Introduction:
The River Between is a hugely powerful novel which examines the conflicts and tribulations which Kenyan tribes went through particularly during the Mau Mau uprising. Naturally enough the main focus is the feeling of identity which goes to the very heart of the matter obviously in the light of the rebellion against the British colonial masters. The differences in faith are also a factor in deciding which of the tribes will be successful in the continuation of their normal daily lives and here we also have an intense focus on conversation, tribal dialects and suchlike.
Plot summary
The book analyses the story of Kenya during the settlement of the British. The arrival of the white settlers spelt almost certain doom for the African and Kenyan way of life. The British set about to levy taxes on the land where the tribes on the opposing sides of the river had lived for centuries and this meant that each of the tribes had an option, either to conform to what the British were proposing or else the other option which meant independence and adherence to African traditions. With one tribe accepting this option and the other going over to the British way of life, the river became a dividing point between both communities, something which undoubtedly made it a source of war and conflict. Water is most probably the most important source for Africans who need to live off the land as it sustains them to a certain extent and it also means that if anyone is deprived of it, they will waste away and die. Nothwitstanding all this, life in the mountains is very much a hard one and the British were adept at creating situations which were very hard for the tribes to stay out of.
The notion of religion also plays an important part in Ngugi Wa Thiong’s novel. The Africans relied on several tribal notions which had been handed down from generation to generation and this intrinsically meant that those who did not conform were shunned out of the whole life cycle. There were also issues regarding the healing of the sick as well as witch doctors who held sway over the tribes with terror and ruthlessness. The author seems to abhor these rules and regulations and is sympathetic towards the Christian way of life which was practised by the British.
Power relations between the British and the African tribes are also important factors in the book. There are areas where the possibility of confrontation is there for the taking whilst there are also situations which call for a certain amount of alacrity and tact. Thiong’s flowing narrative is very effective in certain points especially when he begins demonstrating the importance of retaining African nationalism in situations of great delicacy. He does not really see the British as enemies but he cannot abide the fact that these have come and conquered his homeland without any resistance. Here the shades of the Mau Mau rebellion and Jomo Kenyatta come into the equation.
Crisis over circumcision
However the issue which creates the most tension between the two tribes is the resistance of the British to the barbaric process of circumcision which was pretty much rife in the Kenya and Africa of those days. The protestant missionaries introduced by the British were definitely determined to eradicate this process while the tribes and village elders saw it as a necessary part of the ritual of womanhood and identity. The author is very adept at describing the inevitable tensions that this situation creates and how he is probably personally against the barbaric process of circumcision.
However the tribal elders see this as an affront to their identity and views on womanhood. One must not forget that women were treated very much in an inferior manner in the Africa of those times (there is still an ongoing practise of female circumcision today in certain parts of the continent). However the Kenyan tribes refused to accept the white settler’s interference in their customs as they thought that this would completely ruin their way of life and would destroy all that they had fought for to be fiercely independent.
“Had not Mugo wa Kibiro the great Gikuyu seer, in whose line Chege and his son run, talked about the coming of the white man? Mugo told the people that . ‘‘You could not cut butterflies with a panga you could not spear them until you learnt their ways of movement, trap and fight back”(p 20)
This quote shows the deference of the tribesman to his traditions and the distaste of those who wanted to destroy a tradition which they saw as barbaric and horrifying. Essentially this is part and parcel of the novel where the author subtly explains how everyone in the tribes is constantly torn between decisions that need to be taken for the betterment of the tribes and the confrontation with the white settlers.
A Grain of Wheat
The same author writes another novel which is called ‘A Grain of Wheat’ and which focuses with depth and intensity on the Mau Mau rebellion. The novel starts with an uprising in a small Kenyan village which ends up with the hanging of one of the villagers who is punished by the British for his rebellious treason. This eventually leads to a serious uprising among the Kenyans who begin to realize that they cannot remain as prods of the British without any sort of independent prowess.
