Daughters of Moombi: Ngugi's Heroines and Traditional Gikuyu Aesthetics

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Book chapter

Title:	Daughters of Moombi: Ngugi's Heroines and Traditional Gikuyu Aesthetics
Author:	Nama, Charles A.
Book title:	Ngambika: Studies of Women in African Literature
Year:	1986
Pages:	139-149
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Kenya
Subjects:	Kikuyu women literature
Abstract:	This consideration of the characters Mumbi from 'A grain of wheat' (1967), Nyakinyua from 'Petals of blood' (1978) and Wariinga from 'Devil on the cross' (1982) asserts that the active roles these women play as leaders and as guardians/protectors of the heritage, have a long history, being indeed part of the Gikuyu tradition, extending back to Moombi, female coprogenitor of the tribe. In demonstrating the characteristics that make each of the examined characters heroines in the Gikuyu tradition, the author combines two subjects of supreme importance in Ngugi's thought: 1) The concept that the unequivocal liberation of Africans lies not in Westernization but in the resuscitation of traditional cultural values that have been an intrinsic part of the people's lives from ancient times; and 2) the contribution of Kenyan women in the liberation struggle. Ref.