A SILENT SONG

BY LEONARD KIBERA

About the author:

 Leonard Kibera was a Kenyan novelist and short story writer who died in 1976.
 Kibera was born in Kabete, Kenya, attended high school at Embu and studied at the
University of California and Stanford University.
 He taught at the University of Zambia and at Kenyatta University, Kenya, from 1976
until his death. His first publication was a book of short stories, Potent Ash (1968), which
he wrote with his brother, Samuel Kahiga. The book explores the guilt, betrayal, and
failure of the Mau Mau.
 Several of the stories have been anthologized, especially The Spider's Web, which points
an accusing finger at Kenya's elite for the state of Kenya since independence.
 His only novel, Voices in the Dark (1970), uses dark humour to question why most Mau
Mau soldiers who fought for independence were forgotten and left to beg and die along
the roadside. Kibera has also written several articles of literary criticism.

The Title

i. One possibility of the title is that it refers to Mbane's own experience of living on the streets of
the city.

 Despite being surrounded by people and activity, Mbane is isolated and unable to fully
participate in the rhythms and pleasures of urban life.
 He is unable to share in the small talk of the pedestrians, and even when they sing or
whistle to the morning sky, Mbane can only observe from a distance.
 In this sense, Mbane's life is like a silent song - he is present, but unable to fully join in or
express himself.

ii. Another possibility is that the title refers to the city itself, and the way in which it is described
in the story.

 The city is depicted as a place of noise and activity, with people singing and dancing and
engaging in various forms of work and leisure.
 However, Mbane is only able to experience this activity from a limited perspective, and is
unable to fully understand or participate in it. As a result, the city's vibrant energy and
culture might be seen as a kind of silent song - it is present, but beyond Mbane's reach.

iii. Finally, the title could also be interpreted as a metaphor for Mbane's relationship with his
brother.
  The brother is described as being silent and enigmatic, and Mbane is unsure of his
intentions in bringing him to the hut.
 The brother's actions and words seem to suggest that he is trying to show Mbane
something, perhaps the "light of God," but Mbane is unable to fully comprehend or
connect with him.
 In this sense, the brother's efforts to communicate and guide Mbane might be seen as a
silent song - a message that is present, but that Mbane is unable to fully hear or
understand.

The Plot Summary

 A Silent Song by Leonard Kibera is a story about Mbane, a young, paralyzed, blind city
street beggar who has spent much of his life living on the streets of a city, begging for
money and seeking shelter in a back lane at night. He lives in destitution, begging from
the passers-by while seething with pain and discomfort. However, despite being
surrounded by people and activity, Mbane is isolated and unable to fully participate in the
rhythms and pleasures of urban life. He is unable to share in the small talk of the
pedestrians, and even when they sing or whistle to the morning sky, Mbane can only
observe from a distance.
 In the story, the city is depicted as a place of noise and activity, with people singing and
dancing and engaging in various forms of work and leisure. However, Mbane is only able
to experience this activity from a limited perspective, and is unable to fully understand or
participate in it. This is due to Mbane's blindness, paralysis and destitution as such he
cannot really participate in the city's noise and activity.
 In contrast to Mbane's destitution his brother is a wealthy preacher who 'rescues' Mbane
from the 'barbaric city' unto the 'light of God' after neglecting him for a long time.
Mbane's brother 'rescues' him from the city and brings him to a hut in a serene, but
suspicious, location.
 Mbane reflects on his life in the city and the differences between his new surroundings
and the city, including the lack of noise and busyness, the presence of trees, and the fact
that his brother has brought him here with the intention of showing him the "light of
God."
 Though Mbane was unable to fully join in and express himself in the city with its vibrant
energy and culture he misses it. He painfully reminisces his street life with nostalgia at
his brother's lonely hut. He thinks about his brother and wonders what his intentions are
in bringing him to the hut.
 He is not as happy though he is now in a more serene environment. He remembers the
bright weather, lovely morning and beautiful sunset as the citybustling with people
during the day talk. At night, the good men and women turned drunk and the pimps and
whores have their turn to smile, sing and dance. Though he used to beg day and night for
a living.
 In his religious brother Ezekiel's hut, Mbane is nursed by Sarah, his brother's wife, who
administers bitter fluid down his throat. He swallows it painfully, and she assures him of
being well.
  His religious brother, Ezekiel, preaches to him about Christ, the saved ones and sinners.
He asks him whether he knows where sinners go when they die and whether he accepts
Jesus, and Mbane says he doesn't know.
 Mbane wonders why certain groups, such as pimps and whores, are considered bad, and
reflects on the violence and hostility that he has witnessed in the city.
 Mbane is in pain and struggling to survive, and at one point he is overwhelmed by sharp
pangs and momentarily paralyzed by them.
 Before Ezekiel saves him (brings him into the light of God), Mbane's strength wanes, the
pain goes, his head jerks down to the bed, and he is gone.
 In the end, Mbane is unable to fully comprehend or connect with his brother, and feels
that his brother's efforts to communicate and guide him are like a silent song - a message
that is present, but that Mbane is unable to fully hear or understand.
 Despite this, Mbane remains hopeful that his brother's intentions are well-intentioned and
that he will be able to find meaning and purpose in his new surroundings.

