The Imagery of Awino’s Assault-“Pay day”
Ogot writes, “ ‘Throw her on the floor,’ the head of the gang said, removing the bloody panga from Awino’s neck. This indeed lifted the weight of the panga from her neck- but the pain remained, burning and stinging as though the sharp poisonous edge had left behind a kind of detergent strong enough to destroy human tissues. They whisked her off the bed and threw her roughly of the hard floor.” Blood scenes surmise that the assault is vicious. The thugs hold that by assaulting her, she will yield and offer her money. Awino is vulnerable because she is female and she does not have a husband to guard her. Moreover, she is not armed like the gang. Her situation is representative of the oppression which single women who through especially when they are deemed easy targets by masculine criminals.
Jedidah’s Negligence-“the other woman”
Jerry tells Jedidah, “Never have time for you? Who is talking, I am in this very house by 5.30 p.m. every day, woman and don’t I usually leave you watching that television until the station is closed down? And when you come to bed and I ask you to talk to me, don't you invariably complain of backache, headache and all the aches you can think of?... Night after night I listen to your excuses and I fall asleep like a stupid, good husband, who doesn't know what is good for him." Jerry’s assertions imply that Jedidah is negligent for she does not devote her time to him. Jerry is dutiful for he gets home in time. Moreover, the excuses concerning aches imply that Jedidah does not fulfill her conjugal obligation which could doom their matrimony.
Anna versus Jedidah-“the other woman”
Ogot explains, “Anna Jura was about nine months older than Jedidah. She could not be called attractive, but she had a charming and endearing personality…Jedidah Oda was nothing but beauty. Sometimes Anna wondered whether God was fair in bestowing so much beauty on one woman.” Anna and Jedidah’s friendship rises above their physical dissimilarities. They confide in each other often which makes their friendship strong. True friendship should not be founded on physical beauty.
