Weep Not Child By Ngugi Essay, Research Paper

Question #2 – What are some issues particular to the society in question and how are those issues expressed by the author?

Ngugi’s novel, Weep Not Child, is one of hope and of opposition. It opens up to address issues particular to the society. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the issues addressed in the text, and show how the issues are expressed by the author. Ngugi uses parallelism and contrasting images as a technique to achieve his point, and to compare the thoughts of the society.

Ngugi opens the scene with the issue of education. To Njoroge’s family education is worth a lot, next to the aspect of land. The expectation of education allows one of a lower class such as Njoroge, a chance to rise up into the upper class. Ngotho looked at education as a way to take back the land which once belonged to him. With education he felt that he still had an opportunity to have his land returned to him. Nyobaki saw education as a way to be in the same class as Jacobo. “She wanted to be the same. Or be like Juliana.” Njorge has a large determination towards school, both to fulfill the anticipation of his parents as well as for himself. This is further displayed when he allows himself to compete against Jacobo’s daughter, and feels happy when he succeeds ahead of her. As the reader can see, the high expectation of education is all lost when Njorge is force to withdraw from school.

Ngugi observes the family as the central part of society, where it holds the community together. It is an aspect that is tightly integrated together with the culture of the people. As the society crumbles, so does the family structure, and vice versa. Ngugi starts the novel with a tightly bound family, who held onto each other. As seen, there were social gatherings, where stories would be told. As the society progresses into turmoil, chaos starts to erupt. The system is breaking down. There is no more social gatherings, and a curfew is set. Mr. Howlands plan was to have them to destroy themselves. “The blacks were destroying the blacks. They would destroy themselves to the end. One can say that the fall of the society caused the break down of the family structure, or one can say that as the family structure fell, so did society, either way, the family structure and the society are bounded together.

Land is an issue in particular that caused chaos to the society. The people in society who have land are people who has wealth, power, and is respected. The issue of land draws a distinct line between those who side with the white, such as Jacobo, and those who hopes of having their land returned to them. Jacobo is one of the few blacks who are allowed to have land and to grow pyrethrum. “White farmers who planted it also did not want many Afrians to be allowed to grow any cash crop because this would lower the standards and quality of production.” The issue of the land brings up racial tension. One can see the difference between a white man and a black. A black man is colored, and a white man has more superiority over the black, who took their justice away. The aspect of the Indians can be binded into the issue of racial tension. It is ironic how the Indians are also colored, yet people treat them with more respect then to the blacks.

There are four main issues addressed in the text that is asserted by the author, the issue of education, family structure, land, and racial tension. Each issue is expressed by the author in a disorganized way. Ngugi composed Weep Not, Child in a disorder way to express how chaotic everything was by jumbling the scenes.