Here I am uploading my presentation on African Literature. it is sumitted to Dr. Dilip Barad MKUB.

2. `12345Theme of Betrayal In “Grain of Wheat”
Presented by: Mital Raval
Semester: 4
Roll Number: 18
Enrolment No: 2069108420170026
Paper name: The African literature
Submitted to Dr. Dilip Barad
Department of English MKUB.

3. About the Author
Born in 5 January 1938.
One of the foremost living African
novelist.
He is Kenyan Writer, formally working
in English and now working in Gikuyu.
He has developed a reputation as a
post-colonial theorist and has taught at
universities around the world.
His work includes novels, plays, short
stories and essay.
He was founder and editor of the
Gikuyu language journal “Mutliri.”
Ngugi Wa Thiong’o

4. About the Novel
It is third novel by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o.
Published in 1967.
The novel has Marxist and fanonian militant attitude.
The novel is about the Mau Mau independence war.
Set during the state of emergency in Kenya’s struggle
for independence.
This novel tells the story of four principal characters
Mugo, Gikonyo, Mumbi, Karanja.
The title of the novel is taken from the Gospel.
This is the story about events and relationship
leading up to a country’s struggle for independence
and the story focusing on the quite Mugo, whose life
ruled by a dark secret.

5. 4
Mau Mau Rebellion
The movement began in 1952 - 1960.
The action of the novel focuses on the hero’s memory
of the incidents of the “Mau Mau Revolt.”
It is a rebellion an anti – colonial movement which
historians says revolt an independence for the African
nation.

6. Theme of Betrayal
Betrayal
Mugo
Gikonyo
Mumbi
Karanja

7. Mugo’s betrayal to Kihika
His betrayal of Kihika is induced partly by his jealousy,
because the disruption in the land threatens his
determination never again to experience the destitution of
his childhood.
Both saw their life from different stands.
Another reason for Mugo’s betrayal of Kihika is that he
wants not to be drawn into the connection with other
people.
Mugo’s confessional speech…
“I wanted to live my life. I never wanted to be
involved in anything. then he came into my life,
here, a night like this, and pulled me into the stream.
So I killed him.” (p 161)

8. Betrayal of Gikonyo and Mumbi.
Gikonyo breaks the oath of loyalty to Mau Mau movement.
Mumbi breaks her marital vow.
 “Gikonyo walked towards detention with a brisk
Step and an assurance born in his knowledge of love and life.
This thing would end soon, anyway…”
His longing for her is the reason that he betrays his oath of
loyalty to the cause of freedom in order to return to her.
Mumbi commits adulatory because of her supreme joy in
hearing of her husband’ release.
Gikoniyo’s anger with his disaffection for her. He doesn’t
want to listen to her excuses and decided not to open his
heart for her any more.

9. The words of Gikoniyo's mother; which reduce his
pain:
“See how you have broken your home. You have driven
a good women to misery for nothing, lets us now see
what profit will bring you, to go on poisoning your mind
with these things when you should have accepted
sought how best to build your life. But you, like a foolish
child, have never wanted to know what happened. Or
what woman Mumbi really is”.

10. Betrayal of Karanja
Karanja is among those men who traitorously choose to
side with British colonialists.
He joins the home guards instead of taking the oath of
the Mau Mau movement.
He has ongoing competition with Gikonyo that stems
from both an attraction to Mumbi.
While Gikonyo is at the detention camps, Karanja takes
the opportunity to betray him making love to his wife,
Mumbi.

11. “one day Karanja sent for me to his house. It was on
Thursday, I remember…
I went there and I swore that if he tried anything on me,
I would get a piece of wood and strike him hard…
Then he said: “Your husband is coming.” (Page 146)
 Wairimu, Karanja’s mother say’s that,
“Don’t go against the people. A man who ignores the voice of the
own people comes to no good end.” (Page 222)

12. So in this way the theme of the betrayal
works in the novel.
It shows man’s defeat from his desire.
Conclusion

13. Works Cited
A Grain of Wheat. 7 February 2018. 13 March 2018.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Grain_of_Wheat>.
Ezinma. A Grain of Wheat...The Theme of Betrayal. 21
May 2009. 13 March 2018. <http://blida-
english.bbactif.com/t195-a-grain-of-wheat-the-
theme-of-betrayal>.
Jani, Riddhi. Theme of betrayal in Grain of Wheat. 11
March 2015. 13 March 2018.
<https://www.slideshare.net/janiriddhi/theme-of-
betrayal-in-the-grain-of-wheat-by-ngugi-wa-thiongo>.