1. Who is the main character in White Hands?
Answer: Angelika is the main character.
2. Where does Angelika go for her studies?
Answer: She goes to Birmingham, England.
3. Why was Angelika sent to England?
Answer: She was sent by her church to study English and Community Studies.
4. What problem troubled Angelika for many years?
Answer: She was unable to have children.
5. What did doctors discover in Birmingham?
Answer: They discovered that Angelika had been sterilized without her knowledge during a previous operation.
6. What operation had Angelika undergone when she was young?
Answer: She had undergone an appendectomy (appendix removal operation).
7. Who was responsible for Angelika’s sterilization?
Answer: The colonial white regime and its medical system were responsible.
8. What major theme is highlighted in the story?
Answer: Colonial oppression and racial injustice.
9. How does the title White Hands relate to the story?
Answer: It symbolizes the actions of white colonial authorities who controlled and harmed African lives.
10. What was Angelika’s reaction after learning the truth?
Answer: She was shocked, hurt, and saddened.
11. What does the story reveal about colonialism?
Answer: It reveals that colonialism caused suffering, discrimination, and abuse of human rights.
12. What role did the church play in Angelika’s life?
Answer: The church supported her education and helped her travel to England.
13. How is racism portrayed in the story?
Answer: Through the unfair treatment and oppression of black Namibians by the white colonial regime.
14. What country is Angelika originally from?
Answer: Namibia.
15. What conflict does Angelika experience?
Answer: She struggles with the painful discovery of what was secretly done to her body.
16. What message does the author convey through the story?
Answer: Human rights abuses and racial discrimination should be condemned.
17. What type of society is depicted in Namibia during the story?
Answer: A society suffering under colonial rule and racial segregation.
18. How does Angelika’s discovery affect her view of the past?
Answer: It helps her understand the real cause of her childlessness.
19. What emotions does the story evoke in readers?
Answer: Sympathy, anger, sadness, and concern for justice.
20. What is the central lesson of White Hands?
Answer: Abuse of power and discrimination can cause lasting harm, and societies must protect human dignity and justice.
Essay Question
Question: “Colonialism brought suffering to Africans.” Discuss this statement with reference to White Hands.
Answer (Summary):
The story shows that colonialism led to racial discrimination, loss of freedom, abuse of human rights, and suffering. Angelika’s forced sterilization demonstrates how colonial authorities controlled African lives without consent. The story therefore condemns colonial oppression and advocates for justice and human dignity.