NGUGI: THE REBEL
P. V. KONDAL RAO and V. JAGAM
THE
DARKNESS ALONG the African shore and of the African people suddenly found a beaconlight
in Ngugi wa Thiong’o, as he followed the
path of African legends against European Alien rulers. Ngugi’s novels form a
landmark, a recreation of Kikuyu’s past and history from an African perspective
in dislodging the colonialism in Kenya-Ngugi records the destructive impact of
colonialism on the integrity of traditional life and he is interested in the
exploration of an inner state for Africans.
As
a native writer of East Africa and as a product of colonial experience, by
virtue of keener sensibility, Ngugi understands the subversive impact that colonization has had on the colonial’s consciousness.
His novels made an attempt to sensitize the African people to the fact of their
own identity and tried to awaken them to the need to free themselves of
complexes by rejecting blind imitation of Western values.
An
East African rebel, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, was born in Kenyan Gikuyu highlands in 1938 at Limuru. He is the best known of
Kenyan writers. His works delineated the crisis and contradictions faced by the
African people. Ngugi is militant and controversial and his works show the
perceptive African sentiments. His works emphasize the African need to fight
for their self-respect.
East
Africa’s unique colonial experience is evoked in its literature. Africans in
Uganda and Tanzania were not estranged from their land as it happened in Kenya.
The impact of extensive European settlement necessitated detraction of ethnic cultures and urban alienation
on a large and rapid scale in East Africa. Kenya, the native country of Ngugi,
has the distinction of animating the peasantry against this alienation with
Mau, Mau and other mass struggles. As a Kenyan, Ngugi inherited the mantle of
Kenyan cultural character and proceeded towards ‘Uhuru’. Liberation from the
Europeans and the neo-colonizers has become an ethnic desideratum of Kenya and
Ngugi.
Ngugi’s
Weep not, child (1964) and The River Between (1965) inspired
other novelists to emphasize historical and political themes. Weep not, child
is a delicate story and it is set in the period when white settlers
deprived the Gikuyu of most of their traditional land. Defiance in Weep not, child is presented
through Njoroge, the young son of a farm worker, Ngotho, when he wanted to
study instead of farming for the white man. Njoroge’s fight with white men, his
interest and faith in the liberating quality of education could not live upto the
needs since he had to study the alien subjects in the European language.
His ambition for studies and his dislike towards while man’s values can be found in his words, when he asked his mother,
0, mother, I’ll never bring shame to you.
Just
let me get there, just let me. l
Weep not, child produces a sense of revolt in Njoroge as a reflection of the inner
voice of Ngugi.
“The
River Between” is distinctive from Ngugi’s former novel and it is a sensitive
novel about Kenyan tribes. It deals with the disruptive effect of the Christian missionary activity on the traditional life
of African Studies. It remains as a trial against colonialism when the
prophecy of the white men was paid a close attention by the Negroes with a view
to fighting with it.
Arise.
Held the prophecy. Go to the mission place.
Learn all the wisdom and all the secrets of the white man. But do not follow
his vices. Be true to your people and the lancient rites. 2
Chege’s call of insurgency to his young son Waiyaki can be taken as a revolutionary step in attaining the liberation.
A Grain of Wheat is demarcated against struggle for
political independence in Kenya. It substantiates Ngugi’s cynical portrayal of African history. It is set with Mau,
Mau era of struggles. Rebellion is found in this novel in the Uhuru
celebrations when people tried to chastise Karanja for his excesses. The
insurgency in A Grain of Wheat can be treated as the struggle-oriented sense
of Africans, since it mirrors a society of African values and Africanized
culture. As a part of it, Mugo, the protagonist in this novel has conceded to
the cleverness of Africans, when he wants to impose colonial culture on
Africans. In the end Mumbi’s words close the novel with the new attitude
required for a new Kenya.
People try to rub things out, but they cannot. Things are not so easy. What has passed between us is too much to be passed over in a sentence. We need to talk, to open our hearts to one another, examining them, and then together plan the future we want. 3
Ngugi’s
commitment to restore character to his
history was symbolised in 1970 in the change of his name from James Ngugi to
Ngugi wa Thiong’o.
Ngugi’s
introduction to his work Home coming clearly indicates the integration
of his ideas and influence of other writers on him. Home coming presents
Ngugi’s views on African culture, politics, church and society. He gave a
clarion call to Africans to unite and to overcome the confusion in values which
were resulting in a drastic change in political, economic and cultural ethos. He called on them to realize the need of a
society, where an African will be recognized as such.
The
importance of culture in a suppressed
society is stressed in Home coming and Ngugi believed in a national
culture where the African flag flew high. Negritude in Home coming was
enlightened with Ngugi’s call to ban the Alien studies, which he opines, is
imposing colonialism on Africans.
The
Colonial system produced the kind of education which nurtured subservience, self-hatred and mutual suspicion. It
produced a people uprooted from the masses. 4
Ngugi’s
anger for colonialism is found in the above words and thus he called the students for a study that was without racial discrimination.
Ngugi’s
later novels Petals of Blood and Devil on the Cross show his
studied insubordination towards the corrupt
ruling elite of Africa.