Episodes;

 Mbane's life of misery in the streets as a lame, blind beggar. (p17 - 19).
 Mbanes's lonely self versus the bubbly world around him. (p18 - 19).
 Mbane's nostalgia. (p18).
 Mbane's brother, Ezekiel, rescues him. (p19 - 20).

Revision questions - A Silent Song.

1. Discuss the relevance of the title of the story, A Silent Song.

2. Brainstorm about the paradox in the title, A Silent Song.
3. How can you tell that Mbane 'sees' and knows a lot in the city street despite being blind?
A Silent Song.
4. Why is it ironic for Ezekiel to claim to rescue his brother Mbane from the barbaric city?
5. Why is Mbane reluctant to accept Christ?
6. What is the plight of people living with disability
7. Is death liberating for a man living in anguish?
8. Why do you think Mbane dies while smiling?

Themes in A Silent Song by Leonard Kibera

A SILENT SONG

THEMATIC CONCERNS

a. Religion
  The character of Ezekiel is depicted as being deeply religious and trying to encourage
Mbane to accept Christ and be baptized. The theme of religion is present throughout the
story and is a major focus of Ezekiel's interactions with Mbane.
 Religious hypocrisy/pretentious piety
 Mbane's brother, Ezekiel, is so devoted to God as a preacher but neglects him for a long
time till he realizes Mbane is nearing his death.
 He picks him up and brings him to his hut, claiming it is rescuing only for Mbane to feel
lonelier and more miserable. "I rescued you from that barbaric city so that you can see the
light of God.
 The desolate hut is not a habitable place for him. It has a flea-ridden floor.
 He could tell that there was meaning in his brother's silence of late... (p18).
 Asked whether he knows a man called Jesus, he says "Yes", but whether he believes and
accepts him, Mbane says, "1 don't know," and his brother says Mbane is worse than a
Judas. This portrays hypocrisy, and Christians would not talk like this.
 It is ironical and hypocritical for Ezekiel to tell Mbane, "Mbane - I want Christ to save
you..." (p20) as though he has already judged him as a sinner and that "Christ" will come
down from heaven to do the good to him while his brother watches.
 There is a pretense in the way good Christian men and women curse and call him names
instead of bringing the excellent knowledge of Christ to him. '... able-bodied, only
crippled more every day by the idleness of leisurely begging'.
 He could only yearn impotently beyond the reach of darkness and lameness. At times,
self-pity overcame him.
 The God of the Gospel and religion are comforts beyond the reach of a wretched cripple.
His God is his only hope of deliverance from pain, destitution and despair. (p18 - 20).

b. Survival

 Mbane is depicted as struggling to survive on the streets of the city, enduring pain and
hardship in order to survive. His eventual passing at the hut can be seen as a metaphor for
the struggles and challenges that we all face in life.

c. Prostitution and sexual slavery

 There is evidence of such sexual evils as commercial sex and promiscuity.

 The blind man knows, sees, and recalls City Street with nostalgia. The noises, drum
beating and rhythms which Mbane calls the voices of good men and women turned drunk
in the refuge of the night brothels, pimps and whores galore.

d. Meaning and Purpose

  Mbane is depicted as being introspective and reflective, thinking about his life and the
world around him. He seems to be searching for a sense of meaning or purpose in his
existence, and wonders about the intentions of his brother.

e. Alcoholism and escapism

 The street, especially the back lane, had taught Mbane a lot of ... good men and women
turned drunk in the refuge of the night brothels, pimps and whores galore. (Pg. 8).

f. Belief and Faith

 The theme of belief and faith is present in the story through Ezekiel's efforts to encourage
Mbane to accept Christ and be baptized. The story touches on the idea that belief and
faith can be a source of strength and comfort, even in difficult circumstances.

g. Compassion and Caring

 The theme of compassion and caring is present in the story through Ezekiel's concern for
Mbane's physical and spiritual welfare. He tries to guide Mbane towards Christ out of a
sense of compassion and concern, and ultimately decides to let Mbane be and not give
him over to the devil.

