Let me recall F.Scott Fitzgerald's sayings that truly relevant for this novel and as well as topic; “The reason one writes isn't the fact he wants to say something. He writes because he has something to say.”

1. Reflection of past inReflection of past in AGrainof WheatAGrainof Wheat
Paper: 14 The African Literature
PG Enrollment No: BU13141001177
MA Sem: 4
Batch: 2013-15
Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji BhavnagarUniversity
Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India.
Kaushal Desai
kaushaldesai123@gmail.com

2. Ng g wa Thiong’oũ ĩNg g wa Thiong’oũ ĩ
“ Our lives are a battlefield o n which is fo ught a
co ntinuo us war between the fo rces that are
pledged to co nfirm o ur humanity and tho se
determined to dismantle it tho se who strive to;
build a pro tective wall aro und it, and tho se who
wish to pull it do wn tho se who seek to mo uld it;
and tho se co mmitted to breaking it up tho se who;
aim to o pen o ur eyes, to make us see the light and
lo o k to To mo rro w [...] and tho se who wish to lull
us into closing o ur eyes” (Thio ng’ o )

3. F. Scott Fitzgerald oncesaid,F. Scott Fitzgerald oncesaid,

4. AGrainof WheatAGrainof Wheat: From the view of: From the view of
CultureCulture
♦ Thestory from Bible
♦ JesusChrist'sincident
♦ Sacrificethelife
♦ Charactersarevictim in AGrain o f Wheat
♦ Kenya’ s struggle fro m freedom
♦ Ups & do wn in the so ciety

5. Two perspectivesTwo perspectives

6. How the past is reflecting inHow the past is reflecting in AA
Grainof WheatGrainof Wheat
♦ Theaction of thenovel focuseson theprotagonists’
remembrancesof theeventsof the‘Mau Mau’ Revolt-thebirth
of anew Kenya.
♦ Uhuru (Freedom)
Theformer ‘mau mau’, guerillaGeneral R. – statesin his
independencespeech;

7. How the past is reflecting inHow the past is reflecting in AA
Grainof WheatGrainof Wheat
♦ It isprecisely in theact of recalling and reflecting on thepast
that A Grain of Wheat constructsanarration of thenation: the
pedagogic moment (theact of recalling theliberation struggle)
materializesin aperformativemoment.
♦ Construction of thepast, an act of writing, in thesenseof
modeling..
“ Except a co rn o f wheat fallinto the gro und and die, it abided
alo ne: but if it die, it bring fo rth much fruit”

8. How the past is reflecting inHow the past is reflecting in AA
Grainof WheatGrainof Wheat
♦ Herethemodern history of Kenyaisidentified with thestory
of theresistanceto colonization and of thedevelopment of the
liberation movement.
♦ A Grain of Wheat theheroic character par excellenceisthe
lateKihika, thecourageousguerillaleader full of messianic
spirit. Welearn of Kihika’slifeand deedsmainly from the
memoriesof thosewho survived, but it isthenarrator
storyteller who giveshislifeameaning in theperspectiveof
theliberation struggle.

9. ConclusionConclusion
♀ The whole novel can indeed be summarized as
a collective act of recalling and reflecting on the
eventsleading to Uhuru.
The past can be seen as a new awakening and
in sharp points of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s this novel,
clearly observed and psychological and political
impact of the Revolt on individuals living in a
small community, shown with a clear-cut fact in
thisnovel.

10. BibliographyBibliography
• A Grain of Wheat . @2015 Goodreads,Inc.
<http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/836746.A_grain_of_
Wheat>.
• Ngugi waThiong'o Essay .
<http:/www.enotes.com/topics/ngugi-wa-thiongo/critical-
essays/thiongo-ngugi-wa>.
• Thiong’o, Ngũgĩ wa. A Grain of Wheat. Heinemann, 1967.
• Thiong'o, Ngugi a. "Ngugi WaThiong'o: A Profileof a
Literary and Social Activist."
<http:/www.ngugiwathiongo.com/bio/bio-home.htm>.
•

11. Thank you…Thank you…
http://desaikaushal1315.blogspot.com
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