Abdulrazak Gurnah’s novel unfolds during a period of profound transformation in Tanzania. In the wake of the country’s 1961 independence, Julius Nyerere, Tanzania’s first president, declared a policy of ujamaa, a postcolonial model of socialism. That “ujamaa” means “family” in Swahili signaled that this form of socialism would draw heavily on Tanzania’s precolonial historical and cultural roots in an effort to establish unity and self-sufficiency. Key to this was the organization of cooperative farming villages. However, the tension between the state-run economy and the idealization of a more decentralized way of life contributed to crop shortages and economic decline which ultimately forced the government to begin accepting foreign aid (Le Luel, Hector. “Legacies of Ujamaa.” Retrospect Journal, 27 Oct. 2024).

Institutions like the International Monetary Fund gave aid on the condition that economic liberalization policies (austerity, the abandonment of price controls, etc.) would be implemented, in line with the broader movement toward neoliberalism and neocolonialism in the late 1980s and 1990s. In particular, the shift opened the economy to foreign investment, leading to a rapid expansion of the tourism and international development sectors. Tourism has become particularly central to the nation’s economy, representing 17% of GDP in 2025, with visitors attracted by the region’s national parks and wildlife (Finkle, Jordan. “Tanzania’s Tourism Sector Continues to Exceed Expectations.” Digital Journal, 3 Mar. 2026). The shift from socialism to global market capitalism has therefore not simply been an economic one; rather, it has reoriented a society traditionally based on extensive kinship networks around foreign—often Western—interests.

The novel’s characters navigate the opportunities and tensions created by this transition. New career paths emerge for the younger generation; Karim obtains a degree and works in “development,” while Fauzia’s friend Hawa finds a job at a travel agency catering to foreign visitors. These professions offer an alternative to the traditional social structures that have long governed life. The characters’ lives are deeply embedded in complex networks of kinship and patronage, where family obligation functions as a safety net but also a system of control. For instance, after being abandoned by his mother, Karim is taken in by his elder brother, who tells him, “This is our house. I bought it with the money our father left to me, so it is yours too” (25). Conversely, Badar is cast out by his foster family and sent into servitude under relatives, illustrating the coercive power of these same kinship ties. Gurnah thus places his characters at the crossroads of change, where globalized modernity collides with the enduring demands of family and community.