A Grain of Wheat

by

Ngugi wa Thiong’o

Rev. Jackson Kigondu Character Analysis

Rev. Jackson is a Gikuyu preacher who models the role of Christianity on both sides of the independence conflict. Although Rev. Jackson initially incorporates the ideas of Christianity into traditional Gikuyu beliefs, thus maintaining his Kenyan identity and making him a sought-after counsel amongst village leaders, he eventually converts to an orthodox, Western form of Christianity which leads him to reject ancestral beliefs and practices, spurn his relationships with village leaders, and even preach against the Freedom Fighters. This change represents a betrayal of Kenyan ideals, sacrificing their own cultural identity in exchange for a set of Western values. Not long after Rev. Jackson makes this change, he is executed by Mau Mau Fighters as a traitor, setting a firm example about the Kenyan practice of Christianity.

Rev. Jackson Kigondu Quotes in A Grain of Wheat

The A Grain of Wheat quotes below are all either spoken by Rev. Jackson Kigondu or refer to Rev. Jackson Kigondu. 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 14 Quotes

Koina talked of seeing the ghosts of the colonial past still haunting Independent Kenya. And it was true that those now marching in the streets of Nairobi were not the soldiers of the Kenya Land and Freedom Army but of the King’s African Rifles, the very colonial forces who had been doing on the battlefield what Jackson was doing in churches.

Related Characters: General R., Lt. Koina, Rev. Jackson Kigondu
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis:
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Rev. Jackson Kigondu Quotes in A Grain of Wheat

The A Grain of Wheat quotes below are all either spoken by Rev. Jackson Kigondu or refer to Rev. Jackson Kigondu. 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 14 Quotes

Koina talked of seeing the ghosts of the colonial past still haunting Independent Kenya. And it was true that those now marching in the streets of Nairobi were not the soldiers of the Kenya Land and Freedom Army but of the King’s African Rifles, the very colonial forces who had been doing on the battlefield what Jackson was doing in churches.

Related Characters: General R., Lt. Koina, Rev. Jackson Kigondu
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis: