LITERARY ANALYSIS OF BONITA BELLE’S
"God Helps Those Who Help Themselves"
By
JIBRIN ALEWO ALIYU
(08067629238)


Biography of the poet

Bonnita Belle is the pen name of Cythia Ogana, a Kenyan. She was born in 1982. Bonnita is a poet, radio presenter, blogger and Master of Ceremonies who live in Nairobi, Kenya. She has a B.A Hons in Theatre and Creative Arts from Moi University in 2006.

General background to the poem

Every literary piece is traceable to the society. The poem therefore, depicts the Kenyan society. Kenya became independent in 1963. But despite getting independence, bitterness, oppression, poverty and corruption continue to reside in the country. The Kenyan masses become victims of dehumanization and exploitation. Their living conditions are often dehumanizing and existence becomes cheapened. There is no longer an external oppression, but an internal re-colonization, where masses are being oppressed by the elites in the society.
The poem therefore exposes genuine human problems in Kenyan society and states that until the people are ready to face the challenges that rampage their society, no help will come from above. This brings about the title “God Helps Those Who Help Themselves”

Plot Analysis

The plot analysis can be done from two perspectives:
*Socio-political perspective
In line 1-8, the poet persona divulges existing problem that has been right from the colonial era to the post-independent Kenya - “all these years, still the old drama”. The persona expresses his inability to save everyone, including himself in the face of the unimaginable situation.

I can’t save everyone
Heck I can’t even save myself

“Constant trauma” as used in line 4 by the poet signifies the pain felt by the people and how it has become part of their lives. These lines reveal to the readers that the people are in trouble and that they need help.
In line 9-12, the persona emphasizes his inability to care about everyone because he is also in faced with this trauma and can’t even save himself too. And the leaders who cause this trauma by exploiting the masses are constantly turning them down. They always see the masses as their second choice and are relevant only for unimportant duties.

I can’t care about everyon Yet those who need me the most I neglect
Those that hurt me I am constantly their reject
Always their second choice

The persona’s tone changes in line 13 and 14. There is a self-realization and he becomes bold and brave. He feels not to be suppressed by the upheavals in the society and realizes he can overcome all the anomalies, only if he is determined.

And yet nothing compares to me
No one really intimidates me
I can do all things if I put my mind to it

But inline 16-22, the personae and the other members of the society continue to wallow in their old lives of constant pain. They are still Praying to God for help but they are not putting their mind to resolving their problems. They continue to recite Invictus - a poem by William Ernest Henley about a courageous that never complained once in the wake of difficult circumstances - and face same oppression meted on them every day which denies them of their joy.
A very big question is asked in line 23-24. The people dwell for so long in trauma, difficulties and fear and attempts have not been made by anyone to save them from these problems, and yet, they keep on calling on God. The persona is unsure of the future of his society and asks:
Will it
ever end?
In line 25-27, the persona, despite confessing his love for his society, gives up because God will only help them if they are ready to help themselves.

* A Feminist Perspective.

Here, the persona in the poem is a woman. From line 1-8, the persona explains the troubles women are passing through, including her. She explains in line 5-8 that they live in a world of fear and are not free to get up, shut up or even sleep because they are held captive by men.
In line 9-10, she restates that she can’t care about everyone and she has to neglect even those who need her most because she can’t even safe herself. She is even neglected by those who hurt her and she is a second choice to them. In other words, women are seen as a second choice by men. But in line 13, there is a self-realization - the persona realizes that nothing compares to her, no one really intimidates her and she can do all things if she is determined.
But line 16-22 is disappointing; the persona and all the women have not made up their minds to overcome their problems. They are still praying to God for help, reciting Invictus and allowing other humans like them steal away their joy. She therefore, asks in lines 23-24, if their problems will ever end, but gives no answer to that. She declares her love for other women in line 25 but also states that she can’t save them anymore because they are not helping themselves.
The persona in this poem is therefore calling on women to stand up for their right – they should not allow themselves to be marginalized and subjugated by men. After realizing their relevance in the society, they should make an effort to help themselves before God can help them.

Themes

*Oppression/Exploitation - The poem expresses the way the masses/women are being oppressed by the elites/men respectively in the society. In lines 21-22, the persona makes it clear that the people/women’s joy and comfort are being stolen by those that hurt them.
*Fear- the poem shows that the people/women referred to in the poem live in a world of fear. Line 5-8 explains their fear to let go, get up, shut up and to even sleep.
*Loss of Hope- Unlike what we have in most Modern African poems where there is the theme of hope, the personae in this poem no longer hopes for a better society. After putting in their little effort of asking God to save them and reciting invictus every day, the problems persists and the persona asks if it will ever end? He then expresses his loss of hope in the society and says he can’t save the society anymore.
*Sorrow / sadness- The poem explains the sorrowful state of the people/women. Line 4 shows that they shed tears because of their constant trauma. The persona also says in line 21 that the people/women even find it hard to save their joy. In other words, they live in sadness because their joy is stolen by the oppressors/men.
*Pride/Ego - There is a display of ego by the persona in lines 13-15. The persona believes himself/herself despite his/her inability to save everyone. He/she believes he/she can do all things by determination.

Language and Style

It is written in first person narrative technique. The poem has six stanzas and twenty-seven lines. The poet chooses to end her lines with a unique style by leaving one or two lines and creating a rhyme scheme. The tone in the poem changes alternatively. The tone from line 1-12 is that of anger but it changes in line 13 to that of pride. The tone returns to anger in line 16-24 but changes to frustration in line 25-27.

The significance of the title

“God Helps Those Who Help Themselves” is a popular saying that some persons assume is a religious allusion but it is not. The poet possibly chooses this cliché in order to show how much people depend on God to deliver them without making any attempt to help themselves in the first place. They await a miracle from God and pray all the time (just like the cliché is used all the time) but they don’t put in any effort.

Reference
Kehinde, A. (2004). Post-Independence Disillussionment in Contemporary African Fiction: The Example of Meja Mwangi’s Kill Me Quick, Nordic Journal of African Studies.

Kpakam