THE STUDY OF LINGUISTIC AND THEMATIC VARIABILITY IN THE WORKS OF JAMES NGUGI (NGUGI WA THIONG’O)

Abstract

The article focuses on the creative legacy of Ngugi Wa Thiong’o. The emphasis of the author’s novels is primarily on the colonisation of African tribes and the erosion of their ancient cultural values with attempts to return them. His biographical narrative style often combines personal experience with a larger historical context. Despite the underrepresentation of African languages in the literary circles, writers such as Ngugi use European languages to reach a wider target audience. West African English-language literature developed during the so-called “apprenticeship period” under the influence of writers such as Ollaudah Equiano. By the mid-20th century, Nigeria, especially among the Yoruba people, had become a literary centre with a rich oral tradition that Chinua Achebe drew on. Achebe’s works, such as Things Fall Apart, explore ambivalence towards Western culture, a theme shared by Ngugi as he reconstructs the history of the Gikuyu people through narratives of dispossession of land among local people. Ngugi’s novels span different historical periods: The River Between (1965) depicts the early encounters of the local population with European colonisers; Weep Not Child (1964) deals with the impact of white settlers and the struggle for political independence; A Grain of Wheat (1967) depicts the difficulties of Kenya’s independence; and finally, Petals of Blood (1977) highlights the post-independence struggle of Gikuyu peasants with European colonisers. Ngugi’s personal experiences during the Mau-Mau “Emergency” profoundly influenced his writings, adding considerable social and historical value. His works balance political and tribal themes, transcending the literary genre into important chronicles of Kenya’s cultural transformation. The author’s approach to the grammatical features of the Biblical language is interesting when Ngugi uses negatives with the deferred participle "not" and imperatives with archaic forms and formal dialogue structures, which contribute to his unique style. Ngugi’s techniques and thematic focus make his work important to African literature, combining personal experience with the historical.