Background And Overview of The
Play
The play was first published in 1963 by Makerere University Press. The author used this play to engage in an interaction with his fellow nationalists, revolutionists, and ethnics followed by their fresh independence. Kenya was just gained their independence by the time the play was written.
After the independence there were many issues that arose facing the development of the land. People are getting oppressed and were deprived of participating in politics especially women. they were dehumanized.
Summary of Act one, Scene One
In the first scene of the play, Nyobi, Remi’s mother appears while Thoni, Remi’s wife is still sorting out beans and her mother in law is asking her if she has finished sorting out the beans when she realizes that Thoni is crying, “You have been again crying”, she asks her daughter in law.
Nyobi afterward dips into soliloquy complaining about her son who refuses to come back home to look after her, his mother and Thoni, his wife. Thoni also says she will not go to marry another husband since Remi is her second husband and getting third husband will make her looks cheap before the world. She says she will die and have the grave for before rather than marrying third husband but Nyobi scolds her and discourages from her saying such words to herself. She tells the mother that she cannot do without having a husband that will make her has a child that will be calling her mother and a man whose cloths she will be washing.
Nyobi continues sobering for her child objection to come back home. “It is not you that he hates, it is my flesh and bed”, Thoni tells her mother in law and the mother lets her know that she also hates seeing her daughter in law’s youth wearing away and asks to go ahead to get herself another husband since the world will not wait for her.
The statement makes her to describe the fortune as a curse upon her and asks God to please lift it from her. Her first husband died and the second one travels to acquire education and refuses to come back for her. She insists not to marry again but waits even if it will take Remi twenty years before coming back.
Nyobi suddenly comes up with an idea that since her son used to be a God fearing son before he leaves for city, she should go and meet a pastor or prophet to seek his aid to pray to God on her behalf to send her son back home. Before finishing talking, a knocking is hear at the door and both of them think the person at the door step will be Remi but to their disappointment, it is an Elder that comes to pay them a sudden visitation.
The Elder starts showing regret for Ngome, Nyobi’s husband who goes with white men to become a Christian. The elder describes Ngome as a strong man and choicest of their land while only feeble men are left behind.
But Nyobi continues sobering and complaining about her son attitude before the elder tells her that purpose of his visitation is to talk about Remi’s return to the village. He describes him to be husband not only to Thoni but to the entire village as well since he is an only educated person of the village that the village is looking up to as only person that will lead the way to their political victory by leading them in forming a political party.
The elder tells Nyobi that the village people send him to get her permission to attract Remi back to the tribe with help of what they called medicine. They think Nyobi may not agree with the suggestion since she has been directed her belief to Christianity. The elder talks about their diviner who has delivered a message to the village from God that a green plant in their midst will lead them to power and glory while the green on question is Remi and he must be fetched back to the tribe right from the city where he is studying.
A man will be sent to fetch him after getting parental blessing and permission from his parent. After the elder’s departure, Nyobi tells Thoni who has been absent since the conversation has been going on between Nyobi and the elder that the elders are going to the city to fetch him. She adds it that she too will go and meet a pastor to go on her behalf to the city to fetch Remi. She believes that the village medicine and Christ power should be put together.
Analysis of Act one, Scene One
The situation as portrayed in the scene clarifies that the period of the story is four years after independence in Kenya since the playwright Ngugi wa Thiongo’s is an African writer from Kenya. It can be concluded that the people have been colonized and accepted Christianity while some of them rejected the religion. Though, the whole community accepts the European idea of forming political party by agreeing to advice given by Remi they all should join the Africanist party. They also agree with western education, if not, they will not be questing for return of Remi who is only educated person of that time in the village.
Ngome, Nyobi’s husband also has gone with missionaries likewise Remi goes to the city to pursue education. With these, effects of colonization civilization in Africa and can be perceived. The civilization has brought civilized political ideology that almost all African countries had been integrated into their political system.
Western education also has been introduced and been embraced by Africans. Remi goes to the city to be educated and other villagers ready to ordain him as their political leader as a result of his education.
Instance of supernatural phenomenon also feature in the scene as the elder introduces medicine that will help them to fetch Remi back home. Nyobi too believes both in the medicine that the village elders are going to utilize and power of Christ. They subject that there are some spirits that can make him do things contrary to his intention. With the power of the medicine, the elders believe that Remi will come home. Likewise his mother belives that spiritual power of Christ will draw him back home.
