Summary

In Chapter 7, Wainaina jumps forward to 1983, the year that national exams are given to students. His mother is angry with him for reading novels instead of devoting himself to his education. His school serves students from a variety of types of families. The school generally places first or second in the national exams.

Wainaina describes how some Swedes set up a biogas machine near their school’s flag pole. Although the Swedes promoted it as the idea of the future, it was soon considered a derogatory term to be a user of biogas.

Wainaina’s mother insists more and more that they attend church. He wonders why his mother goes to church and what she is looking for there.

In a sharp change from his discussion about the church, Wainaina writes that he and Ciru and certain their will be admitted into the...