Analysis of Ngugi’s The Black Hermit
The novel, The Black Hermit is a novel that portrays a Fight Against
Colonialism and Neo-colonialism in Kenya. According to the author, Remi is been
addressed as a Black Hermit, a man who stands a chance of Fighting Colonialism
and Neo-colonialism. For instance, the fight began when Remi finds it at the
heart of his afflictions between himself, his marriage and his family,
relations and his greater sense of obligations to his people and the country.
The overwhelming nature of those
problems drive him into isolation as a black hermit. According to the author,
Nyobi, Remi’s mother Laments the
numerous letters she has written to the son to come home, but Remi defied all
the appeal. She laments before the elders who enter that a course seems to be
in her house; her first son married and son died and shortly after her own
husband followed (4)
As though, that is not enough, Remi, the
only man remaining in the house went to the city and buried his head and refused
to return. The elders who came are confused about whether Remi’slong absence is
natural or not. In fact, the elder came to tell Rem’s mother that they ̶ the
people of Marua, want to go to the city and bring Remi back with their medicine
(10).
Remi’smother, Nyobi goes to the pastor
and also urges him to go to the city to bring Remi back. One of the elders
says;
It is because of their love for
their land that they fought the white men and now they want to look for the
only educated man of their tribe to come and help their land grow, saying that
the government of Uhuru has brought nothing to them (41).
It is on this note the researcher
research on a Fight Against Colonialism and Neo-colonialism in The Black Hermit. This makes the An Africanist party that had to join and brought heavier taxation and no food for the poor masses.
According to the author, Remi is the
solution to all these problems. Having prepared their medicine as introduced by
the medicine man, three of the elders have to go to the city to meet Remi and
bring him home.
Nyobi
tells the pastor thus:
I
am guilty, I have supported the members Of Maura village and I have given and
supported with the use of black medicine to look for my son, Femi, but I
know am a Christian. Nyobi ask the pastor to help to bring Remi back because of he
left a young wife a seeding; and who needs a gardener (19)
According to the author, the pastor
revealed to Nyobi, Remi’s mother that her son Remi is lost to idolatry in the
city, was lured by satan, he, therefore, becomes wayward in college. The pastor
agrees to go to the town to bring Remi because even the church needs him (21).
At the city, Remi discusses his home
with his girlfriend, Jane, the girl whom Remi says make him remember his
mother. Remi says, he is fired off the oil companies that have invaded the
country. At last, Jane advises him to go home and become a teacher. Later, both
Jane and Remi left for the night club that night. Omange visit Remi and they
discuss social matters. Omange notes that independence has not yet reduced the
levels of tribalism in the country. As they discuss politics.
Omange asks Remi why he did not vie
for a position in the government since his people supported him. Remi told
Omange that his people trapped him and he ran away to the city. He told Omange
how he loved Thoni but never told her
only to learn one day that she is married to his only brother, who later died
(30).
As custom demands, Remi has to marry
his later brother’s wife and this fact now keeps him away from home, believing
that the girl does not love him; otherwise she would not have married this
brother earlier. Some elders from Remi’svillage visited him in the city they
said;
No son of our village in Marua is
in the government and as a result they are discriminated from other villages
against, high taxation, forced labour, no job. They want Remi to come home and
speak to the Director of employment that as he will listen to him more than any another person because he is educated (32).
While the elders were going out,
they dropped a small bundle with medicine from home wrapped with dry banana
leaves to make Remi come back home. Immediately after the elders left, Rem’s
pastor from there enters Remi’s house after greeting, he asks Remi to come home
as everybody, mother, wife, Christians and the villagers need him. Remi refused at first but later assorted him that he would return. The pastor also drops a
bible as he leaves. Remi sees both bible
and medicine and noted that they are meant to lure him to the village.
Remi prepares to go home and tells
Jane his girlfriend that he no longer wants to be a hermit in the city, that he
is going home for a national call. Jane persuaded him to tell her why he does not
want to go to the village with her .remi told her that he is married. He later
told Jane that the wife he married is not a true wife that she is the dead
brother’s wife, and that custom demands he should marry her (52).
Remi the hermit return home.
Nyobi and Thoni are tidying the
house in expectation of the return of the hermit but Thoni fears that Remi
might return home a changed man but Nyobi, the mother, discusses this idea from
Thon’s mind (28)
The
pastor comes in to say that Remi has not changed in the city, that Remi has not
changed in the city, that he is still a child of God. He told Remi’smother to
prepare for his return.
When Remi return, he was with another person from
another tribe, a man from Njobe tribe. Remi blamed his people, as he spoke, for
preaching tribalism, as all the villagers gather singing African anthem in his
honor (61)
Remi told them that they will build
more schools, turn their hearts and minds to creates a nation and then tribe
and the race will disappear, and man shall be free (64).
Toni,
Remi’s wife full crept during Remi’sspeech. Thoni runs away out of anger
saying that she has been flouted by both fate and man. She wants to go to a
land where there is no light and people so that no one would see her face and
recognize her.
Omange asks Remi why he made such a statement in front of Thoni, that the mother forced him to marry a woman who
does not love him. Remi also said that there is no time for soft hearts. A woman
throws a letter from Thoni to Remi. The letter expresses the fact that Remi has
in trampled on so many hearts that looked upon him for guidance. Nyobi enters
with the pastor and Nyobi says that education and big learning has taught
Reminothing actually. Omange told Remi that it is a mistake because Remi does not
know that Thoniloves him, he crushed tribalism and Africa Nationalism.
After Remi finished reading the letter, showing Thoni’s love for him, he felt bad for having wrong her (76).
The author portrays Remi as the black hermit who returns to his village, Maruato answer his people’s call at home,
and what happened.
The Theme of Culture and Tradition in The Black Hermit
The theme of culture and tradition
is seen on Remi’srefusal to marry his late brother’s wife, Toni. Due to
culture, Remi was sort of mandated to marry her and to continue from where the brother stopped. Remi reluctantly agreed but decided not to come back home as a
result.
Thoni was again left like a woman
without a husband, having no Gardner toplant the seedling. When Remieventually
was brought back to the village, he denied Thoni and now hanged herself after
serious laments of her life. In her desperation and pains, Thonisays; I am
afraid, I will go through the world. A maid flouted by both fate and man(67).
Fate means the same thing with
predestination. It means a kind off destiny which nature has for every
individual enclosed.
Characters in Ngugi’sThe Black Hermit.
Thoni: Remi’slate
elder brother wife. She is very emotional in everything: says that Remi hates
her flesh and her bed, and that’s why he refused to return home when he went to
the city for his studies. Thoni is also full of determination.
She is determined to wait for Remi, even in the next twenty years.
Remi: This
is a God-fearing child, always desiring to do the right thing, but now appear
to be lost by the excitement of the city. He is educated, and according to
elders,’’ the new husband to the tribe’’(8).The hero of the play, the black
hermit in the city, in love with Jane, who stays with him in the city.
Jane: Remi’sgirlfriend
who lives with him in the city. She is educated and she works in an office as a
typist. She wants Remito to take her along to his village and marry her.
Nyobi: Remi’smother,
who was so eager that Remi should marry his late brother’s wife. This as well
as for him to come back home too.
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