Art and Ideology in the Early Fiction of Ngugi : A Marxist Reading of the African Novel

This study provides a nexus between art and ideology in the context of the early first four novels of the renowned Kenyan writer, Ngugi wa Thiong'O.It assesses the background of the author in colonial Kenya and the militant response of the writer towards the high-handedness of the colonial operatives in Kenya vis-a-vis his unparalleled support for the insurrection of the Mau Mau as an instance of the African reaction to the despoliation of the continent by western imperialism. This formidable background prepares the writer for his later acceptance of Marxism and his immersion into the tenets of the ideology. The book shows the writer's progressive maturation in proselytizing this ideology through his art, showing the writer's deft and adroit harmonization of both in a peculiarly unique way. In the hands of less successful novelists, this marriage of propaganda and art is suspect and degenerates into poor craftsmanship, but Ngugi's handling of them is masterly and consummate,showing him as a politically and socially committed African writer.This is a highly recommended book , both to the specialist and general readers of Ngugi's novels.