Language and Style in A Silent Song by Leonard Kibera

A SILENT SONG

LANGUAGE AND STYLE

a. Imagery

 Imagery is a literary device used in poetry, novels, and other writing that uses vivid
description that appeals to a readers' senses to create an image or idea in their head.
 Through language, imagery does not only paint a picture, but aims to portray the
sensational and emotional experience within text.
 The story makes use of imagery to describe the setting and atmosphere of the hut, as well
as Mbane's experiences on the streets of the city. For example, the description of the city
as a "barbaric" place, with "quick footsteps of busy people prancing away fitly to
business" and "the gay morning as their footsteps sang their way down the pavement"
helps to create a vivid and immersive sense of the setting.
b. Personification

 When an idea or animal is given human characteristics. “The sky weeps.”

 The wind is personified in the line "the wind whizzing through the trees around his new
confinement." This gives the wind a sense of agency and human-like qualities, making it
seem more active and dynamic.

c. Metaphor

 Comparing two things without using the words “like” or “as”.

 The metaphor of Mbane's "eternal night" is used to describe his sense of isolation and
inability to fully participate in or understand the rhythms and pleasures of urban life. This
metaphor helps to convey the idea of Mbane's inner experience in a more imaginative and
evocative way.

d. Simile

 Comparing two things using the words “like” or “as”

 The simile "as the sun withdrew he knew not where, to yield the street to hostile cold"
compares the sun's movement to a person retreating or withdrawing. This helps to convey
the sense of the sun's absence in a more imaginative and evocative way.

e. Foreshadow

 Foreshadow is a powerful and common technique used in literary works to hint at future
events.
 It not only creates suspense and tension but can also hold symbolic value, too.
 The mention of Mbane's brother's "strange" and "well-intentioned" voice, as well as the
reference to Mbane's "new life away from the streets of the City" could be seen as
foreshadowing Mbane's eventual passing at the hut. These details suggest that something
significant is going to happen, even if it is not yet clear what that might be.

f. Symbolism

 Symbolism is a literary device that uses symbols, be they words, people, marks,
locations, or abstract ideas to represent something beyond the literal meaning.
  The hut where Mbane passes away could be seen as a symbol of Mbane's physical and
spiritual confinement, as well as a place of transition and transformation. The fact that
Mbane sees the light before he passes away could be seen as a symbol of enlightenment
or spiritual awakening.

Characters and their Characterization in A Silent Song by Leonard Kibera

A SILENT SONG

CHARACTER AND CHARACTERIZATION

a. Mbane

 Vulnerable - Mbane has spent much of his life living on the streets, begging for money
and seeking shelter in a back lane at night. This difficult and precarious existence has left
him vulnerable and exposed to various dangers and hardships.
 Isolated - Despite being surrounded by people and activity in the city, Mbane is depicted
as being isolated and unable to fully participate in or understand the rhythms and
pleasures of urban life. He is unable to share in the small talk of the pedestrians and can
only observe from a distance.
 Reflective - Mbane is depicted as being introspective and reflective, thinking about his
life and the world around him. He reflects on his time on the streets of the city and the
differences between his new surroundings and the city, and wonders about the intentions
of his brother.
 Non-judgmental - Mbane is depicted as being accepting and non-judgmental towards the
pimps and whores who frequent the back lane where he seeks shelter at night. He does
not view them as "bad" or immoral, but rather as simply a part of his environment.
 Open-minded - Despite his struggles and difficult circumstances, Mbane seems to be
open to new ideas and experiences. He is receptive to Ezekiel's attempts to guide him
towards Christ and seems to come to a sense of acceptance and understanding before he
dies.
 Observant - despite being physically blind and paralyzed, Mbane is able to 'see' so much
of the city through his other senses.
 Skeptical - He thinks about his brother and wonders what his intentions are in bringing
him to the hut.
 Enduring - Though he is destitute and living in misery in the city he endures.

b. Ezekiel

 Religious - Ezekiel is depicted as being deeply religious and concerned with Mbane's
spiritual well-being. He tries to encourage Mbane to accept Christ and be baptized, and
becomes frustrated when Mbane resists.
  Compassionate - Despite his frustration with Mbane's lack of commitment, Ezekiel is
depicted as being compassionate and caring towards Mbane. He is concerned for Mbane's
physical and spiritual welfare and does not want to give him over to the devil.
 Persistent - Ezekiel is depicted as being persistent in his efforts to guide Mbane towards
Christ. He continues to try to encourage Mbane to accept his beliefs even when Mbane
resists or is uncertain.
 Frustrated - Ezekiel becomes frustrated with Mbane's lack of commitment and seems to
believe that Mbane is being obstinate or difficult. He becomes angry and hisses at Mbane,
accusing him of being worse than Judas. However, he ultimately decides to let Mbane be
and not give him over to the devil.
 Hypocritical - he rescues his brother only to show him the 'light of God' after neglecting
him for a long time. That is against the religious teachings.

c. Sarah

 Reserved - she doesn’t reveal much about herself.

