How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Out of Africa.
Quote #1
FELICITY: That's not much of a hat, though.
KAREN: It's meant to be stunning.
FELICITY: We die of sunstroke here.
KAREN: At least I'm safe from the mosquitos.
FELICITY: The big ones.
From the beginning, Karen is clearly out of her element. She's wearing an outfit that's suitable for a typical European wedding, but she's in Africa. To have a hat that offers no protection from the devastating sun can be more than bad fashion: it can kill you.
Quote #2
KAREN: If you put a dam here to stop the water, then I can make a pond here. Do you know how?
FARAH: This water must go home to Mombasa.
KAREN: It can go home after we make a pond.
FARAH: Msabu, this water lives at Mombasa.
Karen is doing what all colonials do. She wants to craft her environment to fit her expectations. By making a pond, she's terraforming to suit her needs. A pond is not practical, but decorative. To create the pond, you need to stop the water flow along its natural course; who knows what havoc it might wreak down the line where the water is expected? As you may have guessed, the whole pond thing doesn't end well. The message here is that the locals respect nature; the colonial invaders don't.
Quote #3
KAREN: Just how much closer did you expect to let her come?
DENYS: A bit. She wanted to see if you'd run. That's how they decide. A lot like people.
KAREN: She almost had me for lunch!
DENYS: It wasn't her fault. She's a lion.
KAREN: It wasn't mine.
DENYS: Doesn't that outfit come with a rifle?
KAREN: It's on my saddle.
DENYS: Better keep it with you. Your horse isn't much of a shot.
Karen is still living the life of a colonial in the bush. She has the perfect little outfit, her binoculars, and she's out exploring. The lion is just doing what it does. Karen's the one out of her element, not the cat that may or may not eat her.