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What is your interpretation of the title A Grain of Wheat?
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The title A Grain of Wheat refers to John 12:24, which emphasizes the necessity of sacrifice for growth and change. This biblical concept parallels the Kenyan struggle for independence in the novel, where true revolutionary change requires individuals to be willing to sacrifice their lives. The title underscores that personal sacrifices are essential for the collective freedom and future of Kenya.
In John 12:24 of the New International Bible, Jesus is quoted as saying:
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
In this biblical passage, Christ makes clear the importance of his death and its role in absolving all of the world of sin. He states that no matter how pure or good of a seed that any one person may be, that person has to die in order for their gifts to the earth be properly planted, just as a seed must perish and fall in order to create a new plant. The lesson in this biblical passage is one of ultimate personal sacrifice, passing on oneself to future generations through death and legacy.
This passage also relates closely within the novel that chooses the verse for...
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its namesake. In relation to the Kenyan uprising, Kenya is at incredible odds against its British oppressors. It is proven that in scenarios such as these, something of blood sacrifices are necessary.The primary characters realize that in order to galvanize other passionate Kenyans to the revolutionary cause there must be war and death. In any revolutionary scenario, one must be willing to give their own life freely, willingly, and often painfully for a just and worthy cause, similar to how Christ died on the cross.
The title A Grain of Wheat comes from the parable of the same name recorded in “The Gospel According to St. John.” The parable is told by Jesus to the disciples in the twelfth chapter of the gospel and says,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12:24, KJV)
The story references religion in conjunction with the allusion in the title to make a statement about the cost and reality of the Kenyan independence movement. In the parable, Christ tells the apostles that a small grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die to sprout any new wheat. Similarly, in the novel, there are two principal characters, Kihika and Mugo, who die to bring about the healing and prosperity that Kenya needs after the struggle for independence.
Though, like a grain of wheat, Kihika and Mugo are insignificant people, their deaths change the future of the country. Kihika is a resistance fighter who stands up in the fight for independence—his death is a unifying tool that brings people together. Mugo, who is the one that betrays Kihika, also gives himself up, sacrificing his life and allowing people closure on the terrible tragedies that played out during the movement for independence. Kihika sums up how sacrifice brings life by comparing the fight for Keyna to Christ’s death for redemption from sins (religion is woven throughout the novel):
I die for you, you die for me, we become a sacrifice for one another. So I can say that you, Karanja, are Christ. I am Christ. Everybody who takes the Oath of Unity to change things in Kenya is Christ (pg. 93).
Kihika’s point illustrates how, like Christ’s sacrifice brought about the Church and Christianity, their sacrifice will bring about unity and a new Kenya. They, the people, are the grains of wheat that will bring new life after their deaths for Kenya.