Name :- Bhavna Sosa
MA Sem :- 04
Batch :- 2021-2023
Roll no. :- 02
Enrollment No. :- 4069206420210034
Paper No. :- 206 (AfricanLiterature)
Topic :- Fanonism and Constructive Violence in Petals of Blood
Email id :- bhavnasosa211@gmail.com
Submitted to :- S.B.Gardi Department Of English,MKBU
Introduction :
The novel "Petals of Blood" by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o strongly condemns the ruling elites in Kenya for exploiting workers and peasants, and also criticizes neo-colonialist institutions such as Christianity, politicians, schools, business, banks, landlords, and highways. The book emphasises the importance of collective action to empower ordinary people to resist oppression, and Ngugi advocates the use of violence to resist the oppressive social order, echoing the views of Franz Fanon. Fanonism holds that violence is a constructive force, particularly in colonised countries where decolonization can only be achieved through violence.
Kenya has a long history of struggle and violence, both before and after its independence in 1963. "Petals of Blood" tells the story of four protagonists - Munira, Abdullah, Wanja, and Karega - who are disillusioned with the neo-colonial world of independent Kenya and struggle against it.
About Ngugi wa Thiong'o:
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o born James Ngugi; 5 January 1938) is a Kenyan writer and academic who writes primarily in Gikuyu and who formerly wrote in English. His work includes novels, plays, short stories, and essays, ranging from literary and social criticism to children's literature. He is the founder and editor of the Gikuyu-language journal Mũtĩiri. His short story The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright, is translated into 100 languages from around the world.
Fanonism In the Violence as a force:
Fanon argues in Wretched of the Earth that violence is an essential part of the decolonization process, which always involves violent acts, including the use of guns and knives. The level of violence used by the colonised people will be determined by the violence inflicted upon them by the colonial regime.
However, violence can also be a unifying force for the colonised people, liberating them from feelings of inferiority and despair, and empowering them to take action. Violence can be seen as a cleansing force, providing a release for pent-up frustration and anger.
Ngugi and Constructive Violence:
Violence in order to change an individual, unjust social order is not savagery; it purifies man. Violence to protect and preserve an unjust oppressive social order is criminal, and diminishes man”-Ngugi declares in a review of Majdalany's state of emergency, in 1963. It provides the point of view of Ngugi towards violence as a constructive force and his attitude is quite positive like Fanon. He also believes that, “Imperialism, the power of dead capital, in its neo-colonial clothes will not be able to destroy the fighting culture of African peasantry and working class for the simple reason that this culture is a product and a reflection of real life struggles going on in Africa today”. (p. xvii)
Kenyan History of Violence:
The history of violence in Kenya is deeply rooted in its colonial past, which saw the displacement of indigenous communities from their ancestral lands and the imposition of oppressive and violent systems of governance by European colonisers.
The struggle for independence, led by a range of Kenyan leaders and liberation movements, was marked by intense violence and repression, with the Mau Mau uprising being one of the most significant and bloody episodes in the country's history.
The Mau Mau uprising was an armed struggle against British colonial rule, waged primarily by the Kikuyu community, but involving other ethnic groups as well. The movement was initially driven by a desire to reclaim land that had been taken by British settlers, as well as to challenge the discriminatory policies and violence perpetrated by colonial authorities.
Mau Mau fighters targeted British officials, settlers, and their African collaborators, as well as those they perceived to be traitors to the cause of liberation.
The British responded with brutal force, including the use of concentration camps, torture, and extra-judicial killings, in an attempt to quell the rebellion. The violence on both sides was extreme, with estimates of the number of deaths ranging from 11,000 to 50,000. The Mau Mau uprising was eventually suppressed, but it had a profound impact on Kenya's history and identity, and is remembered as a symbol of resistance and resilience in the face of colonial oppression.
After independence in 1963, Kenya experienced a period of political instability and violence, as different ethnic groups vied for power and resources. This led to a series of ethnic clashes in the 1990s and early 2000s, which left thousands dead and displaced many more. More recently, Kenya has seen a rise in political violence, particularly during elections, which have been marked by allegations of rigging and voter fraud.
Despite these challenges, Kenya has made significant progress in recent years, with a growing economy and a vibrant civil society. However, the legacy of violence and injustice from its colonial past continues to shape the country's social and political landscape, and remains an ongoing challenge for Kenyan society.
