A Fanonian Reading of the Construction of Kenyan National Culture in the Plays The Trial of Dedan Kimathi and I Will Marry When I Want

Abstract

After gaining independence in the 20th century, several formerly colonised African nations started to define culture according to their own national literature, dispelling the myth that the British introduced culture to their homeland. As a scholar, author, and playwright, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o is among those who have made significant contributions to the concept of culture. He continuously advocates for the advancement of African culture and provides an accurate account of the tragic history of colonialism in Kenya, drawing from his own experiences. His plays, The Trial of Dedan Kimathi, co-written with Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo in 1976, and I Will Marry When I Want, co-written with Ngũgĩ wa Mĩriĩ in 1977, set in the pre-independence and post-independence periods of Kenya, respectively,represent the socioeconomic and cultural influence of Britain on Kenya, the development of Kenyan national culture throughout the decolonisation era, and the disparities in attitudes among Kenyans towards whites and blacks. Accordingly, this thesis reads The Trial of Dedan Kimathi and I Will Marry When I Want in the light of Frantz Fanon’s theory of the formation of national culture and argues that the plays contain elements of Kenyan national culture, i.e., Mau Mau, Dedan Kimathi, Harambee, Land, Languages, Orature, and Theatre, and illustrate the development of Kenyan national culture according to Fanon’s three stages of national culture formation: assimilation, rejection, and revolution. Fanon’s three stages describe the colonised native’s journey from adopting the coloniser’s culture to rejecting foreign influence and, finally, embracing revolutionary action to reclaim their sense of self and fight for freedom. The first chapter analyses how the characters in The Trial of Dedan Kimathi represent Frantz Fanon’s stages of native consciousness. The Second Soldier, Gatotia, Business Executive, Politician, and Priest reflect the first phase, assimilation, by embracing colonial values while abandoning their own culture. The First Soldier represents the second phase, rejection, as he begins to doubt the authority of colonisers. Lastly, Boy, Girl, and Woman embody the third phase, revolution, embracing resistance and expressing Kenya’s indigenous culture while actively opposing colonial oppression. The first chapter contends that The Trial of Dedan Kimathi exemplifies elements of Kenyan national culture, such as “Mau Mau” and “Dedan Kimathi,” by depicting Kimathi as a strong leader and the Mau Mau as courageous fighters. The play demonstrates “Theatre” as a medium for revolutionary ideas, and it also symbolises the “Languages” and “Orature” aspects by using Kikuyu words and songs. Furthermore, the play emphasises the “Land” and “Harambee” components by presenting the struggle for land liberation and the need of unity in the fight for freedom. The second chapter focusses on I Will Marry When I Want, underscoring how Kioi, Jezebel, Ikuua, Helen, and Ndugire represent assimilation, the first stage of Fanon’s theory, by imitating colonial behaviours and exploiting their own people. Moreover, it shows how Kiguunda and Wangeci go through transformations that reflect all three stages, from revolution to assimilation and, eventually, rejection, and how Gicaamba and Njooki constantly represent the third stage, signifying revolutionary vii resistance to colonial and neo-colonial oppression. The second chapter argues that I Will Marry When I Want embodies key elements of Kenyan national culture such as “Languages,” since the play was originally written in Kikuyu. The play emphasises “Land” and “Harambee” by depicting the characters’ collective opposition to neo-colonial elites’ economic and political dominance in their own land, and it uses songs to foster solidarity, which reflects the element “Orature.” Furthermore, as being one of the banned works of revolutionary theatre, the play represents the “Theatre” component. Finally, by depicting the Mau Mau insurgents and making references to Dedan Kimathi, the play reflects both the “Mau Mau” and “Dedan Kimathi” components of Kenyan national culture. This study concludes that Ngũgĩ’s two plays, The Trial of Dedan Kimathi and I Will Marry When I Want, reflect Fanon's phases of national cultural formation, illustrating Kenya’s journey from colonial subjugation and neo-colonialism to rejecting foreign influence and emergence of a unified national culture. Both plays represent the struggle for national culture through their characters and narratives, resulting in the formation of a collective revolutionary consciousness that defines Kenyan national culture.