Ngugi wa Thiong’o is a Kenyan scholar recognized for essays, short stories, novels, social criticism, and plays. He was on January 5th 1938 in Limuru Kenya. He is the leading novelist in East Africa. Currently, Ngugi wa Thiong’o is a professor in English at the United States’ University of California. He was raised in Kenya. Independence war in Kenya, popularly known as Mau Mau, he was one of the influential actors. Due to his literary works that often exposed the ills of the government, Ngugi was imprisoned by the Moi regime and eventually forced into exile to the United States where he lives to date.
Colonialism and bad leadership are some of the factors that motivated different literary works by Ngugi. In one of his books such as a Grain of Wheat, he focuses on the aftermath of the struggle for independence regarding social, racial and moral aspects. The River Between is another example whereby he demonstrates the conflict between traditional African beliefs and Christianity. Similarly, the book depicts that reuniting a culturally divided community through education was doomed to fail (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica). On the other hand Petals of blood, explains the economic challenges created by the greedy indigenous bourgeoisie who continued to exploit peasant workers after independence (Hagen). The book, Wizard of the crow bears the legacy of colonialism and is perpetuated by a native dictatorship. After he was detained without trial for one year, Ngugi wa Thiong’o wrote a book titled, A writers Prison’s Diary where he explained his ordeals and attacked the capitalist system corruption and religious hypocrisy. From 1986 he declared his intention to writing only in Kikuyu and Swahili languages as a way of arguing for Africa literature. In most of his books where he presents his ideas covering politics culture and literature, he has demonstrated that he was genuinely inspired by colonialism and in Africa and the challenges they continue to face (Hagen). He has earned a reputation as one of the most articulate social critics.
After his release, he was forced to go into exile after his family was harassed and was reinstated as a professor from the University of Nairobi. The harassment is seen to have been politically motivated, as he was at the forefront to criticize the dictatorial regime of Moi government. While in exile, he worked for the exoneration of prisoners jailed due to political matters (Norridge). In addition, he wrote, Decolonizing the Mind and detained. The politics of language in Africa literature is a book he wrote in an attempt to encourage Africans to express themselves in their native language rather than other languages mostly European. Ngugi wa Thiong’o aim was to rebuild a reliable Africa literature renouncing colonial ties (Norridge).
Similarly, while still living in Kenya, Ngugi wa Thiong’o embarked on a mission to liberate theatrical process from what he viewed as bourgeois education system through promoting audience participation in performances. He demystified the theatrical process, avoiding alienation, which, according to him produced active stars which consequently, encouraged passivity in ordinary people (Norridge). Apart from the subsequent detention after the release of the Petals of Blood, Ngugi wa Thiong’o’ faced other challenges such as the closure of his book Ngaahika Ndeeda despite its commercial success.
Ngugi wa Thiong’o has dedicated his life towards destabilizing the corridors of power, describing and satirizing has contributed significantly to the shaping of African literature. Others believe he deserves the Nobel Prize. Similarly, the decision to quit writing In English is considered as rave ad groundbreaking.
Works Cited
Hagen, Susan. "Writer, Social Activist Ngugi Wa Thiong'o On 'Language As Battlefield'." Rochester.Edu, 2018, http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=7352. Accessed 6 May 2018.
Norridge, Zoe. "Why Ngugi Wa Thiong'o Should Have Won The Nobel Prize For Literature." The Guardian, 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2010/oct/08/ngugi-wa-thiong-o-nobel-prize-literature. Accessed 6 May 2018.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Ngugi Wa Thiong'o | Kenyan Writer". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ngugi-wa-Thiongo. Accessed 6 May 2018.
Wrong, Michela. "Ngugi Wa Thiong’O On Starting Out As A Writer". Nytimes.Com, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/23/books/review/ngugi-wa-thiongo-birth-of-a-dream-weaver.html. Accessed 6 May 2018.
