Discussion Topic
Summary, Themes, Characters, and Analysis of The Black Hermit by Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Summary:
The Black Hermit by Ngugi wa Thiong'o centers on Remi, a tragic hero torn between his educated life in the city with his white girlfriend, Jane, and his duty to his tribal village. His conflict with tribalism and his inability to reconcile both worlds lead to tragedy, including his wife Thoni's suicide. Other key characters include Nyobi, Remi's Christian mother, and the Pastor, who represents Christian influence.
Who are the major characters in The Black Hermit?
The main character in the play is Remi, a high status (in terms of his tribe) tragic hero who has become educated and is caught between wanting to stay in the city with his white girlfriend and the responsibility he has to return to and help his native tribal village. He reaches a compromise with himself that he will return to the village, but just for a time. His hostility to tribalism and his position of being caught between two worlds leads to tragedy. He truly can't go home again.
Jane is Remi's white, university-educated girlfriend. She is in love with Remi but can't follow him back to the tribe, which is a completely alien culture to her. She has to face losing him to his old world.
Thoni, Remi's tribal wife, ends up committing suicide after Remi treats her badly and rejects her way of life.
Nyobi, Remi's...
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mother, and the pastor both represent Christianity, which is critiqued by playwright Ngugi.
Remi: the protagonist; a young man in the Maura Tribe who is sent to the city to go to school and returns to his villiage to govern; after marrying his brother's wife, he rejects his duties at home and returns to the city.
Thoni: the widow of Remi's older brother who becomes Remi's wife upon his return; she is scorned by her new husband.
Nyobi: Remi's mother; she has recently converted to Christianity and supports Remi's wife.
Jane: Remi's lover from the university.
The Pastor: a strict and devout Christian who encourages Nyobi to convert Thoni to Christianity.
Omange: another of Remi's school friends; also an activist, he ironically encourages Remi to go home and take care of his wife.
The Black Hermit is a three-act play written by Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong'o, originally published in 1968. It is the author’s first play and it is also the first East African play published in English. The play tells the story of Remi, a young, educated man from the Maura Tribe who has to decide whether to stay in the city with his girlfriend Jane or to return back to the tribe in order to help his people and represent the tribe in the government.
The major characters include the following: Remi, who is the main protagonist; Jane, Remi's girlfriend from college; Thoni, the wife of Remi's late brother, who by tribal law becomes Remi’s wife; and Nyobi, Remi's mother, who is close with Thoni.
The minor characters include the following: the elders and their leader, who are all against Christianity; the pastor, whose views oppose those of the tribal elders; Omange, Remi’s close friend; the neighbors, who want Remi to return; and the woman who meets Thoni as she’s leaving the village and hints that she knows that Thoni plans to end her life but cannot do anything about it.