Transcript The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency

The No. 1 Ladies’
Detective Agency
By
Alexander McCall Smith
Alexander McCall Smith
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British but born in Zimbabwe
Went to school in Zimbabwe and
Scotland
Wrote many stories about children
and adults
Currently lives in Edinburgh,
Scotland with wife and two
daughters
Background and Themes
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Touches on larger problems in
modern Africa.
• Children being killed for muti
(witchdoctor’s medicine)
• The terrible disease AIDS
• Human Nature and Mma Ramotswe
instinctive understanding of it is an
important theme.
• Truth and lies – important theme
Themes and Motifs Continued
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Relationship between blacks and whites in
the novel
Discovery in Botswana of three of the
world’s richest diamond mines as
economic stroke of luck for the nation
Author’s integration of the ideas of
feminism and chauvinism into the
narrative
History, individual and general affects the
characters of the text.
Setting and Society
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Novel takes place in the capital city
of Gaborone.
Mma Ramotswe’s place within society
Effect of physical topography and
geography of Africa on story
History of Botswana
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Central South African country smaller
than Texas, but larger than California
Hinges on gaining independence in
1966 from the United Kingdom
Independence due in large part to
development of extensive diamond
reserves.
Structure and Plot
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Use of third person narration
Switches to first person narration in
Chapter 2 and has Obed Ramotswe
narrate