Thinking Activity: In the context of A Grain of Wheat

Thinking Activity:

 In the context of A Grain of Wheat

Representations of Natives by Colonizer in
A Grain of Wheat and Robinson Crusoe

A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o

               Ngugi Wa Thiong’o known for showing his concern for native poor people. In A Grain of Wheat also he showcases his concern towards the poor. The plot revolves around his home village’s preparations for Kenya’s independence day celebration, Uhuru day. This work presented a conflict between white and black. The West was known as a white civilized culture as well as they had the power to colonize the others. The rest are considered as nonwhite people and they were colonized by white people. This novel talks about the Mau Mau Rebellion and its Physical and Psychological impacts upon the mind of people.

In this novel the character of Mumbi symbolizes Africa’s struggle for identity. Mumbi’s identity is defined by her relations with two men, in the same manner, Africa’s identity defined by traditional tribal lifestyles of African and their customs that grew up through countless eons.

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Robinson: White civilized man

Friday: Carribean uncivilized man

In this novel Daniel Defoe introduced two most enduring character of English literature to show the colonizer and colonized relationship. Throughout the novel we can see the master slave relationship between Robinson and Friday.

          Friday was saved by Robinson and he gave him the name Christian name Friday without asking him anything. This is the beginning of his rule over Friday. He taught him the English language. He addressed Friday as my man but not to show his feelings towards him from the bottom of heart but to show him only as his slave who used to do anything for him.

“…..my man Friday accompanying me very honestly in all these ramblings, and proving a most faithful servant upon all occasions.”

(From Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe)

Here the word my man indicated a very sense of ‘servility’ on Friday’s part and ‘ownership’ on Crusoe’s part.

Robinson Crusoe(white man) showed his ownership on Friday(Negro) who was not technically a slave.

            As he discovered an island and owned it, in the same way, he saved Friday and owner him. Robinson Crusoe tried to refashion the Friday and Island. His way of establishing gradual controlled over the island and his treatment of Friday made him an archetype of colonization.

Thus Robinson as a white man looks at himself as superior and Friday as the Caribbean to the inferior of him and believed that by making clothes and teaching an English language to Friday, he would make him civilized like him.