IMPACT OF COLONIALISM IN NGUGIWATHIONG'O'S SELECT NOVELS

NgugiwaThiong'o is a renowned literary figure from East Africa. He is known for his description of colonial issues in his works especially in his novels. He has exposed how the British colonial education annihilated native language, native culture and native identity. This paper examines how the Britishers annihilated native elements and the serious consequences of it. During the colonial and the post-colonial period, native people suffered from 'white ache'. According to Nyamnjoh, " Whiteache is black man celebrating the negation of himself"(65). Native people want to identify themselves with white people and hate their own black identity. Native people feel that the Britishers are superior in terms of their culture and education, because they have introduced the knowledge of literature, science and technology to them in the colonial school. Ngugi in all of his novels highlights the impact of colonialism. In Weep Not, Child,Ngugi describes in a detailed manner how the native land and native labour have been taken by the Britishers. This inhuman act of Britishers paves way for the alienation among the native people. In The River Between, Ngugi is highly critical of Britisher's conversion process. The Britishers introduced their own Christian religion in Kenya and other African countries in order to destroy the native people's religion, native unity and native identity and to dominate the native people . In A Grain of Wheat, Ngugi pinpoints the stark reality in Kenya. He also exposes how the native men have been tortured in the concentration camps as their fellow country men have formed Kenya's Land and Freedom Army ( Mau Mau) inorder to liberate Kenya from the clutches of colonialism. All the men in Kenya have been taken to concentration camps and women including children have been allowed to stay in their homes. More restrictions have been laid before them .Women were beaten severely and forcefully raped and resulted in their inhuman death. During the colonial period, native suffered a lot due to the various inhuman practices employed by the Britishers in Kenya. Key words: : Colonialism, Mau - Mau, religion, Conversion, alienation, liberation, identity