Research Paper on:
Nega Mezlekia's 'Notes from the Hyena's Belly'

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
stories are relatively pointless and do little to enlighten people about mankind, or the experiences of particular races or cultures of people. But, in "Notes from the Hyenas Belly" by  Nega Mezlekia we are offered a rare, disturbing, humorous, and enlightening look at life in Ethiopia. The author provides the reader with personal information as well as information that allows  us to see the religious foundations in Ethiopia, the political turmoil, and many other conditions of life which are unique to Ethiopia, a land we, as Americans, often only envision  in terms of drought and starvation. In the following paper we present an examination of Mezlekias book, beginning with a summary, then discussing theme, religious and spiritual conditions, and lastly  implications for understanding contemporary Africa. Summary The story is about Mezlekias life. It begins with his birth, in regards to which he states, ""I was born in the year  of the paradox, in the labyrinthine city of Jijiga" (NA). The story tells of his growing up, his childhood, his young adulthood, and all that such conditions and experiences entail.  It tells us of political struggles and family struggles as experienced by Mezlekia. The story takes place primarily in Ethiopia, though we later see Mezlekia escape to the Netherlands  and later to Canada. The time period is primarily the 1960s and the 1970s. This was a time of great turmoil, as were the previous decades and the following decades  perhaps. But, it was a time when war broke out, when Ethiopia was given weapons from the United States, which dated back to WWI! There are numerous underlying themes to  the story that unfolds. We note the powerful attention paid to political turmoil and social unrest. We also note the educational themes, and the themes directly related to religion which