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PLAY - THE BLACK HERMIT ANALYSIS by Samson Mwita
PLAY - THE BLACK HERMIT ANALYSIS by Samson Mwita
Mwita
ACTS SUMMARY
ACT ONE - THE COUNTRY
Scene I – In the Hut
Thoni and Nyobi are in a hut when Nyobi notices that Thoni has been crying. She (Nyobi) complains
since Remi does not reply the letters she sends to him. She advises Thoni to find another husband but
she refuses. Thoni believes that Remi hates her. She wonders why men do not rest in her hands. Then
Nyobi gets an idea of asking the pastor to go the city to look for Remi since he was once a God-
fearing child.
The elder comes to ask Nyobi to give them a mother’s blessing to their traditional medicine that will
make Remi come back. Being a Christian she hesitates a bit but later overwhelmed by a mother’s
desire to see her son back, she betrays her heart, giving the required blessings.
Scene II – A meeting ground. In the Open
The elders of the tribe meet to discuss the return of Remi. They discuss how the situation is worse to
them even after independence. Poor social services, taxation are just a few. They believe that Remi’s
mind was spoilt by the evil eyes of their neighbours. Then they turn to the mountain to say a prayer.
Then the leader cautions that when Remi comes back he must not fall under the influence of his
mother nor the pastor.
Scene III –The Same.
The pastor meets Nyobi and she confesses that she has betrayed her faith. The pastor believes Remi
was polluted when at the university by engaging in politics. Then Nyobi asks the pastor to go and
look for Remi in the city. The pastor agrees.
ACT TWO –THE CITY
Scene I – In Remi’s room
Remi is with his white girlfriend in his room. In their conversation Jane discovers that there is
something that has been disturbing Remi for so long. Jane requests Remi to tell her about his
background and she suggests that Remi should take her to his parents but Remi puts it aside and
suggests that they go to the night club instead.
Scene II – the same room
Remi is visited by his friend Omange and the two discuss a lot about the political situation in the
country. They discuss the dangers of tribalism, religious factions, and racism. Remi narrates his
background to Omange; how he loved Thoni who got married to his brother and how his brother
died. He shows that according to their custom his father asked him to inherit Thoni and that is the
reasons why he ran to the city. Omange advises him to go back home.
The elders come to persuade Remi to go and save them. They explain to him the troubles they get
just because of his absence. They leave the room dropping a bundle of medicine at the door way. The
pastor comes to see Remi for the same reason. Eventually Remi promises that he will go back home.
The pastor goes and leaves the bible behind.
Scene III – the same room (a few days later)
Jane visits Remi again and Remi is determined to go home. She insists to go with Remi but he
refuses. She believes may be it is due to their differences in races that Remi is denying her so she
promises to be faithful to him and his people. She insists that Remi should tell her about his history.
Lastly Remi tells her that he is married. She is disappointed and the two come into a conflict. Finally
Jane runs out.
ACT THREE – THE RETURN OF THE HERMIT
Scene I –Nyobi and Thoni in the hut
Nyobi and Thoni discuss the return of Remi and Thoni is happy. The pastor joins them and insists it
is the work of Christ. The 1st neighbour rushes into the hut announcing the meeting of so many
people who have come to meet Remi. The pastor narrates how Remi addressed the meeting with a
roar. How he came with a man from another tribe and said he is his brother and theirs. How he
blamed the elders for preaching tribalism etc. Remi attacks the pastor for dividing people and his
mother for making him marry Thoni. On hearing this Thoni disappears.
CHARACTERIZATION
REMI
He is the son of Ngome and Nyobi.
He is educated. We are told that he is the only one in his Marua tribe who has had a chance to go
to the university.
He is a betrayer. He betrays Jane by refusing to marry her as he promised. He also betrays his
tribe for not using his education to help them solve their social problems instead he runs away to
the city to enjoy the city pleasures leaving his people in a bad situation.
He has a changing behavior. At first we are told he is God-fearing, but when he later goes to the
university he abandons religion and becomes an active politician. Also at first he is shy with girls
but later he becomes bold with ladies. Jane confirms this when she says “you! Shy with girls!