Summary of Act One, Scene Two
The second scene starts at an open place in the village where elders and their leader are assembling for discussion on issue of Remi. The leader asks if the elders and the village really want Remi to return to them and all of them shout “yes, Remi must come back home”.
The people of Marua in solidarity chase away European from their land and gain their independence as from then. Since then, they lack foods, hospital, and schools that their children can attend. They have been under the rule of Uhuru’s leadership from other city that has been composed by European and that is why they are longing that Remi as an educated man should come to their rescue. They are paying heavy tax, still, and then don’t have those necessary amenities.
The leader at the gathering tells the elders that he has chosen two elders together with himself to go to the city with the medicine offered to them by their diviner to seduce him when getting to the city. Before the leader goes, he receives confirmation that Nyobi has given her blessing to the journey.
He let the other elders and rest of people of Marua know that they must not allow Remi to fall under influence of Missionaries or his mother whenever he arrives back to the village.
Summary of Act one, Scene Three
The third scene takes place at the same place as the scene two. Nyobi sees pastor and runs after him to stop him. She tells the pastor what she has done by given her blessing to elders to go and fetch Remi. The pastor then says Remi will not come to their side if elder actually succeeded in bringing him home. He describes Remi as a lost to them and the Christ because Remi has been into politics by joining Africanist Party and has been into world by enjoying worldly pleasures. Pastor tagged that as work of Satan to claim Remi’s heart.
Nyobi tells the pastor her mind that she wants her son back and his wife too wants him back as husband. Pastor starts moving away after telling Nyobi that Remi still young for having such a relationship with lady. He describes it as wish of the flesh. She runs after him begging and he stops only to remind her of what God has done for her by given her a husband and a son.
The pastor afterwards prays to God that He should direct Remi back home in peace because he has gotten lost in the city to “Satan”.
Lastly, Nyobi urges pastor to go to the city on her behalf to bring him with belief that Remi will obey him and agree to come. The pastor agrees to go after deep thought.
Analysis of Act One, Scene Two and
Three
Gathering of elders of Marua to work on bringing Remi back home to his mother and his wife is beyond brother’s love and has been extended to expectation of the society needs. They largely depend on Remi’s return to earn their freedom and forget what they can achieve by themselves. They in unionism send colonial maters away and afterwards running after what they have left behind so as to gain their freedom from Uhuru’s oppression.
It obvious that they want to gain benefit of what they have been paying tax for. They quest for schools to educate their children, hospital to have medical treatments from, and foods to feed themselves. This shows the extent at which they have depended on Uhuru for their living.
In scene three, Nyobi finds herself guilty for following the old path or their traditional ways as brought up by elders to bring back home Remi. The way she relates the matter with pastor shows that she finds her action as stupid one. Meanwhile, that used to be traditional way of doing such thing.
Conflict within civilization can also be noted from pastor’s argument that Remi’s action for joining Africanist party indicates how clever Satan is over possessing his heart.
Meanwhile, European introduces both Christianity and political party to Africans despite that African have their own political system before their arrival. This shows how sophisticated civilization is as an African poet, Gabriel Okara has said in one of his poems “Piano and Drum”. Therefore, it is highly required of Africans to remember their roots and base by listening to the sound given by the drum.
Act Three, Scene One
The Return of the Hermit
The scene opens with Nyobi and Thoni when Nyobi is informing her daughter in law about her husband return to the village from the city. She is happy and her heart is thankful to hear that her husband is returning to her after she has been waiting for long time.
She is in other hands afraid that he may be different but her mother in law put her mind at rest that her son will never change and remain as a child that nourish rich of soil of the land in Marua. Since Remi has relayed his promise to come back home, rain has started falling and puts an end to the drought that has been adding to their suffering in the land.
Pastor enters and emphasizes on the son’s return and describes him as someone who hearkens to his voice when he goes to the city to fetch him. He plans with Remi’s mother what can be done to keep him away from politics and from influences of tribal elders. Nyobi does not know that elders have been to the city before the pastor but pastor informs her of this when she asks if he tells elders about Remi’s intention to come home.
