Summary of Each Chapter of JAMB 2021 UTME Novel

The Summary of Each Chapter Of JAMB 2021/22 UTME Novel – In dependence was made for the purpose of enhancing you in your JAMB 2021/22 preparation.

So if you have not read the novel, you can get the summary for the article below:

Brief Summary of Each Chapter of JAMB 2021 UTME Novel – In dependence

Table of content:

Chapter 1 to 36
Themes of the novel in dependence by Sarah Ladipo Manyika
Role of Major Characters of the novel dependence by Sarah Ladipo Manyika
SOME IMPORTANT CHARACTERS OF THE BOOK “IN DEPENDENCE”

Chapter One

The novel In Dependence starts thus:

Tayo is the first Nigerian to receive a scholarship to study at Balliol College, Oxford. He visits his relatives in the village of Ibadan before traveling the next day to uncle Kayode’s house, another relative in Lagos.

On the day he sets to sail, his parents, headmaster, some of his teachers and other Lagos-based relatives stand at the Lagos port to bid him goodbye.

Chapter Two

Tayo describes his journey through the seas and the warm reception he gets in England in a letter to his father. He mentions his new friends at the college and explains in detail his perception of things in his new environment.

His father replies promptly, giving him a precise report on the state of affairs in the family and the country.

Chapter Three

Mr. and Mrs. Barker, Tayo’s older friends invite Tayo and Africans for a drinking party in their home. There he formally meets Christine Arinze with whom he develops a casual relationship.

Chapter Four

Vanessa attends a party with her friends. There, she meets Charlie and Mehul. She gets drunk and wakes up the next morning with a splitting headache.

Vanessa takes up her pen to write an article for the school magazine but changes her mind to write to her friend Jane instead.

Chapter Five

In attendance for the West Africa Society meeting are Tayo, his friends and other college students. After the meeting, he introduces himself to Vanessa Richardson who is also in attendance.

In spite of being a trifle jealous of Tayo and Vanessa’s chit, Christine invites him over to her place. She tells him about how she is struggling to maintain her academic excellence among other things. He consoles her and assures her that she will excel like she’s always done.

Chapter Six

Tayo and Vanessa go for a walk in the direction of the meadows. They talk about various issues ranging from Malcolm X’s visit to oxford to Tayo’s father’s duties during colonial admission as well as Vanessa’s father and grandfather’s involvement in colonial services.

They outrun each other to a country pub where they bought drinks. They leave early because two men spill their drinks and Vanessa declines Tayo’s offer of another one.

Chapter Seven

Vanessa goes back home for the Christmas holiday. She receives a not-so-warm welcome from her family as the atmosphere between her parents is strangely cold.

At dinner, she has a misunderstanding with her father about his inviting an apartheid friend to the Christmas party her African friends will also attend.

Chapter Eight

Tayo arrives at Aberleigh, Vanessa’s home in London for the Christmas party. Aside from being mistaken for a servant by one of Mr. Richardson’s friends, everything else goes smoothly.

Vanessa visits Tayo in the room he is spending the night in. They talk briefly about the demeanor of her parents and Tayo discusses his mother at Vanessa’s prompting.

Chapter Nine

Tayo and Vanessa spend every day of the week together and on Friday, she brings him daffodils to brighten up his room. Tayo shares one of his family photographs with Vanessa and the latter makes an assessment of each member herself.

Vanessa on the other hand shares her worries about being an African correspondent considering her British lineage. Tayo reassures her that Africa needs a good journalist; a British or African can then pull her close for a dance.

Chapter Ten

Tayo and Vanessa spend Easter in Paris with Simon and Nima. Tayo gets his first writing journal from Vanessa where he documents their stay in Paris from the first day. There, they live the Bohemian life – all four of them.

A day before the completion of their holiday, Tayo gets a telegram that Christine is dead. While Tayo grieves for her, he also blames himself for not being sensitive enough to her needs as a friend.

Chapter Eleven

Vanessa and her family visit France for the Bastille holiday. Jane, Uncle Anthony, Mr. and Mrs. Murdoch joins them in France. They engage in conflicting talks considering Uncle Anthony and Mr. Richardson’s ever opposing views.

Later that night, Jane confesses to sleeping with Uncle Tony on their way home from the train station and Venessa also tells Jane about her relationship with Tayo.

Chapter Twelve

Vanessa writes to Tayo describing the weather in France and expresses her opinion on Margery Perham’s review he is working on.

Tayo replies and fondly relates his experience so far in Bradford with his cousin Tunde where those who aren’t on scholarships like him have to work long hours to make ends meet.

Chapter Thirteen

At Tunde’s house in Brandford, London. Tunde and Yusuf decide to hold a party in honor of Gambia’s independence. Yusuf and Tayo discuss the marriageability of either British or African women.

