Political reading: A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong’o
1. Group task :
Political reading: A Grain of Wheat by
Ngugi wa Thiong’o
● Prepared by :
• Jyotiba Gohil
• Heerva Bhatt
• Zankhna Matholiya
• Charmi Vyas
2. ● Meaning of Title : A Grain of wheat
• It Express an important theme in the novel. This is the
idea that, before a seed can grow into a new plant, it
must first dry out and sacrifice its own life
• symbol for the people who started the Kenyan
independence movement – those who sacrificed their
lives so that others would live free from colonial rule.
• Waiyaki and Kihika – seeds that sacrifice their lives to
got freedom
3. ● Political History of Kenya
• Kenya ‘ s fight for independence
• Mau Mau: Political Movement 1947
• Fight for land
• Freedom form British Colonial Rule
• Got independence 1963
• Independence Day : Uhuru or Freedom
• Real freedom fighter : Jomo Kenyatta
• 1963 – First democratic election : 1st
president : Jomo kenyatta
4. ● Colonialism :
• Corruption
• Encroachment of Land
• Facing troubles
• Social life : No school, No collages
• Uneducated people
• force : To pay money for land
• Political and economical oppression
• Emergency, violence, racism,
exploitation of rivalry and
competition amongst Kenyans,
and psychological trauma
5. ● Anti – Colonialism
• Anti – Colonialism is Political struggle of
colonised people against specific ideology
and practice of Colonialism
• Various forms of oppression resistance :
political , economical and culture
• Remembrance of Mau Mau revolt
• Replacing the colonisers language and using
own indigenous language
• Movement of Independence
6. ● Conclusion :
• Moment of independence turned into
continuity of Colonialism
• New ruler – District M. P of Thabai village
• Exploration by their own people
• Freedom : negativity
• New Problems : Fear , corruption ,
economical burden