In the following essay excerpt, Ojo-Ade analyzes "Life," praising Head for making "a poignant statement on the potentially destructive forces dogging Africa's heritage."

Life is the heroine of the story of the same name. A well crafted tale, it relates the tragedy of the African woman recently returned to the village from the city. It goes deeper than the run-of-the-mill city-village dichotomy, however, for Bessie Head uses the story to make a poignant statement on the potentially destructive forces dogging Africa's heritage. Life is a stunning, young, black beauty just back to her Botswanan village after a stint in South Africa as "singer, beauty queen, advertisement model and prostitute." She symbolizes the fast growing foreign culture largely conveyed by returning migrant workers. The villagers accept some of these ever increasing influences while rejecting others; they accept Life, but reject her murder by her husband.

To see her...