The party is in full swing when Tayo finds himself pressing a lady to the wall. Suddenly he takes a punch to his jaw and a fight ensues.

A policeman arrives and takes them to the station for questioning.

Chapter Fourteen

Tayo decides against telling Vanessa the truth about his chipped tooth which he gets as a result of the fight in Bradford.

He attends Yusuf’s wedding with Joy, where Vanessa later joins him. On their way back, Vanessa accuses Tayo of lying about his relationship with the late Christine. Tayo tries to cajole her from her outburst but Vanessa wouldn’t have any of it, so he leaves her in the carriage.

Chapter Fifteen

After their fight, Vanessa suggests they spend Christmas apart which Tayo promptly agrees to. He sets himself on a strict schedule and manages to survive alone until New Years’ Eve when he decides to make chicken stew.

Vanessa walks in during his lousy attempt at cooking. They eventually settle their differences and spend the rest of the holiday together.

Chapter Sixteen

The New Year brings Tayo’s uncle, Kayode to England. Vanessa gets to meet one of his family members and they get on so well. They discuss various topics ranging from Tayo’s sporting prowess to Annais Nin, a writer of erotica.

Vanessa concludes that she’ll love to meet the rest of Tayo’s family with Uncle as loving as that.

Chapter Seventeen

With a first-class degree and a graduate scholarship, Tayo gets a chance to speak at Bellamy Boy’s School where Mr. Richardson works as a headmaster. His lecture is solely on Nigeria and it makes a big hit in the school.

Mr. Richardson invites Tayo to his office after his lecture and tells him on clear terms his views on Tayo’s relationship with his daughter. Tayo returns to college sullen and Vanessa asks him what the matter is. He tells her father is not in support of their relationship to which Vanessa asks him to fight for them if he truly loves her.

Chapter Eighteen

Tayo is back in Ibadan, Nigeria due to his father’s critical illness. He tries unsuccessfully to write to Vanessa due to his incessant pleading for more details of England. While ruminating on what to tell Vanessa in his letter, Tayo is called outside his room to hear the news of an unsuccessful coup to kill Ironsi.

This leads to unrest in some parts of the country but Tayo reassures the people, telling them not to panic.

Chapter Nineteen

Tayo sends Vanessa a letter after a long while apologizing for his long silence. He attributes it to his father’s second heart attack, the coup d’ etat and the civil war.

Vanessa leaves for Lagos after her exams, ignoring Tayo’s telegram telling her not to visit yet.

After their loving reunion and Vanessa getting familiarized with the Lagos, Tayo tells Vanessa another woman is carrying his child. Vanessa, devastated, leaves.

Chapter Twenty

1970 at Dakar, Senegal, Vanessa now works as a correspondent for Reuters. She makes friends with Salamatou a Senegalese who braids her hair and teaches her the local language, Wolof.

Salamatou asks her about her love life. She touches briefly on Tayo, explaining to her that she’s since moved on.

Chapter Twenty One

In 1984, Tayo is a husband to Miriam and a father to Kemi. He is also an accomplished writer and a professor. One Sunday a month, they have lunch with friends at the Yelwa club. There, they discuss various issues concerning the country and universities.

After Lunch, Yusuf advises Tayo to limit the way he criticizes the government and Tayo tells him there’s nothing to worry about.

Chapter Twenty Two

Tayo recalls how he ends up with Marriam and Flips through Vanessa’s diary that he keeps in his drawer. Kemi, his daughter catches him unawares and chides him that he works too hard.

Eventually, the father tells the daughter a story and they are joined by Mariam before they all go to bed.

Chapter Twenty Three

For the summer holiday, Tayo and his family decide to spend three weeks, at Uncle Kayode’s in Lagos his mother and other relatives in Ibadan. Despite Miriam’s objection, Tayo visits an old man who serves Lord Lugard during his reign in Nigeria, instead of visiting his mother in Ibadan.

On his return, he learns that his mother dies in a fatal accident while coming to Lagos to visit him and his family.

Chapter Twenty Four

Six months after the death of Tayo’s mother, the coup to overthrow the democratic rulers by the military takes place successfully. The people’s optimism quickly dies out when the military administration proves to be as corrupt as the preceding rulers and this leads to lots of unrest and protests.

Amidst the unrest, Miriam advises that they leave Nigeria for England but Tayo objects claiming his loyalty to his country and wouldn’t let him.

Chapter Twenty Five

In 1990, Tayo’s hopes for an improved educational system is dashed when a foundation that promises to help provides only second-hand books and old software programs that can’t be used due to a lack of computers. Miriam and Kemi leave for England the previous year.

Chapter Twenty-Six

In 1994, Tayo on his way back from his office meets soldiers who have mounted up roadblocks in order to inspect citizens or collect bribes.

Tayo is surprised they do not ask him for money but instead, they take him to the barracks for questioning. He is severely beaten and ask to stop his critical writing against the government.

