The Personality of Mumbi in A Grain of Wheat：From the Perspective of Postcolonial Feminist Criticism

汪定輝

[Abstract]A Grain of Wheat is a representative work of Ngugi.And after its publication，many scholars discuss it from different perspectives.However，among this works，few people focus on the heroine Mumbi.Thus，this paper will analyze the personality of Mumbi by using post-colonial feminism criticism in order to find out the suppression on women in the third world in 1960s.

[Key words]A Grain of Wheat；Mumbi；Ngugi；postcolonial feminist criticism；Spivak

I.Introduction

At the beginning of its publication，scholars of Russian formalism and Anglo-American new criticism began to pay attention to the text itself.Some critics think that “the theme is not only of this novel but of all post independence African literature.Ngugi typically uses the situations of marriage to weave variations on this theme”[4].At the middle of 1980s，western scholars “started to analyze its author and the characters in this novel，and the theme of betrayal”[3]from the angle of archetypal criticism and feminist criticism.After 1890s，scholars discussed “elements likes politics，culture，discourse，power”[2].In China，about at the end of 1990s，people started to study Ngugi and his works.Some people think that “Kihika is the real Moses of Thaibai，but Mugo is the Mimic of Moses”[6].They stated that Mugo regarded himself as the real hero “Moses”，he wanted to eliminate the hero，and he himself was waiting for the summon of the God.Besides，people think that there are the elements of religion and something refer to politics.There is a strategy of appropriation to the Christianity in A Grain of Wheat.And “this kind of writing（narration）is a kind of resistance，by which the postcolonial people can represent themselves in order to subvert their passive position as colonized to increase the influence of resistance”[5].

II.The personality of Mumbi

A.Confident and happy girl

“She was said to be one of the most beautiful women on all the eight ridges.”（P14）For both herself and her husband，they think that their life before marriage is beautiful，quiet，peaceful and happy.She enjoys the admiration of other girls and the love from young men，she is confident for her beauty，her brother---Kihika.With the glory of beauty and hero-sister，her girlhood is very happy.After she getting married with Gikonyo，she want to be a gentle，considerate and hard-working wife to make Gikonyo realize the importance of home.Unfortunately，Gikonyo seemed to ignore his goodness and beauty，he was arrested into detention camp and left his wife helplessly.

“Her dark eyes had a dreamy look...of beautiful girls given to the gods as sacrifice."（p75）She is innocent girl，she admire her brother，and she regard him as the bravest hero，but she cant understand their battle in the forest.She thinks the duty of wife is to comfort husband，offer them embrace and food.Before marriage，she knows about the Bible and she regards the sacrifice of beautiful girl in order to save poor victim is a great enterprise and the pride of every beautiful girl.Her mind became strong and always try to fighting for freedom and justice，always was ready to sacrifice herself willingly.

Her wish to be a hero to save people from suffering is to be a submissive wife，a sacrifice to the gods that makes her suffer a lot in the latter life，especially after her husband coming back to the house after six years and she had a loved child with his rival.What make her a confident and happy girl is actually her hope to be a brave and popular female.

B.Independent and brave woman

These days without Gikonyo is very terrible.The white men avenge the peasants for they help to hide the rebels in the forest.As a helpless woman，Mumbi is very angry but nothing can do.Just as she said “Even now，at night，in bed.I remember the red flames.（p135）”.For her，the firing house is a nightmare，it stands the the end of hope，the loss of the only support.With fear and hungry，she kept on her spirit and try to work hard in order to rebuild a place for survive.When people saw her work on the roof，they laughed her for she was doing something belongs to man，but not to woman.In the laughter of other people，in the sad of losing family member，and with body hungry，this brave and hard-working woman tries to survive by her own hands.

The hard times makes an independent mother，under the tyranny of white settler，women have to work hard as a man lonely.Their is no husband under the house to help her，but there are several mouths that needs food very much.Mumbi isnt the timid girl，but a hard working and brave woman who support a family alone.“After the trench，.....Kariuki was doing the well at school I paid his school fees.”（p142）In that terrible period，she support the whole family and make a living for the five family members.As a female，her work is even harder than males.She dug trench and work in the settled area，and earned money to keep the five of them alive.And even support the school fees of her brother.She is very hard working and brave.Many people died for cold and hungry，but they survived after suffering a lot，thanks to the hard work of Mumbi.

C.Obedient and submissive wife

After getting married with Gikonyo，she tries to work hard and to do what she can do as the duty of a wife.When she heard the news of Kihikas sacrifice，the first thing she wants to do isnt to avenge for her brother，but try to be a gentle and good wife in order to remove Gikonyos idea（or will）of fighting as a soldier in the forest.Unfortunately，her gentility and goodness cant stop Gikonyo and save him from suffering.“On the fire，......a bird ready to fly at the first sign or word from the master.”（29）.When Gikonyo came back from the camp and knew her betrayal to their love.The relationship of this couple changed obviously.She thinks that her husband had suffered a lot during these times in the camp，so she wants to try her best to make him happy and rebuild their happiness as wife and husband.The more she does for their marriage，the more he will hate her.In these life，she is very submissive and obedient.

“Gradually the defiant challenge in her eyes melted into silent，almost submissive pleading.”（p134）.Mumbi knows that there is something they cant go over.About her affair with Karanja，no one ask her what happened，they think that its her fault and she ought to feel guilty for this thing.Her mother told her that she should stay at her own home to work to support the family even her husband always beat her，for its the duty of wife.After suffers a lot，totally disappointed marriage，she realized that her efforts to improve and keep their marriage life as usual is in vain.She decided to live by herself with her child.

She want to be a dreamy wife and her dream to save people reduced.During the absence of husband，she was brave and independent，overcame all troubles and survived.When he returned back，their relationship changed.She forgot her sufferings and tried to be a submissive and obedient wife to rebuild her marriage.Like a slave of her husband，his words made her despaired absolutely.

V.Conclusion

Women in the third world were suppressed，not only from white woman，but also from black man.The changes of Personality of Mumbi implied that woman suffers a lot int the third world countries.They are suppressed by double colonization.And the colonization of the traditional patriarchal authority made their lose themselves，but there are still many females who resist under such cruelly double colonization with difficulty.

Reference：

[1]Ngugi Wa Thiongo.A Grain of Wheat[M].London：William Heinemann Ltd，1986.

[2]Bu-Buakei Jabbi.Conrad's Influence on Betrayal in "A Grain of Wheat"[J].Research in African Literatures，1980（1）：50-83.

[3]Kenneth Harrow.Ngugi wa Thiong'o's "A Grain of Wheat"：Season of Irony[J].Research in African Literatures，1985（2）：243-263.

[4]Leon Mugesera.Guilt and Redemption in Ngugi wa Thiongos A Grain of Wheat[J].Présence Africaine：Cultural Review of the Negro World，1983（125）：214-232.

[5]周霞，李昌銀.《一粒麥種》對基督教的“挪用”策略[J].湖北函授大學學報，2014（1）：186-192.

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