Out of Africa: A Tale of Paradise Found

The Storyteller Karen Blixen, under the succedaneum of Isak Dineson, recounts a tale of life in Africa. The book, titled Out of Africa, centers on a farm nestled in the Ngong Hills of Nairobi. The narrator begins by sharing that Africa is where she is meant to be. She views Africa as a sort of paradise for it is very primitive and basic which is how she believes the world should be. Throughout the book the readers learn very little of the details of the narrator’s life. Rather, we learn of all her viewpoints and catch a glimpse as to why she looks at life this way. Interestingly, the author is the central conflict of the book. On the surface, it is simply a fictional tale of a woman, the narrator, who caretakes a farm. The narrator desperately wants to be a storyteller and is writing about her many adventures in Africa. One can even find some symbolism mixed in there about holding something in such a high view that it eventually leads to your destruction. Thus, this work of fiction seems to be a diddly tale that can fall in line behind the thousands of other books

Some may argue that the two have no correlation, but I would tend to disagree. Isak Dineson is Karen Blixen. Moreover, she lived in Africa for many years making this book more of an autobiography than a work of fiction. Yet that is not the most interesting part. Karen Blixen seemed to be obsessed with becoming a storyteller, as we learn in her book. She makes Africa out to be a paradise, glorifying every little thing and glossing over some of the harsh realities. “Up in the air you breathed easily, drawing in a vital and lightedness of heart. In the highlands, you woke up in the morning and thought: Here I am where I ought to be” (Goodreads.com). Karen saw Africa as her haven for it was one of the better parts in her life. Combining this with her desire to be a storyteller, and her autobiography becomes a lot like a work of fiction, which is why it is