weep-not-child
TITLE OF THE BOOK:WEEP NOT CHÌLD
AUTHOR:NGUGI WA THIONG‘O
SETTING: GIKUYU VILLAGE KENYA
YEAR: PUBLISHED BY HEINMANN IN 1987
Part I - "The Waning Light"
Weep Not, Child is set in a Gikuyu village in Kenya during the 1952-1960 Emergency, a tumultuous and violent period which would eventually lead to Kenya's independence from Britain.
One day, the beautiful Nyokabi offers her youngest son, Njoroge, an opportunity to go to school. He enthusiastically accepts, even though he knows it will be a financial stretch for the family. His prospects are contrasted with those of his half-brother Kamau. Although Kamau is only slightly older than Njoroge, he has already been apprenticed to a carpenter, and will pursue that instead of going to school. Both boys hope that their training will lead them to a happy and successful future.
The village is located near Kipanga, a larger town where many of the villagers work. Kipanga is home to many colorful characters, including a funny barber who tells colorful stories about his experiences fighting in World War II. On this day, Njoroge and Kamau‘s father, Ngotho, is spending time in Kipanga. He soon returns home, proud that his son will be the first in the family to attend school. Ngotho works as a farmer for a British land-owner, Mr. Howlands, on land that Ngotho's family once owned.
Njoroge initially has a hard time adjusting to life at school, but his old friend Mwihaki helps him. Mwihaki is the daughter of Jacobo, a rich Gikuyu pyrethrum farmer who owns the land that Ngotho and his family live on. One evening, Ngotho tells his wives and children – Kori, Boro, Kamau, and Njoroge – stories about how the British stole the Gikuyu land. These events particularly upset Boro, who believes his father complicit in the injustice by working for Mr. Howlands. Boro has been troubled ever since he lost his brother when they were fighting together in World War II.
Njoroge enjoys learning how to read - and eventually, how to speak English. He continues to bond with Mwihaki, and also dedicates himself to studying the Bible. He sees parallels between the Gikuyu struggle and the oppression of the Israelites. Meanwhile, Kamau is frustrated by the slow pace at which his boss, Nganga, teaches him.
Word spreads through the community about a strike to advocate for more rights for Africans. Ngotho wants to participate, but is worried that Mr. Howlands will fire him. He decides to walk out anyway, and attends a rally where Boro and his friend Kiarie are scheduled to speak. The police bring in Jacobo, who urges the strikers to return to work. Ngotho is so enraged by Jacobo that he rushes the stage and attacks him, which starts a riot. The riot is put down immediately, and has dire consequences for Ngotho‘s family – he is fired from his job and evicted from Jacobo‘s land. Fortunately, Nganga allows the family to move onto his land.
Interlude
Two and a half years pass. Njoroge‘s hero, the revolutionary JomoKenyatta, is arrested. Meanwhile, there are many incidents of violence by the Mau Mau, one of the revolutionary groups. The whole culture is in a state of flux and worry.
Part II - "Darkness Falls"
Njoroge‘s older brothers Kori and Boro both have run-ins with the police. An atmosphere of fear permeates the village; people are afraid not just of the police, but also of the Mau Mau, which slits the throats of suspected traitors.
Mr. Howlands and Jacobo plot ways to arrest Ngotho, whom they both resent for his insubordination and his attack on Jacobo. They arrange for Kori and Njeri (Ngotho‘s first wife) to be arrested, although Mr. Howlands is reluctant to harm Ngotho because he remembers how much his old employee loved the land. Meanwhile, Njoroge‘s school is threatened by the Mau Mau, but he continues to attend at Kamau's advice.
One day, Mwihaki returns to the villages after several years away at boarding school. She and Njoroge are happy to see each other, and she invites him into her home, where he is surprised that Jacobo is so kind to him. They promise to be together after she graduates. Not much later, Njoroge and some friends go on a church retreat. However, the retreat is stopped by the police, who murder their group leader for his attitude of independence. Meanwhile, Boro plots ways to murder Jacobo.
