Through his novel, A Grain of Wheat, Ngugi presents his views about the British colonial rule in Kenya. Discuss with examples from the text.
In A Grain of Wheat, Britain’s colonization of Kenya is the environment against which its characters are formed as well as the primary political pressure of the book. Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o, himself a native Kenyan, uses this environment and development of his characters to explore the moral aspect of colonization from both the perspective of the A Grain of Wheat clearly expresses Ngugi’s views about British colonial rule in Kenya. Do you agree British and pastoral Kenyans. Ngũgĩ’s narrative argues that, although both the colonial and the settled sense innocently justified in their hobbies, colonialism is eventually an immoral and rough practice, justifying the settled people’s struggle for freedom, indeed through violent means. A Grain of Wheat, Ngugi presents his views about the British colonial rule in Kenya.
The British colonialists and the Kenyan freedom fighters (the Mau Mau) want unnaturally opposing futures for Kenya, bending them at war with each other and creating a moral pressure over the future of Kenya. The British, in the expansion of their conglomerate, seek to contemporize Kenya with technology and administration. Still, in doing this, they force themselves upon ancient ethnical groups like the Gikuyu and steal their land from them for their own purposes. The Mau Mau fighters, with the support of utmost of their vill, A Grain of Wheat clearly expresses Ngugi’s views about British colonial rule in Kenya. Do you agree Thabai, seek to push “ the white man” fully out of Kenya so they can save their way of life. Rather than the “ ultra modern” unborn envisaged by the pioneers, the Gikuyu stopgap to maintain their independence and right to tone- govern, as well as their ancestral traditions. The moral pressure over the future of Kenya is instanced by the fact that some Kenyans, and indeed some Gikuyu, choose to align themselves with the British and borrow their vision of the future as Kenya’s stylish option. This makes colonization further than simply a conflict between nations, but a conflict between moral ideals Western imperialism versus Kenyan tradition. A Grain of Wheat, Ngugi presents his views about the British colonial rule in Kenya.
Both the colonial and the settled see themselves as the righteous, heroic figure working for the good of humanity, and their adversaries as wrong. This is instanced in the story by the imaged characters John Thompson and Kihika. John Thompson, the English indigenous governor, is an evangelist of British colonialism, believing it to be a moralizing and purifying force of mortal progress. Decades before the story takes place, John meets two African scholars studying in a A Grain of Wheat clearly expresses Ngugi’s views about British colonial rule in Kenya. Do you agree British institution who are completely knowledgeable of Western history and literature and induced of British imperialism’s benefit to the world. This awes and inspires John, in his eyes demonstrating the power of colonialism to replace the “ immoderation, inconsistency, and superstition so characteristic of the African and Oriental races” with “ the principle of Reason, of Order, and of Measure.” To a group of officers, John makes the protestation, “ To administer a people is to administer a soul,” suggesting that beyond making subjects more rational and less superstitious, British colonialism makes them more naturally mortal and moral, further from primitive beasts. A Grain of Wheat, Ngugi presents his views about the British colonial rule in Kenya.
In discrepancy, Kihika, a youthful Gikuyu man, is raised on stories of British oppression and injustice, inspired by Gandhi’s rejection of their imperialism in India. With his own eyes, Kihika sees how the British have forced the Gikuyu lineage — who take their relationship to their ancestral lands veritably seriously — out of their original home, stolen their lands, and resettled them in British-controlled sections. Likewise, for the last three generations the A Grain of Wheat clearly expresses Ngugi’s views about British colonial rule in Kenya. Do you agree British colonialists have subordinated Kihika’s people to forced labor and made them pay extravagant levies, frequently with the trouble of detention, rape, or murder. From an early age, Kihika knows his life’s calling is to lead the moral fight against the British “ from beforehand on, he’d fancies of himself, a saint, leading Kenyan people to freedom and power.” In Kihika’s eyes, the sins of the pioneers are egregious, suggesting that colonization isn’t the establishment of a moral society, but of an evil social order; the righteous cause is Kenyan freedom. A Grain of Wheat, Ngugi presents his views about the British colonial rule in Kenya.
In A Grain of Wheat, Britain’s colonization of Kenya is the context against which its characters are formed as well as the primary political tension of the book. Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o, himself a native Kenyan, uses this context and development of his characters to explore the moral aspect of colonization from both the perspective of the British and rural Kenyans. Ngũgĩ’s narrative argues that, although both the colonizer and the colonized feel morally justified in their pursuits, colonialism is ultimately an immoral and oppressive practice, justifying the colonized people’s struggle for freedom, even through violent means.
The British colonialists and the Kenyan freedom fighters (the Mau Mau) want fundamentally opposing futures for Kenya, pitting them at war with each other and creating a moral tension over the future of Kenya. The British, in the expansion of their empire, seek to modernize Kenya with technology and administration. However, in doing this, they force themselves upon ancient ethnic groups like the Gikuyu and steal their land from them for their own purposes. The Mau Mau fighters, with the support of most of their village, Thabai, seek to push “the whiteman” completely out of Kenya so they can preserve their way of life. Rather than the “modern” future envisioned by the colonizers, the Gikuyu hope to maintain their independence and right to self-govern, as well as their ancestral traditions. The moral tension over the future of Kenya is exemplified by the fact that some Kenyans, and even some Gikuyu, choose to align themselves with the British and adopt their vision of the future as Kenya’s best option. This makes colonization more than simply a conflict between nations, but a conflict between moral ideals: Western imperialism versus Kenyan tradition.