The Famous Novels Of Ngugi Wa Thiong English Literature Essay
The supporter, Matigari mom Njiruungi is a nationalist who went to the wood to oppose the colonialists and battle for freedom of his land. He had spend many old ages in the woods and mountains to run down the oppressors so that he could emancipate his state and countrymen. “ Matigari ‘s character represents everyone who toiled under the colonialists and fought in the war of independency ” ( Loflin 90 ) . Armed with his AK47 and other arms, Matigari spent many old ages runing down colonialist Settler Williams and John Boy ( Settler ‘s retainer ) . After his triumph, he reemerges from the wood to repossess what was his, particularly his “ house ” . Matigari felt freedom and release was achieved by his state and people from the white colonists. Our chief supporter Matigari even buries his arms under the mugumo fig tree and girdles himself with a belt of peace believing that full independency was attained from the oppressors. To his utter discouragement, though they may hold gained independency from the colonialists, now they are being ruled by African themselves ( bourgeoisie imperialist ) who treat their ain people severely. Matigari efforts to dispute the new type ( neo-colonialism ) of subjugation peacefully, but failed. He searched for yearss for truth and justness ; but had to yield to get the better of for there is none under the African exploitatory government. For illustration, “ He approaches a pupil, a instructor, and a priest ; all fail terribly. Their denial of Matigari condemns them as irresolute and complicit with the subjugation ” ( Gurnah 171 ) . Finally he resorts to weaponries and trampled his belt of peace because he realized that “ justness for the oppressed comes from a sharpened lance ” ( Ngugi wa Thiong’o 131 ) . “ The archetypal revolutionist hero, Matigari, must finally abandon his efforts to dispute the current system peacefully ” ( Williams 60 ) . Matigari had to take up weaponries in order to acquire back his “ house ” once more, but now against The Minister of Truth and justness, John Boy JR who are the oppressive elite Africans.
Guthera and Miuruki are besides nationalists in the novel “ Matigari ” . However they were transitioned from being the oppressed to go nationalists with the influence of Matigari mom Njiruungi. Both of them played of import functions in assisting Matigari to do certain that John Boy JR, “ will ne’er kip in my house once more ” ( 157 ) . Guthera for illustration, lets go of her 11th commandment “ ne’er open my legs for any police officers, these treasonists no affair how much they are prepared to pay for the favours ” ( Ngugi wa Thiong’o 37 ) in order to salvage Matigari from the police officers. This proves that she wants to safe a nationalist who is in the way of justness, truth, right and yearns goodness for the state and it ‘s people. Furthermore through her narrations we came to cognize that her male parent ( a Church Elder ) was a nationalist every bit good who was arrested and killed for he would non back up the oppressors. Guthera was ready to decease by traveling against the treasonists and the oppressors with Matigari. She wants to be the vanguard and ne’er wants to acquire left behind. Guthera states “ One can decease one time, and it is better to decease in the chase of what is right ” ( Ngugi wa Thiong’o 139 ) . Thus it is clear in the novel that Guthera excessively a nationalist following the footfalls of Matigari mom Nijuungi.
Muriuki is an orphan who lives in the kids small town ( scrapyard ) and survived by scavenging rubbish after paying entryway fee. He called an old Mercedes Benz at the scrapyard his house. Muriuki was non the lone one, for there were many kids parents-less and hapless due to the new opinion system after independency which cared less. Muriuki like Guthera joined Matigari ‘s quest in the conflict against these suppressing middle class Africans. “ It is a universe in which the middle class act reprehensively within the jurisprudence ” ( Indangasi 194 ) . Muriuki may hold non been under the subjugation of the colonisers but he is under the unfairnesss of neocolonialism within Africa. He understands that his land is in absence of justness and Matigari was willing to acquire it back for them. So Muriuki articulations him and becomes a nationalist himself. He even called himself and his fellow Children of the small town as,
“ Yes. We are the the kids of Matigari ma Njiruungi, we are the kids of the nationalists of the nationalists who survived the war ” ( Ngugi wa Thiong’o 139 ) .
He aided in Matigari ‘s mission by supplying him shelter at kids small town from the police officers and accompanied him aboard with Guthera. At the terminal of the fresh Muriuki was portrayed as picking up Matigari ‘s arms from the mugumo tree and strapping them to himself. This so set up an apprehension that Muriuki will go on Matigari ‘s battle and mission for freedom as a nationalist for his darling state from the heartless oppressors. Hence, even though Matigari and Guthera were ne’er stated as survived or dead in terminal of the novel, through Muriuki, “ Matigari mom Njiruungi remains undefeated ” ( Loflin 90 ) .
Ngaruro Washington Kiriro a mill worker was besides classified as a nationalist in the novel “ Matigari ” . In the first few pages of the novel, we can see that Ngaruro was involved in a work stoppage outside the mill. This is because the workers were non being paid suitably and were being unjustly treated.Ngaruro, was non afraid to inquire for justness. Harmonizing to the Minister of Truth and Justice, Ngaruro was the first to stood up in public and oppose the presidential edict after the independency. For that he was sent to the mental infirmary with Matigari. However before he was taken off, Nagruro shouted courageously, ” you may collar me, but the workers will ne’er halt demanding their rights ” ( Ngugi wa Thiong’o 123 ) . Sadly he was killed by the police officers for defying the power mistreating governing party Kiama Kiria Kirathana ( KKK ) .
