Background of the study
Postcolonial era, they were a threat to the Government. The Government with a new law took away the land of the Maasai and ordered the Maasai to be educated.
Thomas Kibutu in his article modernity versus manhood said, “Colonial and Post
colonial policies in Kenya have combined to strip Maasai men of their sense of place in society and, indeed of their manhood-as defined by their own social
values. As part of civilizing process of natives, Maasai men have had to adjust their values as modernit
y has invaded their lifestyle.”http:innovation- report.com2012 The Maasai were forced to change their lifestyle by the
Government. To most Maasai education has not been important ever since the colonial
era the westerner wanted the Maasai to be educated. The westerners considered the Maasai as a primitive society that needs to be taught about westerns lifestyle.
Education is very important; it is the duty of a parent to make sure that the children get proper education so that the children can understand and development
of the world. According to Encarta Webster’s College Dictionary education is the
knowledge or abilities gained through being educated Soukhanov, 2001:457 Modernity refers to various characteristics, it transforms both the
structures and relationships of the world, and transforms the way people see the world and learn. People have the ability to make decisions and speak their mind
about what we see of the world. According to the book The Consequences of Modernity by Anthony
Giddens states that: Modernity refers to modes of social life or organisation which emerged
in Europe from about the seventeeth century onwards and which
subsequently became more or less worldwide in their influence. Giddens, 1990: 1
From the above statement, modernity has been in Europe for a very long
time and now it has left its characteristics in hid somewhere. The reason why the writer is motivated to do this study is that Maasai are
unique and interesting people. Many Asian people may not know about their existence. They have survived through the colonial era, manage to preserve their
tradition until today. Now they are fighting to resist a new threat that is modernity. To find a better understanding about the role of modernity in the Maasai
society, the characters in Is it possible? are a good example for understanding the role of modernity .One of the characters is Lerionka a young Maasai boy who is
torn between two worlds, the tradition and modern. At first, he dislikes the idea of going to school but later in the story, he seems to enjoy it. In the novel, Lerionka
is considered as a symbol where he can unite two worlds, he can still be a Maasai warrior and the same time holds a book. There are many other characters in the
novel, each with his or her unique characteristic. That is why the writer chooses these characters of Is it possible? for the object of my study.