History, Sexuality and Gender in “Petals of Blood”

 History, Sexuality and Gender in “Petals of Blood”

Name:

Divya Parmar

Paper no:

206: The African Literature

Roll no:

05

Enrollment no:

4069206420210024

Email id: 

divyaparmaro7o12@gmail.com

Batch: 

2021-23 M.A. sem: 4

Submitted to:

S. B. Gardi Department of English 

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University 

Points to Ponder:

Introduction of Assignment Topic 

Introduction of : Petals of Blood 

Introduction of Author

History, Sexuality and Gender in “Petals of Blood”

Conclusion

Citation

Introduction of Assignment topic: 

This assignment focuses on the novel "Petals of Blood" and its exploration of history, sexuality, and gender. The novel is written by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, a Kenyan writer and activist. The introduction of the assignment provides an overview of the topic, highlighting the importance of understanding the role of history, sexuality, and gender in literature.

The section on "Petals of Blood" provides a brief synopsis of the novel, highlighting its key themes and motifs. The novel follows the lives of four characters who are struggling to navigate the political and social upheavals of post-colonial Kenya. Through their stories, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o explores issues of corruption, class struggle, and the legacy of colonialism. The section on the author provides background information on Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, including his life and career. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is known for his political activism and his commitment to writing in his native language, Gikuyu.

The section on history, sexuality, and gender in "Petals of Blood" explores the ways in which the novel addresses these themes. The assignment analyses how Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o portrays the impact of colonialism on gender relations and sexuality in Kenya. It also examines how the novel challenges traditional gender roles and critiques the patriarchal society that shapes the lives of its characters. 

Introduction of : Petals of Blood 

"Petals of Blood" is a novel written by Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, first published in 1977. It is set in the fictional town of Ilmorog in post-colonial Kenya, and follows the lives of four characters: Munira, Abdulla, Wanja, and Karega, who are struggling to navigate the political and social upheavals of their time.

The novel opens with the discovery of the bodies of three white officials, who have been killed in a rural part of Kenya. The government blames the incident on Mau Mau insurgents, and the town of Ilmorog is put under military occupation. The four main characters are brought together by the events that follow.

Munira is an idealistic teacher who has recently returned to Ilmorog after being imprisoned for his political beliefs. He believes that education can bring about social change, and is determined to educate the youth of Ilmorog. Abdulla is a wealthy businessman who owns a local bar and brothel. He is cynical about politics, and believes that the only way to survive is to play by the rules of the corrupt government officials. Wanja is a former prostitute who is trying to start a new life. She is determined to make something of herself, and dreams of becoming a successful businesswoman. Karega is a young man who has been sent to Ilmorog to teach at the local school. He is an intellectual, and is passionate about African culture and history.

As the story unfolds, the characters' lives become increasingly intertwined. They begin to uncover the corruption and inequality that pervades their society. They also discover the legacy of colonialism, and the ways in which it has shaped their lives.

One of the major themes of the novel is the impact of colonialism on Kenyan society. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o shows how the British colonial authorities exploited and oppressed the Kenyan people, and how this legacy continues to shape their lives after independence. The novel explores the ways in which colonialism has affected gender relations, and the role of women in post-colonial society. Wanja's story, in particular, highlights the struggles faced by women who have been marginalised by the patriarchal society in which they live.

Another theme of the novel is the struggle for political freedom and social justice. The characters are all fighting in their own way against the corruption and inequality that pervades their society. Munira is a political activist who believes in the power of education to bring about change. Karega is passionate about African culture and history, and is determined to fight against the erasure of African identity. Abdulla, while cynical about politics, still tries to help his community in his own way. Wanja is determined to succeed in business, despite the obstacles in her way.

The novel also explores issues of class, and the ways in which it affects people's lives. The characters come from different backgrounds, and their experiences of life in Ilmorog are shaped by their social status. Abdulla, for example, is wealthy and powerful, but he is still subject to the whims of the corrupt government officials. Munira, on the other hand, is poor and marginalised, but he still believes that he can make a difference through education.

Throughout the novel, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o uses symbolism to underscore the themes of the story. The title of the novel, "Petals of Blood," refers to the way in which the characters' lives are intertwined with the violent history of their country. The bloodshed of the past cannot be ignored, and the characters must confront it in order to move forward.