Essay Questions on A Silent Song Written by Leonard Kibera

Essay 1

Life for people living with disabilities may be made better if they are accorded all the
support they may need. Referring to the short story “A Silent Song” by Leonard Kibera,
write an essay to show how the lives of people living with disabilities can be made
worthwhile.

Introduction

Life for the people living with disabilities can be traumatising to them. However, it is the duty of
everyone in the society to try and make their life better by availing them with all the support and
assistance they may require.

The short story a silent song tries to show the support we may offer the people living with
disabilities in the following ways.

(Accept any other valid introduction)

Points of interpretation
shelter

Mbane had been living in the streets all his life begging in the city where there was a lot of
ruggedness and noise, with quick footsteps of people who would keep him alive with a drop of
copper in his hat. His brother rescues him from the streets and brings him to his hut which felt so
serene. Mbane no longer had to endure hostile cold nights and the basest of thieves he
encountered in the streets.

company

After being ‘rescued’ from the streets where he spent his nights on the hard pavement, he
recounts how no one spoke to him for a long time. He was accustomed to speaking to himself in
his thoughts. Ezekiel and his wife however speaks to him despite the fact that he could not start a
conversation after getting so much used to being all alone in streets.

comfort

At his brother Ezekiel’s home, Mbane is offered a bed on which he had tried to accustom himself
to since being rescued from the hard pavement he was used to in the streets.

spiritual / hope

Mbane was convinced that it was a glorious thing to believe, to cling to a dream of a future life.
It was glorious this feeling that far far away beyond the pangs of darkness lay light, bigger and
more meaningful than that which his eyes were denied. There, someone would understand and
raise the innocence of his crippled life along with the chosen. It gave him hope and sang his own
happy song silently to himself, secretly. His soul had a destination.

medical care/ medical support

Mbane’s brother’s wife Sarah takes care of Mbane and tries to alleviate his pain by giving him
medicine. She breaks into his hut, slowly and tenderly raises his head and puts the cup to his
mouth. The bitter fluid explodes down Mbane’s throat and another attack of pain tears through
his stomach. Sarah then assures him that he would be alright soon and god would be with him.

(Accept any other relevant well illustrated point)

Conclusion

We, as the members of society should try to alleviate the pain and suffering that the people living
with disabilities might be going through by availing them the necessary need they may require.
(Accept any other valid conclusion).

 Introduction: 2 marks
 Content: 12 marks
 Conclusion: 2 marks
 Language: 4 marks

Essay 2

People living with disability may face certain limitations. Using illustrations from Leonard
Kibera’s A Silent Song, write an essay to validate this statement.

Answer

Introduction

People living with disability find it more difficult to do certain activities or to interact with the
world around them. In the short story A Silent Song, Mbane is visually impaired and disabled,
and he finds it difficult to move and to conduct other activities because of his disability.

(Any other relevant introduction, 2 marks)

Mbane’s movement is inhibited because of his disability. He gropes slowly towards the door of
his hut. He can only crawl weakly on his knees and elbows. He cannot go further since the pain
in his spine and stomach gather violence rapidly. The pain pangs paralyze him for a short
tormenting moment. The pain soon disappears but with the same savage fury of its onslaught,
leaving Mbane cold with sweat. He anticipates another imminent attack. Giving up the fight, he
lets go his chin and hits his forehead on the dirty flea-ridden floor. Mbane’s freedom of
movement is curtailed by his visual impairment, disability and pain. He is restricted to the lonely
hut.
Mbane’s perception of time, day or beauty is limited by his inability to see. Although he is
hungry, he does not know what time it is. He wallows in the gloom of his eternal night. Time,
day and beauty lie beyond the bitter limits of darkness. He is restricted to feeling, hearing and
running away from danger. He is also limited to a world of retreat. Due to his lameness, he can
only crawl away. He has no power to hit back. Surely, people living with disability suffer certain
restrictions.

