Importance of Mass Media

Name : Parmar Shubhada A.

Roll No: 30

Subject: Paper -13 (Mass Communication and Media Studies)

Submitted to: Department of English
                          Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji Bhavnagar University




Introduction

Mass media plays an important role in the life of society. Most people agree that the 21st century can be called 'the age of media', which is quite true as the world of media influences us in different ways. However, some of these bring benefits for us, there are also bad points. Since the advancement of technology, people today are getting attached to television and films, books also make its position to stand at the top of media list.


Mass media includes various types of media such as television, radio, newspaper and magazines. Reading newspapers and magazines, watching TV, listening to the news on the radio are our main means of getting information. Mass media bring to millions of homes not only entertainment and news but also cultural and education programs. If you watch TV and listen to the radio you can improve your knowledge of history, biology, literature or even learn a foreign language by radio.

“Media” is one of the most useful hearts of human life. We are overfull with all these letters, sounds and films, headlines. Media change our modern life in nearly every way. Main work of media is to inform the people. Media is the most powerful tool of communication. It helps promoting the right things on right time. Nothing is possible without media. And now day’s people are attaching only with media.

Attraction with media:

In modern society, people are powerfully influenced by mass media. Although traditional television watching and newspaper reading are no longer as popular as before, people spend more time in front of computers listening to music and radios, reading news and information, interacting with other people in social network and watching television programmes and films. The developing technology of mobile phone allows people to do almost everything they can do with the computer. Nowadays, people are living in a world by media sounds and images. Here we show that, people are not living one day without computer and mobile. Cultural values and lifestyle have changed over time by use of television and internet .So in one way, it may change people’s opinions for the better, but in another, it may impact the social system of a whole population. More and more, people all over the world use the same exact pieces of clothing. Due to seeing it on television, the dress code is blue jeans, t-shirt, and shoes.
Television can be a great teacher. Some public television programs encourage visits to the zoo, libraries, bookstores, museums and other activities, and educational videos can surely serve as powerful teaching devices.

Amongst all the mass media today, television attracts the largest number of viewers. Its audience is greater in size than any of the other media audiences. This is because television is able to be a focus for the audiences of all age groups, literate and illiterate .Television has been used for education and information purposes than for entertainment. There is no doubt about the fact that the technology has given us a main tool in television. It is a very powerful mass communication medium.

The Indian model of television programmes are unique as it is expected to pass on the culture from one generation. Today, Doordarshan is challenging with all cable TV networks in meeting the entertainment needs of the people. Television in India, through its programme presents picture and view of India's rich cultural. They represent various religions and cultural language and activities of people, belonging to different parts of India, so it reflects the Indian society.

We live in an attractive world and even more charming society. We are part of a culture where every morning we wake up to the voice of the morning news filling us in on the beautiful sunny weather outside, and at the end of the day, tired and hungry, we move slowly home, where our T.V. or computer are waiting patiently to be at service. In this world, life without technology feels totally impossible and life without media is simply unthinkable.

India has various cultures, religions and traditions. Therefore, medium like television can play a very main role in developing common understanding with the people and bringing them closer. Like film, television and reinforces ideas, beliefs already overcome by the viewer. For example, television represents the messages on, importance of girl's education, marriage age, environment protection, energy conservation etc. Thus, it serves believable function. Television has more flexibility and mobility in its coverage due to audio-visual presentation. So television becomes a family medium.
                                                                Saxsena says,

"Television in India has acquired today newer dimensions, greater popularity and a much wider reach. The moving images of television fascinate people, demand attention and eventually influence their thoughts and behavior.”

Radio is generally used mass communication medium and has a great potentiality in spreading of information as radio signals cover almost entire population. Radio being a handy form of entertainment caters to a large audience. Here this radio reached the common man in urban and rural areas of India, though the use of radio is more among rural elites. It has advantages over the other mass media like television and newspapers in terms of being handy and easily available. It is the most transportable of the broadcast media, being easy get to at home, in the office, in the car, on the street or beach, almost everywhere at any time.

