us some of the events that took place during the war. Some of these events includes;

·        Granny May’s death and Bendu’s capture.

·        Cousin Orlando’s capture.

·        How Commander Cobra handed Bendu over to Samson at Duluma Camp, and how Samson always beat and brutalize Bendu.

·        Bendu’s pregnancy, childbirth and how she was almost killed when she escaped camp Duluma.

·        How Bendu abandoned her daughter 14days after her birth.

The writer made use of flashback to remind us of earlier events that had already occurred in the story.

MEDIA RES; This is a technique where the narrator of the novel starts abruptly from the middle. The past events are then related through the use of flashback, dreams, letter-writing and other techniques. The novel Redemption Road begins with the ten-year remembrance of the death of Granny May.

SUSPENSE; The novel is full of suspense. Suspense is used to sustain the interest of the readers. The novel begins with the remembrance of Granny May’s death, the shifts to Moses Varney. It then moves to Bendu and how Granny May died during the war, the events in Bendu’s office and back to the captivity of Bendu Lewis. Another instance of suspense is seen in chapter 25, when Terrance phone rings in his absence. Siatta checks the callers and she discovered some hidden facts about her husband. It was later revealed that Terrance has been communicating with Kesselly, the police boss who he claimed not to have seen in a long time. Siatta also discovered that Terrance had many girlfriends.

FORESHADOWING; This is when an event or scenario is revealed to the readers earlier in the novel and the event then comes to pass later in the novel. An instance was at the remembrance of Granny May, Bendu feels pain because she can’t tell her friends and family what she passed through during the war. She wonders if they would forgive her when they find out about what she did. This statement prepares the readers for a confession that takes place later in the novel.

BIBILICAL ALLUSION; This is when an event in the novel is related to a portion the bible. In chapter three, Bendu compares Jonah (her late fiancée) with Jonah in the holy bible. Bendu’s fiancée was involved in leading protests to bring awareness to the injustices in the land. He died two months to their wedding.

LETTER WRITING; Some events in the novel are revealed through letter writing. The betrayal of Tenneh by her mother during the war is revealed through letter writing. In the last chapter, Bendu reveals her relationship with Benji (her brother) and Granny May, and also her feelings towards Commander Cobra. In her letter, she also states the return of Calvin from Sierra Leone and the launch of the scholarship program. The divorce of Siatta from Terrance and the return of May Davies are revealed through the letter. The concluding events in the novel are revealed in the letter, this also includes the moves made to bring the war to an end and restore peace in Liberia.

Other techniques used in the novel includes; Nightmare and dreams, Rhetorical Questions, Irony.