William Kamkwamba (the protagonist) is the book’s main character. William Kamkwamba, the protagonist of the book, is a firm believer and holder of many superstitions. He learns science as he goes along, but he is still a believer in magic. He creates the windmill, which is what brings modern science to Malawi. William embodies hard-work and knowledge. He also helps others. His optimistic outlook is an example of his values. The book has no antagonists. William’s mother, Anges, Kamkwamba (his father), and William’s friend Gilbert are also important characters.
William is confronted with conflict in many ways throughout the book. The most important is character vs. Society. William’s pursuits of science put him in conflict with Malawian society. William’s pursuit of science is not accepted by Malawians. They view the windmill’s ability to generate electricity as a dangerous and evil tool. It is even claimed that it caused the drought to return. The conflict only ends when the windmill provides electricity to Malawi during blackouts. This is where modern science and magic are both very much unknown and ignored. The country was also plagued in drought, hunger, or poverty. Because of the conflict of the story, it’s directly affected by the setting. Malawi’s cultural background is responsible for the conflict between William and the Malawian population. William finds it difficult to get an education in Malawi because of his poverty.
William’s windmill represents the principal symbolism that is featured in this book. It symbolizes many ideas. It symbolizes human innovation and invention in spite of difficult times. It is an example of William’s natural talent for science. William’s success in the windmill represents the potential for innovation and invention when individuals are put to the test.
The book’s title, The Boy Who Harnessed Wind, refers to William Kamkwamba, the protagonist. The book’s plot revolves around William Kamkwamba’s attempts at helping his family as well as the country through harnessing wind power via a homemade machine.
Although there are many themes to the book, the two most important ones are science vs magic and rebirth. William believes in magic and had strong superstitions as a young boy. As he grows up, he starts to learn more about science. William believes that magic is to be feared, but science should be respected. Magic refers to Malawi’s past, which was plagued by poverty, hunger and drought. Science is the promise of a better future. William discusses how seemingly useless items can find new uses throughout his book. The concept of rebirth is applied to many topics, such as objects, Malawian society and even himself. William’s windmill is a perfect example of this principle. It is made of old and spare parts that were thrown away by others.