Radio is helpful not only in informing the people, but also in creating understanding about many social issues and need for social improvement, developing interest.

In India, radio with its access to the rural areas is becoming a powerful medium for advertisers. Because radio listening is so widespread, it has spared as an advertising medium for reaching local audiences. Moreover, radio serves small highly targeted audiences, which makes it a superb advertising medium for many kinds of specialized products and services.

Another important feature of radio as mass medium is that it caters to a large rural population which has no way in to TV and where there is no power supply. In such places, All India Radio's programmers continue to be the only source of information and entertainment. Moreover, broadcasts programmers in 24 languages.

                                           Kapoor, Director General of AIR (1995) said,

    “Radio is far more interactive and stimulating medium than TV where the viewer is spoon-fed. Radio allows you to think, to use your imagination. That is why nobody ever called it the idiot box".

Function of Mass Media:
Mass Media are the powerful means that do not only influence today’s world but that also shape of the tomorrow .Mass Media perform essential task in order to cast its effect to the people and maintain the society .Many person have argued different function of mass media .
Information:
Information is the main function of mass media .while information is power of knowledge .Information provided by mass media can be subjective ,objective, primary and secondary .Media disseminates information mostly through news broadcast on radio, TV as well as newspaper or magazine .Moreover , advertisements are also mostly for information purpose .
Education:
Media present education and information side by side .It provides education in different subjects to people of all levels. They try to educate people directly using different forms of content .Dramas, documentaries, interviews and many other programs are arranged to educate people directly .specially mass media is used as successful tools for mass awareness.
Entertainment:
The other main function of mass media is the entertainment. It is also viewed as the most obvious function of media .in fact, entertainment is a kind of performance that provides pleasure to people .Newspaper and magazine, radio, television and films serials and comic to entertain their audience .sports, news, film review and fashion are other instances. It makes audience recreational and free time more enjoyable.

Persuasion:
It is one more function of mass media .Persuasion involves making influence on others mind. Mass Media power audience in varieties of ways .All people are not well known about it. Many of them become influenced or motivated unknowingly towards it. Hence, the specific functions of mass media are explained below:
Surveillance:
Surveillance denotes observation .The function of mass media is to observe the society closely .News about films are playing at the local theatre, stock market prices, new products , fashion ideas are examples of instrumental surveillance .
Interpretation:
The mass media do not give just facts and data but also explanations and interpretation of events and situations. News analysis, editorials are some examples of interpretative contents .Mainly, such types of interpretative contents are prepared by those journalists who have knowledge of background information and strong ability.
Socialization:
Socialization is the transmission of culture .Media are the reflectors of society .Whenever a person reads newspaper or watches television, individual knows how people respond on matters and what types of norms and values they perceive on situation.

Advantages of the Media:
The media is one of the most influential entities we have in this world, with good reason. We rely on the media to provide us with information. The mass media has many roles in our world, with providing news to us the most important role.

 It Helps News Spread Fast:
The news-cycle has changed how we put away the news forever. We no longer have to wait for the morning or evening news to get caught up on present events. You can turn on CNN, Star News or Aaj Tak one of the many other 24-hour news channels to get news. And public got latest news very easily.

It Keeps You Updated With Current Events:

Whether you want to keep up with your area, state, country or world, the media is there to give you all the information you need to know. By media, you can be aware of what is going on in any parts of the world, specially the parts that affect your everyday life. You can keep up with what’s going on all over the world in a number of ways as well. If you want some quick news so, news organizations offer applications you can download on your phone. These applications give you breaking news notifications, so you can always be aware about latest updates. If you have a long driving or important works, you can use radio to get your news. Generally radio stations are that focus on lifestyle, news, current events and more.

Contact with families and friends:

With the help of social media many people can communicate with their families or with their friends. Actually people travel around the world and by this reason they need a good way in order to not lose the contact with their families in their native country. So the world’s population uses electronic devices for their communication for example: Mobile phones, Telephones, Computers etc.