The book also includes a recollection of flashbacks on the situation of loyalty between the Mau Mau people. Here one has to show and analyse complete loyalty to the Mau Mau cause while the British suppression of this organization is also an important leitmotif which runs throughout the book.
The book attempts to follow a large selection of characters in the days which came before what was known as ‘Uhuru’ which is actually Kenyan independence. The trials and tribulations of the villagers who had to ensure that their way of life did not evaporate into nothing. The author gives us avid and clear descriptions of the various characters who are all wrestling with their own thoughts on the acquiring of independence from the British. We observe the terrible tortures and beatings which went on in the Mau Mau detention camps and which left the natives in situations of depression and apathy. The complex systems of loyalty are also part and parcel of everything in the story as they demonstrate the importance of loyalty when one is fighting for his homeland against such brutal oppressors.
The question of having made the right choice also comes into the book. Some of the politicians who formed part of the Mau Mau rebels have also began to line their own pockets with many and this has led to corruption. The British influence was also something which could not exactly go away in a few minutes or in a few years and the fact that several million people were now independent meant that control was no longer much of an issue in this sense.
Naturally enough, Thiongo is very much in line with his Kenyan compatriots as he too wants the British to get out of the country as fast as possible. And although the repression of the Kenyans had nothing much to do with that of the South Africans, who were basically removed from their own homeland and left to live without any sustenance. Here it is instructive to compare another novel which deals with South African and colonial independence: In the Heart of the Country This is a classic novel which demonstrates the relationship between whites and blacks in South Africa in the apartheid era. The principal topic which is very clear in this book is the history of the place where black South Africans are emarginated and almost eradicated by policies of resettlement applied by their white masters. In fact the main character in the book, Magda nurses a bitter hatred towards the African race largely embodied by her complete isolation in the Veldt which are the vast plains of the Johannesburg region. Historically this was Bantu land but the Afrikaaners and Boers made it their own setting up farmsteads and other properties where they made the most out of the rich natural resources of the said land.
The language of the book is also deep and full of psychological invective. The most interesting aspect of all this is the relationship between Magda and her father who disrupts tradition by taking an African mistress, this is something that Magda cannot understand. She sees the African’s as her enemy so that fact that her father took a mistress from them is something which puzzles her and creates intrinsic self doubt in her. However she does continue caring for her father, albeit grudgingly and without much purpose although everything develops within the context of the root cause for survival. In fact Magda’s self control seems to go out of the window when an attractive black male servant arrives to live with the family and she also experiences sexual longings of her own. This is played out in high drama which is an essential part of the book.
The location is probably the most important aspect of the book however. The vast plains of the Veldt and the Traansvaal hold their own intrinsic secrets and Magda struggles to come to terms with them, especially when she is continually confronted by loneliness and unhappiness. She attempts to find meaning in the work she does but all this seems to vanish into nothingness in the vast Veldt which does not speak but chastises at the same time. The relationship between land and humans which is an intrinsic part of African culture cannot always be understood by Magda who perhaps is continually confronted by self-doubt and inner turmoil. Her relationship with her father which is a stormy one also is played out in the context of this vast barren landscape which could be said to have a mind of its own. The power of this aura cannot be overstated.
The education levels of Magda are not always what one may deem as good and ignorance perhaps also plays a part in all this. Magda seems to have no goal in life other than taking care of her depressed father who actually comes to life when the maidservant appears. All these themes are strongly interwoven into a narrative of intense beauty and almost fatalistic tragedy throughout. It is a novel which speaks powerfully and directly on the South African heartland and the extreme harshness of life which is played out in this setting of mystery and redemption. In several ways it is quite similar to ‘A Grain of Wheat’ which deals with the struggle of imposing independence on a nation which was still in the thralls of the British.
