Mumbi as a Central Character in 'A Grain of Wheat'

• Class: M.A. Sem-4• Roll No.: 28• Paper No. 14 : The African Literature• Enrollment No.: PG 14101019• Prepared By : Vaishali Hareshbhai Jasoliya • Email – ID: [email protected]• Submitted To: Department of English Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

Mumbi as a Central Character

NGUGI WA THIONG’O

• Kenyan Novelist

• A Grain of Wheat is written by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o

• Historical Novel

• First Published in 1967 by Heinemann

• Kenya’s struggle for independence

About Novel

Mumbi as a Central Character

She is wife of Gikonyo Sister of Kihika While Gikonyo was imprisoned she slept

with Karanja, who had been appointed village chief by the colonial power

She has a baby with Karanja man while, her husband is in a concentration camp.

• One of the Beautiful women in the village.• She admired by men particularly

Karanja and Gikonyo• Gikonyo left, Mumbi take

responsibility of house and his mother

Mumbi

• Strong

• Independent

• Resourceful

• Portrayed as less heroic than man

• Ideal patriotic women – fighting for freedom

• Courage and role of women in freedom fighting

• Thiong’o wants to demonstrate that,“If African women had not been such an innerforce, Kenyan would have never been what it is today”

Mumbi

• Women should not be looked down on as they can play important roles in the society

• Example Mumbi, Wami and Wambui were talking about the duties they have as contribution to the building of the nation

Thus, we can say that Mumbi has all the qualities but yet she not considered as central character. Because in men domain society its difficult that woman is in the centre. But in true sense we can say that Mumbi as central character.

Conclusion