Conclusion:

Thus, media is attractive ever more important in the life of adults as well as of children. We get a great deal of information from the different forms of media such as newspapers, films and documentaries, journals, radio, motion-pictures and more. Mass media plays a vital role in forming and reflecting public opinion, connecting the world to individuals and reproducing the self-image of society. The mass media still play a major role in the social learning process and have power on how individuals acquire new ideas, attitudes, and change direction in society.





Works Cited


· Research on Marketing , Advertisements and Public Relations. n.d.


· Wikipedia

General analysis of J.K.Rowling’s style with reference to her book “Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows”

Name : Parmar Shubhada A.

Roll No: 30

Subject: Paper -13 (The New Literature)

Submitted to:   Department of English

                          Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji

                          Bhavnagar University

Introduction:

                        “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” is the idea of J.K Rowling, a British author who aims to fame due to her Harry Potter series. Thought of this story, she claims on a train journey from Manchester to London. Rowling, in her very first venture into the world of writing created a highly imaginative work of fiction, necessary her readers in a magical spell for seven long years in the wizarding world, where the story of Harry Potter unfolds. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” are the seventh  and the last book of the series. According to me, the most be Suitable end and the best fictional tales of the century.”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” is, as mentioned above, the last of a series of Harry Potter books. The book is a work of fiction that transports readers to an in total different world of magic full of mythical creatures, fantastical objects and spells and witches and wizards. Combining all the worldly superstitions and myths with one heck of a thought, Rowling believes that is the most attractive feature of the book.

                         At the age of one, a series of dealings make Harry a celebrity among the magical community. Unluckily here the death of Harry’s parents who died trying to protect him from the most evil wizard of all time, Voldemort the dark lord. That night , Voldemort meets his end when the killing curse aimed at Harry bounces back falling the dark lord to a piece of soul, with Harry escaping death with a mere scar on his forehead. Eleven years later, Harry who was, lives with his relatives at that time surprise thing that he is a wizard and is supposed to attend a school of magic named Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ronald Weasely and Hermione Granger, students of hogwartians, are his two best friends that join with him the end of this fiction

. Dumbledore the principal of the school is a well-known personality and is ranked as one of the most wizards of his time. The clever old man though, knows and fears much to be insecure of Harry’s future and of the wizarding world in general.

                            In the sixth part Dumbledore dies leaving Harry with clear instructions to find all the horcruxes and destroy them. The seventh part opens with the organization of the dark lord’s system with Voldemort taking over the ministry of magic as well as the administration of Hogwarts.

                                 Meanwhile, Harry’s relation with the dark lord enables him to enter his mind and get updated knowledge of all his activities and plans. The story takes a twist when by some significant incidence Harry finds the Gryffindor’s sword, the one that can destroy the horcruxes.

                                Here in  this story  J.K Powling presents very new climax, the deathly Hallows are the three objects that make the owner a master of death, a very effectively . Also much debate and mystery setting the character of Severus Snape, who is actually a death eater who detective on Voldemort on Dumbledore’s instructions, but he kills Dumbledore in the sixth part. Harry is already doubts against Dumbledore; there are so many things he hid from Harry. Snape’s true loyalty and Dumbledore’s betrayal together donate to a moving and amazing climax.

                                      It is very well structure of the novel with full justice done to every character. Rowling has also highlight on the characters of the smaller creatures like house elves and goblins and their role in the conflict against the dark lord’s command. We can say that Hagrid’s role has deal quite a small but the ending makes up for it all. The book also marks the coming of age of the three center characters Harry, Ron and Hermione. This has been beautifully portrayed. J.K Rowling explains the character of Voldemort has been discussed in great detail, following from the sixth part where Dumbledore gives an idea of the young Voldemort. In this part Voldemort’s changeable pride and insecurities are brought into focus which finally leads to his downfall. Also, as mentioned before Dumbledore has been discussed a great deal, one might say that it doesn’t do a lot for the plot of the book however discussion of his life brings forth the clear contrast between his and Harry’s nature and the reason as to why Harry could succeed where he fail. So here we can said that Rowling declaring the finality of the story has also given a glance into the future of Harry Potter in the epilogue.