Chapter Twenty Seven

Tayo meets Vanessa for the first time after their break up, during his tour of England while promoting his new book on Lord Lugard. After the seminar, they both catch up on each other’s lives.

At the end of the evening, Tayo asks if he would kiss her but she politely declines, saying she would miss her train.

Chapter Twenty Eight

Vanessa sits at Broadwell Park reminiscing on her meeting with Tayo during his book tour. She revisits the past and dwells mostly on how she finds herself marrying Edward Barker, Tayo’s friend in Oxford.

Later that evening, Vanessa receives Mandelo’s ‘Long walk To Freedom’ as a wedding present from her husband.

Chapter Twenty Nine

Tayo writes to Vanessa where he expresses himself freely like in the old times. He shares his opinion on the role of artists in his letter.

Vanessa earnestly implores him in her reply to be careful in his fall prey to the hands of military rulers. Tayo replies to her complaints about her failures as a mother by reassuring her she is a good mum and also tells her about his imperfections as a father and a husband.

Chapter Thirty

Vanessa drives Suleiman to the airport where he leaves for Senegal, his home country. Vanessa is heartbroken with the way they part and worries about him constantly.

She bares her heart in a letter to Tayo, expressing her sadness and longing for what could have been. Eventually, she decided not to send it.

Chapter Thirty-One

Vanessa visits her father, Mr Richardson, who is now old and lives in the Carrington Home for the Elderly. With her father is Murdoch and Mrs. Halliday.

After the brief visit, she buys a fitting skirt in preparation to meet Tayo at the airport the next day. Unfortunately, Tayo is not on the list of those on the expected plane.

Chapter Thirty-Two

On Tayo’s way to the airport, his plan to visit England for a long while fails as he is involved in a ghastly accident orchestrated by the Nigerian military.

Chapter Thirty-Three

After Tayo’s survival from the accident that lost the life of his driver, Abdou, he resorts to living at Kemi’s apartment in San Francisco. There she works as a nanny to fund her artistic pursuits.

Kemi sensing her father’s depression suggest that he sees a therapist. Tayo promptly refuses, saying he doesn’t need one. This outburst dregs up the ugly past making father and daughter exchange harsh words. Later that night, they apologize to one another.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Vanessa, after the death of her father, tries to publish his manuscript. She finds out interesting news on the period of their stay in Nigeria as a family.

She speculates on different twists to what leads to her mother’s early departure from Nigeria. She reconciles with Suleiman, her son, who on his return to England promptly apologizes and resolves to start up a business.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Tayo gets the opportunity to teach, which he does not appreciate initially but soon seems to enjoy. His legs heal completely, given to his long walks.

He later receives a letter from the Nigerian president that states that he has been awarded an honorary degree from oxford.

Chapter Thirty-Six

The last chapter of In Dependence has it that family and friends gather for the occasion in Sheldonian, England. Tayo, after receiving his award joins his family while Kemi introduces herself, Miriam and some other family members to Vanessa and her son. Tayo and Vanessa later steal away from the party to have some alone time.

Themes of the novel – in dependence by Sarah Ladipo Manyika

The themes of the novel in dependence are the theme of:

Love
Racism
Courage
Betrayal
Culture and Tradition
Idealism

These themes are extensively covered in the book in dependence.

Roles of Major Characters in the Novel In Dependence

1. Tayo

Tayo is the protagonist/main character of the novel, independence. He is an intelligent man but he always seems to do wrong. He tries to do the right thing, and never wants to hurt anyone but in the end, he does, especially the women in his life – and there are quite a number of women in his life that he hurts.

2. Vanessa

Vanessa, on the other hand, dreams of being a journalist writing on African issues, marrying Tayo and moving with him to Nigeria to start a new life. Unfortunately, life gets in the way and a host of things prevent most of her dreams from coming true. She does end up achieving one of her dreams – being a world-renowned journalist on African issues.

3. Christine

Christine is the Nigerian woman that first caught Tayo’s eye. Christine is shown as an opinionated woman that does not shy away from engaging men in intellectual conversation. However, this character is killed off too quickly in the novel and the reason for her death—suicide, was not very convincing. It was hard to picture Christine as a love-struck and defeated woman who would kill herself.

4. Jane

Jane is Vanessa’s cousin in the book in dependence. She is quite outspoken about her sexual encounter.

5. Vanessa’s Father

He was a colonial master in Nigeria before 1960. He is against Tayo marrying his daughter and has refused to accept Vanessa’s adopted half-cast son. He seemed more racial against half-casts earlier in the novel confronting Tayo about his fears for a half-cast grandchild. It was later understood that his hatred for the blacks was a result of an affair his wife had with a black man during the colonial era.

Here you have it – a detailed analysis of the JAMB 2021/2022 novel, In Dependence.