Tale of Kasaya: an Autobiography of Resilience

Abstract

This study focused on Eva Kasaya’s autobiography, Tale of Kasaya, which was aided to identify and then discuss the various ways that Kasaya develops the theme of resilience. The book was published in 2010 by Kwani Trust. The study was motivated by the fact that that Kenya has recently witnessed a resurgence in life writing from people of different social status, including politicians, career civil servants, and businessmen. While these have generally attracted critical readerships, Eva Kasaya’s Tale of Kasaya stands out for its simultaneous uniqueness and academic neglect. It is unique because it is written by a former house help; yet it has not, to this researcher’s best knowledge, attracted any academic focus at this level, despite winning the 2011 Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature, in the Youth Category. Therefore, this study sought to fill this gap of neglect from the lower cadre by focusing on the relationship between style and the theme of resilience and the question of autobiographical authenticity. The research report begins by outlining some of the theoretical and structural characteristics of autobiography, and then provides a detailed literature review. It then focuses on the themes of resilience and authenticity. The findings are that the writer documents a number of difficult experiences that she underwent during her life as a housemaid, and shows that she overcame all those challenges with the help of some well-wishers. It seems to be the writer’s argument that although challenges in life are normal, the temptation to surrender is a common thing that only the most focused individuals can survive and prosper. Therefore, people should aim to be more determined because along the ways may come a saviour of sorts, and that although some people may be malicious, some are not.