Some Hasty Remarks On “Gifts”

Gifts by Nuruddin Farah (1992)

In Gifts, the lead character Duniya, ruminates on the role of women as the perennial recipients of gifts in patriarchal societies. To Duniya, gifts, especially those given by men are not mere tokens of affection but rather exploitative traps, harbingers of an unspoken obligation, and a debt that demands repayment in some form or another.

Duniya stands as a formidable advocate against the chains of dependency, particularly the kind that binds women to men. Her spirited exchange on the nature of gifts with a white lady crackles with intensity. With her, we delve into the pages of her former husband's lucid article on donors and gift-giving. The reader is left yearning, wishing the entire book could unfold as a single, sweeping article of such brilliance.

In characterization, some of the main characters are superficial caricatures, while few minor ones are overblown and all over the place. There is Muraayo an overblown character, who wants to take back her husband’s rent-free house where Duniya resides, because Duniya doesn’t want to part with something Muraayo wants, to give her back.

In the story, we encounter Waaberi, a symbolic character representing the African [beggar] leaders, adorned in opulent jewelry and luxurious attire that her benefactors couldn’t afford buying. She comes to Boosaaso, the former husband of her late sister, seeking the financial support he once provided. However, Boosaaso engages her in a fierce and confrontational dialogue, critiquing the act of gift-giving. He draws a parallel between Waaberi and African leaders who, while residing in limousines and expansive villas abroad, solicit aid from the US and European governments under the guise of their impoverished nations.

In short, the novel is about Gifts, Nuruddin being an enigmatic tabooist writer notwithstanding. It is a well-plotted novel adorned with remarkably odd metaphors. A topical novel that comes short of its lofty ambition.  In the story, Nuruddin attempts to criticize taking and giving gifts but his critique woefully falters. Instead of channeling his thoughts in a novel he should have essayed a philosophical treatise on gifts which is more befitting.