The Setting Sun and the Rolling World

Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 1987

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Story 13Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Story 13 Summary: “The Accident”

A European motorist strikes an African man crossing the street, injuring him grievously. A crowd gathers, with some accusing the European of going out of his way to strike the man, though the exact circumstances of the accident are unknown. In any case, no member of the predominantly African crowd finds it difficult to believe a European would purposefully run over an African out of sheer malice.

A European policeman and his African assistant arrive to take statements. As the African policeman tries to calm the crowd, one person shouts, “You don’t drink with them. Remember that!” (123).

Ultimately, three witnesses are willing to provide testimony that the motorist hit the man on purpose. Although the crowd is certain the European will be released without any consequences, they laud the courage of the three people who stepped forward.

Story 13 Analysis

Of all of Mungoshi’s stories, “The Accident” deals most explicitly with anti-African racism and the legacy of European colonialism. Published in 1972, the story takes place when Zimbabwe was still under White minority rule, though the transition toward a multiracial democracy was underway. Given the extent to which political and economic power was entrenched in White European communities, the African bystanders’ assumption that the White motorist killed the pedestrian with malice is understandable.

Yet Mungoshi keeps the details of what led to the crash ambiguous. It is possible that the motorist deliberately swerved to strike the pedestrian, as one witness claims. It is also possible that while the motorist did not intend to hit the pedestrian, he also did not go to extreme measures to avoid a collision; or maybe he was driving inattentively because he knew he was in a predominantly African neighborhood. Equally likely is that this was merely a tragic, unavoidable accident. Nevertheless, the fact that the motorist is White and the victim is African adds a layer of complication to the incident, causing the bystanders to believe that this could not have been a mere accident.