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1StevenTX
Matigari by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
First published in Gĩkũyũ in 1986
English translation by Wangũi wa Goro 1987
Matigari is a political novel in the form of a parable. It is set in an unnamed African country, obviously based on the author's native Kenya but doubtless applicable to other lands. Matigari is a former independence fighter who emerges from the forest long after the war has ended, buries his AK-47 at the foot of a tree, and goes in search of the fruits his victory has won.
He goes to claim the house built by his own hands, but finds such houses are still in the hands of the Europeans and their toadies. He goes to the factory where he once worked only to find that black workers are still at the mercy of foreign investors. He sees children fighting over scraps from a garbage dump and living in an auto junkyard. He sees, and rescues, a woman being assaulted by police. Everywhere he goes, Matagari asks, "Where is truth and justice?"
Matigari becomes an instant legend. Is he the second coming of Jesus? Or is he a liberator of a different kind? Eventually Matigari himself, asking "where may truth and justice be found?," is told to find this miracle worker named Matigari--he is said to be a giant!
The novel is divided into three parts, with the central section a rather heavy-handed but occasionally funny satire of government propaganda and news doctoring. In the third part, however, Matigari renounces peaceful means, declaring "Justice for the oppressed springs from the organised armed power of the people." Ngũgĩ is clearly calling for an armed Marxist uprising to overthrow the corrupt government which is nothing but a puppet for continued American and European imperialism.
To understand the issues raised in Matigari that are specific to African history, Kenyan in particular, it might be best to first read other works by Ngũgĩ such as Petals of Blood which have direct historical and social references. However, there is much in Matigari that is universal--the tendency, for example, of people to wait for a savior rather than taking direct action to end injustice. It is also disturbing to ponder how many of the abuses and injustices Ngũgĩ ascribes to Kenyan society and its dysfunctional government may actually be present to a surprising degree in what we call "free" societies.
First published in Gĩkũyũ in 1986
English translation by Wangũi wa Goro 1987
Matigari is a political novel in the form of a parable. It is set in an unnamed African country, obviously based on the author's native Kenya but doubtless applicable to other lands. Matigari is a former independence fighter who emerges from the forest long after the war has ended, buries his AK-47 at the foot of a tree, and goes in search of the fruits his victory has won.
He goes to claim the house built by his own hands, but finds such houses are still in the hands of the Europeans and their toadies. He goes to the factory where he once worked only to find that black workers are still at the mercy of foreign investors. He sees children fighting over scraps from a garbage dump and living in an auto junkyard. He sees, and rescues, a woman being assaulted by police. Everywhere he goes, Matagari asks, "Where is truth and justice?"
Matigari becomes an instant legend. Is he the second coming of Jesus? Or is he a liberator of a different kind? Eventually Matigari himself, asking "where may truth and justice be found?," is told to find this miracle worker named Matigari--he is said to be a giant!
The novel is divided into three parts, with the central section a rather heavy-handed but occasionally funny satire of government propaganda and news doctoring. In the third part, however, Matigari renounces peaceful means, declaring "Justice for the oppressed springs from the organised armed power of the people." Ngũgĩ is clearly calling for an armed Marxist uprising to overthrow the corrupt government which is nothing but a puppet for continued American and European imperialism.
To understand the issues raised in Matigari that are specific to African history, Kenyan in particular, it might be best to first read other works by Ngũgĩ such as Petals of Blood which have direct historical and social references. However, there is much in Matigari that is universal--the tendency, for example, of people to wait for a savior rather than taking direct action to end injustice. It is also disturbing to ponder how many of the abuses and injustices Ngũgĩ ascribes to Kenyan society and its dysfunctional government may actually be present to a surprising degree in what we call "free" societies.
2rebeccanyc
As I said on your thread, I enjoyed this book too, especially the satire, the way we never know who Matigari is, and the combination of aspects of the oral tradition with modern writing.
