This document discusses culture and language in Ngugi wa Thiong'o's novel "A Grain of Wheat". It summarizes that Ngugi wrote the novel in English to promote Kenyan culture and the Gikuyu language over English, as English was associated with colonialism. The novel incorporates elements of Kenyan culture like Gikuyu words, songs and proverbs to reinforce the language and culture. It also depicts characters who betray the Kenyan nation to show opposition to colonial influences. Overall, the document analyzes how Ngugi used language and cultural elements in the novel to promote post-colonial Kenyan identity and sovereignty.

1. An Issue of Culture and Language in A
Grain of Wheat
Prepared By: Ranjan P. Velari
Class: M.A. Sem. 4
Paper No. 14: The African Literature
Batch Year: 2014-16
PG Enrollment No.: 14101032
Email Id: ranjanvelari@gmail.com
Submitted to: Smt. S.B. Gardi
Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji
Bhavnagar University

3. What is Culture?
 Culture refers to beliefs, values, attitudes,
meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time
and so on…
 It is the system of knowledge shared by a
relatively large group of people.
 It is the symbolic communication.
 It is the sum of total of people that are
generally considered to be the tradition of that
people and are transmitted from generation to
generation.

4. What is Language?
 The method of human communication, either
spoken or written, consisting the use of words in a
structured and conventional way.
 A system of communication used by a particular
country and community.
 Language is the ability to acquire and use
complex systems of communication, particularly
the human ability to do so and a language in any
specific example of such a system.
 Human language has the properties of
productivity, recursively and displacement, and
relies entirely on social convention and learning.

5.  A Grain of Wheat written by Ngugi wa Thiong’o and it is a Kenyan
novel written in English, a language traditionally associated with
colonialism and oppression in Africa.
 How culture and language reflected in this novel?
 Ngugi wrote A Grain of Wheat in English because he
manipulates and uses language in order to promote Gikuyu and
Kenyan culture to discredit English as a Kenyan language.
 He reveals his opposition to English as a language of African
literature.
 His larger national concern for Kenya after its colonization and
for its new status as an independent nation.
 According to him,
Every language is “a carrier of culture”, that if writers use
English, in their work they automatically promote European
culture over their own.

6.  For him writing English is the sign of “the conscious
elevation of the language of the colonizers” and still bears
colonial overtones.
 Negative attitude towards English as a language of African
literature and his urges for the promotion native African
language and culture, it is the certainly evident in A Grain of
Wheat.
 Ngugi’s choice on of language to keep it consistent with his
view is to note that the novel is about betrayal.
 All characters presents theme of betrayal but two characters
commit acts of betrayal against the nation.

7.  The first character is Mugo, the main
character of the novel, who informs the
colonial authorities as to where about of
Kihika, the nationalist hero so that they
could kill him.
 The second character is Karanja,
who “quickly became a trusted servant
of the white people at Githima”, there by
betraying his own background and
people.

8. Communication between two races:
 Ngugi criticized antinationalist betrayals is through his
descriptions of Karanja’s speech interactions with the European
officials for whom he works.
 When Karanja wanted to ask some question to Thompson at
that time,
“ cold water lumped in his belly, his heart would thunder violently
when he came near the Whiteman.” He always salute John
Thompson and then walk past as if his business lay further ahead.
 It shows that his inability to communicate with the Whiteman.
Karanja never succeeds in verbally communicating with
Thompson.

9.  Gikuyu word represents language:
Uhuru: Independence- Kenyan independence in 1963.
Why he puts original word?
Because he suggests that Kenyan independence frees the country from the
ties of colonialism.
 Ngugi also include a “new song” in Gikuyu written by Kihika to addresses
revolutionary concerns.
Gikuyu na Mumbi,
Gikuyu na Mumbi ,
Gikuyu na Mumbi,
Nikihui ngwatiro.
 Reference of Mumbi, the female character in the novel. Symbolically
presents “an allegorical mother figure of Kenyan nation.”
 Written by Kihika and Gikuyu, it represented language and heritage of Kenya.

10.  Ngugi also incorporates revolutionary songs in English.
“We shall never rest
Without land
Without Freedom true
Kenya is a country of black people.”
 Song represents Kenya’s zeal for independence, it places all of its emphasis
on the revolutionary struggle.
Direct comparison of European and Kenyan Culture:
Ngugi promotes Kenyan culture and language Christianity. General R., a
member of the revolutionary movement, states,
“ Let me first of all tell you that I never prayed to God.
I never believed in him.
I believe in Gikuyu and Mumbi and in the black people of this our country.”
 In this speech, he suggests that his own heritage and language eclipse the
importance of God and by extension, British culture.

11. To conclude,
Ngugi employs African languages, in
his native Gikuyu and Swahili, through
folk songs and proverbs. By incorporating
these traditional aspects of African
culture in their original languages, Ngugi
reinforces his observation that language
is a “ carrier of culture.” By discrediting
European language and culture in A
Grain of Wheat , Ngugi promotes the
language and culture of the Kenyan
people and as a result furthers Kihika’s
cause in the novel for Kenyan
sovereignty.

12. References:
•http://chauhansejal311315.bl
ogspot.in/2015/02/an-issue-of-
culture-and-language-in.htmlvv
•https://www.tamu.edu/faculty
/choudhury/culture.html
•https:a//en.wikipedia.org/wiki
/Language