Njoroge is promoted to high school, and Mwihaki, whose grades are not as strong, attends a teaching college. The differences between them become more apparent – Mwihaki is frustrated and hopeless about the state of the country, whereas Njoroge believes that educated young people have the power to change the future. At high school, Njoroge flourishes. One day, he meets Stephen Howlands, the son of Mr. Howlands. The two boys realize that they have much in common, and discuss the reasons that they were afraid to talk to each other as children.
At nineteen, Njoroge is pulled out of school to be interrogated by the police. Jacobo has been murdered, and they believe that Ngotho is involved. Njoroge is tortured mercilessly, but he refuses to give up any information. The police reveal that Ngotho has already confessed to the murder and that they have castrated him. During the torture, Njoroge passes out, and Mr. Howlands, who has been present at the interrogation, arranges for Njoroge to be released.
As it turns out, Ngotho did not commit the murder; he only confessed to help Kamau, who was being detained as a suspect. In fact, Boro killed Jacobo; he believed that it was the only way to avenge his brother's death in the war. Mr. Howlands eventually realized that Ngotho‘s confession was false, but allowed him to be tortured anyway. However, he could not bring himself to execute Ngotho. Several days later, Ngotho dies. Njoroge and Boro visit him before he dies, and after Boro sees his father‘s condition, he murders Mr. Howlands in the white man's home.
After Ngotho‘s death, Njoroge is obliged to give up his education and to work in a dress shop. These events emotionally destroy Njoroge, and he goes to the one source of comfort he has left: Mwihaki. They admit that they love each other, but that they cannot be together because they are obliged to support their families, both of which are now missing a father. Njoroge tries to kill himself, but Nyokabi stops him and brings him home.
Weep Not, Child Character List Nyokabi
She is the second wife of Ngotho, a plantation hand and the patriarch of the novel's main family. Nyokabi cares deeply for her children, and strives to maintain peace in the family.
Njoroge
Njoroge is the novel's primary protagonist, and Ngotho's youngest son. He is the first in his family to attend school, and he aspires to use his education to make Kenya a better place. Ngugi describes him as ―a dreamer, a visionary who consoled himself faced by the difficulties of the moment by a look at a better day to come‖ (130). The challenges to his optimism in large part constitute the novel's primary arc.
Kamau
Njoroge‘s slightly older half -brother and the son of Njeri. He is apprenticed as a carpenter, and thus cannot join Njoroge at school. Because he goes directly into a career, he is forced to mature more quickly than Njoroge does. As his father ages and his brothers join the Mau Mau, Kamau becomes his family's main support.
Jacobo
A wealthy chief and pyrethrum farmer – indeed, he is the first African to be allowed to grow the crop. He owns the land that Ngotho and his family live on, and he works against the Mau Mau uprising as it starts to intensify. He is also Mwihaki's father.
Mr. Howlands
He is a British tea farmer who moved to Kenya to escape a troubled past. He owns the land that once belonged to Ngotho's father, a source of tension between the men despite the fact that Mr. Howlands is Ngotho's employer. As time passes, he is appointed district officer, and viciously fights the rebellion.
John
Jacobo‘s son, who at the beginning of the novel is planning to study abroad in England,.
The barber
He is a humorous African who works in Kipanga. He likes to tell raunchy stories about his exploits fighting in World War II.
Ngotho
He is the patriarch of Njoroge's family, and a World War I veteran. He is married to Njeri and Nyokabi, and is the father of Boro, Kori, Kamau, and Njoroge, as well as another son, Mwangi, who died in World War II. He works on Mr. Howlands's plantation, and longs for the white people to leave Kenya so he can have his family's land back. Njeri
She is Ngotho's brave and intelligent first wife and the mother of Kamau.
Boro
He is One of Ngotho‘s elder sons, who fought in World War II. He drinks frequently and seems to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. He is particularly troubled by the death of his brother Mwangi in the war. He eventually finds a sense of purpose through fighting in the Mau Mau rebellion, where he becomes the leader of a guerrilla group. Mwihaki
She is Jacobo's daughter and one of the wealthiest girls in the village. She is close friends with Njoroge, and eventually becomes his love interest. Their shifting attitudes on the country‘s prospects in large part constitute the novel's primary arc.