Introduction of Author

Ngugi wa Thiong'o, also known as James Thiong'o Ngugi, was a renowned Kenyan writer born on January 5, 1938, in Limuru, Kenya. He was highly regarded as the foremost novelist in East Africa, with his popular book, Weep Not, Child (1964), being the first significant English novel authored by an East African. Ngugi's growing awareness of colonialism's adverse effects in Africa led him to adopt his traditional name and shift his writing to the Bantu language of the Kikuyu people, native to Kenya. 

Ngugi obtained his undergraduate degrees from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, in 1963, and from Leeds University in Yorkshire, England, in 1964. He pursued postgraduate studies at Leeds before taking up a teaching position as an English lecturer at University College, Nairobi, Kenya, and later as a visiting professor of English at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, USA. Between 1972 and 1977, Ngugi held the position of senior lecturer and chair of the Literature Department at the University of Nairobi.

Weep Not, Child, which won awards, is a novel about a Kikuyu family's involvement in the fight for Kenyan independence during the state of emergency and the Mau Mau rebellion. A Grain of Wheat (1967), considered to be more artistically mature, examines numerous social, moral, and racial issues surrounding the struggle for independence and its aftermath. The River Between (1965), written before the other two, portrays the conflict between Christianity and traditional beliefs that separates lovers, and it implies that Western education fails to reunite culturally divided communities. Petals of Blood (1977) tackles social and economic difficulties in East Africa after independence, including the exploitation of peasants and workers by foreign businesses and an insatiable local bourgeoisie.

Ngugi uses allegory to express his ideas in a novel titled Caitaani Mutharaba-ini (1980; Devil on the Cross), which has both Kikuyu and English versions. Written in a style intended to recall traditional ballad singers, the novel recounts a partially realistic, partially fantastical story of the Devil meeting various villains who exploit the poor. In Mũrogi wa Kagogo (2004; Wizard of the Crow), Ngugi employs fantasy and satire to explore the legacy of colonialism, not just as it is perpetuated by a native dictatorship, but also as it is ingrained in a supposedly decolonized culture itself.

History, Sexuality and Gender in “Petals of Blood”

As V.S. Naipaul Mentioned in his Article, “The Mystic Masseur” tha references in "Petals of Blood," including Derek Walcott's poem "The Swamp" and V.S. Naipaul's novels "The Mystic Masseur" and "The Mimic Men.". The reference to Walcott's poem is significant because it provides the inspiration for the novel's title. The line "And the hot petals of blood / Come floating down" is used by Ngugi to evoke the violence and political upheaval that the characters in the novel experience.

The references to Naipaul's novels are also significant because they allow Ngugi to engage with and critique the legacy of colonialism in Africa. "The Mystic Masseur" deals with the rise of a charismatic leader who promises to bring about change, while "The Mimic Men" explores the tension between assimilation and cultural identity. By alluding to these works, Ngugi is able to comment on the ways in which colonialism has impacted African societies and the struggles that arise in the aftermath of independence. These literary references demonstrate Ngugi's engagement with a broader literary tradition and his use of literature to comment on the social and political issues facing his country and continent.

Nicholas argues that Ngugi wa Thiong'o's Petals of Blood is a work that is diasporic in nature, drawing on the shared experiences of Caribbean, African-American, and African struggles for liberation. The scale of the book's ambition is epic, and its structure is almost biblical, with section headings that read like an abbreviated account of Christian belief. The author suggests that the book presents a vision of socialist liberation as the realisation of a faith in collective human potential and a vision of black world history culminating in apotheosis. The book's theology engages with global Cold War politics and opposes anti-Communist Christian evangelism during the Cold War with a form of theological belief rooted in worldly institutions. In essence, the book can be seen as a bible of African world-historical experience, presenting a theology that recognizes the dignity of all people and opposes evangelical Christianity's ideological functions during the Cold War. 

The second historical model in Petals of Blood explores Kenyan national history as a generational history of struggle. The novel draws upon the idea of generational history, which is rooted in Kikuyu customary institutions, to contemplate democratic forms of political power. The novel uses indigenous mechanisms of naming, associated with circumcision and clitoridectomy, to illustrate this point. Gikuyu oral history was remembered through the significant names given annually to the circumcision age-sets, which link each generation to the significant historical events that accompany their rite of passage into manhood or womanhood. Petals of Blood shows an example of this mnemonic history when Munira narrates his experience of going to school at Siriana. The names given to the age-sets, such as Mwomboko, Karanji, and Boti, indicate how the Kikuyu people associated their personal lives and crises with larger historical events. 

