ABSTRACT: The study examined the theme of Discrimination and Exploitation in Ngugi’s Weep Not Child and Petals of Blood. From the analysis of the two selected plays under investigation, the study has shown that over the years, the poor people of Kenya had suffered of exploitation, oppression, humiliation, discrimination and dehumanization during and after colonialism. The study has also shown that Ngugi is regarded as Kenya’s most renowned writers whose critical works portrays how the Kenya suffers of poverty. These instances are seen in life of the characters in the two critical works how they suffered of poverty, humiliation, discrimination, oppression and dispossession in the hands of the European and tortured innocently.
Discrimination and Exploitation in Ngugi’s Weep Not Child and Petals of Blood
The study also shown that these blacks were subjugated, humiliated, oppressed exploited and eventually tortured to death. In conclusion, the researcher recommends that Ngugi’s novel should be added in the school curriculum so as to teach the younger generation to desist from actions that will promote societal ills such as poverty, social injustice, corruption, discrimination, exploitation and dehumanization of the blacks.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Ngugi Wa Thiongo and Ngugi Wa Thiongo are famous Nigerian and African writers whose writing discrimination and exploitation in the Nigerian society and African at large. For instance, the discrimination and exploitation in the two novels under study the this study Adichie recreates African history in the frictional words of Ngugi Wa Thiongo Weep Not Child and Ngugi’s Petals of Blood as she revisits the like of Chinua Achebe, the bequest of colonization in the lives of her frictional characters in the two novels under investigation as examined by Adichie, unlike in Chinua Achebe is Thing Fall Apart and Arrow of God, which Achebe portray colonization with is appendages is being planted by the white Administrator, missionaries and their black collaborators.
This statement mark Bhabha Homi to said that, “if a reader want to find out the reasons for Eugene Achike in Weep Not Child of being a religious fanatic and home tyrant or the case of the Nigerian civil war in Ngugi’s Petals of Blood., one to go back to British colonization with its terrible vestiges on the psyche of the once colonized characters and group in these research topic “(63).
In order to present the discrimination and exploitation in these two novels, Ngugi uses her characters Eugene Achike, Beatrice Achike, Zara, Kambili and Adecoker’s daughter in purple hibiscus, while and Ugwu, Olanna, Kaime, Richard, Odenigbo and Biafra in Half of the Yellow Sun, these character experienced various ways of trauma, economic and exploitation as their means of livelihood and leadership are taken from them.
Ngugi is no doubt primarily concerned with “restoring the African character to his history,” to enable him to find an “identity in an essentially colonial situation” and discover a source of pride in his people’s past accomplishments. They are other stories of a past…these stories where when the “African controlled its own destiny”, of “heroic resistance,” which Karega, in Petals of Blood, goes to such trouble to impart to his students: they are found only in legends passed from generation to generation.
Ngugi Wa Thongo and Ngugi make it clearly for the entire African societies to understand that, colonization is the major cause of discrimination and exploitation in the two novels in this research work.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Discrimination and exploitation does not occur in a vacuum, and it effect are not vacuous, but tangible and real which consequently would be seen in these two novel as portrayed by the author which manifest in the live of the characters and their fictional novels.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this research work bring to light the discrimination and exploitation in Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s Weep Not Child and Ngugi’s Petals of Blood..
1.4 Significance of the Study
The study will be significant to the African society to know more about the effects of war how the citizens gone through psychological disorders and passes through discrimination and exploitation during in Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s Weep Not Child and Ngugi’s Petals of Blood.. The study will also be of help to students of literature and other researchers who would want to research more on the consequences of discrimination and exploitation in these two novels under study.
Discrimination and Exploitation in Ngugi’s Weep Not Child and Petals of Blood
1.5 Objectives of the Study
The study is set to bring out the following objectives;
i To investigates if there is indeed discrimination and exploitation in the two selected novels under investigation
ii To examine the causes of discrimination and exploitation in African society with references to Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s Weep Not Child and Ngugi’s Petals of Blood..
iii To determine whether dispossession engenders in the discrimination and exploitation life, productive or death and destructive impulse of the Biafra war and the lives of the characters in the two noels.
1.6 Research Methodology
The major source of this research work will specifically focus on Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s Weep Not Child and Ngugi’s Petals of Blood. Internet, other literature novels and library sources will be added for more information for the research work.