And you almost ate me the very day you met me in the club!” pg20
He is an active member of Africanist Party which is in power . He has a strong convincing power.
He convinces his people to join the party and they obey him.
He is a revolutionist but uses wrong approaches . He is against tribalism, racism, and religion
factions but wants to bring changes overnight without giving the villagers enough time to adjust.
This makes his strategies to prove a failure.
He is arrogant because of his education. Because of his education he despises the elders including
his own mother. He addresses them without respect and by attacking rather than educating,
something that makes him fail to reach his goals. He says “ there is no time for soft hearts” pg 53
in pg 48 he says “everything will give way to my leadership”
He is a victim of outdated customs . He is forced to inherit the widow of his late brother without
his consent. He believes the lady does not love him so he runs away.
He is remorseful (regretful). He seems genuinely remorseful for what he had done to Thoni. He
says “I came back to break Tribe and custom, instead I’ve broken you and me.” Pg 58
OMANGE
He is Remi’s friend from Njobe tribe.
He is very wise and aware of the effects of tribalism, racialism, and religion factions after
independence.
He is a good advisor. He advises Remi on different matters including going back to his wife and
giving her a chance to express her love to him.
He is after changes and believes that education is necessary for changes.
THONI
She is a very obedient village girl who gets married to Remi’s brother.
She is a widow. She lives alone after her husband’s death. She is inherited by Remi according to
the custom but he runs ways leaving her alone.
She has true love. Thoni is portrayed as a person with true love to Remi. Despite the fact that
Remi runs away from her, she is determined to wait even for 20 years. She does not want to take
the third husband as Nyobi advises her.
She is patient and optimistic. Despite the terrible loneliness she is experiencing she still hopes that
one day Remi will come back to her and is determined to wait for him.
She suffers from intrapersonal conflict. This happens since her husband is dead and now she faces
loneliness. Then her next husband Remi has disappeared. Something that she might translate that
he does not love her. Expressing her situation she says “ why do men not rest in my hands? Death
took away my first husband. Now the next, his brother has left me. The hut’s gloom and
loneliness has started eating into me.” pg 4.
She uses a wrong approach to solve her problem. When Remi comes back and degrades her in
public she decides to commit suicide. This is one of her weakness.
NYOBI
She is the wife of Ngome and Remi’s mother.
She is a sympathetic and caring mother. She takes care of Thoni like her own biological child. She
wishes to see Thoni having happiness and she is deeply hurt when she sees the loneliness that
Thoni is experiencing.
She is a good advisor. She advises Thoni to take a husband who will restore her happiness. She
also advises Remi to be careful by the way he deals with villagers. She says to him “ My son,
don’t be dazzled by the blaze which will burn for the night and tomorrow it is out.” Pg 48
She suffers intrapersonal conflict. She suffers an intrapersonal conflict after the death of her son,
followed by her husband and the later disappearance of Remi.
She is a Christian. She is a very devoted Christian but at some times because of a mother’s desire
to see her lost son, she blesses the traditional medicine that may help to bring Remi back. She
admits this by telling he pastor; “ And I, overwhelmed by a mother’s desire to see her son back,
betrayed my heart, giving the required blessings” pg 14
She is disappointed by Remi’s changes. She becomes disappointed by the way Remi who was
once God-fearing has changed. She even wonders how Remi talks to her in a rude way. “You
talk to me so? You talk to me so? Pg 48
PASTOR
He is a strong Christian who mentors Remi to be the future leader of the Church. He even goes to
the city to find Remi for the same reason.
He is against traditional beliefs although he also takes part in advising Remi to inherit Thoni.
He is blamed for causing disunity in the society.
He too is optimistic. He believes that Remi who was once a God-fearing child will change and
lead the church after he has retired.
JANE.
She’s Remi’s girl friend in the city working in the office as a typist.
She is anti-racism. She believes that colour differences should not create barriers between people.
She tells Remi “What matters is not race, creed, or custom, but whether individuals can meet and
understand one another” pg 36
She is betrayed by Remi. Jane is betrayed by Remi when the time comes for Remi to go back
home he refuses to go with her.