                                                Harry is all set to risk into the unknown world of dark magic to bring dark lord’s downfall. Hermione and Ron come with him to help him in his search. However, the journey isn’t all that easy going and motivating as it seemed in the beginning. With the death eaters and even the ministry after them, they have to find new locations in remote areas normally to camp. Apart from keeping themselves alive they also have to worry about the destruction of horcruxes. Harry is also fighting an internal war arising from Dumbledore’s biography .which talks about Dumbledore’s dark past and his experiments with dark magic, shaking.

                                       Here is the seventh year on Hogwarts and there is a lot going on in this book. It is full of twists, turns and heart-pumping scenes. Each scene is remarkable and we don’t want to stop reading. Throughout the book there are very many questions we want to know the answer on. Who will die? What will happen next? And so on. Harry Potter and his friends are in risk and nobody wants to die. They need to solve the problems and kill Lord Voldermort, before he kills everyone else.  So here we can say that the style of Rowling is excellent. Here she is presenting one by one character on the situations. For this reason readers have interest to read her all books with concentration.

                                  All books saw Harry, Ron, Hermione and friends changing and growing older, as Rowling's style grown in tandem. There's no doubt that she's grown as an author over the course of the series, but the progress seems more like an intentional effort to have the difficulty of the book itself mirror the state of the characters and the world they live in. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the end of all this.

                                  It is clear that fictional stories have always thrived off the imaginations of their writers. Even so, it is also true that most authors are inspired by the world around them to write their stories. Modern writer J.K. Rowing is an example of this type of writer. In truth, though she is very powerfully influenced by her own culture in England, Rowling, like many other modern writers, is equally inspired by literature, culture and historical events of countries around the world. J.K. Rowling is known to have created not only a detailed and attractive story, but also a fully new magical world in which her characters live. Thus, we see that even though this world is suspicious fictional, the author creates a world that maintains all the aspects of the real world. Through her characters such as Voldemort and Grindelwald, presents well.

                                 In general, as human beings, we are always trying to improve the community that we live in. The trouble is what is right and good for one person may not basically be right for another. These ideas of ethnic cleansing and hatred are identical to those expressed through the "villains" of Rowling's Harry Potter series. In the magical world, wizards who had blood that had been "tainted" by a Muggle were dying by unfair wizards. Rowling shows us the prejudiced ideologies of three wizards in particular, other than Voldemort. Firstly, Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of Hogwarts, believed that only pure-blooded wizards deserved to attend the school.  Also, Grindelwald and Dumbledore believed in wizard superiority over Muggles and wished to remove from power the Muggle.

                                   Here J.K.Rowling presents very beautifully all think. Because here presents all characters, she gave very perfect name to all characters. Voldemort’s personality can be summarized by the significance of his name. The fact that voldemort changed his name from Tom Riddle represents many things. First, it shows that he was racist and feeling shame of his Muggle blood. Secondly, it shows that he saw himself as a superior human being for whom a normal name did not suffice. Thirdly, his name, meaning journey from death shows that his power was strong enough to conquer even his biggest fear. We see thought the serious that the mere talk about of his name invokes fear in people to the point where normal wizards call him his followers call him the Dark Lord. For the story, the fact that Harry calls him by his weak and sad name, Riddle, directly before he defeats him becomes an act of large significance, Harry shows him, at his last moment of life that he is indeed not a superior and unshakable human being.

                                                As his adventures and the danger he’s in increase, Harry begins to truly understand what Dumbledore planned him to do. He realizes, almost at the last minute, that his own life will have to be sacrificed in order for Voldemort to truly be beaten. Full with love for his friends, he willingly gives his life so that they may live.

