A Grain of Wheat and Robinson Crusoe

Introduction:-

Colonization is a process by which a central system of power dominates the surrounding land and its components. Colonization refers strictly to migration. For example, to settler colonies in America or Australia, trading posts, and plantations, while colonialism to the existing indigenious peoples of styled new territories.

A Grain Of Wheat

A Grain of wheat is a novel by Kenyan novelist James Ngugi first published as part of the influential Heinmann African Writers Series. It was written while he was studying at Leeds University and first published in 1967 by Heinmann.

 The title is taken from the Gospel According to St. John. The novel weaves together several stories set during the state of emergency in Kenya’s struggle for independence , focusing on the quite Mugo, whose life is ruled by a dark secret. The plot revolves around his home village’s preparation for Kenya’s independence day celebration, Uhuru day. On that day, former resistance fighters General R and Koinadu plan on publicly executing the traitor who betrayed Kihika.

Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe represents a prototype of a culture, a religion, and an ideology. He is the true Englishman who would love to expand the English territory and its autonomy. He stands for the English imperialism, capitalism, and more specifically the colonialism. Robinson left his motherland in quest of fortune which is one of the prime motto of English colonization.

Representation of native by colonizer in “A Gran of Wheat” and “Robinson Crusoe”

A Grain of Wheat

In A Grain of Wheat, Britain’s colonization of Kenya is the context against which its characters are formed as well as the primary political tension of the book. Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o, himself a native Kenyan, uses this context and development of his characters to explore the moral aspect of colonization from both the perspective of the British and rural Kenyans. Ngũgĩ’s narrative argues that, although both the colonizer and the colonized feel morally justified in their pursuits, colonialism is ultimately an immoral and oppressive practice, justifying the colonized people’s struggle for freedom, even through violent means.

Robinson Crusoe

In the text, when Friday was saved by Crusoe we can find that Friday was sitting on the land under the feet of Crusoe.

“Laid his head upon the ground, and taking me by the foot, set my foot upon his head”.

Crusoe gave the name Friday to his servant. Here, we can also find the master slave relationship between Crusoe and Friday. Crusoe taught his language to Friday. Friday used to wear Crusoe’s style clothes after coming on that land. Friday also learnt to cook and some manners of eating from Crusoe. In this text, Bible is mentioned. After looking at all these things we can say that Friday is a black man and also servant of Crusoe. He is colonized by Crusoe. And Crusoe is a white man who is the colonizer and master of Friday.