The Gikuyu oral history relied on a cyclical and seasonal pattern, with the names of the age-sets given annually after the harvest. However, many of these names have been Anglicised or corrupted, with some alluding to colonial conflict. Petals of Blood emphasises generational history by filtering communal history through the age-sets. This approach highlights a lineage of struggle, viewed diachronically through naming mechanisms. The novel draws on the Gikuyu custom of Ritwika, in which power was peacefully transferred from one generation to the next every 30 years, ensuring a "democratic" system of government. Petals of Blood revives the idea of ritwika as a form of cyclical and revolutionary democracy, with signposts suggesting this. The novel also references the iregi and ndemi age-sets and their history of peaceful transfer of power. When Nyakinyua refers to a corrupt MP as "this Ndamathia which only takes but never gives back," she is referencing the banishing of a river-monster by the Ndemi generation after the first ritwika. 

In Petals of Blood, the heroes of resistance – Ndemi, Kimathi, and Karega – advocate for a revolutionary overthrow of the neo-colonial Kenyan government and the establishment of a Gikuyu government that is ultimately democratic, based on a generational theory of political power. However, this theory of political power relies on a rhetoric of reproduction that emphasises women’s mothering capacities, which is complicated by the fact that paternity is unstable in the novel due to the multiple cultural and historical allusions that undermine the act of naming and establishing a male lineage. This proliferation of signs is connected to wider modes of struggle in the Caribbean and among African-Americans. 

Abdulla’s birth name means "one who asks'' and his chosen name inadvertently alludes to the dissident Kenyan Swahili poet, Abdilatif Abdalla, who was imprisoned for publishing a pamphlet criticising the Kenyan government. Similarly, Ole Masai, Abdulla’s comrade in Mau Mau, has a name with plural origins. He is known by the Gikuyu nickname ‘Muhindi,’ and is the son of Njogu’s daughter and Ramjeeh Ramlagoon Dharamshah, the previous shop owner. The name ‘Ramlagoon’ is a reference to ‘Ramlogan,’ the troublesome shop owner in V. S. Naipaul’s The Mystic Masseur. Ole Masai's character is based in part on Joseph Murumbi, the first vice-president of Kenya, who was half-Maasai and half-Goan, and an educated activist in Kenya African Union. Ole Masai hates himself, his mother, his father, and his divided self. His name signifies "the son of a Maasai".

Conclusion: 

In conclusion, "Petals of Blood" by Ngugi wa Thiong'o is a compelling novel that explores the intersections of history, sexuality, and gender in post-colonial Kenya. Through its portrayal of characters such as Munira, Karega, and Wanja, the novel critiques the legacies of colonialism and patriarchy in the country, and highlights the ways in which women and men navigate power dynamics in a patriarchal society. 

Word Count: 2352

Image : 2

Citation: 

Brendon, Nicholas. “History, Intertextuality, and Gender in Ngugi’s Petals of Blood.” White Rose, 2014, p. 8. Accessed 26 March 2023.

Goldsmith, Oliver, and Saul Bellow. “Ngugi wa Thiong'o | Biography, Books, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 February 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ngugi-wa-Thiongo. Accessed 25 March 2023.

Paul, Mr.Gopal Chandra. “V.S. Naipaul’s “The Mystic Masseur”: A Study of Post- Colonial Myth and Reality.” International Journal of English Language, Literature and Humanities, vol. 3, no. 3, 2015, p. 8.

“Petals Of Blood - Summary And Analysis.” Smart English Notes, 5 February 2022, https://smartenglishnotes.com/2022/02/05/petals-of-blood-summary-and-analysis/. Accessed 25 March 2023.

Walcott, Derek. “The Swamp by Derek Walcott.” Poem Collections, https://poemcollections.com.ng/the-swamp-by-derek-walcott/. Accessed 26 March 2023.

wa Thiong'o, Ngugi. Petals of Blood. Penguin Random House, 2018.