Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o wrote the novel, A Grain of Wheat in 1967 and
revised it in 1987. The novel shows the conditions during the Mau Mau movement
against the British Colonialism. It shows how different characters of the novel
react differently in the condition then prevailed. Mugo
embraces silence being guilt ridden, Gokonyo torturing him self with his
suspicion and alienation from his wife
Mumbi , Mumbi’ s helplessness in her submission to Karanza, collaborator with
the British and a rival of Kihika , the martyr of the movement, and the attempts by Kihika’s comrades to find out the person responsible
for Kihika’s death.
Mugo who has come back from detention camp starts
alone on the outskirts of village Githima . His silence is taken as seriousness by
others but he is afraid of others such as the mother of Githogo, the deaf and
dumb man killed by the soldiers and his aunt Waitherero. While Mugo immerses
himself in farming , Gikonyo who is also
a returnee from a detention camp
turns into a successful
businessman.
Another old man Warui
refers to the martyrs such as Waiykai and Harry who died for the community.
Wambui was an old woman who had great tales about her boldness in helping
the movement . Koina and the General R. were on the mission to find out the betrayer
of Kihika.
Gokonyo who also returned
from, detention camp expresses his doubt regarding his child born in his
absence to Mugo who also listens to the story of Mumbi later on. So, he is
comparable to a pastor who is a privy to the confessions of the troubled
people.
In the same novel we also
find the sub plot of John Thompson, the librarian of research station. Thompson
who returns from Madagascar campaigns
gets interested in literature and history and is on writing the work Prospero
in Africa. His wife Margery frustrated is seduced by Dr Van Dyke who meets a sudden death. Margery
is filled by guilt but her uneasy relation with her husband continues as they
are about to leave Kenya on the eve of ‘Uhuru’ or independence.
Karnaza is another
character shown as the lackey of the British but who tries to appear friendly
with his own community. He is like one who wants to hunt along with
hounds and running with hares.
The novelist creates
pathos, irony, wry humour and the impact
of guilt on individuals. The deaf and dumb Githogo’s death while running in his bid to rescue his mother
and being seen as terrorist by the soldiers. The cruel death of Waiyaki
expected to raise horror and Gikonyo’s
anguish over his wife Mumbi’s infidelity in her utter helplessness and
starvation. He depicts the colonial officer Thompson’s obsession in his work of civilizing the savage that
leads to his wife Mergery’s seduction by Dyke and her alienation from her husband. His humour brings a silent smile on the lips of the reader when
he comes to the last line.
“The eating- house was called Your Friend
Unto Death, in short , Friend. The stony
walls were covered with grease, a fertile ground for flies. They buzzed around
the customers, jumped on top of the cups and plates and at times even made love
on food brought on the table.(39).”
Ngugi also portrays
the estranged relationship among the
Whites. He sees how Dr Lynd’s aggressive dog tries to attack Karanja, the
silence of the black people, the fears of Dr .Lynd regarding the blacks and who
narrates how her trusted domestic
servant along with two others gagged her and
killed her dog brutally. Thompson who also worked as a district officer remembers the
killing of eleven detainees at Rira when they went on hunger strike and being in charge he was shifted to Githima.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o shows corruption prevalent in colonial s well
as employees after independence. MP,
police who accept money from Gikonyo, Karanja who wants to have best of both
the colonial era and aftermath are representative of corruption.
Mugo’s
physical appearance and inner
reality are polar opposites. The people
have respect for his solitary behaviour, time and suffering in camp. Ngugi describes him as follows:
“He was tall with large
dark eyes; the lines of his face were straight, clearly marked, almost carved
in stone -one of those people who induce hope and trust on the evidence of
their looks.”( 63) but this is completely in variance with what goes on in the
mind of Mugo when he is invited to speak at uhuru celebrations. He becomes
suspicious of party men for choosing him in stead of other such as Gikonyo or Warui
or any other forest fighters , praises himself
cunningness in telling convincing lies but could not refuse himself from speaking. In the meeting other detainees
spoke of love for country which kept them alive whereas Mugo spoke of his love
of home but his abrupt ending makes people see him only positively.
Gikonyo was an adroit
carpenter who loves his work. He also falls in love with Mumbi, the sister of
kihika . Ngugi describes the happiness Gikonyo felt while making panga for Mumbi’s
mother. Here Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o writes as follows ;
“He felt free .Everything , Thabai , the
whole world was under the control of his hand. Suddenly the wave of power broke
into ecstasy, an exultation. Peace settled in his heart.He felt a holy calm; he
was in love with all the earth.” (80).
