Essay Questions

Can cash buy happiness?

Many people think that money is everything, but the author disapproves of that belief through Blessing's life. Blessing has lived luxuriously, and she at times felt that good life is about having money and expensive things. However, throughout her stay in Lagos, she has never experienced true happiness. However, when Blessing moves to the village to live with her grandmother, who does not have luxurious things such as electrical equipment, she adapts to the village life. She finds fulfillment in whatever she does. When Blessing gets an opportunity to relocate from the village to the United Kingdom, where all the luxuries are assured, she refuses and opts to live with her grandmother because she is thrilled there. Therefore, it is true that money and happiness are two different things because one can be happy without money.

How does the media influence the way people think and react, according to the author?

Media is one of the tools used to pass information and the latest news. The media convince Ezekiel that the Sibeya boys are good despite knowing that they are involved in various crimes, including murder. Ezekiel, at last, joins these boys believing that they intend to bring salivation to Nigeria. Therefore, the media can convince the masses to think what it says. Similarly, the media focused on the naked protest in front of the oil company, which prompted Dan's freedom. Therefore, media is a powerful tool that can influence people to do things in a particular way.

What is the vital lesson the reader learns from the book ‘Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away’?

The book starts by introducing a 12-year-old girl living with her wealthy family in Lagos. The girl's father is a rich man, so the family is living in luxury. However, after their parents' separation, they live with their poor grandmother in the village. The reader acknowledges that mothers and children are the victims of divorce. The mother is left responsible for taking care of the children while the ex-husband moves on to get another wife. It is not fair for the children who are used to the luxury lifestyle to be thrown into abject poverty in a fortnight while the father remains happy with other women. Consequently, divorced fathers must take the responsibility of giving their children the best even after separation.