Lucia
She is Jacobo's temperamental adult daughter, who teaches at the elementary school.
Juliana
Jacobo's wife, described as fat and stern.
Nganga
He is the village carpenter, who apprentices Kamau. Although he is initially characterized as stingy and mean, Nganga later shows his generosity by giving Ngotho's family a place to live after they are evicted from Jacobo's land.
Mwangi
He is One of Ngotho‘s elder son, who died while serving in World War II alongside his brother Boro. His death is a primary motivation in the resentment that fuels Boro. Kori
He is Ngotho and Njeri‘s adult son. He works at the Green Hotel tea shop in Kipanga.
Mugo wa Kibiro
A seer who predicted that white men would come and take people‘s land, long before the British came to Kenya. However, he also predicted that they would one day leave, a prediction which gives Ngotho hope. Murungu
The Gikuyu name for the Creator.
Memsahib
She is Mr Howlands‘s moody wife, who ―mattered [to her husband] only in so far as she made it possible for him to work ... more efficiently without a worry about home‖ (30). Isaka
First introduced as a jovial teacher at Njoroge‘s school, with a reputation for drinking and womanizing, Isaka later appears as a Christian revivalist after the rebellion begins.
Jomo
Though he never appears directly in the novel, Jomo Kenyatta's reputation as the Gikuyu leader of the KAU makes him a hero to the village and Njoroge in particular. Kenyatta is a real historical figure who would become the first Prime Minister of Kenya after it achieved independence.
Kiarie
He is One of Boro's politically active friends from the city, who joins him in many events amongst the Gikuyu.
Karanja
He is a boy in the village who brings the village news about the rebellion. Dedan Kimathi
He is the leader of the African Freedom Army, and an important figure in the uprising. Though never directly featured in the novel, his reputation strikes fear in the hearts of the villagers and Njoroge. He is another real historical figure, and remains very controversial for his use of violence. Eventually, there developed a schism between Kimathi's Mau Mau and Jomo Kenyatta's more moderate followers in the KAU. Mucatha
This is One of Njoroge‘s friends at school.
Stephen Howlands
He is Mr. Howlands's youngest son (and the only one alive during the period of the novel). He is shy and thoughtful, and Mr. Howlands has doubts about whether he is suitable to inherit the plantation. He and Njoroge have an important conversation late in the novel.
Themes Grief
In some ways, grief is the primary driving force behind the action of Weep Not, Child. Boro is driven to join the Mau Mau to assuage his grief over his brother Mwangi's death in World War II. Ngotho's resentments are fueled by grief over losing his family's land to the British. Similarly, grief drives Njoroge's spiritual evolution. Nothing can undermine his faith in God until Ngotho dies, at which point Njoroge stops praying. Similarly, Jacobo's death prevents Njoroge from being with Mwihaki, because she must care for her mother. As the characters cope with the deaths of their loved ones, their overwhelming grief slowly dissolves into a sense of duty that allows them to transcend their misery. Although Njoroge is nearly driven to suicide by Mwihaki's rejection and his father's death, it is the necessity of caring for his mothers (which he would not have to do if Ngotho were alive) that ultimately saves him.
Social class
As Ngugi notes on several occasions, race is not the only obstacle that prevents the characters from pursuing their goals in life. They are arguably even more hampered by their social class. This applies to poor characters like Kamau, who must persist with the carpentry apprenticeship he dislikes in order to support his family. However, even upper-class characters find that their upbringing prevents them from being truly free. For example, Mwihaki's affection for Njoroge is hampered by her famiy's wealth, and the expectations that come from that. Similarly, Stephen Howland must attend boarding school in England even though he feels more at home in Kenya, and does not want to leave. Njoroge has a great hope that education will help bridge the gap of social class, but circumstances cede his education before he can test that theory.