Earlier a woman brings a
piece of wood to Gikonyo. Here the
writer describes the carpenter’s passion in his work.
The
woman stands there admiring the movement of his muscles. After a while, he
lifts the piece of wood , its far end resting on the table. He shuts the left
eye and peers at the wood with his half-open right eye. The he closes his right
eye and repeats the performance with the other eye. This finished, he knocks at
it swiftly, rhythmically. With the knuckle of the right front finger as if he
is exorcizing spirits from the wood. Next, he takes the hamme; srike, listen,
srike, listen. Then he sniffs the wood carefully ( that is professionally), and
gives it back to the woman. He resumes the other job.(72)
One of the Kenyans called Jackson converted to Christianity and tried to influence others.
The converts or the revivalists were
suspected by the movement people and Jackson and earlier teacher Muniu. Kihika
was a rebel from his school days , questioning his teacher Muniu for false
interpretation of the Bible regarding circumcision, refuses from punishment by
teacher and runs away to freedom. He inspires
Mumbi and others through telling them how Gandhi defied the British rule
and courted prison. Mumbi, the beautiful girl loves and chooses Gikonyo in preference to Karanza . Whiee the
trio were running to see the train, Karanza outruns them leaving free both
Gikonyo and Mumbi to experience joy of union. The novelist describes it in
lyrical prose. Karanza who feels outwitted turns jealous and apprehensive about intimacy between Gikonyo
and Mumbi and struggle hard to control himself.
The novelist portrays the humanist side of
Karanza despite his jealousy, breaking of oath, siding with the colonials and
the seduction of Mumbi who gives birth
to his child. You find similar desertions – the desertion of Wambuku who
refuses to go into forest along with
Kihika , Gikonyo’s confession to the
authorities to exchange detention camp
life for imaginary happy life with his wife Mumbi and mother Wangari which
proves illusory when he come to know of Mumbi’s child from Karanza , his impotent anger against Karanza , Mugo who
lends his ear to listen to the anguish
of Gikonyo and Mumbi all the while hiding his guilt for his part in the betrayal and death of Kihika ,his
consternation when praised by drunkard
Githua who lost his leg to a colonial
bullet and who addresses him as the chief in the bar
Gatu, who keeps his courage and
humour intact in Yala camp and Kihika
emerge as undaunted heroes and martyrs.
Njeri shows contempt when she comes to know of Wambuki’s weakness in her love towards Kihika ,
Gikonyo’s rage against the child of Mumbi and Karanza , and the Gikonyo’s
desperate look at Rung’ei are portrayed rather poignantly. What
we find here is a see-saw game between trust and distrust, illusion and
reality, purity of the soul and circumstantial corruption , idealism and cynicism. Ngũgĩ
wa Thiong'o shows the conflicting forces in all their humanity ,the
intricate conditions and good and evil in people on either side.
The writer’s description
of nature is stunning. While describing the memory of day during emergency,
The crops- young maize plants, potatoes, beans,
peas-opened out and spread their leaves to the sun. Mugo used a small jembe to
turn the soil over in the bare and weedy patches between the plants , his
fingers earthing up the crops. As he disturbed the plant stems , the dew drops
on the leaves would break and melt away. The air was fresh and clear and sharp.
The fields around, all covered with green
things-long, wide leaves hiding the dark earth-appeared beautiful to
look at. The sun became increasingly hotter; the moisture on leaves evaporated;
leaves dropped, so that at noon the greatness had waned , slightly ashy, and
the fields appeared tired. Mugo lay back under the shade of a Mwariki and
experienced that excessive contentment which one feels during a noon ret from
toil(121-122)
While visiting Gikonyo’s
home , he remembers his stay in camp , hoe he remained tight-lipped during
interrogation, hunger strike by the
detainees and beating and deaths of eleven prisoners. Mugo does not Gikonyo at home, mumbi invites
him for tea and relates how Wambuku , Kihika’s woman has gone berserk after she
comes to know of the death of kihika. Mumbi also comes to know about Gikonyo’s
revealing of their relation including how she bore the child of Karanza..
The novel shows how the
colonial administration seeks revenge for an attack on Mahee Police post, demolishes
old homes of Thabai village and erects a camp, restrains movement of people
leading to starvation of women and children and even molestation of women by soldiers who cause the death of
Wambuku. Mumbi elates her story after Gikonyo was taken away, the starvation of
her family of five including her parents faced, deaths of villagers in the trench labouring and Karanja who has joined
home guards and became Chief later on approaching her , her calling him Judas, his
protestations of innocence and vouchsafing of the supremacy of the Whites, the intimacy between her mother-in-law and
herself talking of release of Gikonyo
and giving herself to Karanja in
submissive gratitude.
