The culture, setting, historical significance, and conflict of The boy who harnessed the wind

The novel “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer is set in Malawi, Africa in the late 90’s to early 2000’s. The setting, culture, and historical background affect the protagonist in many ways because the book depicts many challenges and hardships, such as bad school systems, famine, bad infrastructure, and archaic ways of thinking. One example of this hardship is when William and Bryan write “During the famine, people out looking for food became unwitting carriers. The cholera struck them out on the roads and forced them to become sick in the bush. Rain, flies, and cockroaches then spread the infection onto banana peels, roots, and corn husks that others picked up to eat”. This famine affects William because it thwarts his ability to continue with his academic efforts, and stunts his ability to invent and create new things.  Either because his family is simply unable to support him or they just can't provide the time to help him since they are focused on just staying alive. Yet another hardship is shown as William and Bryan write about the archaic ways of their people. This is shown when William says: “You see, before I discovered the miracles of science, I believed that magic ruled the world...It was an invisible kind of magic, one that surrounded us like the air we breath.” This archaic way of thinking negatively affects William because it stifles his ability to innovate and makes him fear what would happen if he stepped outside the boundaries of his culture's beliefs. The last example of hardship is when William and Bryan write:  “Even in better times, most students couldn't afford to buy their own books and had to share... As I told you, the conditions at  Wimbe Primary had been terrible. Holes in the roof that let the rain in. No glass in the windows. And of course, I told you the terrible story about the latrines.” The terrible school system affects William because they can't properly teach him, which drives him to learn about the subjects all by himself, which slows down his education process. In summary, the terrible famine, archaic way of thinking, and bad school systems all provide hardships and roadblocks over which he eventually overcomes and triumphs.