Recall that the topical-historical approach to literary analysis centers on the connection between the text and the sociohistorical context in which the author wrote. Consider the themes that appear in Ngugi wa Thiong'o's novel The River Between and apply them to what was occurring in East Africa during the mid-1960s, which was when the novel was first published.

For example, one theme that appears in the novel is colonization, a phenomenon that has a profound effect on the Indigenous characters' belief systems and relationships. Apply this theme to what was occurring during Thiong'o's time. Remember that, throughout the 1960s, many regions in Africa were obtaining independence from European countries and undergoing the process of decolonization. You could discuss how Thiong'o may have been exploring the motivations behind Kenyan independence movements by using characters like Waiyaki, who rejects colonial systems. You could even discuss how Thiong'o may have been examining the possibility of post-colonial unity within Kenya by highlighting the divisions amongst Indigenous people themselves.