The document discusses Ngugi wa Thiong'o's novel A Grain of Wheat. It provides context about the author and characters in the novel. The main characters discussed are Mugo, Gikonyo, Mumbi, Karanja, and Kihika. Mugo is the protagonist who was respected for leading a hunger strike but struggles with his identity. Gikonyo is an ambitious businessman married to Mumbi, while Karanja betrays the freedom movement. Kihika is a religious leader who becomes a martyr for Kenyan independence. The novel depicts the effects of British colonialism and sacrifices made for Kenyan independence through these characters and their relationships and actions.

1. Name- Nisha Dhiman A.
Sem-4
Roll No- 19
Sub- The African Literature
Topic- Critically overview in A Grain
of wheat
Guided by- Heena mam
Submitter to- Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumar sinhji
Bhavnagar university

2. Ngugiwa Thiong'o
 Ngugiwa Thiong'o was born
5 January 1938
writer, is formerly working in
English and now working in
Gikuyu.
 His father was a tenant farmer
who had four wives and
twenty eight children.

3.  His work includes novels, plays, short stories, and
essays, ranging from literary and social criticism to
children's literature.
 His first novel for over twenty years was
published in Gikuyu in 2004.
Ngugiwa Thiong'o said,
“I am a writer some have
even called me a
religious writer. I write about
my people. am interested in
their hidden lives and
hates

4. A Grain of Wheat is one of the
great novel written by Kenyan
writer namely
This novel published in 1967.
Story about events and
relationships leading up to a
country’s struggle for
independence, or focus on the
quite Mugo.

5. Summary
 A Grain of Wheat is made
up of one main plot and two
subplots
which are presented in the
form of flashbacks.
 It is an allegorical story of
one man’s mistaken heroism
and a search for the better
of a Mau Mau leader.
 In the novel A Grain of
Wheat there are many
characters in the
novels,

6.  but Mugo is a central character
of the novel or other character
like- Mugo, Gikonyo, Mumbi,
Karanja and Kihika plays very
vital role in the novel.
 The whole story of ‘A Grain of
Wheat’ is basis on Kenyan
independence or It is a
African word. Ngugi, then,
depicts the effects of British
colonialism on rural village life
and the sacrifices made by the
Gikuyu peasant.

7. Ngugi, then, depicts the effects of British colonialism
on rural village life and the sacrifices made by the
Gikuyu peasant communities- Women or Man
It is precisely in the act of recalling and reflecting of
the past that A Grain of Wheat constructed narration
of the nation.
Failure of the rebellion- British policy of divided and
rule.

8. Mugo
Gikonyo
MumbiKaranja
Kihika

9. Mugo
 Mugo is the main protagonist of the novel
and they become hero after leading a
hunger strike.
 He is the different personality and they also
respected from women.

10.  He was beaten several times for not talking the
oath and suffering for his development to the
freedom movement.
 Mugo is the last of the possible heroic
characters and stronger than Britishers.

11. Gikonyo
 Gikonyo is the ambitious carpenter and
business man.
 He married to a girl named Mumbi.
 Gikonyo stood firm as a normative hero,
never wavering from his loyalty to kenya and
remaining of the white man opportunity.

12. Mumbi
 Mumbi is the central female character of the
novel.
 He is the wife of Gikonyo and the sister of
Kihika. Mumbi has baby with another man
namely Karanja.
 She thinks that she will protect her husband
when the officers will come to arrest him, but
she does not.

13. “Her eyes were soft and
submissive and defiant”

14. Karanja
 Karanja was appointed as village chief by the
colonial power.
 The White men don’t have respect
for him and black people hate karanja
 He is young man and a friend of Kihika.
Kihika was also in love with Mumbi.
.

15.  When Mumbi marries to Gikonyo he
feels that he became alone in the
village and there everything has been
ended without Mumbi.

16. Kihika
 He is more religious person and he
compares the struggle in Kenya to the Jews
in Egypt and wants to be free.
 He believes in sacrifice and unity.
 He eventually becomes a martyr for Kenyan
freedom.

17. What is Heroism
“True heroism is
remarkably sober, very
undramatic. It is not
the urge to surpass all
others at whatever cost.

18. is a central theme in most literature,
especially Western literature such as Beowulf.
 Heroism and sacrifice has been shown to the
readers with the help of Kihika’s character and
the courageous guerilla leader full of messianic
spirit.
Mugo is a heroic character seems nonexistence
and just be better than all the rest.