Harmonizing to Ngugi Washington Thiong’o, “ there are merely two types of people in the [ Kenyan ] land-patriots and the oppressors ” ( Nyame. JR 128 ) . In the novel “ Matigari ” there are two types of oppressors. The first oppressor would be the white colonialist like Settler Williams. The 2nd oppressor in the he novel would be the elect African themselves who misuse power and oppress the hapless people. For illustration, John Boy JR, The Minister for Justice and Truth, His Excellency Ole Excellence and the governing party KKK ” who are ‘sell-outs ‘ , ‘traitors ‘ , ‘parasites ‘ , ‘enemies ‘ , ‘ogres ‘ , and even ‘dogs ‘ ” ( Idangasi 194 ) . The mass of Africa felt that they were out from the frying pan into the fire. Lifes and criterion of life of the people in the novel after independency did non acquire better but deteriorated. Children life in old autos, adult females are prostituting themselves, unjust at working topographic point and corruptness within the constabulary enforcements are some of the illustrations portrayed in the novel. If a individual were to oppugn these maltreatments, The Minister for Truth and Justice himself sends the inquirer to gaol or mental refuge. The constitution of Parratology and newspaper Daily Parratology, were ways to maintain the multitudes under control by the neo-colonial power as good. Peoples who subdue and abide to their unfair Torahs were called “ Loyalists ” ( Ngugi wa Thiong’o 103 ) . These oppressors holding the black tegument but white masks behaved like they were the colonialists and ill treated their ain people. Sadly after contending against the colonialists, now Matigari has to go on combating against the neo-colonial power. “ Having fought against colonial regulation, he returns to detect that unfairness still exists, albeit in a somewhat different signifier that reflects changed fortunes of neo-colonial society. Settler Williams and his servant John Boy, whom Matigari had fought to decease in the wood, have been replaced by their boies, now spouses in reaping-what-theydid-not-sow ” ( Gurnah 170 ) .
The white colonialist had given a few people ( elite ) like John By colonial instruction. Furthermore he was brought up to see his ain people through the lenses of the colonialists. Now, this instruction which instills political orientation of the colonisers was given by the oppressors for their ain benefits. The elect Africans, to white colonisers are still join forcesing retainers, and non much difference from the multitudes. Through this colonial instruction, the colonialists retained power over the colonialized land. “ African leaders is itself a merchandise of a dianoetic formation and ideological concept particular to the undertaking of mental and psychological colonisation of Africans perpetrated by colonialist political orientation ” ( Nyame JR 134 ) . Therefore, in the novel “ Matigari ” Ngugi states that though release was achieved by the Africans from the colonisers, their heads were non decolonized. Ideology of the oppressors still lingers within the leaders and it creates more subordination, poorness, subjugation to the African society.According to Ngugi and Maya Jaggi, “ What is needed is for us in Africa and the Third World to go as witting of neo-colonial agreements and their economic, political and cultural deductions, and to be horrified by them with the same force, finding and earnestness, as we were vis-al-vis colonialism ” ( Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Maya Jaggi 246 ) . For illustration in the novel, Africans have this strong sense of communal bonds and in the fresh Matigari calls about everyone his kid. However, John Boy JR prefers the “ single ” over the term “ multitudes ” because it is crude. The alteration of idea within John Boy JR are brought about by colonisers. “ Our state has remained in the darkness because of the ignorance of our people. They don ; Ts know the importance of the word “ single ” , as opposed to the word “ multitudes ” . White people are advanced because they respect the word and hence honor the freedom of the person, which means freedom of everyone to follow his ain caprices without worrying about others ” ( Ngugi wa Thiong’o 48 ) . Therefore, the dream of Matigari and others that someday John Boy JR will be the future nationalist was dashed. These elect Africans become the neo-colonisers and imperialists, who continue the subjugation taught by the colonists.
In decision, the statement “ there are merely two types of people in the [ Kenyan ] land-patriots and the oppressors ” ( Nyame. JR 128 ) is relevant for the chief characters within the fresh “ Matigari ” are the nationalists and the oppressors. However, one must non bury that there are the laden Africans depicted in the novel every bit good represented by the pupil, instructor and priest who would instead be self-satisfied than battle for truth and justness. They are scared to voice out their sentiments for fright of problem. So they instead ignore and deny Matigari instead than fall ining him in the conflict for freedom and decolonisation.
Work Cited
Indangasi, Henry. “ Ngugi ‘s Ideal Reader and the Postcolonial Reality. “ A The Yearbook of English StudiesA 27 ( 1997 ) : 193-200. Web. 3 Mar. 2011.
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Loflin, Christine. “ NgA©gA© wa Thiong’o ‘s Visions of Africa. “ A JSTORA 26.4 ( 1995 ) : 1-19. Web. 3 Mar. 2011.
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Ngugi Washington Thiong’o, .A Matigari. Bostwana: Heinemann Kenya Ltd, 1987. N. pag. Print.
Ngugi Washington, Thiong’o, and Maya Jaggi. “ Matigari as Myth and History: An Interview. “ A Third World QuarterlyA 11.4 ( 1989 ) : 241-51. Web. 3 Mar. 2011.
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Nyame JR, Kwado Osei. “ Ngugi wa Thiong’o ‘s “ Matigari: and the Politicss of Decolonization. “ A A Review of International English LiteratureA 30.3 July ( 1999 ) : 127-40. Print.
Williams, Katherine. “ Decolonizing the Word: Language, Culture, and Self in the Works of NgA©gA©wa Thiong’o and Gabriel Okara. “ A Research in African LiteraturesA 22.4 ( 1991 ) : 53-61. Web. 3 Mar. 2011.
& lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jstor.org/stable/3820357. & gt ; .
