Previous
Karanja
Mumbi is Gikonyo’s wife, Wanjiku and Mbugua’s daughter, and Kihika and Kariuki’s sister. Mumbi is a villager of Thabai and the single main character to remain in the village while everyone else is either fighting in the forest or arrested and in detention. As a woman, Mumbi is also the strongest main character in the story, demonstrating the power of women and their ability to affect events and succeed where men have failed. After marrying Gikonyo, Mumbi is afraid that he will go to the forest to fight with the Mau Mau, but resolves that she will fight alongside him in spite of her fear. After her husband is arrested, Mumbi helps to care for her mother-in-law Wangari and does her part in rebuilding the village of Thabai after it is burned down. Although she resists Karanja’s advances for the six years Gikonyo is detained, she is so dispirited and weakened by the end that she allows him to take advantage of her, eventually giving birth to Karanja’s child. Although she loves her child, this betrayal of Gikonyo becomes a great burden for her to carry. However, Mumbi also plays a critical role in Mugo’s character development. In her willingness to sit and share her life story with Mugo, as well as her courage to confide her own failure to him, Mumbi begins to penetrate Mugo’s thick wall of detachment and eventually inspires him to tell the truth about his betrayal of Kihika. Thus, Mumbi is not only the strongest but one of the most vital characters in the story, moving Mugo, the protagonist, from a state of detachment from his community to a state of engagement with it, however brief.
Mumbi Quotes in A Grain of Wheat
The A Grain of Wheat quotes below are all either spoken by Mumbi or refer to Mumbi. 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:
).
Chapter 7
Quotes
“I would hate to see a train run over my mother or father, or brothers. Oh, what would I do?” [Mumbi] quickly exclaimed.
“Women are cowards.” Karanja said half in joke.
“Would you like a train to run over you?” Mumbi retorted angrily. Karanja felt the anger and did not answer.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Gikonyo greedily sucked sour pleasure from this reflection which he saw as a terrible revelation. To live and die alone is the ultimate truth.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9
Quotes
“As for carrying a gun for the whiteman, well, a time will come when you too will know that every man in the world is alone, and fights alone, to live.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
A big lump blocked Mugo’s throat. Something heaved forth; he trembled; he was at the bottom of the pool, but up there, above the pool, ran the earth; life, struggle, even amidst pain and blood and poverty, seemed beautiful; only for a moment; how dared he believe in such a vision, an illusion?
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire A Grain of Wheat LitChart as a printable PDF.
Mumbi Quotes in A Grain of Wheat
The A Grain of Wheat quotes below are all either spoken by Mumbi or refer to Mumbi. 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:
).
Chapter 7
Quotes
“I would hate to see a train run over my mother or father, or brothers. Oh, what would I do?” [Mumbi] quickly exclaimed.
“Women are cowards.” Karanja said half in joke.
“Would you like a train to run over you?” Mumbi retorted angrily. Karanja felt the anger and did not answer.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Gikonyo greedily sucked sour pleasure from this reflection which he saw as a terrible revelation. To live and die alone is the ultimate truth.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9
Quotes
“As for carrying a gun for the whiteman, well, a time will come when you too will know that every man in the world is alone, and fights alone, to live.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
A big lump blocked Mugo’s throat. Something heaved forth; he trembled; he was at the bottom of the pool, but up there, above the pool, ran the earth; life, struggle, even amidst pain and blood and poverty, seemed beautiful; only for a moment; how dared he believe in such a vision, an illusion?
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
