The Effects of Colonialism in The River Between by Ngũgĩ...

In the novel The River between, Ngugi give a good account of the effects that colonialism had on the Kikuyu people. Ngugi goes on to demonstrate how the ideas of the modern Christian-European ways come into conflict with those of the traditional Kikuyu people and how for the Kikuyu, maintaining these traditions mean more than just following the path of their ancestors, but also about maintaining their identity as a people. Ngugi shows the complications and obstacles that arise when people on both sides fail to unit for a common cause and are unable to adapt and evolve their way of thinking to form a new way that benefits all. Ngugi portrays the Kikuyu as a people torn between two worlds. On one hand they feel obligated to hold true to†¦show more content†¦It would not satisfy† (Ngugi 141). Ngugi makes the case that rejecting all of ones beliefs without replacing them, leaves a person with no foundation. This lack of a foundation is what leads to the person to be lost and have no identity. On the other side of the ridge are the Kikuyu who live in the Kameno ridge. They are shown as traditionalists who adhere to the traditions of their ancestors. They are the opposite of Joshua’s Christians in the fact that they have deep roots which help to firmly plant them into their land as well has given them a great sense of identity. The people of Kameno do have a fear, that is the fear that the white man’s ways will continue to spread and eventually they will lose their culture. Chege is the elder of the Kikuyu people who sends his son Waiyaki to the missions to learn the ways of the white man in order to educate his people so that they can outwit them. Ngugi uses Waiyaki character as a bridge between the two worlds but also as a way to show the struggles and obstacles that have to be overcome before such a bridge can be built. It’s evident that Ngugi believed that a merger of both the colonial way of life and traditional way were needed in order to progress the Kikuyu people into the future. It was also necessary because it was the only way to unite the two groups.Show MoreRelatedThe River Between, by Ngugi wa Thiongo1439 Words   |  6 PagesWaiyaki is a young man who tackles the responsibility of mending the two ridges of Makuyu and Kameno that separated because of the religious of Christianity. The River Between, written by Ngugi wa Thiong’o, captures the ramifications of the white men religions and its effects on the two mountain ridges, that is separated by the Honia river, while the story surrounds around Waiyaki as he blossoms. In the story, Waiyaki, also known as The Teacher, is a strong, gallant young man that believes in the oldRead MoreAnalysis Of Oedipus The King Is The Concept Of Predestination2036 Words   |  9 Pages1. One element that I have learned from the Greek Drama Oe dipus the King is the concept of predestination. Throughout the play, this idea that a person’s destiny is already predetermined for them was clearly emphasized. Even when Oedipus tried to run away from his destiny, by the end of the play he fulfilled the foretold prophecy. This way of thinking made me draw a conclusion about how the culture of the Greeks were. Based off the play, I drew the conclusion that the Greeks highly revered theirRead MoreEast African Culture Reflects on Their Drama Using Aminata, Echoes of Silence and I Will Marry When I Want as Case Study12168 Words   |  49 PagesDEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERARY STUDIES AN ASSIGNMENT ON: ELS 226 (MODERN AFRICAN DRAMA) SUBMITTED BY : GROUP 4 QUESTION: THE CULTURE OF THE PEOPLE DETERMINES ITS DRAMA. DISCUSS THE EAST AFRICAN EXPERIENCE AS EXEMPLIFY IN FRANCES LIMBULGA’S AMMATA, NGUGI WA THIONGO’ S I WILL MARRY WHEN I WANT AND JOHN RUGANDA’S ECHOES OF SILENCE. LECTURER-IN-CHARGE: DR OLANIYAN MRS LIST OF GROUP MEMBERS. OGUNFEIBO AYOKUNLE O 1002630 IBITOYE EBUNOLUWA ABIGAEL 1000154 ADEBIYI ADEBIMPE MOYOYINOLUWARead MoreOrientalism in Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North2758 Words   |  12 Pagesdiscussion of the â€Å"boundless historical chasm,† separating the east and west, Mustafa Sa’eed forewarns, â€Å"I have come to you as conqueror,† (50). The relationship between the Occident and the Orient is one of â€Å"love,† â€Å"hate,† â€Å"astonishment,† â€Å"fear,† and â€Å"desire† (132). Said seems to denounce the possibility of an objective reflection between the two spheres, â€Å"the chances of anything like a clear view of what one talks about in talking about the Near East are depressingly small† (92). Tayeb Salih’s novel