A Grain of Wheat Themes

In A Grain of Wheat, Britain’s colonization of Kenya is the context against which its characters are formed as well as the primary political tension of the book. Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o, himself a native Kenyan, uses this context and development of his characters to explore the moral aspect of colonization from both the perspective of the British and rural Kenyans. Ngũgĩ’s narrative argues that, although both the colonizer and the colonized feel morally justified in…

A Grain of Wheat’s narrative is framed between the Gikuyu tribesmen Mugo and Kihika, who are fundamentally opposites. Mugo wants nothing more than to be left alone, uninvolved in Thabai’s conflict, while Kihika is the self-sacrificing leader of the freedom fighters. Through the contrast between their characterizations, the narrative argues that, although the desire to live independent and unburdened is understandable, it is virtually impossible—each person’s life is interconnected with those around them…

In A Grain of Wheat, Christianity occupies a complicated position. Both the imperial British and the freedom-fighting Gikuyu utilize various aspects of the religion, and for Kenyans it seems alternately a source of hope and a symbol of the whiteman’s invasion. Throughout the narrative, Ngũgĩ’s depiction of Christianity suggests that it plays a complex role in Gikuyu culture, acting sometimes as a tool of Western colonialism or, when integrated with traditional beliefs, a profound…

A Grain of Wheat’s male characters are notably weak and indecisive save for a rare few, while its female characters present themselves as confident, capable, and proud. Although women are socially disempowered in Gikuyu society, Ngũgĩ’s depiction of his female characters argues that they are just as strong as men and often stronger, succeeding when men fail or are gripped with indecision.

In A Grain of Wheat, Gikuyu women occupy a lower social…