Themes of The River Between
1. The River Between is a novel of many conflicts between children and parents (e.g. Joshua the local church priest, and the daughter Mutuoni), between religious and political factions (e.g. the Christian religion and the African traditional system of government), conflicts between friends and lovers, as well as deeper and harrowing conflicts within many individuals, like Kameno and Makuyu.
2. The River Between is a novel that wants to preach the ideal, utopianism of universal peace and unity. This is represented by River Honia: Honia was the soul of Kameno and Makuyu. It joined them; men, cattle,wild beasts and the trees, were all united by this life stream (page 1).
This is the dream of New Jerusalem, a new earth that Ngugi envisaged but which does not materialise at the end of the novel. Although the conflicts are predominant, Ngugi managed them with such artistry, that they do not explode into violence prematurely or unnecessarily.
3. The novel depicts an equal amount of disillusionment and despair. What emerges at the end of the novel is really not a vision of strife or violence, but a dream seen by Waiyaku and Chege from the mountaintop of Kerinyaga.
Kameno and Makuyu were no longer antagonistic. They had emerged into one area of beautiful land, which is what, perhaps, they were meant to be. Makuyu, Kameno and the other ridges lay in peace and there was no sign of life as one stood on the hill of God (page 16).
This is the ideal from the hill of God, but in the real world which Ngugi's art describes, people live with numerous problems and questions needing answers. Such questions include: who owns the land of Kenya, and how shall it be restored to the rightful owners? The novel is unable to answer the numerous questions, and at the same time, unable to bring the desired unity and peace. Thus, as far as this ideal is concerned, the novel ends with disillusionment and despair.
3.2.2 Conflicts in The River Between
1. It is possible to see the novel as a novel of conflicts. The conflicts exist and persist within the society (Makuyu and Kameno) because of land disputes. Who owns the land? How is the land to be restored to the rightful owner? Who is going to be the Messiah to restore the land, to the rightful owner? Who is going to be the Messiah to restore the land, etc. Conflicts persist because each character in the novel is making honest efforts to proffer solutions to conflicts, thus entering into yet more insoluble problems. The conflicts are intensified because the character is going his/her own way, with his ideas just as Makuyu and Kameno, the missionaries and their Kenyan adversaries are all going their separate ways. The conflicts between Makuyu and Kameno are leadership tussles; leadership has been left to Makuyu. Not all the people believed this should be so (page 1).
2. Another level of conflict in the novel is between the western culture and the culture of the people. These conflicts are strengthened by the non-conformists, like Joshua an Waiyaki. People like Joshua try to reject the culture of the people of Gikuyu and trying to impose Western culture and religion as the solution to the societal ills. Chege blames the Christians for misleading the people of the ridges and creating various problems in the society. Uppermost on Chege's list is the rejection of female circumcision. Joshua regards any association with the non-Christians as going back to Egypt.
Circumcision as the central rite in Gikuyu was of life. Who had ever heard of a girl that was not circumcised? Who would ever pay cows and goats for such a girl? Certainly it would never be his son. Waiyaki would never betray the tribe (pages 37 & 38).
To Chege, Muthoni's death "was a warning to all", to stick to the way of the ridges, to the ancient wisdom of the land, to its ritual and song" (page 54).
And according to Joshua who owes allegiance to the western way of life and Christianity, Gikuyu's god is the prince of darkness. He grows day by day in wrath and in vehement condemnation of the behaviour of non-Christians (page 31). Forgiveness which is the core of Christian conduct and belief, does not make Joshua forgive anyone, even his daughter, for going to the ways of the non-Christian circumcision, which, to him, is the ultimate unforgivable sin. Joshua's prayer when circumcision preparations are to commence is:
O God, look at their preparations. O God, why don't you descend on this wicked generation and finish their evil ways. Circumcision is coming. Fight by me O God.
He felt like going out with a stick, punishing the people, and forcing them on their knees. Was this not what was done to tl10se children of Israel who turned away from God, who would not hearken to his voice.
Bring down fire and thunder
Bring down the flood (page 32).
Then Muthoni, his daughter, disappears, and his other daughter Nyambura leaks the news that the disappearance is for circumcision, in fury he held the news-bearer, turning her into a culprit.
There is no help for it. She looked at the door, ready to run out as she gathered her courage to say one ominous word:
'circumcision'
'what'
'To be circumcised'
Before she could run out, Joshua was on her. He glared at her, shaking her all the time. He was almost mad, and small foams of saliva could be seen at the sides of the mouth (page 35).
Joshua sees Muthoni's going to the non-Christians to be circumcised, and refusal to come back when she was asked to do so as going "back to Egypt".
All right, let her go back to Egypt
Yes, let her go back
He Joshua would travel, on, on, on, to New Jerusalem (p.36)
3. Indeed, The River Between is a conflict within the individual, such as:
i. Waiyaki, on how to bring peace, unity between the ridges
and the two religions, as well as the love affair. The conflicts destroy him because he is unable to learn all the wisdom of the white men, but not his vices. He at the end cannot be true to the modern and ancient rites.
ii. Joshua, about how to contend with the humiliation received from Muthoni who joined the non-Christian to be circumcised and Nyambura who ran away.
iii. Chege, who wanted the African way of life, and challenged Westernisation, but contradicted himself by sending his son, Waiyaki, to the very missionary centre which setting up he had opposed (page 38).
Arise. Heed the prophesy. Go to the mission place learning all the wisdom and all the secrets of the white man. But do not follow his vices. Be true to your people and the ancient rites (page 20).
3.2.3 Characterisation in the River Between
The following are the general things that could be said about the mode of characterisation in The River Between.
1. The characters are a bunch of contradiction: Chege's contradiction in condemning Westernisation and taking his child to the missionary centre; Waiyaki, loving the Western ways and still keeping to the African ways of life; Joshua accepting the Christian faith, but still afraid of the revenge from the hills, the anger of his friends; Joshua's converts still going back into drinking, dancing the tribal ritual dance and circumcision (page 30).
2. The characters are all beset with one critical problem or the other: Joshua, the family problems of Muthoni and Nyambura; Chege of Waiyaki, balancing the western tradition with the traditional ways of life; Muthoni, absconding from Christianity, only to face death in 'Egypt', that she goes to; Waiyaki, the problem of being able to bring the contradictions of religion, cultures (Western and traditional), as well as the warring factions together, etc.
3. Some of the characters play ironical roles: for example, Muthoni goes to the traditional, and is destroyed by the traditional rites; Chege condemns the Western ways of life, but takes his son to the missionary centre; Joshua fanatically sticks to Christianity but disgraced by his daughters, and his non- Christian-like behaviours of anger, fury, non-forgiving spirit, etc.
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
Ngugi, W. (1968). The River Between. London: Heinemann.
Nwankwo, C. (1992). The Works of Ngugi wa Thiong'o. Ikeja, Nigeria: Longman.
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