A Grain of Wheat

by

Ngugi wa Thiong’o

Githua Character Analysis

Githua is a one-legged cripple, the village beggar. Although Githua tells a story about how he lost his leg as a Freedom Fighter, General R. discovers that Githua is lying, having lost his leg in a traffic accident instead. However, General R. is understanding, insisting that Githua invents his life for himself to give it meaning, as everyone does, and suggesting that most people are hiding such secrets as Githua, Gikonyo, or Mugo—though perhaps not as grave.

Githua Quotes in A Grain of Wheat

The A Grain of Wheat quotes below are all either spoken by Githua or refer to Githua. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Colonialism Theme Icon
).
Chapter 9 Quotes

“It makes his life more interesting to himself. He invents a meaning for his life, you see. Don’t we all do that? And to die fighting for freedom sounds more heroic than to die by accident.”

Related Characters: General R. (speaker), Mugo, Githua
Page Number: 147
Explanation and Analysis:
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Githua Quotes in A Grain of Wheat

The A Grain of Wheat quotes below are all either spoken by Githua or refer to Githua. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Colonialism Theme Icon
).
Chapter 9 Quotes

“It makes his life more interesting to himself. He invents a meaning for his life, you see. Don’t we all do that? And to die fighting for freedom sounds more heroic than to die by accident.”

Related Characters: General R. (speaker), Mugo, Githua
Page Number: 147
Explanation and Analysis: