Between two cultures: fragmented self in the short story “The Mubenzi Tribesman”, by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o

Abstract

This paper analyses the short story “The Mubenzi Tribesman”, by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o aiming at investigating the fragmented self of the African traditional man (who lives in a tribal community and eventually has to face the post-colonial Kenyan city society). The main character Waruhiu lives in a place which represents tradition, a Mubenzi village. When he leaves to receive a higher education at the University, he vowed to return to the village in order to serve his people. However, while in the University, he finds Ruth, who represents modernity, the European ways and consumerism in the new African society. He falls in love with Ruth, and marriage is a logical consequence. Ruth is African, but follows the European way of life, and it puts Waruhiu in a dilemma: on the one hand, he needs to keep his vows to his tribesman; on the other hand, he needs to establish a new life standard with his wife in the capitalist society of the city. The investigation methodology is based on theoretical approaches that discuss tradition and modernity developed by Balandier (1976), Habermas (2000), Mathews (2006). The postcolonial and identity issues are studied by Bonnici (2000) and Hall (2003, 2006). The results of the research indicate that the main character is divided between two realities: his people’s traditional life, which he left, and his wife’s modern society, which punishes him when he tries to fit in through illegal methods. This duality determines the fragmentation of his subjectivity and compromises his future in a permanent way.