When his brother brings him from the streets to his home, Mbane is restricted to his new
confinement, the hut. His brother says that he rescued him from the barbaric city so that he could
see the light of God. The hut is serene but so suspicious. This is Mbane’s new life away from the
streets of the city. His new confinement is devoid of the urban ruggedness and noise. It lacks the
quick prancing footsteps of the busy city people. In his limitation, Mbane can never fathom their
business. Also, he is restricted to pleading with the people to help him stay alive by offering him
some coins.

Due to his disability. Mane had little comprehension or knowledge of the city, though he lived in
it. He earns his living on one street only, retreating to the back lane when it was deserted. His
condition inhibits him from telling the length, width, beauty or the size of the street. He is just
used to the talk of bright weather, lovely morning or beautiful sunset but he cannot take part in
the small talk. He feels challenged when pedestrians sing to the blue sky and whistle to the gay
morning. In his impediment, he cannot perceive these senses. During the day, Mbane has to
endure the overly generous heat of the sun and obstinate flies mobbing the edges of his lips. At
night, he cannot escape the hostile biting cold when he retreats to the back lane unsheltered, to
surrender to his vulnerability to sleep and is occasionally by some ignoble thieves.

Mbane is constrained in his ability to eke out a living since he is disabled. He is forced to beg on
that lonely street of the city. Mbane has come to understand that money is the essence of urban
life. He is therefore happy with gay people since they mostly answer his plea. Dull people with
heavy tired footsteps and voices have empty pockets. Unlike him, the good men and women of
the city have the ability to work in the buildings next to him and more up the street. He has no
option but to endure the scorching sun and stubborn flies. At night, he is tempted by the strange
rhythms but cannot indulge because of his condition. He is limited to hearing voices cursing and
singing and bottles cracking. Mbane is restricted from joining the good men’s women’s merry
making after a hard day’s work. Only pimps and whores enjoyed the proceeds of the good men’s
sweat.
Mbane’s condition has restricted him from getting married. His brother Ezekiel is married to
Sarah. He must have been around Mbane’s age. Mbane would never be able to reach out his
hand in fullfilement of his life in the same way. He can only yearn impotently, sadly constrained
because of his darkness and lameness. He is overcome by bitter self-pity and can only console
himself about his own light and thus he would only smile broadly and bravely. His brother’s wife
occasionally brings him some bitter medicine. His condition impedes him from getting a wife of
his own and settling down.

Mbane has become accustomed to limited conversation or communication. His brother enters his
hut and sits on his bed but for a long time no one speaks. Mbane cannot be expected to start a
conversation. All his life, he has been speaking to himself in his thoughts while living on the
streets. He had no one to address apart from himself. Occasionally, he would blurt out a
mechanical plea of “Yes?”. Now, if anyone speaks to him, he carries the subject on a line of
uncommunicative thought in his own mind. When his brother asks if he believes in God, Mbane
replies that he does not know, since to him he does not matter.

Mbane’s condition makes him feel alienated and thus he holds a different religious view from his
mother’s and his brother’s his mother views men as one stream flowing through the rocks of life.
They would twist and turn the pebbles and get dirty in the muddy earth. They cry in the falls and
whirlpools of life and laugh and sing when the flow is smooth and undisturbed. Some cry in the
potholes of life’s valley, while others laugh triumph elsewhere. Mbane’s condition inhibits him
to not only ceaselessly crying but also feeling that he is not even part of the stream. He feels like
the bitter fluid in his own throat. His pain gives him no reason to believe in God. No one
understands his darkness. God is white cleanliness of eternal light but his life only contains
darkness and blackness. He is forgotten and unnoticed. Sometimes, he is cursed and called able-
bodied, only crippled by idleness of leisurely begging.

Mbane feels trapped in his unwashed body which reeks of sweat. He craves freedom that he
cannot achieve. He dreams of a glorious future away from his pangs of darkness where light lies.
Right now he is restricted since his eyes are denied the light. He dreams of a future where
someone would understand him and raise the innocence of his cripple life along with the chosen.
It gives him hope and he sings his own happy song, silently to himself. He cannot seek refuge in
the brothels like other men, so he can only find it in his silent song. His soul has a destination, or
so he thinks. But for now, he has to make do with it being incarcerated in his sweaty smelly
body, which is unwashed except when in the rain. Surely, disability can be limiting.

Conclusion
In conclusion, people living with disability undergo many impediments and limitations that deny
them some pleasures or opportunities in life/ unlike those who are not disabled, the disabled
people face a lot of limitations and challenges, which deny them the opportunity to enjoy life