Finally she runs away leaving Remi alone.
FIGURES OF SPEECH
Reiteration.
“Files, files, files all day long” pg 21
“Depends, depends, depends on the kind of kind of what!” pg 23
“Oh promises, promises. I should have known what promises mean to you” pg 39
Onomatopoeia
“Cha cha cha” pg 22 (imitating the sound of music)
“Ha, ha, ha,-!” Pg 8 (sound of laughter)
Simile
“A trade union without the right to strike is like a lion without claws and teeth”. Pg 23
“He became lost to us like a seed which falling on the wayside lacked nourishment of the rich
earth,...” pg 16
“To be like an unwanted maize plant” pg 50
“Falling into bits like a cloth long hung in the sun” pg 3
Metaphor
“My wound is a woman” pg 25
“She is a seedling whose eventual fruit will be a blessing to us all” pg 16
Personification
“Your silence touches my heart” pg 29
“Our tribe wails under the new government.” Pg 29
“The tribe waits for you” pg 30
“The world will not wait for you” pg 3
“The bite of the cold wind” pg 38
“The best woman the village has ever borne” pg 54
“It’s all darkness, swallowing you wholly” pg 50
“And now I must go for darkness calls.” Pg 52
Exaggeration.
“Remi your son and ours is the only educated man in all the land, exceeding in knowledge all the
people, black and white put together” pg 7
“Couldn’t they read my heat?” Pg 26
“The only educated man in the country” pg11
Parallelism.
“To be laughed at, to be flouted, to be driven out, and by him, my husband.” Pg 50
“Goodbye mother, goodbye father, goodbye my village.” Pg 52
Allusion.
“Remi refused to go to Nineveh, he fled to the city of idolatry” pg 17 (reference to the Jonah
saga in the Bible”
“He became lost to us like a seed which falling on the wayside lacked nourishment of the rich
earth, He dried up.” pg 16 (reference to the Parable of the sower in the bible)
Euphemism.
“Though your husband was called and also your first son...” pg 16 (to express that they died.)
“You shy with girls! And you almost ate me the very day you met me in the club!” pg 20
(referring to the act of making love)
Oxymoron.
“These eyes have seen rain come and go.”
“Have seen sunrise and sunset.”
“Birth and death alternating” pg 3
Saying.
“A man’s public life is given meaning only by the stability of his private life.” Pg 32
‘A woman’s joy is scolding her children” pg 3
“A woman without a child is not a woman” pg 3
CONFLICTS.
This refers to the misunderstanding or collision of ideas, viewpoints or opinions within a person,
between or among groups of people in the society. Or it is a situation in which there are opposing
ideas, opinions, feelings or wishes. Like other plays, in this play there are several conflicts as
analyzed below;
(a) INTRAPERSONAL CONFLICT.
Due to some circumstances, there are different intrapersonal conflicts among the following
people.
Thoni. She suffers intrapersonal conflict since her husband is dead and now she faces loneliness.
Then her next husband Remi has disappeared something that she might translate that he does not
love her. Expressing her situation she says “why do men not rest in my hands? Death took away
my first husband. Now the next, his brother has left me. The hut’s gloom and loneliness has
started eating into me.” pg 4.
Nyobi; she suffers intrapersonal conflict first, due to the sudden death of her son, followed by her
husband and the later disappearance of Remi. She expresses this by saying “ My heart is still
heavy with grief…, my first son, so big and strong was taken from me just like that,…, our tears
had hardly dried before my man follows, and now Remi, …”pg 6
Second, it is with the way Thoni lives in loneliness, thinking of Remi. She advises her to get
another husband but Thoni refuses to move from one husband to another like a common whore.
Remi; he suffers intrapersonal conflict because of the circumstances taking place in the country
and his tribe in particular. That is why he runs awayto find peace in the city but the problems
follow him there. The whole country is suffering from tribalism, racialism, and religious
factions. All Remi is doing, is to not only expose the cantankerous effects of tribalism, racialism
and religious factions but also to root them out with both hands.
