Approaches for Independence in Weep Not, Child by Ngungi wa Thiong’o
The colonial period is perhaps one of the most remembered periods in the history of Africa and Asia. It was an era when families were torn apart and the youth stolen to build the socio-economic and political structures of western nations, leaving behind children and the old. The effects posed by this practice led to the rise of fierce leaders who fought to protect their land and people. The victims of this practice were forced to unite and fight off the dominance and exploitation by the colonizers through peaceful and violent strategies.
The Approaches Taken by Gandhi and Ho Chi Minh
Mahatma Gandhi and Ho Chi Minh were two Asian socio-political leaders who used different strategies to save their nations and people from the effects of colonialism. Studies into their unique approaches are mostly referred to as the nobility of revolution versus non-violence (Bhattacherjee, 2018). The comparisons of these strategies have led to some of the greatest debates in the world. Perhaps one of the main reasons for this level of attention is because of the similarities as well as their differences. Noteworthy, they were both Asians, they believed in the freedom of the oppressed, they both worked to fight the forces of imperialism, and both succeeded in wading off the superpowers (Bhattacherjee, 2018). However, even with their similarities, Gandhi and Ho Chi Minh had different ideologies. Minh was a strategist and revolutionist. He is remembered mainly for his enduring battle against grave odds to erect a unified Vietnam. Prior to his accomplishments in Vietnam, Minh lived in France, America, and England, and it is during
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this time when he realized that immigrants in western nations were granted better civil liberties compared to the oppression he experienced under colonial powers. He learned communism in France and used its strategies to lead political movements against the Japanese. Minh also used military force and strategies to stop the French government from re-colonizing Vietnam. Minh political strategies were characterized mostly by force, blackmail, threats, and battles.
Gandhi, on the other hand, is today believed to have been one a man who believed that every social or political problem could be solved through peace. He traveled to other nations where he witnessed the liberation of immigrants in western nations. in his travels, Gandhi faced racism and oppression, and it is said that these experiences shaped his perceptions about humanity. After his return in India, Gandhi became an adamant leader in the fight for freedom of India. However, unlike Minh, Gandhi believed in upholding peace and used non-violent protests to preach his ideologies (Bhattacherjee, 2018). He would refuse to defend himself when attacked by his oppressors and advised followers to engage only in remonstrations that did not cause harm to others, even those they considered enemies. Today, Gandhi is today remembered as one of the most influential people to ever live.
Violent and Peaceful Strategies Used in Weep Not, Child
Weep Not, Child is a novel that depicts an era in which Kenya, a nation in Africa, was breaking out from under British rule. For twenty-five years, Thiong’o was only familiar with the life given to Kenyan’s by the British. The author follows the life of Njoroge in his quest to find a good life for his family. Like
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Thiong’o, Njoroge only understands a life characterized by oppression. Through this character, Thiongo strives to show his readers how the British employed tools of religion and education to force Kenyans into a life of oppression and hegemony. It also highlights the strategies that were used Kenyans to fight for their freedom and the effects they had on Kenyans after they attained their freedom.
This novel shows that to become a free nation, Kenya was forced to use both peaceful and military force. Thiong’o uses several characters of contrasting values and perceptions to show the effects British rule on Kenya and Kenyans in general. As mentioned, one of the most integral characters in this novel is Njoroge. The last born son of Ngotho, his mother decides to send him to school to get the ‘white man’s’ education. As the first person in his family, he aspires to use education to change the lives of his family and help liberate his people. He hopes to get as “rich as Mr.Howland because he got an education and his son because he has finished his learning in Kenya, who will now go far away (Thiong’o 1964). In the novel, he is described as a “dreamer and a visionary who consoled himself when faced by the difficulties of the moment by a look at a better day to come” (Thiong’o, 1964). The challenges he faces, including being unable to achieve his dreams, play a critical role in building the primary arc of the novel. The character of Njoroge was used to show that peaceful strategies such as education were not effective, since Africans, educated or not, were perceived as lesser
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beings.
Another character used in this novel is Ngotho. He is an employee in the plantation of Mr. Howland. He detests the presence of white people on his land and looks forward to the day of liberation. “He felt responsible for whatever happened to this land. He owned it to the dead, the living, and the unborn of this line, to keep guard (Thiong’o, 1964). Although he does not advocate for violence, he is forced by circumstances to attack Jacobo, and this leads to a riot which kills two individuals. His actions prove disastrous as his family becomes homeless. Another integral character is Boro, Ngotho’s son. The story reveals that he fought in WWII alongside his deceased brother, Mwangi. He spends most of his time drinking and portrays symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Both Boro and Ngotho detest Jacobo and Mr. Howlands. Jacobo helps the white people to oppress the black community and in exchange, he is allowed to own land and grow crops. Ngotho and Boro believe that Jacobo’s greed further affects the possibility of their freedom. They also hate Mr.Howlands because he grabbed their land and reduced Ngotho and his family to squatters at Jacobo’s land.
To liberate themselves from the chains of colonization, Africans and Asians were forced to use both peace and violence to force colonizers out of their lands. Even though violence affected the socio-economic structures of both blacks and whites, it seems to have had more effective results compared to peaceful strategies. If I was a Kenyan, I would have chosen violence over peace. Colonizers stole the identity and dignity of the minorities and created a culture,
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whereby, Africans and other oppressed communities were perceived as lesser beings. Even with its risks, violence seems like the most effective strategy that could have saved the lives and identity of Africans.
References
Bhattacherjee, K. (2018, May 22). Study Ho Chi Minh and Mahatma Gandhi to understand the legacy of colonialism: M.J. Akbar. Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/study-ho-chi-minh-and-mahatma-gandhi-to-understand-the-legacy-of-colonialism-mj-akbar/article23954092.ece
Thiong'o, N. (1964). Weep Not, Child. New York: Heinemann.