The irony lies in her confession to Mugo who has been a
betrayer of Kihika to be exposed during
freedom celebrations. The novelist describes the dilemma of Mugo
after listening to Mumbi’s story in a moving manner.
She paused. The light still played in her dark
voluptuous eyes. She was young. She was beautiful. A big lump blocked Mugo’s
throat. Something heaved forth; he trembled; he was at the bottom of the pool, but up there, above the pool ran
the earth; life, struggle ,even amidst pain and blood and poverty, seemed
beautiful; only for a moment; how dared he believe in such a vision , an
illusion? (146)
Kihika’s friends General
R. , Koina and others are in search of the betrayer. They suspect Karanja as the responsible person for Kihika’s death.Kranja
himself is afraid of the exit of the British colonials.
John Thompson who served
the empire faithfully in all its brutality and ‘civilizing ‘ mission realises that their days of reign are over in Kenya, but tells his wife Margery while returning
from party,” Africa cannot, cannot do
without Europe.”( 161)
While Mugo is haunted by
guilt and searching eyes of people, every one line Warui, Githua and others
think of him as hero. His refusal to agree to talk during freedom festival is seen as
modesty. His confession to Mumbi who
when asked by others went to convince him to talk at the festival. He recounts
the horrors of the camp life and expresses his guilty mind.
Imagine all your life you can not sleep-so
many fingers touching your flesh-eyes always watching you-in dark places-in
corners-in streets -in the fields-sleeping, waking, o rest-ah! Those eyes-
cannot you for a minute , leave a man alone- I mean -let a man eat, drink,
work-all of you-Kihika, Gikonyo -the old woman, that general -who sent you here
tonight / who ? Aah! Those eyes again -we shall see who is stronger-now- (180)
He prevents
her from leaving and uses physical force making her see terror in his
wyes and submitting herself to him and sobbing later.
Mugo remembers Kihika’s
meeting with him after Killing Robson, his words on importance of freedom , the
human fears of death and ask Mugo to meet him again. the novelist portrays the
psychological ambiguity of Mugo, Karanja and even Gikonyo who separates from his wife Mumbi over her
bearing the child of karanja. Gikonyo’s mother chides him for his
insensitivity. Karnaja who has joined
home guards and killed many black freedom fighters feels lost after the exit of
the British, feels slighted over Mumbi’s concern for the Gikonyo wounded in the
race with karanja, gets reprieved by Mugo’s confession of his guilt and dies by
suicide after falling under train. The same Mugo who defied the colonial
whipping of a pregnant woman in the trench, feels Kihika as a nuisance in
his comfortable life , betrays him and earns the scorn of the whites, spends a term in the
camp and
returns home to suffer from
guilt. His open confession during Uhuru celebrations shocks people and leads to
his death by Kihika’s friends.
But his courage in
confession is applauded by Karanja , and
even Gikonyo who remembers his own
confession regarding oath taken and he grasps that he is not much different
from others who bent if not broken.The novel ends on a note of reconciliation
between Gikonyo in hospital and Mumbi
who still retains her freedom of choice. Gikonyo thinks of a wedding gift , a
stool carved from Muiri wood . “ I’ll change the woman’s figure. I shall carve
a woman big -big with child.”(243)
In the novel Mumbi
emerges as a fascinating character. She is a sister of Kihika, loves Gikonyo,
suffers starvation during mergency and tales care of her parents, mother-in-law and child, tries to save Karanja by sending him a note, understands Mugo, and stands free
psychologically in her life.
In the entire novel Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o unfolds the drama of
struggle in all its complexity, ambiguity and brutality of the colonial
officers, passion for freedom of people like Kihika, and general R, Koina,
cowardice , betrayal, opportunism by some blacks who join the colonial system, sufferings of
fathers, mothers , wives and the
detainees and inevitable compromises of
the women like Mumbi, Wambuku during the struggle period and the folks’
worship of the heroes or whom they assumed as heroes in freedom struggle, the silence of
Wambui over the fate of Mugo punished by the movement. Jomo Kenyatta’s invisible
presence, and the continuation of
colonial police system even after independence. The novelist presents the complex
truth in beautiful and poignant prose
delineating the situation and
characterisation of the people caught in the transition to freedom.
