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Out of Africa
Isak Dinesen Book Review

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Plot Summary of Out of Africa
"Karen Blixen, writing under the pen name Isak Dinesen, recounts her attempts to run a coffee plantation in Kenya in the years before and after the First World War. Dinesen relates how she developed friendships with her native staff and with fellow Europeans arriving in Africa. Dinesen entertains native chiefs and European royalty at her farm. She also hunts and attempts to maintain some of her European ways while trying to adopt to her new home. Dinesen must fight against poverty and natural disasters to keep her farm. The threat of failure and the necessity of moving back to Europe haunt Dinesen as she hunts, takes walks, and acts as a doctor and consultant for her squatters. "
A. Antonow, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Out of Africa
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
job/profession: - farmer/fisherman
Gender/Class story? - immigrant story
Job/profession/poverty story Yes
Kind of living: - pioneering in countryside
If this is a culture clash: - visiting a different culture
Ethnic/regional/gender Yes
ethnic of society (outside) - Black African
Period of greatest activity? - 1900+
Big/small town? - small town

Subject of Biography
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - farmer
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Biography of famous person? Yes
Ethnicity - White
Nationality - Scandinavian
How sensitive is this person? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other people
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 6 ()
Africa Yes
Kind of Africa: - Black Africa
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Farm/Ranch: - farm
Century: - 1900-1920's

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Book makes you feel? - encouraged
Commentary on society? Yes
Commentary on - race - decency - wicked white people
Story of entire life, or part? - story of set of events during life
Autobiography? Yes
Pictures/Illustrations? - None
How much dialogue in bio? - significantly more descript than dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 0-25% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story? - 0-25% of book
Most similar books to Out of Africa
Shadows on the Grass by Isak Dinesen
The Long Road from Tipperary by Carol McNeill
Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart
The Legacy of Sedona Schnebly by Kate Ruland Thorne
Caye to Success by Mati V. Gomoll


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Isak Dinesen Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
A. Antonow  

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