(b)INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT.
These are conflicts or misunderstanding between two people.
There is a conflict between Remi and Jane . This occurs when Remi wants to go back home and
refuses to take Jane with him. It grows bigger when Remi tells her that he is already married and
Jane becomes angry since Remi has wasted her time lying to her that he would marry her. She
says to Remi “do you honestly believe that race matters, that the colour of my skin or yours
should form a barrier between people?” Pg 36
There is a conflict/misunderstanding between Remi and Omange. Remi wants the government in
the new independent country to be strict. E.g. People have no right to oppose the government;
workers have no right to strike for higher wages. Omange opposes this idea by saying that trade
union must have the right to strike and demand for their rights. For him “ a trade union without
the right to strike is like a lion without claws and teeth” pg23
There is also a contradiction on the question of marrying Thoni. Remi believes that she does not
love him or else she wouldn’t have married his brother. Omange tells him to give her a chance to
express her love to him since one cannot read someone’s heart or feelings merely by appearance.
(c) FAMILY CONFLICT
There is a family conflict between Remi and his mother. This occurs when Remi runs away and
leaves Thoni in loneliness and on coming back he attacks his mother in public. Remi says “ And you
mother. I turn to you. What did you do to me? You harped on my weakness and made me marry a
woman whose love and loyalty will ever lie with those in the grave”. NYOBI replies “you talk to me
so? You talk to me so?” pg 48
(d)CULTURAL CONFLICT.
There is an obvious conflict between traditionalists who follow traditional ways of life and
Christians. When discussing the coming of Remi, the elders want Remi to be on their side, and lead
them as a tribe to victory and want him to stay away from his mother and the pastor. On the other
hand the pastor wants Remi to be the future leader of the church. He sees politics as something bad
and urges that he should stay away from the tribal influence. This causes segregation and disunity
among the people.
(e) POLITICAL CONFLICT.
There is a conflict between the new government and the citizens. The conflict arises from the fact
that they fought for independence thinking that things will change when they get independence. But
to the common people life is still hard as they have no land, taxation is a burden to them while the
ministers and their Permanent secretaries fatten on bribes and inflated salaries. Independence has not
reduced the amount of racial tension. Omange says “ since independence tribalism and tribal loyalties
seem to have increased. And even the leaders who were the supporters of the Africanist Party are the
very ones who are encouraging these feelings” pg 23. Also the government has enacted a legislation
against strikes. That is why even Marua people want Remi to represent them in the government so
that they can also enjoy the national cake.
(f) SOCIAL CONFLICT.
There is a conflict between Remi and his society. This results from the approach in which Remi
addresses the people without respect. He attacks them for perpetuating tribalism, religious
differences and shackles of custom. He says “ I will no longer be led by a woman, priest or tribe. I
will crush tribalism, beneath my feet, and all the shackles of custom. ” Pg 49. They all wonder how he
could be so rude to them. The pastor narrates how he addresses the people with anger that some
elders go away in guilt and shame. Pg 47
DISUNITY
This implies a lack of agreement between people. Disunity has become a major barrier to the
struggle for change in the country. This problem is caused by tribalism, racialism and religious
factions. This has become a real obstacle in fighting for their rights. Remi is used by the
playwright as his mouthpiece to condemn racialism, tribalism and religious factions in this
society. To show that he hates this division and wants to inculcate the spirit of nationalism he
says: “we must help ourselves…. Turn hearts and minds to create a nation, then will tribe and
race disappear. And man shall live free..” pg 48. Then he advises the pastor. “Even you, Pastor.
You and other Christians must not live isolated. We must join hands..” pg 48
To show his hatred for tribalism he comes with a friend from another tribe (Njobe tribe) and
introduces him as their brother. He tells the people to build more schools as education is the key
to success.
TRIBALISM
This society seems to be affected by tribalism to a large extent. The elders especially are more
affected. They do not view things as a nation but as a tribe. That is one reason why Remi decides
to act against them. They want him to be in the government to represent their tribe interest. For
example the leader says; “not one of our skin and blood is in the new government” pg 30.
