Matigari

2040 Words5 Pages

Matigari by Ngugi Thiong’O is a tale of a man trying to bring peace to his land and people after being exploited and ravaged for so long. Ngugi inserts many allusions to the Christian bible and depicts the main character, Matigari, as a Christ-like figure. Matigari embarks on his quest for truth, ignoring the threats of violence and death that surrounds him as he leaves his Eden in the woods. In the beginning of the novel, we find Matigari living a peaceful life in a place where there is no cruelty or sin, much like the Eden where Adam and Eve were given by God. Like Adam and Eve, he also left his Eden and delved into the real world, which is uprooted with sin and corruption. Matigari had been away for so long that like Adam and Eve, it was as if he was an innocent child again, not knowing the true nature of the outside world since all he knows is his blissful paradise of solitude. This new atmosphere of disparagement builds the foundation of the struggle of the people to live up to his vision of redemption and purity. His full name, Matigari ma Njiruungi, translates to “the patriots who survived the bullets”, which is a nod to his past and how he fought against imperialism and drove Settler William, the previous antagonist, out of his village (Gumah 170). The translation of his name can also point to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who technically survived his penance of being nailed to the cross, since he rose three days after his supposed death. Both actions, those of Matigari and of Christ, were meant to absolve the people of sin and corruption. This sacrifice of oneself for the benefit of their people is not unlike what happens to Jose Arcadio Buendia in One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Jose Arcadio Buendia is also a man wi...

... middle of paper ...

...tigari and philosophies. This rejection of ideals is the final piece of evidence that convinces Matigari that the people have fallen so far from his expectations. Matigari then has no choice to but to resort to violence and ends up ripping off his belt of peace turning the AK 47 he vowed to bury forever on the state officials. He fails, and ends up sacrificing himself for the village, with his blood spilling into the roads and asking the citizens, “"What other deed do you need that is greater than the blood I shed?" (Ngugi 150). Matigari gives his life for his people, just as Jesus did, in a last ditch attempt to rescue them from their sin filled lives which they have allowed to be controlled by the government. Matigari is forced to take the actions he does because the citizens of the village can not live up to the hopes that are expressed by him, the Christ figure.

Open Document