Right from the beginning of the novel, Waiyaki is introduced as a good and obedient young man. He is a boy who has learned a lot from the wisdom of his father, Mr. Chege. However, when Waiyaki is sent to the missionary school and comes back as a teacher, there are doubts in the minds of some people as to where his true allegiance lies.
The main points of conflict in the novel are the two opposing extreme sides. One side believes that the Kikuyu community should completely convert to the ways of the missionaries and adopt everything the white man has to offer. This side is led by a strong Christian convert, Joshua. A different group believes that the community should stand for its traditional values. The Kiama, a sect which is led by Kabonyi, strongly advocates against colonialism or any influence by the white man.
At the center of all this dispute is Waiyaki. Waiyaki can be described as the perfect child of two worlds. He strongly believes in upholding the purity of his Kikuyu community, while at the same time he wants to adopt some good values from the white missionaries. He wants to educate his people and give them the knowledge of the white man.
The main point of conflict between Waiyaki and Kabonyi comes from their parallel thoughts. While Kabonyi insists that the white man should be completely resisted, Waiyaki seems to have a contrary opinion. This leads Kabonyi to hate Waiyaki.
Secondly, Kabonyi is also a self-centered leader. While he is the head of the Kiama, he tries to use his position to silence the progressive ideas brought about by Waiyaki. Kabonyi gets jealous when Waiyaki starts becoming more popular. The popularity of Waiyaki is drawn from the fact that he is teaching people's children, and parents love seeing their children's progress.
The epitome of the conflict between the two comes when Waiyaki falls in love with Nyambura—who is Joshua's daughter. In order for Waiyaki to prove his allegiance to the community, Kabonyi wants him to have no relationship with anybody from Joshua's family, because they are all converts to the Whiteman.
Kabonyi gets very jealous because he is unable to stop Waiyaki from doing anything. The people love Waiyaki and want to make him the head of Kiama. They also want to make him the head teacher of their school. To ensure that he does not become more influential, Kabonyi uses Waiyaki's weak point to bring him down by exposing his love to Nyambura.
Kabonyi is a young Kikuyu healer and traditional diviner. He offers fortune readings, heals the sick with various herbal remedies, and advises the elders on matters of tribal politics. Kabonyi has a tendency towards envy and expresses jealousy towards many individuals throughout the novel.
Perhaps his most salient jealousy-infused relationship is with Waiyaki. Waiyaki is a teacher who becomes influenced by European missionaries. He establishes a church and takes on many European cultural practices, including for example, receiving a European (Christian) name. Kabonyi is jealous because Waiyaki has great influence over the tribe. Despite Kabonyi's role a traditional diviner, the elders often dismiss his advice in favor of Waiyaki's advice. The children and youth of the tribe also seem strongly influenced by Waiyaki. Kabonyi is jealous of Waiyaki because Kabonyi wishes the he himself had great influence and charisma. Unfortunately, Kabonyi's tendencies towards anger and petulance prevent him from becoming considered a wise elder within his tribe.
No comments:
Post a Comment