A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong'o
"A Grain of Wheat," a novel by Ngugi wa Thiong'o, is set against the backdrop of Kenya's struggle for independence from British colonial rule. The narrative unfolds in a rural village, Thabai, during the tumultuous period marked by the Mau Mau uprising. It interweaves the lives of several characters, including Gikonyo, a carpenter, and his wife Mumbi, as they navigate the complexities of loyalty, betrayal, and the quest for freedom. Central to the story is Mugo, whose internal conflict and eventual moral choices highlight themes of courage and cowardice amidst societal upheaval. The plot thickens as characters grapple with their roles in resistance movements and the consequences of their actions in a politically charged environment. The novel explores the psychological impacts of colonialism and the ethical dilemmas faced by individuals when wrestling with personal desires versus communal responsibilities. As independence approaches, the characters confront their pasts and the stark realities of a newly liberated society, questioning whether true freedom has been achieved. Through this rich tapestry of human experiences, Ngugi presents a poignant commentary on the nature of identity, resistance, and the complexities of post-colonial existence.
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A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong'o
First published: 1967
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of plot: Mid-twentieth century
Locale: Kenya
Principal characters
Mugo , a young farmerGikonyo , a young carpenterKihika , a young revolutionaryKaranja , a young librarianMumbi , Gikonyo’s wifeThomas Robson , the colonial district officer, murdered by KihikaJohn Thompson , the colonial district officer after Robson’s murder
The Story:
When the British colonizers come to Kenya, they strengthen their hold on the territory by building a great railroad. Waiyaki and other warrior leaders took up arms against this imposition, but they were defeated. Most Kenyans gradually learn to make accommodations with the new regime, though the seeds of revolution spread underground in “the Movement,” known to the British as Mau Mau.
Among the younger generation are Gikonyo, a well-known carpenter in the village of Thabai, and Mumbi, his wife and one of the most beautiful women in the area. They listen as one of their peers, Kihika, speaks before a large crowd and encourages guerrilla warfare against the British. Mugo also listens, but, unlike Gikonyo and Mumbi, he hates what Kihika says. Mugo thinks native Kenyans have no chance of successfully opposing the British, and he decides to do his job quietly and succeed in the new order of things. Karanja, who unsuccessfully sought the hand of Mumbi, feels even more strongly that the best policy is to accept the British as invincible.
Before long, Kihika disappears into the forest with many other young men who arm themselves. A year later, their most successful raid is the capture of the Mahee police post; this infuriates the British. They declare a state of emergency and imprison many of the young men of Thabai, including Gikonyo. Even Mugo is arrested for intervening when a woman is being beaten. Despite the efforts by the British to quell the Kenyan resistance, the violence continues, and District Officer Thomas Robson is assassinated.
Mugo is taken to Rira camp, where John Thompson is the warden. Though Mugo respects the British, in these circumstances he feels unjustly accused and refuses to cooperate. He begins to get a reputation among the other detainees as an inspiration to courage. Mugo does nothing to justify their hopes, but he does feel vague and grandiose religious impulses and begins to see himself as a possible messiah for his people. Finally, there is an uprising in which Mugo plays no part, and twenty-one prisoners are killed. This episode places a blot on Thompson’s career, the British believing he overreacted; nevertheless, he is named as Robson’s replacement as district officer.
Before long, Mugo is released. After his return to the village, he receives an unexpected—and unwelcome—visit from Kihika, a hunted man. Kihika reveals that he, disguised as an old man, killed Robson, the district officer. This news terrifies Mugo. Oblivious to Mugo’s cowardice, Kihika encourages him to lead an underground movement in the village and asks him to think about it and to meet him the next evening. Mugo resents the ethical choice that Kihika thrusts upon him. He decides to betray him and secretly tells Thompson where Kihika will be the next night. The soldiers arrest Kihika and murder him.
Gikonyo is moved from one detention camp to another—seven in all—and finally, after six years, has most of his revolutionary zeal drained from him. He thinks only of Mumbi. He signs a confession and is released. There are rumors that freedom is coming to the country. When Gikonyo returns to the village, however, he receives two unwelcome surprises. The first is that Karanja, whom he has never respected, has risen from leader of the homeguards (who report to the British) to village chief. The second is that his wife, Mumbi, gave birth to a son in his absence, and the father is Karanja. Gikonyo becomes embittered and disillusioned.
Kenya regains its independence (uhuru) on December 12, 1963. Thabai, like the other towns, celebrates with a large rally that all villagers attend. Warui, Wambui, General R., and Lieutenant Koina, who worked in the Movement for many years, are planning to use the occasion to unmask Kihika’s betrayer. All their suspicions fall upon Karanja, who is the most notorious collaborator in the village. When independence approaches, Karanja resigns as chief and goes to work in the library. He also serves, however, as a messenger for John Thompson, his mistress, and his wife.