The land
Ngotho and Mr. Howlands share a fierce dedication to the land. At the center of their relationship is the central problem of the colonial presence in Kenya, and hence to the novel's main conflicts. Each has his own deep connection to the land. Land is an important part of Gikuyu culture, an indicator of a family. Mr. Howlands seems to have embodied some of this sentiment, despite his racism. However, 'land' does not refer only to the physical space used for living and farming. By the end of the novel, it has acquired a multidimensional meaning. In addition to Mr. Howlands's shamba, the concept of land has come to include the people who live on it. (Indeed, Ngugi suggests that dispossessing a people of their land is not enough to separate them from it; the connection is too strong.) ―When the time for Njoroge to leave [for secondary school] came near," Ngugi writes, "many people contributed money so that he could go since he was no longer the son of Ngotho but the son of the land‖ (115). Land, with all its profundity, is what the Africans lost to the British, and what they are fighting to regain.
Love
One of the major questions that Weep Not, Child raises is whether love is a strong enough force to transcend suffering. The pure love between Njoroge and Mwihaki certainly proves resilient over the course of novel: ―Her world and Njoroge‘s world stood somewhere outside petty prejudices, hatreds and class differences," Ngugi writes (97). However, the novel's ending suggests that love may endure, but that it cannot change a person's circumstances. Although the two young people want to run away and live together in Uganda, they are ultimately bound by a stronger sense of duty to their parents and their country. Part of the story's tragedy is that individuality is helpless before greater forces beyond anyone's control.
Infighting
Weep Not, Child is full of evidence that infighting between Africans was a major problem during the Mau Mau uprising. Ngugi suggests that some of it may have been justified; for instance, Jacobo is a truly villainous character, and we are meant to sympathize with Ngotho when he attacks him. However, Ngugi is very explicit about the fact that such infighting ultimately platg xyed into the hands of the British, driving wedges between Africans and making the conflict more violent than was necessary. The difference between the reputations of Jomo and Dedan Kimathi reveal how significant the ideological differences amongst Africans had become. When Njoroge and Stephen Howlands discuss the causes of prejudice, their insights offer a way for Africans to move beyond their differences and fight for the common good. The tragedy is that individual desires are often useless before larger social forces that in many ways hurt everyone.
Women's role in society
Certain aspects of Gikuyu society, like polygamy, female circumcision and wife-beating, may be foreign and even uncomfortable for modern Western readers. But despite its uncritical portrayal of these realities, weep not; Child is thoughtful about the role of women in a traditional society. Mwihaki's failure to continue to high school is not a reflection on women's abilities to succeed in general, but it does highlight the difficulties that bright, motivated young women face if they try to pursue an education. The narrator suggests that Mwihaki's sense of obligation to her family, and the restrictive convent atmosphere of her school, prevented her from doing as well as she might in other circumstances. Njoroge's mothers, Nyokabi and Njeri, are other examples of strong women, although they occupy more traditional roles in society than Mwihaki or Lucia do. Njeri in particular shows a strong intellect and courage when she is arrested, and Nyokabi takes great initiative in arranging for Njoroge to attend school. Together, the mothers show that women play just as important a role in improving society as men do - provided they live under a relatively tolerant patriarch like Ngotho.
Family loyalty
Njoroge turns to many different sources of comfort as conditions deteriorate in his village: school, religion, and his love for Mwihaki are some examples. Yet the only force that stands between him and suicide at the end of the book is his sense of duty to his mothers, who will be alone and destitute if he dies. Mwihaki rejects him because she, too, must care for her mother. For Ngugi, family loyalty is the ultimate bond. One of the primary challenges his characters face is deciding how to best stay loyal to their family in a time of conflict and contradictions. Boro is a particularly complex example of this question. Ngotho orders him to stop fighting with the Mau Mau, but Boro feels he must continue in order to avenge his father's death, and to fight for a better future for his younger siblings. Whether to defend one's family by immediately providing or by fighting for their progeny (in terms of rebellion or, in Njoroge's case, education) is a question posed, but not answered, by the novel.
