AFRO-ASIAN LITERATURE

A
MEETING
IN THE
By: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

DARK
Learning 01
The students should be able to

Outcomes understand and give proper

analysis to the text.

The students should be able to

02 analyze the plot of the story.

The students should be able to

03 identify the different literary
elements in the story.
 Analysis
Terms in the story

Shamba- in (E. Africa ) any field used for growing crops

Baba- (father)
Irimũ- Swahili kuzimu (“the place of spirits”), m(u)zimu (“the place
for offerings”)
Kuni- firewood
 Background of the Literary
Piece
"A Meeting in the Dark" is a poignant and thought-provoking short story by
Kenya's prolific writer, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. The story is set in Kenya, among
the Kikuyu community. The Kikuyu (also known as the Agikuyu and Gikuyu
people) live in East Africa, primarily reside in central Kenya, and are the
largest ethnic group in Kenya. Throughout the text, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
explores themes such as tradition versus modernity, the clash between personal
desires and societal expectations, and the consequences of deception.
 Background of the Literary
Piece
The narrative was also recognized for its powerful portrayal of its characters'
internal struggles and poignant commentary on the complexities of human
relationships within Kenya's cultural and social context.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o crafts a narrative that resonates with readers, prompting

reflection on the conflicts inherent in making life-altering decisions and the
consequences of choices made in the shadows of society.
 analysis
Background of the Author
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, originally named James Thiong'o Ngugi
(born January 5, 1938, in Limuru, Kenya)
• was a Kenyan writer considered East Africa's leading novelist (Giant of African
writing).
• His popular Weep Not, Child (1964) was the first significant novel in English by an
East African.
• He has also written several collections of short stories.
• His collection, Secret Lives and Other Stories, first published in 1975, foreshadows
numerous themes that later preoccupied his most famous novels.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
 CHARACTERS
John (Protagonist)
• Polite, educated, intelligent (attained white man's education)
• Model of humility and moral perfection
• Respects tribal traditions
• Feared his father

Wamuhu (John’s Girlfriend)

• Beautiful
• Uneducated
• Circumcised (Tradition)
• Daughter of unbeliever
 CHARACTERS
Stanley (Father)
Strict clergyman (calvanestic preacher) + strict father
• He always has his dirty bag made ofof
(because a strong calico with a Bible,
his sin!)
a hymn book and a notebook.
• Converted in Christianity
• Old, frail, but energetic.
Very dominant in the family

Susana (Mother)
• Thoughtful and caring
• She is tall and thinned, was once beautiful
 CHARACTERS
Wamuhu's mother:
• Likes the idea of the relationship between her daughter and John.

Wamuhu's father:
• Is against the relationship. He doesn't like the white man because they broke
the tribe's code of behaviour. "They make unmarried girls their wives and
then leave them with fatherless children.’’

Reverend Carston
• have so much faith in John
 setting
Place
• The story is set in Kenya, Limuru, Makeno Village
(Kikuyu Community)

Time
• Second half of the 20th Century

Atmosphere
• It is dark and there is little or no light
• A touch of mystery and danger
• Feeling of tension
• Authoritarian atmosphere
 Summary of the literary
piece
Exposition

John is a young well-educated man in a small village in Kenya called Limuru. He is

respected and looked up to by others in his community because he has achieved every
available education level. John’s father, Stanley, is a stern and controlling father who
converts to Christianity, and John’s mother, Susana, is a convert too. John plans to leave
the country for university in Makerere, Uganda but before he makes his trip outside the
country, John meets a beautiful girl named Wamuhu whom he impregnates. Before he
leaves, however, he must decide what to do about his relationship with Wamuhu. John is
afraid of his father and what Stanley would do if he found out about Wamuhu's
pregnancy.
 Summary of the literary
piece
Rising Action

John is anxious about the idea that everyone in the village and his parents know his
transgressions and that the government might withdraw his bursary when learning
about his scandal with Wamuhu. John came to Wamuhu’s hut to meet and have a
word with her but it turned out John accused Wamuhu that everything was all her
fault. Wamuhu has been pregnant for three months and her mother is BEING
suspicious, so she plans to tell their secret.
 Summary of the literary
piece
Rising Action

However, John desperately pleaded Wamuhu if she could wait, so he

might be able to get away and come back when the storm and
consternation had abated. Wamuhu turned down John’s plea and just
gave him until tomorrow to think and decide.
 Summary of the literary
piece
Climax

John has to decide between pursuing his studies to Uganda or

stay with Wamuhu. He then starts to think whether he should
choose the prospect of a future or just mary the girl, Wamuhu.
His imagination and thought took a fight, wondering what he
could have done to defy all expectations.
 Summary of the literary
piece
Falling Action

John came up with a solution to keep quite of the pregnancy. He tried

to bribe Wamuhu with money and make someone else take the
responsibility. Then came to pass as John tries to increase the amount
of the money while Wamuhu declines repeatedly, he started to get
mad. He is quickly moving towards the girl in the dark and starts to
shake her.
 Summary of the literary
piece
Denouement

At last John's action leads to a tragic turn of events where

Wamuhu and her child are murdered. This tragic event
leaves John trembling and the final line of the story is "He
has created and then killed.’’
Literay devices
Cliffhanging

• after murdering Wamuhu and their child, the readers are left out
as to how the story will continue if being pursued so
conflict
Man vs. Society
Man vs. Himself

tone
Paranoid and Anxious

mood
Bleak or Fear
issues
• Opposing tribal customs/traditions
• Social Stigma and Judgement
• Religious Ambiguity/Crisis in faith
• Colonial Legacy
• Parent-Child Relationships
• Forbidden love
• Freedom and Autonomy
POV
Third-Person Limited

symbolism
Darkness
• Symbolises both secrecy and confusion.
Ghosts
• Towards the end of the story, John dreams about two ghosts fighting one another
Stanley’s Bible
• Stanley's Bible symbolizes piety.
Foreshadowing
‘’whiteman’’ (british colonizers/europeans who came to various African countr
and spread European culture and Christianity)

‘’soothing grass and a harsh sun’’ (describes the village as both welcoming
and repulsive. Also showcase John's ambivalence toward the two lives he
must choose between)
Literay devices
Paradox
The central paradox of the story is that John is considered someone with a bright
future and great potential, but he ultimately is incapable of making a decision and
sentences himself to a figurative death.

Parallelism
Stanley and Wamuhu's father can be considered parallel characters, as each man
represents the extreme side of one culture.

• Stanley (the Christian, anglicized culture)

• Wamuhu's father (the traditional tribal lifestyle)
Literay devices
Imagery
Stanley
• The first description readers receive of Stanley says, "He stood at
the door of the hut and saw his old, frail but energetic father
coming along the village street, with a rather dirty bag made out of
strong calico by his side.’’ The narrator explains that inside the bag
are a Bible and pen, as Stanley is a Christian preacher.
message
Don't do things that will lead to demise; don't overthink things that
will swallow up your being and make you suffer the consequences of
your actions.

theme
‘’A person without conviction makes a decision leading
to unpleasant results.’’
 References
:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Northwestern-University-

Evanston-Illinois https://prezi.com/zs0-glnvduig/a-meeting-in-the-dark-ngugi-wa-
thiongo/ https://www.gradesaver.com/a-meeting-in-the-dark/study-guide/character-
list

https://www.gradesaver.com/a-meeting-in-the-dark/study-guide/literary-elements?
fbclid=IwAR3ig_SqiH7gCVOudC2MBDNe-
RvW03qEBN_RC0Ps6cOAIhatPehpq6CJXRk
Farce
Thank You for
Listening!