A Meeting in the Dark

by Ngugi wa Thiong'o

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In "A Meeting in the Dark," does John murder Wamuhu because of his parents' "sin"?

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John's murder of Wamuhu in "A Meeting in the Dark" is influenced by his internal conflict over his parents' "sin" and societal pressures. Raised under the stigma of being born out of wedlock, John fears repeating his parents' history with Wamuhu's pregnancy. His father's condemnation and the community's judgment weigh heavily on him. In a moment of desperation and self-loathing, John accidentally kills Wamuhu, attempting to escape the cycle of shame.

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That's certainly a plausible interpretation of his motives. John has been living his whole life with this particular "sin" hanging over his head like the Sword of Damocles. His father has always blamed his wife for John's being born out of wedlock, and it would appear that John has developed something of a complex over it. He doesn't feel truly accepted due to the manner of his birth, and this complicates his relationship with Wamuhu. He's worried that if Wamuhu goes ahead and gives birth to their illegitimate child, then history will repeat itself.

There's an element of self-loathing here. John is so sure that his whole existence is mired in depravity that he's convinced he will somehow pass on the taint of sin to his offspring, especially if they are conceived, as he was, out of wedlock. John's murder of Wamahu appears to be in the spur of the...

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moment, but there's method to his madness. He clearly feels that in killing his girlfriend he's taking care of unfinished business, making amends for the "sins" of his parents while also destroying that part of his own sinfulness that would've lived on in his illegitimate child.

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John is very concerned with what people, especially his father, think of him. His parents converted to Christianity when he was very young, and John's father always resented the fact that John was conceived out of wedlock. He blamed it on John's mother. When John himself gets a girl pregnant, he knows his father will condemn him. John tries to pay her to say someone else is the father, but she refuses. He takes her by the shoulders and shakes her, and as he does so he envisions his father's face and the disappointment of the other villagers. Without realizing it, he has killed her. In a sense, you could blame John's father for what happened because of the strict way he raised John. Ultimately, though, John is responsible for his own actions.

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What are John's actions in murdering Wamuhu in "A Meeting in the Dark"?

John worries a lot about what people, especially his father, think of him. His parents converted to Christianity when he was very young, and John's father always resented the fact that John was conceived out of wedlock. He blamed it on John's mother. When John himself gets a girl pregnant, he knows his father will condemn him. John tries to pay her to say someone else is the father, but she refuses. He takes her by the shoulders and shakes her, and as he does so he envisions his father's face and the disappointment of the other villagers. Without realizing it, he has killed Wamuhu.

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