Petals of Blood is constructed on a grand epic scale,
which presents a comprehensive analysis of
the evils perpetrated on independent African society by the black imperialism.
Petals of Blood expresses Ngugi’s radicalization and anger towards capitalism. It envisages
a popular uprising of the people against the new masters in Kenya. Ngugi
intentionally used it as an instrument for generating political awareness. He
projected defiance through “wanja”, a prostitute woman and “karega” the bright
young teacher, through whom he focussed the
revival of African culture.
Devil on the Cross drew the African voice on the
sheets of toilet-papers in the prison. It is a book of political interests, in
which Ngugi’s dedication reads “to all Kenyans struggling against the
neo-colonial stage of imperialism”.
The
protagonist of this novel “Wariinga” represents an affirmative and ruthless class struggle against neo-colonial aptitudes,
as a part of underground workers’ movement. She represents the emergent
classes in New Kenya. Ngugi by means of Wariinga focussed the
insurrection, and she is presented as a worker, but not as an object of economic
or sexual exploitation. She is typical of characters Ngugi hopes to create, in
which he succeeded to a certain extent.
Ngugi’s mutiny towards capitalism and imperialism is registered in Detained, a prison diary. Detained is a book of prison notes. Through Detained Ngugi wanted to project the African problems in a neo-colonial society. And he accomplished the projection of false values adopted by them with an awakening call to the Negroes against the imperialist rulers.
Ngugi’s
dramas synthesize indigenous forms of music, dance and mime. A new type of
political and social drama is evidenced in Ngugi’s The Trial of Dedan Kimathi
and I will Marry When I Want.
Political
revolution in African circles has been fostered with the use of indigenous languages
in drama. And Ngugi staged his dramas with
rural cultures as a part of portraying social reformist aspects. The Trial
of Dedan Kimathi is of Gikuyu origin. The correct revolutionary
rhetoric has been used in it. Kenyan freedom struggle is told with much force
and conviction in this drama. It deals with the trials of one of the celebrated
leaders of Mau, Mau revolution. Ngugi, with Micere Mugo sung the praises of the
deeds of Kimathi the hero of the resistance, who refused to surrender to the
British imperialism.
The
suppressive measures of the European rulers
were defied in an angry procession by the defiant blacks in The Trial of
Dedan Kimathi where Ngugi presented the crowd’s anger in a song.
Leader: Away with Oppression!
Unchain the people!
Crowd: Away with Oppression!
Unchain the people!
Leader: Away with Exploitation!
Unchain the people!
Crowd: Away with Exploitation!
Unchain the people!
Leader: Away with human Slaughter!
Crowd: Unchain the people
Leader: Brothers, we shall break.
Crowd: Exploiter’s Chains!
Leader: Rally round the gun.
Crowd: Make a new earth 5
Ngugi
wanted to take revenge on the exploitatory Europeans and the rebellion of Africans was presented in the Crowd’s Voice.
Kimathi,
the hero of this drama, felt colonialism as
the jungle of exploitation, and oppression as the eternal law of colonizers,
which humiliated and insulted the blacks, and awakened the African’s in the
Court to
“Fight
Struggle
Change.” 6
The Voice of Kimathi saw the British as traitors to their own people and called on them to come out of slavery.
Apart
from this, I Will Marry When I Want is the most powerful of Ngugi’s
works. This is the renowned play which is developed with Kikuyu actors, in
which colonialism was quoted as the Satan of Poverty, of theft, of robbery, and of oppression; and people in this were
called to crush that enemy in a song.
Soloist: The Satan of Poverty
Must be crushed!
Chorus: Hallelujah, he must be Crushed,
For the Second Coming is near.
Soloist: He destroys our homes,
Let’s Crush him.
Chorus: Hallelujah let’s crush and grind him,
for the Second coming is near. 7
The power and irony with which the European colonizers and neo-colonizers of Africa were attacked show Ngugi’s concern for the Kenyans and Africans.
Rebellion
in this drama found a solution in the people’s song when the trumpet of the
masses has been blown of land grabbing, exploitation,
slavery and charity and abuses.
“All: The trumpet of the poor has been blown
Let’s unite and organize.
Organization is our club
Organization is our sword
Organization is our gun
Organization is our shield
Organization is our way
Organization is our strength
Organization is our light
Organization is our wealth.
The trumpet of the masses has been blown. 8
Ngugi
saw the broken barriers of Colonialism in
Crowd’s joy: and his works lit African darkness from the new sated core of
earth.
REFERENCES
1 Weep not, Child by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o (Heinemann Educational Books Ltd) 1964. P.3
2 River Between by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o (Heinemann 1965). P. 24
3 A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o (Heinemann) 1967. P. 213
4 Home Coming by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o (Heinemann) 1972. P. 14
5 Trial of Dedan Kimathi by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o Micere Mugo (Heinemann) 1976. P. 5
6 -Ibid-
7 I Will Marry When I Want by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o (Heinemann) 1982. P. 5, 6
8 Ibid by Ngugi WaMirii. P. 116