The Other Woman – Grace Ogot
Grace Ogot is known to be one of Africa’s most prominent writers. She has written several books but one of her most important publications is her collection of short stories under the title of The Other Woman. Ogot manages to combine several traditional factors in her stories ranging from female traditions in Africa as well as a certain progressiveness. The Other Woman includes several stories with evocative titles such as ‘Pay Day’ which describes a robbery at a bank and how a woman cashier deals with the men who have broken into the premises. There is also a lot of symbolism in her writing which is essentially based in the background to Lake Victoria where mystical female characters abound in a sort of spiritual loop
The Middle Door is similarly racy and intriguing in its quest for female independence. Here the author describes how a woman goes for a ride in a taxi without having much patience for what happens next as she cannot seem to wait for her husband to turn up. She then embarks on a harrowing train ride which is full of symbolism and erotic conundrums as she has to engage in conversation with people on the train. Ogot is a master at creating situations of extreme tension and conflict in a woman’s mind as she is attempting to face her destiny. One has to remember that women were treated as worse than chattel in the Africa of the post war period and the situation has not really improved much since. In fact the scene of rape in The Middle Door is terribly harrowing and hugely powerful with the policeman telling the woman, ‘We want you – and we get what we want’. It is a simple demonstration of the helplessness and hopelessness in which woman found themselves in Africa when faced with such terrifying situations. The sense of tyranny and male domination is very powerful and Ogot is indeed a master of her craft here.
In ‘The Other Woman’, Ogot creates a similar situation where her main character is accosted by men who have no other interest but to rape and defile her. It is perhaps a shocking situation in the extreme but this demonstrates that the African male was solely interested in doing what he does best and that is defile and rape woman. Ogot is very strong and direct in her language – she does not shy away in the least when faced with situations such as these so her graphic descriptions of the situations makes for mostly harrowing reading. The discussion on pregnancy and evil spirits is also very powerful indeed and shows that woman harboured deep and infinitely psychological thoughts on their unborn children.
In ‘The Fisherman’, Ogot is also very pronounced about certain details which occur around Lake Victoria. The sense of suspense which she manages to create is also very beautiful and fantastically pronounced in every way. The other stories focus very much on the intensity of womanhood and the deep nature of spirituality which permeates the African psyche with regard to witch doctors and suchlike. Ogot is a master of her craft with regards to creating terribly uncomfortable situations where everything almost dissolves into nothingness and where life is but a blip in the trail of tears. Women are treated as worse than dirt by the male dominated society by they intrinsically have their own dignity and will face adversity with outstanding courage and stoicism.
In ‘The Honourable Minister’, Ogot examines a situation of class consciousness where the main character is afflicted by a life of poverty whilst her step sister seems to have it all without any qualms and she is also prepared to flaunt her wealth. The problems of hatred and class divisions are subtly envisaged by Ogot who focuses on the disparity between the rich and the poor with slums and dustbins just outside the rich parts of the town.
I was enthused and pleasantly surprised by Ogot’s short stories which focused intensely on the liberation of women which is something that is severely lacking in Africa even at this point in time.
Conclusion:
All three books face the question of African nationalism in different ways. Whilst the former two are more focused on how violence and resistance can destroy oppression, Grace Ogot’s short stories are pretty much focused on the emancipation of African women from their torment and self-loathing. The indelible stains of British colonialism in Africa are there for all to see especially in the manner in which the Mau Mau rebels were treated in British concentration camps, this is something which is still being discussed today at great length.
African nationalism is something which is important for the revival of the continent from the shackles of colonialism. All three books are brilliant examples of this nationalism which comes to the fore in more ways than one and when suffering is brought into the equation, the writing is much more powerful. Although one cannot completely condone the Mau Mau rebels who used violent methods to come to the top and dispose of British colonialism, there were situations which some cannot condone as regards the oppression of the British. Grace Ogot’s quest for female liberation is indeed powerful and direct and is the guiding light for African nationalism and the emancipation of women. Ngugi Wa Thiong is also a great author who brings certain issues to the fore and this is summed up in his two excellent novels.
Works Cited:
Ogot Grace; The Other Woman: selected short stories, Nairobi: Transafrica, 1976.
Ngugi Wia Thongio: The Grain of Wheat; Heinemann 1986, print
Ngugi Wia Thongio: The River Between; Heinemann 1965, print
