Usuario:Abián/No llores, niño
| No llores, niño | ||
|---|---|---|
| de Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o | ||
| Género | Novela histórica | |
| Edición original en inglés | ||
| Título original | Weep Not, Child | |
| Publicado en | 1964 | |
| Editorial | Heinemann | |
| País | Kenia | |
| Páginas | 144 | |
| Serie | ||
No llores, niño | ||
No llores, niño (en inglés Weep Not, Child) es la primera novela del escitor keniano Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. Publicada en 1964, se convirtió en la primera novela en inglés escrita por un nativo del Este africano.[1][2][3]Las obras de Thiong'o tratan la relación entre los africanos y los colonos británicos en África, y critican duramente el régimen colonial británico.[4] Concretamente, Weep Not, Child trata sobre la llamada Rebelión del Mau Mau,[5] y del «sorprendente despojo de todo un pueblo de sus tierras ancestrales».[6] Ngũgĩ escribió la novela cuando estudiaba en la Universidad de Makerere,[7] la más antigua de Uganda.
Argumento[editar]
El libro está dividido en dos partes y dieciocho capítulos. La primera parte gira en torno a la educación de Njoroge, mientras que la segunda hace referencia a los levantamientos revolucionarios anticolonialistas en Kenia.
Un joven chico llamado Njoroge es obligado por su madre a ir al colegio, siendo el primero de su familia que puede hacerlo. Vive en los dominios de Jacobo, un africano que se hizo rico por su relación con los colonizadores blancos, en especial con el señor Howlands, el terrateniente más poderoso del lugar. Kamau, el hermano de Njoroge, trabaja de aprendiz de carpintero mientras Boro, el hermano mayor, está preocupado por las experiencias que vivió durante el servicio obligatorio de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, donde falleció el que por entonces era hermano mayor. El padre de Njoroge, Ngotho, mantiene los cultivos del señor Howlands y vigila sus tierras ancestrales. On the first day of school, Njoroge meets Mwihaki, who is the daughter of Jacobo. She is one year ahead of Njoroge in school. Njoroge admires and befriends her. Njoroge’s family likes to sit together and tell stories. One time Ngotho, Njoroge's father tells the story about how the land, which is now owned by the landlords originally belonged to their ancestors. Njoroge is very successful in school and soon catches up with Mwihaki and goes to the same class with her.
One day, a strike is called for higher wages for the black workers. Ngotho does not know if he should participate at first, because he would likely lose his job. Finally, however, he decides to go to the gathering, although his two wives do not agree. At the demonstration, there are calls for higher wages. Suddenly Jacobo, the father of Mwihaki, appears with the white police inspector. He tries to put an end to the strike (the police brought him there to pacify the native people). Ngotho attacks Jacobo. The result is a big tumult with two people being killed. Nevertheless, Jacobo survives and swears revenge. Njoroge’s family is forced to move and Ngotho loses his job. Njoroge’s education is thereafter funded by his brothers who seem to lose respect for their father.
Mwihaki then goes to a girls' only boarding school, leaving Njoroge relatively alone. He reflects upon her leaving, and realizes that he was embarrassed by his father's actions towards Jacobo. For this reason, Njoroge is not upset by her exit and their separation. Njoroge stays close to home where he switches to another school.
For a time, everyone's attention is focused on the upcoming trial of Jomo Kenyatta - a revered leader of the movement. Many blacks think that he is going to bring forth Kenya’s independence. But Jomo loses the trial and is imprisoned. This results in further protests and greater suppression of the black population.
Jacobo and a white landowner, Mr. Howlands, fight against the rising activities of the Mau Mau, an organization striving for Kenyan economic, political, and cultural independence. Jacobo accuses Ngotho of being the leader of the Mau Mau and tries to imprison the whole family. Meanwhile, the situation in the country is deteriorating. Six black men are taken out of their houses and executed in the woods.
One day Njoroge meets Mwihaki again, who returned from boarding school. Although Njoroge thought he had needed to avoid her, their friendship is not affected by the situation between their fathers. Then Njoroge passes a very important exam that allows him to advance to High School. The whole village is proud of him. They collect enough money so that Njoroge is able to attend High School.
After a few months, Jacobo is killed. He is murdered in his office by a member of the Mau Mau. Mr. Howlands has Njoroge removed from school for questioning. Both father and son are brutally beaten before release and Ngotho is left barely alive. Although there doesn't seem to be a connection between Njoroge's family and the murder, it is eventually revealed that Njoroge's brothers are behind the assassination. Boro, the real leader of the Mau Mau. Ngotho soon dies from his injuries and Njoroge finds out that his father was protecting his brothers. Kamau has also been imprisoned for life. Only Njoroge and his two mothers remain free with Njoroge left as the sole provider to his two mothers. With no hope of making ends meet, Njoroge gives up all hope of going further in school and loses faith in God.
