King Solomon's Mines
written by Henry Rider Haggard
Synopsis: Allan Quatermain is an old, grizzled African hunter who is approached by two strangers, a nobleman named Sir Henry Curtis and an old sea captain named John Good. Sir Henry's brother is missing after an expedition into South Africa and Sir Henry wants Allan to us his tracking skills to find Sir Henry's brother. Incidentally, Sir Henry's brother was looking for the infamous King Solomon's mines and Allan happens to have an old map leading directly to them. The group head for Durban and begin their journey. They meet an old acquaintance of Allan's by the name of Umbopa who is described as a regal looking African man. He joins their crew and they take off for the mines. They cross a massive desert with only one oasis offering any respite from the heat. Then they climb a mountain called Sheba's breast and find a cave with the remains of the man who drew Allen's map with his own blood. They find their way down the other side into a place known as Kukuanaland where they meet the locals who have never seen a white man before. Thanks to some trickery and bluffing, they avoid being killed long enough to make it to King Twala who rules all of Kukuanaland as a tyrant. King Twala killed his brother and banished his brother's wife and infant son to become king. He holds daily "witch hunts" to root out anyone who might oppose him. King Twala's advisor is an ancient woman by the name of Gagool. She determines who is or is not a witch and whomever she selects, dies. Among others, she names Umbopa as a witch and tries to have him killed, but Allen is able to save his life. It comes out later that Umbopa is the son of King Twala's late brother and the rightful ruler of Kukuanaland which sets a spark of revolution among the local population. A war breaks out between King Twala's loyal warriors and the few men who follow Umbopa. The battle lasts a few days, but eventually Sir Henry cuts off king Twala's head making Umbopa the ruler of Kukuanaland. Gagool is captured and is forced to show Allen and the others the location of King Solomon's mines. She takes them to a cave which is filled with gold, diamonds, and various ancient artifacts and, while the group is distracted, attempts to seal them in the cave. However, Foulata, a beautiful lady who is in love with Captain Good, attacks Gagool and prevents her from escaping. Instead, Gagool is crushed beneath the stone which sealed the cave. Foulata dies from her stab wounds in Captain Good's arms and the group spends a few days trying to survive in the cave. Low on provisions and on the brink of dehydration, the group manages to find a way out of the mine through a secret passage and make their way back to the city. They say goodbye to Umbopa and head off for home with the few diamonds they managed to stuff in their pockets. They take a different, easier route back to civilization and , on the way, find Sir Henry's brother living in a hut next to an oasis with a crippled leg. Allan, Sir Henry, Captain Good, and Sir Henry's brother all return home safely.
Reasoning: When I was eleven or twelve I stumbled upon this book by accident. I think I found it online somewhere and I became so enthralled with the characters and the idea of exploring uncharted regions where anything could be discovered, that I joined the Boy Scouts of America and began a life spent outdoors in the wilderness. I feel that this fascination can be spread to students in high school. The text is appropriate for 9th and 10th grade (I was reading at a twelfth grade level by the time I entered middle school). The text is surprisingly easy to read for a book published in 1885 and I think students would respond well to that. I would definitely recommend this for 9th grade classrooms as an introduction to the more difficult literature students will be reading for the rest of their highschool career.
Teaching Ideas:
Discussion: Because the text is so easy to comprehend, I would recommend discussion of the deeper themes in the text because students will have an easier time citing textual evidence in their arguments.
Research projects: Who was King Solomon? Who were the Zulus? are any of the places mentioned in the novel real? Who was H. Rider Haggard? These kinds of questions would make for great research projects which students could then present to the class.
Point of view projects: with the wide variety of characters, it would be easy to have students write papers or act out skits involving characters like Allan Quatermain, King Twala, and Gagool.
Possible issues: Because of its age, a lot of people think that the Africans are going to be portrayed in a negative light. While the two villains, King Twala and Gagool are portrayed as barbaric, it has more to do with them being antagonists than their African heritage. Besides, it could be argued that Umbopa is the true hero of the story. Not to mention that, aside from a few tricks here and there to prevent the group from dying, Allan acknowledges and respects the African cultures and rules.
Some parents may take issue with the excessive violence, but aside from the beheading of King Twala, the gore is kept to a minimum. The battles focus more on the brave individuals fighting for what they believe in and how the tide of battle changes.