Their plan is to have Mugo, whose reputation as a hero has by now grown by leaps and bounds, present a speech that will climax with the naming of Karanja. Mugo, burdened with guilt, refuses and asks to be left alone. Mumbi tries to change his mind, so he tells her the truth. She warns Karanja not to attend the rally, but he ignores her advice. Then the people dispatch a delegation that drags Mugo into their midst, where they await his triumphant speech. They call him “Kihika-born-again.” Instead, he stands before them all and reveals himself as the traitor.
Mugo’s aged aunt dies, and he is left totally alone in the world. Wambui, General R., and Lieutenant Koina visit him, confirm his guilt, and execute him. Karanja, who placed all his hopes on the British, recognizes how dangerous his situation is when Thompson leaves the country. Karanja flees, but he knows he has nowhere to go. Warui and Wambui, who were with the Movement for such a long time, now feel empty, wondering whether things have improved or whether they have simply exchanged one corrupt government for another. Gikonyo and Mumbi, on the other hand, reconcile and look forward to the future.
Bibliography
Anonby, John A. “From the Exodus to the Passion: A Grain of Wheat.” In The Kenyan Epic Novelist Ngugi: His Secular Reconfiguration of Biblical Themes. Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 2006. Focuses on Ngugi’s depiction of biblical themes in A Grain of Wheat and other novels. Ngugi, who received a Christian education, has criticized the inconsistencies between Christian beliefs and the political realities of imperialism.
Breidlid, Anders. Resistance and Consciousness in Kenya and South Africa: Subalternity and Representation in the Novels of Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Alex La Guma. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Focuses on the two African writers’ depiction of oppressed characters and how these characters seek to resist their political and social subjugation. Places these writers’ novels within their political and historical contexts.
Dramé, Kandioura. The Novel as Transformation Myth: A Study of the Novels of Mongo Beti and Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Syracuse, N.Y.: Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, 1990. Situates the novel as the second in Ngugi’s Mau Mau trilogy. Discusses Ngugi’s use of popular myths and his use of the novel to present a fictionalized history of Kenya and the transformation of Kenyans’ consciousness of their responsibilities as citizens.
Gandhi, Lingaraja. Connecting the Postcolonial, Ngugi and Anand. New Delhi: Atlantic, 2006. Compares the works of Ngugi and Indian writer Mulk Raj Anand. Traces the influences of Karl Marx, Frantz Fanon, and Mahatma Gandhi on their writings and the language of their fiction. Includes an interview with Ngugi.
Gikandi, Simon. Ngugi wa Thiong’o. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Analyzes all of Ngugi’s works within the context of the colonization and decolonization of Kenya, demonstrating how his writings reflect the changing history of Africa. Chapter 4, “Representing Decolonization: A Grain of Wheat,” focuses on this novel.
Lovesey, Oliver. Ngugi wa Thiong’o. New York: Twayne, 2000. Introductory overview of Ngugi’s life, work, and place in both African and world literature. The first chapter provides a brief history of Kenya, as well as details about his life and career; subsequent chapters discuss his fiction and other writings.
Mugesera, Leon. “Guilt and Redemption in Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s A Grain of Wheat.” Présence Africaine: Cultural Review of the Negro World 125 (1983): 214-232. Argues that guilt and betrayal, followed by redemption, is the theme not only of this novel but of all postindependence African literature. Ngugi typically uses the situations of marriage to weave variations on this theme. Mugesera sees this as Ngugi’s most successful novel.
Nazareth, Peter, ed. Critical Essays on Ngugi wa Thiong’o. New York: Twayne, 2000. The essays include examinations of Ngugi’s colonial education, a comparison of his Kenya and Walt Whitman’s America, the influence of Frantz Fanon on his work, and his visions of Africa. Three of the essays analyze A Grain of Wheat: “Prospero and the Land of Calibans: A Grain of Wheat” by Harish Narang, “The Structure of Symbolism in A Grain of Wheat” by Bu-Buakei Jabbi, and “Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s A Grain of Wheat: Season of Irony” by Kennneth Harrow.
Sicherman, Carol M. “Ngugi wa Thiong’o and the Writing of Kenyan History.” Research in African Literatures 20, no. 3 (1989): 347-370. Points out that in the second edition of the novel the author made certain revisions that show his increasing condemnation of the neocolonialism he sees among his fellow Kenyans, and his clear decision to use fiction to show citizens their history as a movement away from enslavement.