How Men Treat Women and Children in The Collector of...

The â€Å"Collector of Treasure† is an irony short story was written by Bessie Head. It is a dramatic story because it presents how men treat women and children in her culture. They are supposed to care for and love instead of being brutally torture. Bessie Head develops the theme through the comparison of the marriage between two families Dikeledi and her husband Garesego, and Kanapele and Paul Thebolo. The story begins with Head’s observation. There are two types of men: those who abuse their women like animals and those who really care about women. Garesego is the first type of man. He made Dikeledi pregnant three times within four years then left her. He lives in the same village but pretends like a stranger and has no responsibility to†¦show more content†¦On his view about Paul, he predict that if Paul has given Garesego’s wife something value which he has in return for payment for clothes DIkeledi made for his daughters, then Paul would get sex out of the deal. For that reason, therefore, Garesego does not care. He does not want Dokeledi anymore, and has no problem with Paul having her. However, he simply cannot believe that there could be any relationship between male and female which does not involve some sexual exchange component. Suddenly, when Garesego contacts Dikeledi that he will come back home and she should get ready a hot bath tub for him. He told Dikeledi that he may provide some money for their son’s education. She knows what this means because she got used to it and she is not going to be a total fool again. Sfter he takes a bath, he would want to have sex; and after he has sex, he might or might not hand out the money. Dikeledi understands that this is not an acceptable trading for her because Paul would demand nothing from her. Sex has nothing to do with school tuition, but has everything to do with love. Garesego does not love Dikeledi and does her. However, for Garesego, sex has to do with power, and in this case, whenever, Dikeledi needs something from him he would express his power over her. After Garesego finished his dinner and took a bath and was so drunk, he walked to bed unsteadily assuming Dikeledi to come after him. When Garesego fell asleep, Dikeledi takes out a butcher knife beneath the