                                           His last act of heroism, however, saves his life. He meets Dumbledore again in death, and Dumbledore answers many of his questions. He is given a choice to stay or to go back, and he chooses to go back and fight. It’s all over between Harry and Voldemort with just one magic charm. Harry is left alive, the true master of the Hallows, and Voldemort is killed for good. He now understands more than he ever has about love, life, and sacrifice, and in spite of the loss of many of his friends during the last fight, is satisfying for the second chance he’s been given at life, and love.

                                        J.K Rowling is creating very powerful character of Dumbledore’s. Here she sends the reader an important message that each person, no matter their age, race or difference in personality, can make a different and add to the fight bigotry. She reminds us that we must fight for what we believe in and what we are stronger united. She also presents constantly the themes of bravery and loyalty all over her book serious. Still, this moral is made clear in the final battle when students from all four houses at Hogwarts join up to conquer voldemort and his followers. She is presenting all serious very parallels. In reality, through her characters, her storyline and subplots, she is able to express her own interpretation, opinions and analysis of these historical events.

Conclusion:

                                   Here all, the dialogue that takes place between Harry and Voldemort when they finally duel face to face is remarkable. One of the drawbacks of the book is that it cannot be enjoyed much as an individual read. It is totally connected to the earlier parts and there should at least be a certain degree of knowledge about the world of Harry Potter before one understands “Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows”. Rowling’s magical theories and philosophies make things a bit complex at the end however; it is not really a big deal.

                                   The book absolutely sends out a strong message to the readers. It is not only about evil dying and goodness triumphing but majorly concerns itself with the power of love and virtues of courage and selflessness. Harry Potter is an essence of all this. The climax of the book very beautifully brings out these messages. Rowling highlight on the fact that the reason Harry was special wasn’t because of any hidden magical power, but because of the love and sacrifice of his mother who died protecting him. This is just what he does when he sets out to fight the dark lord for the sake of others. The power of love and friendship plus the courage and will to fight against wrong is something that book talks about in great detail. All this makes the book very special and is a must read for all.

Work cited:

·         (J.KRowling ) Beyond Hogwarts

·         Rowling . Harry Potter More

·         Wikipedia

A Critique on A Grain of Wheat

Name : Parmar Shubhda A.

Roll No: 30

Subject: Paper -14 (The African Literature)

  Submitted to :   

                      Department of English

                     Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji

                     Bhavnagar University.

Introduction:

                      ‘A Grain of Wheat ‘has been well-known as Nugugi wa Thiong'o's most excellent novel. It was voted as one of the Best 100 African Books in the Twentieth Century by the Zimbabwe International Book Fair. ’Ngugi wa Thingo’s’AGrain of Wheat’ is a story about events and relationships important up to a country’s independence. Thing’o’s centers the work on a Kenyan village, where its members work together in preparation for local events. In many senses, (Thiong'o, A grain of Wheat)is a hybrid author and in A Grain of Wheat. This socialist portrayal of a disappointed and disillusioned people is offered from the very opening epigraph: ‘the situation and the problems are real – sometimes too painfully real for the peasants who fought for the British yet who now see all that they fought for being put on one side.

                     The structure of the novel is complex. In A Grain of Wheat, different characters are presented in similar situation at parallel times but in different spaces, and each character experiences the similar situation from a different perspective and in a different way. This hidden character was there at independence and was there when the struggle started; he or she seems to be the spirit of the Kenyans identifying himself with the people whenever he or she addresses the reader. In this sense, A Grain of Wheat is a novel with multiple centers, that is, Ngugi's protagonists feature in story lines which at times run comparable with each other, at times coincide and cross each other, and which at times combine together.

                      A Grain of Wheat is made up of one main plot and two subplots which are presented in the form of flashbacks.

                         The central action of A Grain of Wheat takes place in December 1963 in the village of Thabai, near Rung'ai Market, in rural Kenya during preparations for the approaching celebration of Uhuru, that is, Independence.

