“Minutes of Glory” is a tale of self discovery and social irony. The main character of the story is named Wanjiru, which is the name of a Goddess from old folk tales in Kenya. This Goddess was an amazing sight and a bit vain with her suitors. The Wanijiru from “Minutes…” renames herself with a British name, Beatrice, which means “blessed by God with beauty”. During the telling of this story Beatrice was invisible to men and her self confidence was dying in the darkness of her mind. Beatrice was jealous of many of the women who attracted the attention of rich, wealthy men and that just drove her further into self loathing. Although she was constantly in an atmosphere with beautiful women, rich men and debauchery Beatrice endured, up until the point when she met a “self-made” lorry driver. This lorry driver (which is never named) used Beatrice as an ear to her all of his problems of his life and past. One night Beatrice had enough, she wanted to tell her stories, so she did. As Beatrice poured her heart and soul out to this man, he fell asleep (seems like a typical man). In a fit of rage and growing self confidence, she stole his money (a few hundred bills) and went shopping, hoping to obtain the power in which all the other women had (to gain men). She gained the stockings, heels and dresses which drew men to sultry women and she felt empowered, but there was a drawback: I don’t think her mind was just set on “sexual power”, it was set on revenge. Revenge on the society that only dealt in sex and physical attraction. Eventually Beatrice, with her new clothes, went back to the bar she worked at. As soon as she walked into the bar she was instantly looked on with lustful eyes and she danced in the glory of attraction, which, I think, she always wanted. But her past caught up on her, the lorry driver, with help from the local police caught her and arrested her. She went without a fight, but spit on the patrons of the bar, cursing them for not lifting a finger to help her when they were just all over her.
I feel that this story shows the development of a social outcast who finally hit her breaking point and just snapped. In the “snap” of emotion she gave in to the social needs of British culture in order to gain power over men and jealousy from women, but in the process she just drove deeper into hating herself. At the end of the story, she knew she lost but still wanted the attention from the patrons of the bar (which she quickly lost). Society only wants to see the “pretty” things, not wanting to see the dirty things which live in the shadows of the glory of the privileged.
I feel that this story shows the development of a social outcast who finally hit her breaking point and just snapped. In the “snap” of emotion she gave in to the social needs of British culture in order to gain power over men and jealousy from women, but in the process she just drove deeper into hating herself. At the end of the story, she knew she lost but still wanted the attention from the patrons of the bar (which she quickly lost). Society only wants to see the “pretty” things, not wanting to see the dirty things which live in the shadows of the glory of the privileged.
“Wedding at the Cross” is a straight-up story about colonization and the loss of self. Wariuki the town drunk, having fun and enjoying the freedom that comes with being himself, catches the eye of Miriamu. Miriamu is from a “good Christian” family and her father owned several groceries around town. Now, being from a strict household, Miriamu is infatuated with the free-spirited Wariuki, and he acknowledges the passion between them and agrees to meet her family. In the meeting with Miriamu’s father, Wariuki is humiliated and cast off into the streets.
Now, with his pride in shambles and manhood torn down, he leaves defeated. Mirimau is still in love with him and they elope and make a living for themselves, but Wariuki never forgets the father’s words. Driven by the feeling of uselessness Wariuki re-invents himself; dubbing him Dodge W. Livingstone Jr. With this new name comes the fortune and prestige of having a British name. This leads the now Dodge Livingstone to collaborate with the British during the Mau Mau liberation to gain land, and thus power and wealth both he felt were the key to impress Mirimau’s father. As the liberation lessened the power Dodge gained grew; he was soon the owner of a limber company, was well known in the community and on his way to become an elder in the church.
In all of this Mirimau found herself drifting father and father away from her love. He was obsessed with the image of a rich, wealthy man in order to impress her father and all she wanted was her free-spirited Wariuki back.
Dodge Livingstone finally felt that he had the level of prestige needed to marry Mirimau with her father’s blessing. They were set to marry at the cross, meaning “at a church”. During the vows Dodge Livingstone was definite with his willingness to answer his vows while Mirimau waited…and said no. No to her marriage to Dodge Livingstone she just wanted her Wariuki back, but he was dead.
I connected this story with Anakin and Padme in the Star Wars saga. Padme is torn with loving the man but loosing he love to the corruption growing within him. Anakin is torn with the visions of losing his love to death and he tries with all his power to save her, but in the process Anakin is lost to the human side of himself and is drawn into the darkness of corruption. In the end, the events are the same in “Wedding…” the husband loses his love and the wife is gone, either in freedom or in death (which is a kind of freedom).
Now, with his pride in shambles and manhood torn down, he leaves defeated. Mirimau is still in love with him and they elope and make a living for themselves, but Wariuki never forgets the father’s words. Driven by the feeling of uselessness Wariuki re-invents himself; dubbing him Dodge W. Livingstone Jr. With this new name comes the fortune and prestige of having a British name. This leads the now Dodge Livingstone to collaborate with the British during the Mau Mau liberation to gain land, and thus power and wealth both he felt were the key to impress Mirimau’s father. As the liberation lessened the power Dodge gained grew; he was soon the owner of a limber company, was well known in the community and on his way to become an elder in the church.
In all of this Mirimau found herself drifting father and father away from her love. He was obsessed with the image of a rich, wealthy man in order to impress her father and all she wanted was her free-spirited Wariuki back.
Dodge Livingstone finally felt that he had the level of prestige needed to marry Mirimau with her father’s blessing. They were set to marry at the cross, meaning “at a church”. During the vows Dodge Livingstone was definite with his willingness to answer his vows while Mirimau waited…and said no. No to her marriage to Dodge Livingstone she just wanted her Wariuki back, but he was dead.
I connected this story with Anakin and Padme in the Star Wars saga. Padme is torn with loving the man but loosing he love to the corruption growing within him. Anakin is torn with the visions of losing his love to death and he tries with all his power to save her, but in the process Anakin is lost to the human side of himself and is drawn into the darkness of corruption. In the end, the events are the same in “Wedding…” the husband loses his love and the wife is gone, either in freedom or in death (which is a kind of freedom).
The first three chapters of Decolonization of the Mind list language as the first step of colonization. I believe that it is true and the only way to reclaim your “self” is to reclaim your language. In Decolonization language is key, the key to control and freedom. Ngugi wa Thiong’o uses many references to support his theory of language and colonization of the self. With any culture “taking” over another less “primitive” culture language and religion is the first things to target. With those ideals taken away from those who absently give them up, colonization is much, much easier. The native culture is colonized first by their own hands (and/or minds) and then by the people who are “superior”. This practice is/was used by the Christians in the crusades, British-American’s and the Native Americans, British and all of its colonies, and so on and so forth. Language in all its forms is the foundation of any culture; you remove language the society will crumble.
You bring up some really good points, but this posting seems like it rambles a bit more than your other ones. You bring up several disparate but interesting points. The next posting may be easier to create a single coherent piece because it is focused on just the novel.
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