The Language of Discord in The Novels of Ngugi Wa Thiong’o

Abstract

The fifties of the twentieth century saw an upsurge of tremendous anti-imperialistic and anti-colonial revolutionary upheavals, and the socio-political, religious and psychological turmoil of the Africans find a graphic reflection in the novels of Ngugiwa Thiong’o. Ngugi’s novels provide a mirror to the chaos of the period, highlighting all the conflicts and passions of human drama coupled with historical objectivity. Through his powerful usage of language, he exhibits his personal and social vision and exposes the picture of the evolution of the African society from the colonial to the independent and the post-colonial status. He chooses to critically examine and evaluate the Kenyan history through the two most significant aspects of cultural clash between the natives and the foreign invaders, namely, education and religion. He remarkably portrays the tragic position of the Kenyans torn by a lacerating discord of losing its cultural heritage and identity due to colonialism. This paper aims to highlight the epic struggle of the African people against colonialism laying emphasis on the thematic, linguistic and stylistic techniques used by Ngugi to expose the dynamics of discord experienced at the multidimensional levels. The novels have been explored with a view to highlight how they have contributed to the discourse of the motif of discord in its varied dimensions. This paper concludes on the note that Ngugi wa Thiong’o has made a significant contribution to the African points of view and perspectives on life, politics, culture and history and his novels have earned him a well-deserved reputation that marks him out as a visionary and a writer of the protest literature. His vision encompasses mankind as a whole and is global in its scope.