                       Kihika, a local Mau Mau freedom fighter from Thabai, leads a group of Mau Mau forest fighters in an attack on. Kihika is afterward hunted down and hung by the British. There is a widespread feeling that Kihika had been betrayed by someone in the area. Mugo had given protection to Kihika before he shot District Officer, at the Uhuru celebrations, General asks for the person who betrayed Kihika to come forward and declare in public. Mugo himself comes forward and confesses that he was the person who betrayed Kihika.

                      In general, it is the impact of the detentions on rural village life which Ngugi stresses - villages which were once full of young men and characterized by a vibrant social life become dull and lifeless. Both Mumbi and her mother's huts were burned down and Mumbi was forced to build a new hut.

                  Ngugi, then, depicts the effects of British colonialism on rural village life and the sacrifices made by the Gikuyu peasant communities - both the men and the women - as they struggled for their freedom and independence.

                     This is a significance of A Grain of Wheat. At root, Ngugi reveals that during the Mau Mau fight heroism was mixed with betrayal and sacrifice with his life amongst the freedom fighters that left their rural villages to join the fighters in the forest. At the end, after all the sacrifice, there are no true winners.

                  This is a forceful account of the confusion that inflamed Kenya in the 1950s and its impact on people’s lives. Five friends and age mates make different choices when the Mau Mau rebellion erupts in colonial Kenya. Kihika joints the freedom fighters in the forest; Gikonyo supports the rebels, but is arrested and detained. So the issue of loyalty is a discussed and examined in depth. As we learn more and more about the different characters we get a more view of each. Each has a unique history that includes loyalty and disloyalty, and it is attractive to see what is suitable and what is not. Mumbi , Gikonyo’s wife, works to keep family and home together in the village. Karanja chooses to support the more powerful British masters. Mugo finally betrays his friends and loses his life in a worried attempt to stay alive and stay neutral.

                    A Grain of Wheat is a great example of political as well as historical fiction. At times Nugugi states his political theories of the end of colonialism in Kenya more than creates in strength characters. However, large range of heroes, villans, lovers and rival transparent black successes and failures give this book the wide viewpoint that helps to understand a complex issue.

                        One of the most main concepts that Ngugi tries to convey through his masterpiece, A Grain of Wheat, is betrayal is betrayal. This letter is chiefly depicted via five different characters,  Mugo , Mumbi, Kihika, Gikonyo and Karanja.

                    Ngugi evokes complex responses to Mugo. His betrayal of Kihika, the leader of the movement, is induced partly by his jealousy, in part because the trouble in the land threatens his purpose never again to experience the hardship of his childhood. Kihika is brought up in the bosom of his family and friends. He also has the chance to go to school. All these support him to live for his holy target, Uhuru. Mugo has not any of these. He is orphan and left lonely to live with his heartless aunt. When his aunt passes away, he becomes a poor person, filled with fear, hatred and lack of self confidence, troubled by the image of his own failure. Another reason for Mugo’s betrayal of Kihika is simply because he wants not to be drawn into the connection with other people. , (Thiong'o, A grain of Wheat)“I wanted to live my life. I never wanted to be involved in anything. Then he came into my life, here, a night like this, and pulled me into the stream. So I killed him.” (p161).

                Mugo’s betrayal of Kihika is, however, in some part mitigated by the suffering he experiences in the various arrest camps he is put in for his bravery in Kihika’s lover. Mugo finally unloads this burden on Mumbi, Kihika’s sister, who then shares his guilt and withholds it from the rest of the community, easing his lonely.

                Ngugi conveys the idea of betrayal in Gikonyo and Mumbi. Both them felt guilty, for both have broken down their relations. Gikonyo builds up the picture of Mumbi alive in his mind. She provides a basis of inspiration greater than of nationalism. His wish for her is so all strong that he betrays to the cause of freedom in order to return to her. When he comes back, he cannot settle himself to Mumbi’s unfaithfulness and is worried by visions of Mumbi responding avidly to Karanja’s body.