Njoroge now hopes for Mwihaki's support, but she is angry because of her father’s death. When he finally pledges his love to her, she refuses to leave with him, realizing her obligation to Kenya and her mother. He finally decides to leave town and makes an attempt to take his own life; however, he fails at even this because his mothers find him before he is able to hang himself . The novel closes with Njoroge's utter sense of hopelessness and his own feelings of cowardice.
Characters[editar]
- Njoroge: the main character of the book whose main goal throughout the book is to become as educated as possible.
- Ngotho: Njoroge's father. He works for Mr.Howlands and is respected by him until he attacks Jacobo at a workers strike. He is fired and the family is forced to move to another section of the country. Over the course of the book his position as the central power of the family weakened, to the point where his self-realization that he has spent his whole life waiting for the prophecy( that proclaims the blacks will be returned their land) to come true rather than fighting the power of the white man, leads to his depression.
- Nyokabi and Njeri: the two wives of Ngotho. Njere is Ngotho's first wife, and mother of Boro, Kamau, and Kori. Nyokabi is his second wife, and the mother of Njoroge and Mwangi.
- Njoroge has four brothers: Boro, Kamau, Kori and Mwangi (who is Njoroge's only full brother, who died in World War II).
- Boro: Son of Nyokabi who fights for the white man in World War II. Upon returning his anger against the white man is compounded by their stealing of the Kenyan's native land. Boro's anger and position as eldest son leads him to question and ridicule Ngotho, which eventually defeats their father's will (upon realizing his life was wasted waiting and not acting). It is eventually revealed that Boro is the leader of the Mau Mau (earlier alluded to as "entering politics") and murders Mr.Howlands. He is caught by police immediately after and is scheduled to be executed by books end. It is highly likely that it is also Boro who kills Jacobo.
- Mwihaki: Njoroge's best friend (and later develops into his love interest). Son of Jacobo. When it is revealed that his family killed Jacobo (most likely Boro), Mwihaki distances herself from Njoroge, asking for time to mourn her father and care for her mother.
- Jacobo: Mwikaki's father and an important landowner.
- Mr. Howlands: A white Englishman who came to Kenya and now owns a farm made up of land that originally belonged to Ngotho's ancestors'. Has three children: Peter who dies in World War II before the books beginning, a daughter who becomes a missionary, and Stephen who meets Njoroge in High School.
Themes and motifs[editar]
Weep Not, Child integrates Gikuyu mythology and the ideology of nationalism that serves as catalyst for much of the novel's action.[8] The novel explores the detrimental effects of colonialism and imperialism. Njoroge's aspiration to attend university is frustrated by both the violence of the Mau Mau rebels and the violent response of the colonial government. This disappointment leads to his alienation from his family and ultimately his suicide attempt.[7]
The novel also ponders the role of saviours and salvation.[8] The author notes in his The River Between: "Salvation shall come from the hills. From the blood that flows in me, I say from the same tree, a son shall rise. And his duty shall be to lead and save the people."[8] Jomo Kenyatta, the first prime minister of Kenya, is immortalised in Weep Not, Child. The author says, "Jomo had been his (Ngotho's) hope. Ngotho had come to think that it was Jomo who would drive away the white man. To him, Jomo stood for custom and traditions purified by grace of learning and much travel."[8] Njoroge comes to view Jomo as a messiah who will win the struggle against the colonial powers.[8]
Véase también[editar]
Portal:Literatura. Contenido relacionado con Literatura.- Things Fall Apart
- Death and the King's Horseman
Referencias[editar]
- ↑ Blamires, Harry (1983). A Guide to Twentieth Century Literature in English (en inglés). Methuen. p. 198. ISBN 0416561802.
- ↑ Zell, Hans M. (1971). A Reader's Guide to African Literature (en inglés). Africana Publishing Corporation. p. 157.
- ↑ Wakeman, John (1980). World Authors, 1970-1975 (en inglés). Wilson Publishing. p. 584. ISBN 082420641X.
- ↑ Hummy, Robert. «Death sentence for attackers of Kenyan writer» (en inglés). Consultado el 18 de octubre de 2007.
- ↑ Glasgow, Jacqueline (2007). Exploring African Life and Literature: Novel Guides to Promote Socially Responsive Learning (en inglés). International Reading Association. pp. 123-124. ISBN 0872076091.
- ↑ Cantalupo, Charles (1995). Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o: Texts and Contexts (en inglés). Africa World Press. pp. 103-104. ISBN 086543445X.
- ↑ a b "Thiong'o, Ngugi wa: Introduction." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 182. Gale Cengage, 2004. eNotes.com. 2006. 12 Jan, 2009
- ↑ a b c d e "Kenya; Is It Politics Or Myth?". Africa News. The East African Standard. September 8, 2002.