Indirect Violence in Petals of Blood:
In Petals of Blood, Ngugi's 1977 novel, he is searching for a political strategy to successfully end “e Whole ing”- global monopoly capitalism of which Africa is constituent part. (Dorn,1999). In this novel, the Kenya Ngugi writes about, the Kenya that nobody can take away from him, is the 'Kenya of working class of all nationalities and their heroic struggle against domination by nature and other humans over the centuries.’Here we see the face of Kenya whose face is reflected in Ilmorog, the centre of action for the novel.
Ngugi chooses a barren, drought stricken part of Kenya where neo-colonialism puts the interests of foreigners and abandons the people who had suffered and died for the land. Us capitalism was burying Ilmorog and putting a new Ilmorog in its place. the people reached a point of no return and raised the protagonists to resist the destruction.
The Protagonist's about violence:
Petals of Blood is so bloody deep and detailed that by the time it ends nobody cares for the fate of the three petty preys, Krupps, Rockfellers and Delameres, or whether it was Wanja, Karega, Munira or Abdullah who has killed them. Wanja, the extraordinary struggling female character, like Kenya itself, has to fight to stay alive and for whom destruction is never too far away.
Being humiliated by society and the hostility of the world, she allows herself to turn cruel like the surroundings. She described the reality of the neocolonial situation in a plain formula- “You eat somebody or you are eaten. You sit on somebody or somebody sits on you”. She questioned, has Kimeria sinned less than her, why is she the only sufferer. She stroked his head with the punga before the arson. According to Fanon this is individual freedom and it will calm and clean her burning heart.
Abdullah, the introverted Mau Mau fighter, was totally betrayed by the country he fought for. e independent Kenya failed to rehabilitate the one legged fighter who sacrificed his family and land for the country. The unsung hero had the ability to rehabilitate himself, but the same person Kimeria, who betrayed his friend during Mau Mau, was involved with the spoil of his business, his earning. By killing Kimeria he wanted to avenge the death of his friend, Ndinguri and save Wanja from his claws. He reserved his manhood by this act of violence.
Karega :
Karega, the man of many wanderings, devotes himself to the unity of workers and helps the trade union. He opposed Wanja's philosophy and kept searching for a lost innocence, hope and faith. He believed one could not prevent violence by being one of the violators. He was sure that there must be another way to a 'new world'.
Munira the 'man of God' was also haunted by the need to break out from the situation, the passive “spectator of life” he wanted a connection that prompted him to do something. Even taking personal revenge by dismissing Karega, was a step to prove the activity to himself. Finally inspired by a divine feeling, he too desired to establish a 'secular new world'. He wanted to save Karega from the fatal embrace of Wanja. He decided to burn the 'Sunshine Lodge', the place of prostitution. It was also a common place for Kimeria, Chui, Mzigo, the neocolonial agents. The act was a repetition of his early life, throwing the sin, the corruption into the fire.
Conclusion :
To conclude this novel, Ngugi finally exposed some optimism by means of constructive violence. All the protagonists actively take part or provide silent support in the violent act of purification. After the arson, Wanja's pregnancy, Joseph's school rebellion, Karega's fate in renewed strikes and protests in Ilmorog, the future generation with the spirit of purification and courage from the parents involved in freedom fighting and social revolution, will be born to restore serenity. Constructive violence, like arson will burn down the corrupted, rotten society and there is a hope and promise for the rebirth of a new Kenya.
Work Cited:
Dorn, Paul. (1999) “Turning Toward the World: Ngugi’s Petals of Blood.” Post Colonial Literature, Taught Spring <http://www.runmuki.com/paul/writing/Html/> (Retrieved on: 5.2.15)
Fanon, Frantz. (1985)e Wretched of the Earth. Penguin Books: London. pp. 27-75
“Fanonism” (1998) Key Concept in Post-Colonial Studies, Routledge.
Isegawa, Moses. (2005). Introduction. Petals of Blood. By Ngugi wa thiong'o. Penguin: UK.
Maughan, Brown David. (1985). Land, Freedom and Fiction: History and Ideology in Kenya. e Barth Press: London.
Ressler, Lara. (1997) “Uhuru: A Study of Ngugi wa thiong'o” Eastern Mennonite University.http://www.Emu.edu/courses/eng402a/ressler/html> (Retrieved on 5.3.15)
Thank you...
No comments:
Post a Comment