"The River Between"

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces and discusses "The River Between" by Ngugi wa Thiong'o which tells the tale of two rival communities, Kameno and Makuyu, which face each other and are separated only by the Honia River. The paper describes how these two villages are in a constant battle over conflicting myths of leadership and religion, which have been the basis of their arguments for many generations. The paper shows how Ngugi focuses on the impact of Christian missionaries on the balance of African culture.

From the Paper:

"The inhabitants of the Kameno ridge have indigenous cultural traditions such as polytheism and circumcision, while those of the Makuyu ridge had already succumbed to Christianity and British colonization. This story is mainly about the conflicted relationship between two villages representing traditional African beliefs on the one side and Christianity on the other. In this novel, a mission-educated character tries unsuccessfully to synthesize the Christian worldview with the Gikuyu, even as he comes to understand the completely destructive force Christianity will have on his indigenous culture."

More papers on "The River Between":

• Book Review # 132675 : "The River Between" - A Book Review"
• Book Review # 106546 : "The River Between" and "Nectar in a Sieve"
• Book Review # 94968 : "'The River Between'"

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