History 152
April 1, 2002

Lessons For Everyone

In his story The River Between, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o talks of the many different aspects of life in an African Tribe. He details the relationships of father and of son, the justice system and its laws, and the varying values of the people and separates them not only by tribe, but cuts them along patriarchal, clan, family and religious lines. The story is extremely archetypal in many different ways. Ngugi uses the two tribes and pits them against each other with varying beliefs though they both originally stemmed from the same religion and culture. He uses the Honia river to separate the two groups physically by running a river through the land they share, thereby connecting them as they are both African tribes, but keeping them alone in their individuality and their singular beliefs.

With this book and its characters, Ngugi moves to show the varying ideas across the African culture after the arrival of the white man into the area. Ngugi narrates the events of how Christianity spread to the tribes and formed a rift between those who continued to follow the ways of the African tribe, and those who followed the new path of Jesus. Ngugi shows the theme of cultural and family division during the two main themes in the story. First, Waiyaki’s second birth into the world, the death of Muthoni and of Cheng. Ngugi uses these events as the succession rise and fall of Waiyaki. The influence of those around him and the way the character reacts to such events. The demand to follow tradition, and the rebellion of Muthoni and her going against the values of her family and tribe.

Ngugi shows with Waiyaki’s father Cheng the shame that can be brought upon a tribe. Ngugi also uses Cheng and Waiyaki to be an example of a family not honored for their ansesters the ancestor of a great seer, Cheng hoped that Waiyaki would be able to bring honor to the tribe and to the family by answering an ancient prophecy. When Wayaki and Nyamburu form a relationship, many people are torn in a variety of ways. The tribes to honor their beliefs, the individuals to follow the ways of the tribe, but the longing for what they want and the organization forms to promote the unity and purity of the tribe and to resist alien influences. Ngugi finally has Waiyaki help Joshua of impending danger but is turned away by him. At the Kameno camp however, his presence leads to a chare being brought forth against him of having broken his oath to the Kiama. He is then torn between his loyalties: To the tribe, the society he lives in, and Nyambura. In the end, Ngugi shows Waiyaki as he hesitates on his decision, and in the end looses.

I believe that Ngugi was directing his story and its morals at no one particular group of people. In The River Between he covers so many different and varying view points, and discusses so many different ideas, that the ideas of this book reach out to everyone who reads it?

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