Strict Rite of Citizenship
In the story Mrile, a young boy from the Chaga society in Tanzania, becomes an ideal citizen of the Chaga society by going through a typical African rite of passage journey. Mriles journey begins when a child he cares for that resides in the hollow of a tree is killed by Mriles mother. Distraught with his loss, Mrile ventures in the heavens in search of the King of the Moon (God) who he can only reach by helping people by completing different tasks. Each task requires a different skill to complete, but upon helping, Mrile gets one step closer to God. After finally meeting God, Mrile gifts the King with fire and is in turn gifted with livestock and grain. Following his meeting with God, Mrile then makes it home with the help of different animals. The story of Mrile shows that to get closer to God and to be an ideal functioning man in the Chaga society, a boy must learn and be able to help do numerous tasks that are essential to the Chaga style of life.
Mrile transitions into a full citizen by undertaking a rite of passage journey. Common in African stories, the separation phase is constructed with a sad event forcing the main character to leave home. Mrile begins the separations phase when the child in the hollow of a tree that Mrile cares for is killed. Saddened and sitting in his father's chair, Mrile demands, chair, become as high as my father's rope when he hangs the beehive in the forest and on the plain. After repeatedly saying this, Mrile rises into the heavens and begins searching for God. In the sky, Mrile begins his ordeal phase of the rite of passage ritual. In the ordeal phase, Mrile tries to reach the King of the Moon by completing a pattern of tasks that help different people along the way. Mrile begins his journey in the ordeal phase by constantly saying, show me the way to the King of the Moon, which is met by the demand of the sky people that require Mrile to complete different tasks. These tasks represent the impossible tasks Mrile must complete completing his rite of passage. Upon finally meeting God, Mrile then begins his reincorporation.
When Mrile finally meets the King of the Moon after completing his impossible tasks he offers fire to h...