Moreover when they go to persuade Remi to come back to the village, this is all they have got to
tell him “We want a tribal political party” another adds; “A Prime Minister from the tribe”. Pg
31. This is one of the dangerous enemies to nation building which must be discarded if we want
to create a spirit of nationalism.
CORRUPTION
Though it does not appear throughout Remi points it out in his conversation with Jane. He shows
that the government officials enjoy good life just because they take corruption (bribe) while
workers like teachers starve. In page 21 when Jane suggests that he should go back home and
become a teacher he says “And starve – while ministers and their permanent secretaries fatten on
bribes and inflated salaries”
CLASSES.
Just like most societies, in this country also there are classes. There are classes based on economic
status and those based on faith (religious differences).
The rich and the poor.
There is the class of the rich people comprising the leaders, settlers and other company owners
who enjoy the national resources by paying themselves high salaries and engaging in corruption.
On the other hand is the class of the poor citizens who are exploited through, forced community
work, low wages, taxation, land alienation and have generally poor living conditions and
inadequate social services like schools, hospitals and the like.
Christians and traditionalists
Another class division in this society is between the Christians being represented by the pastor,
Nyobi, and other converts, and the non-Christians (traditionalists) being represented by elders.
The playwright shows that the division is so severe and intense to the extent that the Christians
isolate themselves from other people. Their division is even seen in the way they want to
influence Remi when he comes back. Christians do not want him to fall under the influence of
elders while elders also do not want him to fall under the influence of Christians.
So generally we learn that class division is not healthy in any society that wants to get sustainable
development since they become their own enemies instead of becoming the authors of their own
destiny.
BETRAYAL
There are also cases of betrayal in this play.
First, Remi betrays Jane by refusing to marry her as he promised. Remi promises Jane to marry
her when the time is ripe and the two spend time together as lovers. When the time comes for
Remi to go back home he tells Jane that he is already married and cannot go with her. She
complains; “Just now you are betraying the ideals you used to mirror before my eyes” pg 36
Second, Remi also betrays his tribe for not using his education to help them solve their social
problems instead he runs away to the city to enjoy the city pleasures leaving his people in a bad
situation.
Third, the government has betrayed the citizens. During the struggle for independence the people
were asked to join the nationalistic movements and they agreed, later on their situation remains
unchanged after independence. For example they complain, “Look at our country since
independence. Where is the land? Where is the food? Where are the schools for our children?
pg 11
This is to say the promises for which they fought have been betrayed.
Forth, Nyobi betrays her Christian faith by blessing traditional medicine. When the elders tell her
that they want to bring Remi back but they want a mother’s blessings to attend them on that
difficult journey, she says “with all my heart, go in peace, and success attend you ” having
discovered her fault she regrets “I know Christo hates our medicine. Suppose God punishes me
so that Remi does not come back?” Finally they mock her by saying “ Her son is dearer to her
than her Christianity” pg 12+
MESSAGES
Running away from problems is not a way of solving them.
We do not solve problems by committing suicide.
Outdated customs like widow inheritance and superstitious beliefs bring more problems to the
society so they should be discarded.
Bringing about changes is not an overnight process. It needs time, determination, focus and
patience.
Tribalism, racialism, disunity and religious conflicts are obstacles to development.
Betrayal is not good as it causes unnecessary conflicts.
We should use our education positively to bring about changes.
Classes should be discouraged as they bring disunity in the society.
RELEVANCE
The play is relevant in a number of ways:
1. There are people who run away from problems as a way of avoiding them but finally they find
themselves haunted by the same problems.
2. There are people who commit suicide as a way of solving their problems.
3. Betrayal is common among African countries particularly Tanzania. The leaders do not fulfil
their promises to the citizens.
4. Widow inheritance is still a common custom among many Tanzanian tribes like the Kuryans of
Lake Zone.
5. There are people who still believe in superstition and witch craft as a way of solving their social
problems.
6. Racism and tribalism are still common phenomena in some African countries like South Africa,
Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, etc.
7. The newly post-independent governments in Africa have not solved the people problems yet.
Only those in power are enjoying life while the common people are suffering.