Sponono Blog

Emily Unthank

3/24/14

Great Books

Stephanie Berry

Why does Sponono want the principle to forgive him when Sponono won’t forgive the principle?

               

The Story Sponono by Alan Paton is about a boy named Sponono. It is in Africa and there are many different tribes of people. Sponono was from the Xhosa tribe. Sponono lived at the reformatory for a couple years. Sponono expects the principle to forgive him for many of his mistakes. Sponono goes to the principle one day and tries to help a boy named Johannes from getting into jail. The principle was impressed by Sponono’s act of kindness towards Johannes and they started a sort of relationship. Eventually Sponono becomes the principles gardener. Sponono gets in trouble for stealing money and throwing a rock at some people that where having a picnic on Christmas. The principle did forgive him for this but he could no longer be his gardener at the reformatory. The principle left the reformatory and Sponono asked if he could come with him. The principle said that he could come with him. After Sponono gets out of the reformatory he comes to the principles home. Sponono had an incident and was sent back to the reformatory. Later he asked the principle to come back but the principle found him a job that Sponono would fit in better and possibly like better. Later he was found guilty of stealing a watch and a leather jacket and was sent to prison. While he’s in prison he keeps in touch with the principle and try’s to persuade him to let him come to him. The principle is not able to forgive Sponono and Sponono doesn’t forgive the principle for not forgiving him.

Sponono always assumed that forgiveness would come easy. There were many occasions that Sponono made mistakes and the Principal did forgive him. The last incident that happened and the principal would not forgive Sponono happened while he was working at the principal’s home. Sponono came to work for the principle as his gardener when he was out of the reformatory. The principle had other workers in his home, Jane was a house keeper and Cele was a gardener. Jane and Cele where Zulu’s and Sponono felt like they never liked him. Sponono was invited to a party at Jane’s sister’s home. Sponono didn't like the food and killed one of her chickens. This was a great offense to her sister and Sponono made an advance to the host’s daughter. After that they called the police and Sponono had a choice to go to court or go back to the reformatory. He chose to go back to the reformatory because he felt the Zulu’s didn't like him. When Sponono asks again to come live with the principle he refuses. “But you” he wrote “you ought to know better. You have worked with thousands of sinners and have gained a good reputation amongst us. Also you are a white man, and have no reason to hate me. Lastly you are a writer not a gardener, and you could never lose a job to a person like myself.”   Later the principle finds Sponono a job with a friend of his. Sponono was writing a letter to the principle and wrote, “Are you then like other people, who, when a man has done wrong, treat him badly? I have always looked upon you as trustworthy, but now I am ashamed in front of my friends.” Sponono tries to obey the commandments of Christianity. Sponono wants the principle to forgive him because he looks up to him as a father. If he was the principle’s son he would forgive him. Sponono thinks of the principle as a father so that he should forgive him and not kick him out.