“The River Between” details Waiyaki’s rite of passage from childhood to adolescence and his coming to terms of society which has been in the verge of inevitable change due to colonialist culture. This is one of the well known themes and motifs of African Literature which is the illustration of the conflict between tradition and modernization or African culture and Western culture. The novel thus not only depicts the life of Waiyaki but it illustrates Africa in the midst of social change thus combining the biological and sociological approach. The particular focus was made on the shift of values from the local to the colonial. Education has been introduced in the milieu while at the same time they struggle against controversial ceremonies such as the female circumcision in the subplot.
The story takes place in Gikuyu specifically in the communities residing in its two ridges, which are symbolic and allegorical in the story. The ridges are Kameno and Makuyu which make up Gikuyu’s culture. The novel focuses on Kameno where the protagonist, Waiyaki, resides. This ridge upholds tradition and culture while the other ridge, Makuyu upholds change, Christianity and consequently deems the traditional practices as pagan and thus, evil. The two ridges are in conflict with each other which represent the kind of conflict that troubles African culture.
The characters are part of the allegory as they are divided into two: The traditionalists, and the modernists. Waiyaki’s father, the ambivalent Chege, upholds the supremacy of their cultural tradition. The modernist is Joshua which is clearly a Christian name convert. Joshua deems traditional culture as evil and he is firm in his belief in Christianity’s salvation. Joshua has two daughters who are Muthoni and Nyambura who more or less provides the middle ground of such extreme oppositions. The two daughters fuse the tradition and modern culture together. Muthoni is very passionate in her desire to synthesize the positive aspects of both culture which involves purification and through circumcision despite being a Christian. Circumcision remains to be the rite passage towards womanhood and Muthoni remains to find no faults in adhering to this tradition despite being Christian. Muthoni runs away from home and undergoes the rite through her aunt in Kameno and no sooner dies because of an infection during the surgery. Tradition is convicted that her death means that Christianity divides while Christianity sees her death as the dire consequences of adhering to such ‘pagan’ practices.
That is only the subplot of the novel. The main plot has to do with the protagonist, Waiyaki. Waiyaki is an ancestor of a prophet. He is prophesized to save the Gikuyu people: “I say from the same tree, a son shall rise, and his duty shall be to lead and save the people!” (24). It was also said in the prophecy that Waiyaki’s father, Chege, should “Learn all the wisdom and the secrets of the white man” (24) but without learning the negative aspects. Chege is also instructed to “Be true to your people and the ancient rites”. Because of this, Waiyaki becomes a messianic personality who is known to have a power that will save the land. Chege heeds the prophecy by sending Waiyaki to the missionary school. Waiyaki starts a school and becomes effective in proliferating education. In this manner he does become a sort of Messiah by showing people the light of truth and education (115). He is a Messiah precisely because he is in between, a Gikuyu man who was learned the ways of the Western and could inculcate new knowledge (positive aspects of European culture) that will save the tribe. Waiyaki remains ambivalent, unsure and confused of his messianic goals. He will then realize that Education will inform people of realizing how they have been colonized by Western settlers and that Education will pave their way towards Political unity and freedom. As much as European knowledge has positive aspects, it cannot take over them. Thus there only needs to be the search towards a middle or mediating ground, one that will sort out the best of both worlds: a new culture. Waiyaki falls for Nyambura though, and refuses to renounce her which in turn suggests synthesis between the traditional Gikuyu and modern Gikuyu as Waiyaki, a pure Gikuyu takes in an uncircumcised Christian woman. This will bring Waiyaki doom though as he is persecuted.
But to save Gikuyu is not so much in synthesizing two cultures together. Muthondi died in the attempt to do that. Instead the real purification begins with the reclaiming of the land overtaken by European settlers. By staying in between and trying to find a middle ground, he is rejected by the two opposing sides of tradition and modernism. It was clear from the allegory of the two ridges that the people were not merely separated by cultural beliefs, but also of land. The Land is essential in the generation of their deepest wishes and desires as well as their roots. The parallelism is clear on the first page. “When you stood in the valley, the two ridges ceased to be sleeping lions united by their common source of life.” They are initially described as connected together by one river, which supplies them. In this regard, they are united. However, the river also serves as a division between the two rifts. “They became antagonists. You could tell this, not by anything tangible but by the way they faced each other, like two rivals ready to come to blows in a life and death struggle for the leadership of this isolated region.” The intolerance brought by the disparities in belief divided the land and had been a cause of so much violence and deaths including Muthoni’s death and Waiyaki’s execution (1). There has been a force of choice which would be inevitably violent. The novel postulates that no one is supposed to be compelled to choose.
Ngugi seems to sympathize with Waiyaki. He shares several experiences with his protagonist, which involves the responsibilities and obligations he had accepted during the Mau Mau war. By Waiyaki’s breaking away from the messianic role to one that will prioritize his personal wellbeing, Ngugi is able to express the desire to be free from his preoccupations with education and leadership or the burden to save African society. In the novel Ngugi is able to portray the tragedies of intolerance and why there is a need towards understanding between the two rifts by Waiyaki realizes this too late.
The novel ended in a tragic and inconclusive manner so the need towards reconciliation may echo and resonate all through-out. Gikuyu will be doomed if it chooses to go on as it does. It ends in a manner that will leave the reader to decide what to do next and ponder having already presented each side, and both its negative and positive aspects. The novel in itself is a river between tradition and modernization as not only Waiyaki is placed in a decision, but also the reader, to do something about religious and cultural conflicts and intolerance in general.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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