                      While Mumbi commits betrayal, she doesn’t mean to betray her husband. Mumbi has been left exposed in the center of a hopeless crisis, lonely and hungry. For six years she has lived for the day when he will return pick up the threads and make life begin again. Finally, she gives herself to Karanja at the time when he brings her the news of Gikonyo’s free from prison. The sexual come upon becomes the final extension of her extreme joy in hearing of her husband’s free.

                      Gikonyo is angry with his disaffection for her and therefore he doesn’t want to listen to her reasons and decided not to open his heart for her any more. As his mother sees that both Gikonyo and Mumbi are suffering, she says words reducing his pain,

‘See hoe you have broken your home. You have driven a good woman to misery for nothing, let us now see what profit will bring you, to go on piosonong your mind with these things when you should have accepted and sought how best to build your life.But you , like a foolish child, have neverwanted to know what happened. Or what woman Mumbi really is.’

                    Mugo’s declaration of guilt of his betrayal makes Gikonyo understand his wife. So his decision to want the stool for Mumbi indicates that he can forgive and not recall the past and his love for Mumbi has returned.

                    Ngugi gives another example of betrayal through Karanja. Karanja is among those men who traitorously choose to side with British Colonialists. He joins the home guards instead of taking the Mau Mau movements. He becomes known for his cruelty in the treatment of his own people.

“That is when Karanja became a chief. Soon he proved himself more terrifying than the one before him. He led other home guards into the forest to hunt down the freedom fighters.”

(P-143).

                   Karanja has a continuing struggle with Gikonyo that stems from both an attraction to Mumbi. So, while Gikonyo is at the arrest camps, Karanja takes the chance to betray him by making love to his wife, Mumbi. When Mumbi hears that her husband is coming, she becomes happy as if she is mad. Karanja takes the chance on making love to her, as he knows that she is not able to control herself and she responds passionately to his desire. On the other hand, though, Karanja’s mother opinion her son not to follow the British or he pays a heavy cost for his betrayal of his own people. When Uhuru Day has come, it has created freedom, freedom of a surprising kind, for Kenyan people. But no such freedom comes to Karanja.

“Don’t go against the people. A man who ignores the voice of his own people comes to no good end. “(p-222).

                    Ngugi’s master piece is an originality of characters woven together by connection of traditional values that are the features typical of African village setting. Ngugi makes use of the first person and second person narrative technique to a microcosm of village. Ngugi explores the choices people make in times of difference and above all, betrayal personal, political, romantic, and sexual. He is a superb story-teller, creating bright, troubled characters, dramatizing the violence and horror of the Emergency as well as the nature of life in a small village and conveys excitements and suspense to the novel.

Conclusion:

                   This book is not only a great example of African literature, but one that shows the reality of any position in the world where people suffer from oppression, suppression or colonial rule. The novel is shaped of multiple narrative lines and, far from being linear in structure, is collected of a large number of flashbacks, that is, shifts in time frames. At the end, after all the sacrifice, there are no real winners. Mugo cannot run away confessing his guilt and offering himself up for sacrifice. The tragedy is that Mugo's death is a dead end - it makes no difference to the survivors, one way or the other. The only sight of a useful Uhuru that Ngugi leaves us with is in the reconciliation of Gikonyo with Mumbi and her son.

                    A Grain of Wheat is a great advance in Ngugi’s development as a novelist, and his appears in the interrelated betrayals and their consequent effect on Ngugi’s five characters. The latter had been involved in the events that led to Uhuru, and were slaves to the memories of their own personal inadequacies. Mugo becomes an outsider an outsider fraught with guilt, confusion and a great remorse. Gikonyo despite Mumbi’s betrayal, he is able to forgive her, and reconsider their relationship. Whereas, Karanja decides to go to live in Githima in order to escape his punishment for his betrayal on the Uhuru day. By so doing, Karanja is another voice in the dark side.

Works Cited

-          (Thiong'o and Thin'go)

-          (Wikipedia)