A Grain of Wheat

A Grain of Wheat is the third and best-known novel written by Ngugi wa Thiong'o from Kenya. It weaves several stories together during the state of emergency in Kenya's struggle for independence (1952–1959), focusing on the quiet Mugo, whose life is ruled by a dark secret. The plot revolves around his home village's preparations for Kenya's independence day celebration (Uhuru day). Former resistance fighters General R and Koinandu plan on publically executing the traitor who betrayed Kihika (a heroic resistance fighter hailing from the village) on that day.

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Quotes

As long as he did not know the truth, he could interpret the story in the only way that gave him hope: the coming of black rule would not mean, could never mean the end of white power.
- Narrator, Page 38

A man came into the office yesterday. He told me about a wanted terrorist leader. From the beginning, I was convinced the man was lying, was really acting, perhaps to trap me or hide his own part in the movement. He seemed to be laughing at me. Remember the African is a born actor, that's why he finds it so easy to lie. Suddenly I spat in his face. I don't know why, but I did it.
- Thompson, Page 55.

They talked of suffering under the whiteman and illustrated this with episodes which revealed their deep love of Kenya. In between each speaker, people would sing: Kenya is the country of black people. These speeches were summed up by one detainee who said: 'What thing is greater than love for one's country? The love that I have for Kenya kept me alive and made me endure everything.'
- Narrator, Page 64.

I die for you, you die for me, we become a sacrifice for one another. So I can say that you, Karanja, are Christ. I am Christ. Everybody who takes the Oath of Unity to change things in Kenya is Christ.
- Kihika, page 93.

Life had no colour. It was one endless blank sheet, so flat. There were no valleys, streams, no trees–nothing.
- Gikonyo, page 112.

Something gave way in my heart, something in me cracked when I saw our home fall.
- Mumbi, Page 135

How was it that Mumbi's story had cracked open his dulled inside and released imprisoned thoughts and feelings?
- Mugo, Page 167

He felt low. He had been like that for two days now. He could not understand it.
- Koina, Page208.

It changed names, leaders came and went, but the Movement remained, opening new visions, gathering greater and greater strength, till on the eve of Uhuru, its influence stretched from one horizon touching the sea to the other resting on the great Lake.”
- Chapter 2, Page 10

About Jesus, they could not at first understand, for how could it be that God would let himself be nailed to a tree?”
- Chapter 2, Page 11.

Then nobody noticed it; but looking back we can see that Waiyaki’s blood contained within it a seed, a grain, which gave birth to a movement whose main strength thereafter sprang from a bond with the soil.”
- Chapter 2, Page 12.

The whiteman told of another country beyond the sea where a powerful woman sat on a throne while men and women danced under the shadow of her authority and benevolence. She was ready to spread the shadow to cover the [Gikuyu]. They laughed at this eccentric man whose skin had been so scalded that the black outside had peeled off.
- Chapter 2.

They looked beyond the laughing face of the whiteman and suddenly saw a long line of other red strangers who carried not the Bible, but the sword. The iron snake... was quickly wriggling towards Nairobi for a thorough exploitation of the hinterland.
- Chapter 2.

Mugo had always found it difficult to make decisions. Recoiling as if by instinct from setting in motion a course of action whose consequences he could not determine before the start, he allowed himself to drift into things or be pushed into them by an uncanny demon; he rode on the wave of circumstance and lay against the crest, fearing but fascinated by fate.
- Chapter 3.

At Githima, people believed that a complaint from [Karanja] was enough to make a man lose his job. Karanja knew their fears. Often when men came into his office, he would suddenly cast them a cold eye, drop hints, or simply growl at them; in this way, he increased their fears and insecurity. But he also feared the men and alternated this fierce prose with servile friendliness.
- Chapter 4

In a flash, I was convinced that the growth of the British Empire was the development of a great moral idea: it means, it must surely lead to the creation of one British nation, embracing all peoples of all colors and creeds, based on the just proposition that all men were created equal.
- Chapter 5.

Many of us talked like that because we wanted to deceive ourselves. It lessens your shame. We talked of loyalty to the Movement and the love of our country. You know a time came when I did not care about Uhuru for the country anymore. I just wanted to come home.”
- Chapter 6.

Unknown to those around him, Kihika’s heart hardened towards “these people,” long before he had even encountered a white face. Soldiers came back from the war and told stories of what they had seen in Burma, Egypt, Palestine and India; wasn’t Mahatma Gandhi, the saint, leading the Indian people against the British rule? Kihika fed on these stories: his imagination and daily observation told him the rest; from early on, he had visions of himself, a saint, leading Kenyan people to freedom and power.
- Chapter 7

I would hate to see a train run over my mother or father, or brothers. Oh, what would I do?” [Mumbi] quickly exclaimed.

“Women are cowards.” Karanja said half in joke.

“Would you like a train to run over you?” Mumbi retorted angrily. Karanja felt the anger and did not answer.

- Chapter 7.

Gikonyo greedily sucked sour pleasure from this reflection which he saw as a terrible revelation. To live and die alone is the ultimate truth.
- Chapter 7

A clear drop of water was delicately suspended above him.
- Chapter 1

Mugo's throat was choked; if he spoke, he would cry. He shook his head and stared straight ahead." **Chapter 3, **page 23

Would these things remain after Thursday? Perhaps for two months: and then—test-tubes and beakers would be broken or lie un-washed on the cement, the hot-houses and seed-beds strewn with wild plants and the outer bush which had been carefully hemmed, would gradually creep into a litter-filled compound."
- Chapter 4, page 41

The African only came there to sweep the streets, drive the buses, shop and then go home to the outskirts before nightfall. Gikonyo had a vision of African businessmen like himself taking over all those premises!"
- Chapter 6, page 61.

He wanted to shout: that is not it at all; I did not want to come back; I did not long to join my mother, or wife or child because I did not have any, Tell me at point, whom might I be able to have cherished.
- Chapters 64and 65

We are not yet beaten,Africa can't, can't manage without Europe

Page 101.

But whom do we see in the motor cars and changing them daily as if motor cars were clothes, it was not those who took part in the Movement...some even outright traitors and collaborators.
- Gikonyo; unspecified edition, unspecified page

The world had conspired against him, first to deprive him of his father and mother and then, to make him dependent on an ageing harridan. The more feeble she became, the more she hated him. So, Mugo was haunted by his own inadequency.
- page 7.