SYNOPSIS OF NGUGI WATHINNGO’S PETALS OF BLOOD
Background of the Author
Ngugi WaThinngo was born on 5th January, in 1938 kaminihu, near limuru in kicrnbu district, of Kikuyu district, and baptized James Ngugi. His family was caught up in Maumau war, his half-brother mwengi was involved in the Kenya land and freedom army and his mother tortured at kaminithu home guard post.
He received a B. A in English from makerere university college in kampala, Uganda in 1963, during his education, a play of his, BLACK HERMIT was produced in kampala, in 1962. Ngugi published his first novel, weep not child in 1964 which he wrote while attending the University of Leeds in England; it was the first novel to be published by a writer from east Africa.
His second novel, The River Between (1965), has as its background the maumau rebellion and described as an unhappy romance between Christians and non-Christians. His novel,AGrain of Wheat(1967) marked his embrace of Feminist Marxism. He subsequently renounced English, Christianity and the name James Ngugi Ngugiwathiongo, and began to write in his native Gikuyu and swahil.
Analysis of the Subject Matter in Ngugi WaThiongo’s.
Petals of Blood
The title Petals of Blood is derive from a line of Derek Walcott’s poem ‘the swamp’ the poem suggests that there is a deadly power within nature that must be respected despite attempts to suggest by humans that they like harmoniously with it. Originally called Ballad of a Barmaid, it is unclear why Ngugi changed the title before release. The phrase “Petals of Blood” appears several time throughout the novel, with varying associations and meanings. Initially, “petals of blood” is first used by a pupil in Munira's class to describe a flower-Munira quickly chastises the boy, saying that there is no colour called blood. Later, the phrase is used to describe flames, as well as relating to virginity during one of Munira's sexual fantasies.
Petals of Blood is a novel written by NgugiWaThiongoand first published in 1977set in kenya just after independence, the story follows four characters: munira, Abdulla, Wanjaand Karegawhose lives are intertwined due to the Muamau rebellion. In order to escape city life, each retreat to the small pastoral village of Illmorog. As the novel progresses, the characters deal with the repercussions of the Muamau rebellion as well as with a new, rapidly westernizing Kenya. The novel largely deals with the skepticism of change after Kenya’s liberation from the British Empire, questioning to what extent free Kenya merely emulates, and subsequently perpetuates, the oppressions found during its time as a colony, other themes includes the challenging of capitalist politics and the effect westernization education, schools and the maumau rebellion are also used to unite the characters who share a common history with one another.
‘Petals of blood’ was Ngugi’s first Novel written whilst not in full-time education, instead of written over a five year period. Initially began whilst teaching at north western University in 1970 the writer continued to work on the novel after his return to Kenya, finally finishing the novel in Yalta as a guest of the soviet writers’ union, Ngugi was inspired to. Write the novel as a way of synthesizing the nation of a post-colonial nation, and a willingness to portray the agent of social change present in Kenya’s change from British East African. ‘Petals of Blood’ was the last of Ngugi’s Novels to by written first in English-on 30 December 1977, shortly after the release of his play “will marry when I want”, Ngugi was taken into custody by law enforcement officials and held without charges for questioning. According to Patrick Williams, Ngugi was often criticized by detractors for “dragging political tone to his novel, including Petals of Blood, Ngugi had avoided government interferences until deciding to write in his native Gikuyu language. After the release of petals of blood, Ngugi wrote and began work on a Gikuyu language play called Ngachiika Ndeenda (I will marry when I want). He was then arrested and detained on both December 1977, for crimes relating to his “literary political” background. After this period, all of his novels would be written first in Gikuyu and later translated into English, a move understood to be a conscious decision to focus more strongly on the peasant workers of Kenya as inspiration for his novels.
The book begins by describing the four main characters Munira, Karega, Wanja and Abdulla just after the revelation that three prominent Kenyans, two businessmen, and one educator. Have been killed in a fire, the next chapter moves back in the timeline of the novel, focusing on Munira’s move toi1Imorog, to begin work as a teacher he is initially met with sustain poor classroom attendance as the villagers think he will give up on the village soon, in much the same way previous teachers have done. However, Munira stays and, with the friendship of Abdullah, another immigrant to i11morog who owns a small shop and bar carves out a life as a teacher. Soon Wanja arrives, the granddaughter of the town’s oldest and most revered lady. She is an attractive, experienced barmaid who Munira begins to fall in love with, despite the fact he is already married. She too is escaping the city and begins to work for Abdullah, quickly reshaping his shop, and expanding its bai, daregasiriana. After a brief relationship with Munira, wanja once again grows his illusion and leave illmorog. The year of her departure is not good for the village as the weather is harsh and no rain comes, making for a poor harvest. In an attempt to enact change, the villagers are inspired by Karega to journey to Nairobi in order to talk for their member of parliament.
The journey is very arduous and Joseph, a boy the Abdullah had taken in his brother and who had worked in his shop, becomes ill. When they arrived in Nairobi, the villagers seek help from every quarter. They are turned away by a reverend who thinks they are mere beggars despite their pleas of help for the sick child. Trying at another house, some of the villagers are rounded up and forced into the building where they are questioned by Kimeria, a ruthless businessman who reveal that he and their Mp are in league with another. He blackmails Wanja and subsequently rapes her upon arriving in Nairobi and speaking to their Mp, the villagers realize that nothing will change, as he is little more than a demagogue however they do meet alawyer who wishes to help them and others in the same predicament and through a court case highlights illmorog plights this draws attention from national press and donation and charities pour into illmorog.
