Precious Ramotswe
In the novel The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Alexander McCall does an excellent job at giving the reader a very real feeling of what it is like to live in the sub-Saharan part of Africa. The setting of this novel is located in the African country of Botswana. Precious Ramotswe is the main character. She is very self-sufficient, wise and compassionate towards the people in her community and the people that come to her and her detective agency. In the beginning of the book, Precious describes her childhood experiences and the opportunities that allowed to her open her own business with vivid memories such as ones about her father, Obed:
“I want you to have your own business,” he said to her on his deathbed. “You’ll get a good price for the …show more content…
Her determination is derived by her want and hope to make her father proud. As the book continues, she is battling inner emotions about personal relationships while also balancing her work load. Precious helps many local men and women that want answers but don’t want the local authorities involved such as; missing husbands turning up dead, individuals with fake identities, an over-protective father concerned about his young daughter’s behavior, and a missing boy whom she fears has been a victim of muti, a witchdoctor’s medicine in southern Africa that can consist of roots and plants but also parts of human and animal anatomy. Incorporated throughout the entirety of the book are the other aspects of Precious Ramotswe’s life. She is very proud of her heritage as an African, of her home in Botswana, and in the successes of her business. McCall uses very descriptive language which provides the reader with the feeling that they are physically in this region of Africa. McCall writes, “It was the rainy season, and the land was covered with green. Rain could transform it so quickly, and had done so; now the ground was covered with shoots of sweet new grass, Namaqualand daisies, the vines of Tsama melons, and aloes with stalk flowers of red and yellow” (Smith 2002, 123-124). In the end, Precious finally resolves her inner relationship lust for the next-door neighbor which she proceeded to marry and
“I want you to have your own business,” he said to her on his deathbed. “You’ll get a good price for the …show more content…
Her determination is derived by her want and hope to make her father proud. As the book continues, she is battling inner emotions about personal relationships while also balancing her work load. Precious helps many local men and women that want answers but don’t want the local authorities involved such as; missing husbands turning up dead, individuals with fake identities, an over-protective father concerned about his young daughter’s behavior, and a missing boy whom she fears has been a victim of muti, a witchdoctor’s medicine in southern Africa that can consist of roots and plants but also parts of human and animal anatomy. Incorporated throughout the entirety of the book are the other aspects of Precious Ramotswe’s life. She is very proud of her heritage as an African, of her home in Botswana, and in the successes of her business. McCall uses very descriptive language which provides the reader with the feeling that they are physically in this region of Africa. McCall writes, “It was the rainy season, and the land was covered with green. Rain could transform it so quickly, and had done so; now the ground was covered with shoots of sweet new grass, Namaqualand daisies, the vines of Tsama melons, and aloes with stalk flowers of red and yellow” (Smith 2002, 123-124). In the end, Precious finally resolves her inner relationship lust for the next-door neighbor which she proceeded to marry and