Pastor is about to start praying for the family when a neighbour announces Remi arrival. Many people are with him singing, drumming and dancing to bide him welcome. Some of the villages carry branches and start singing their old war song that they have already abandoned since white-man arrival. Their songs indicate revival of the land to tribal land that eradicate taxation and earn them freedom.
Remi while elders and leaders gather introduces a friend of him from Njobe tribe and another party, national party. He blames elders, leaders and other for being responsible for spreading tribalism. He reminds them of what he has been telling them that everyone must turn to develop their land, build schools, nation, and eradicate influence of race.
He turns to pastor, mother and Thoni who have watching him and address them. Pastor on behalf of Nyobi tells Remi to behold his wife who has been waiting for him for so long. Remi’s response is that he will never be led by woman, priest or tribe but makes attempt to crush tribalism and all the shackle of custom. The response angers Thoni and she quits the place without getting noticed by anybody. Her mother lets him know that everything is not tribe and tradition. It is at that juncture that they notice Thoni’s absence and Nyobi tells them she is leaving to search for her while Remi declares that he does not want to see her any more claiming that she is someone’s else’s wife not his.
Act Three, Scene Two
In the same setting, Thoni is returning with a woman. She is bragging that she is leaving and cannot go back to the house where she finds no love. The woman is urging her to stay suggesting that Remi may change his mind and love her but she insists not to go back.
Analysis of Act Three, Scene One
and Two
The villages have succeeded in bringing back Remi to the village. They all celebrate the victory and welcome him pleasantly with songs, drum and dance. This arouse his ego that makes him misbehave and rude to them. He casts blames on the elders who have been listening to him. He rejects their custom and the tribe that he used to honour. As a result of ego, he fails to listen to pastor and his blood mother to at least honour the woman who has been waiting for him for years. Meanwhile, he has accepted to marry her initially, but when the flame of his own glory blinds him, he rejects what he has already accepted.
That makes the woman who delivers Thoni’s letter to him to give unpleasant comment about him that describes him as leader who is capable and someone who cannot succeed in politics. That nonchalant attitude makes him lose what supposed to be of value to him.
Incidences similar to this mostly occur when someone is receiving huge calls and pleads from people to do something especially for the community. People of Marua have depended on him and made him believe that no one can save them but only him.
Meanwhile, pastor and mother declare that Remi is a good son before he leaves for the city. The pastor only has idea that Remi is corrupted because of his involvement in politics and formal education but does not know what other things he is doing in the city that corrupt him. He used to go to night clubs with Jane almost all time. The kind of people he is meeting there cannot be predicted.
Act Three, Scene Three (Last Scene)
Enter Remi and his friend Omange discussing what can be done to solve problem of tribalism. A woman enters and delivers a letter from Thoni to him. He looks tremble after reading the letter. The woman who brings the letter condemns Remi has needed leader who community can depend on. She describes him as someone who cannot succeed in politics because he has habit of insulting tribes, and trampling on women but may praise himself. She asks him what he has done to the lives of many people who have been looking upon him for guidance. The woman, Thoni he despises is the best woman of the village.
Omange reminds him that he has sometimes tells him that the woman loves him but he does not agree. Remi rushes out while Omange continuing wondering why his friend can be worried over the woman he has been despising. He also wonders how much the woman loves his friend that costs her to wait for years without marrying someone else.
Nyobi who has been worrying about her daughter in law’s whereabouts enters with pastor. The pastor is pestering her that Thoni will be found. Along the way, they meet Remi who asks them where his wife is. Both mother and pastor are amaze to hear him call Nyobi his wife. The pastor asks him why he wants her now and informs him of her departure. This make him looks agitated.
Omange starts consoling him that she will come back and urge him not to blame himself since everyone is sensitive to committing mistake since he does not know she loves him. Remi disowns the condolence claiming that he has hurt her so much.
The pastor casts blames on Remi that he has not himself into politics and trusts himself beyond necessary while neglecting God. In response, Remi asks the pastor what he and his Religion have done to help people of the land apart from dividing them. Pastor once hears this goes out from their sight. Mother requests Omange to talk to him on her behalf.
At the same scene when Remi is lamenting on his mistake, accusing his mother for dishonest with him because he believes that his mother knows Thoni’s whereabouts, four men are seeing carrying Thoni’s body and approaching Remi. She has committed suicide. Remi breaks down, starts crying bitterly, lamenting his loss and confessing his love and error to her body.