Finally, the rain comes, and the villagers celebrate with ancient rituals and dances. During this time, Karega starts a correspondence with the lawyers that he met in Nairobi, wishing to educate himself further to celebrate the rain’s coming, Nyakinyua brews a drink from thang’eta plant, which all of the villagers drink. Kerega tells the story the love between him and mukami, the older sister of munira. Mukami’s father looked down on karega because of his brother’s involvement with the maumau. Forced to separate, Mariama and karega do not see each other again, and Mukami later commits suicide by jumping into a quarry. This is the first time Munira hears the story. Later, an unknown plane crashes in the village, the only victim is Abdulla’s donkey. Wanja notices that there are several large groups of people who come to survey the wreckage and suggest to Abdulla that they begin to sell the thang, eta drink in Abdulla’s bar. The drink attracts notoriety and many people come to the bar in order to sample it. Out of fury for karega’s connection to his family and jealousy of his relationship with wanja, munira seems to have karega fired from his teaching post with the school. Karega then leaves illmorog. Development arrives in illmorog as the government begins to build the trans-Africa road through the village, which brings an increase in trade. Darega returns to illmorog telling of his slow spiral into alcoholism before finally securing work in a factory. After getting fired from the factory, he returns to illmorog. The change in illmorog is rapid and the villager's changes in to the town of new illmorog. The farmers are told that they should fence off their land mortgage parts of its to ensure that they owed a finite area. They are offered loans which are linked to their harvest turn out to pay for this expense. Nyakinyua dies and the banks move to take her land, she opens up a successful brothel in the town, and use herself as one of the prostitutes. Munira goes to see to attempt to rekindle their romance but is met with only a demand for money he pays, and the couples have sex. Karega goes to see Wanja who both still have strong feelings for each other, but after disagreeing about how to herself finally from the men who have exploited her during her life wanting to bring them to her brother with all of her prostitutes sent away so that she could present the downtrodden but noble Abdulla as her chosen partner. Meanwhile, Munira is watching the brothel, and seed karega arrive and then leaves. In a religious favor, be pours petrol on the brothel, set it alight and retreats to a hill to watch it burn. wanja escapes but is hospitalized due to smoke inhalation, the other man Wanja had invited died in the fire. Manira is sentenced with arson, later Karega learns that the corrupt local. Mp was gunned down in his car whilst waiting for his chauffeur in Nairobi.
Characterization in Petal of Blood
MUNIRA, house boy who goes to illmorog in order to teach in its dilapidated school. He falls in love with wanja and is the arsonist the police seek. WANJA-Granddaughter of Nyakinya. An experience barmaid who flees herpast in the city. She falls in love with karega, although she is still coveted by munira. She also sleeps with Abdulla because of her reverence for his actions in the Mau Mau rebellion. An Industrious barmaid, she helps Abdulla’s shop to become successful and also sells thang’ eta she later becomes a prostitute and runs her own brothel before being injured in Maunira’sarson attack.
ABDULLA-A shop keeper who lost his leg in the maumau rebellion. His main asserts in life are his shop and donkey as well as a boy Joseph who he had taken in and cares for as a brother. He is the only major character to have worked with the maumau during the rebellion.
Karega-young man who works as a teaching assistant at Munira’sschool before becoming disillusioned and heading for the city. After the trip to Nairobi, he becomes enamored with socialism and starts to educate himself on its principles and on the law. However, he later becomesdisillusioned with the effect of education and how apt it is in the struggle for liberation. As a youth he dated Munira’ssister who subsequently committed suicide, this was unknown to Manirauntil Karegareveals it to him and to others having drunk thang’eta. NYAKINYUA-the village’s most revered woman, and the grandmother of Wanja. She performs all of the traditional ceremonies in the village like his predecessors. After her death, Wanjasells her business and to save Nyakinyua’s land from the banks and also uses the proceeds to start a brothel. A kimeria-ruthless businessman who is a part of the new Kenya elite. Has an interest in illmorogfor business purposes and had a previous relationship with their Wanjaas the villagers travel to Nairobi to meet with their politician, Kimeria holds Wanja hostage and rape her.
Style of the Novel
‘Petals of Blood’ relies heavily on flash backs, using the points of view of the four major character is questioned by the police, the novel takes on certain characteristics of the detective novel, with a police offer trying to ascertain details of their pasts in order to find the murderer of Chui, Kimeria and Mrigo. The narrative voices shifts between munira and the other characters describing the events of their lives and an omniscient narrator. There is also a suggestion of a communal narrative voice as Ngugi draws on the mythic past of Kenya to place the novel in a wider context than simply the colonial.
Reception
‘Petals of Blood’ caused by a stronger critical reaction than Ngugi’s prevails novels. The use of the past and historical memory is far more widespread in the novel due largely to the use of flashbacks, and questions relating to the past “from the central concerns” of the novel.
Good work. Thank you
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