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Question

Difficulty: EasyAnalysis of Prescribed African Prose Texts

In Ferdinand Oyono's novel *Houseboy*, which event directly causes Toundi Ondoua to flee from his family home and seek refuge at Father Gilbert's Catholic mission?

  1. His father threatens to beat him severe beating over his eagerness to accept sugar from the missionaryAnswer
  2. B
    He is caught stealing crops from his father's cocoa plantation
  3. C
    He openly refuses to undergo his clan's traditional initiation rites into adulthood
  4. D
    He accidentally kills a sacred animal during a village religious festival

Answer

Toundi Ondoua flees his family home after his father threatens to beat him for accepting sugar from Father Gilbert.
In the opening pages of Ferdinand Oyono's *Houseboy*, Toundi's father threatens to give him a severe beating after catching him accepting treats (sugar) from Father Gilbert. To escape his father's violent anger, Toundi leaves home to live at the mission with Father Gilbert, marking the turning point of his life.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the novel and the character in question.
The novel is *Houseboy* by Ferdinand Oyono, and the central character is Toundi Ondoua.
Establishing the correct textual context ensures accurate plot recall.
2
Recall the opening incident that prompts Toundi's departure from his home.
Toundi's father becomes furious when Toundi entices the white missionary Father Gilbert for sugar, leading to a quarrel and threat of violence.
This specific conflict drives Toundi to abandon his traditional family structure for the Catholic mission.

Key Concept

Plot structure and character motivation in Ferdinand Oyono's *Houseboy*
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Topics

Analysis of Prescribed African Prose Texts

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