The River Between Final Graded Discussion

Name(s):_____________________
_____________________
The River Between by Nguigi wa Thiongo

Final Discussion

1. DO you thinnk Waiyaki succeeded in uniting the ridges (i.e. follow the prophecy)?
Explain:




2. What, do you think, happened to Waiyaki and Nyambura



3. How did Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s use biblical allusions and traditional African beliefs to support the theme of this work?




4. Do you think Ngugi wa Thiong’o was objective (unbiased) in the novel?
Explain:




5. How effective is fiction as a tool to understand history?




6. Do you think Waiyaki made a mistake in asking Nyambura to marry him?



7. Ngugi wa Thiong’o uses all literary elements to create a cohesive exploration of the main question in this novel: Is it possible for traditional beliefs/ communities and colonial societies to come together or does colonialism create such deep chasms within colonized communities that the future of such communities is sabotaged?


A. How did Ngugi wa Thiong’o answer this question in this novel?


B. How did Ngugi wa Thiong’o use the following elements to explore conflicts and reconciliation?

i. Plot structure




ii. imagery



iii. Setting





8. There are many parallel characters in this novel. Can you match them up (several characters are used more than once)?

These characters:
A. want to unite Christianity and traditional beliefs


B. see themselves as saviors


C. are struggling with choice: should they betray or harm a person they love?


D. have dominating fathers


9. What might the purpose of all these character parallels be?