Make-up Blog

Weep Not, Child by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (1964), republished by Penguin Books in 2009.

(Dana, I’m looking forward especially to your comments!)

In this work Thiong’o draws us in to the life of Njoroge, a maturing boy, during the revolution against colonial rule in Kenya, known as the Mau Mau war. I read this book hoping to learn about Kenya in preparation for our trip. (See Amazon for more details about the story.)

NARRATIVE AS A NECESSARY VEHICLE FOR EDUCATION

In general four modes of discourse are recognized: exposition, argumentation, description, narration. Weep Not, Child is a narrative, a form of historical fiction.

It’s not so good for learning facts. Hard details such as dates, places, people, events, etc. are not organized in a systematic, accessible format.

However, it is good for learning realities. Slippery entities such as perceptions, values and norms, cultural narratives, etc. are weaved through a story. I would argue that these entities are most at home in narrative because (1) they exist not in vacuums but in the lives (or stories) of real persons and groups (not impersonal objects), and (2) because the human experience is not one of mere analysis, persuasion, or detail. And I realize that I just tried to argue my case. Perhaps I should convince with a story.

In Weep Not I learned that land, education, wealth, family (and one’s place in a family), power and freedom are highly valued. No statement instructed me so, but it was from the joys and sorrows, dreams and toils of the characters. For some it was all about land: wealth and education were a means to an end. For others it was different. I also saw how diverse people really are. Simplifications can deceive a person into thinking that all Kenyans (or worse, Africans) are really quite alike in their outlooks, values, and desires. And a (good) story brings the unsimplifiable to life. Other aspects of life such as friendship, betrayal and loneliness, arrogance and meekness, mercy and justice, hope and misery – are not just described but are vicariously experienced.

Of course, one big problem with learning this way is that the reader is at the mercy of the author. And the more ignorant and impressionable the reader… well...

[PSSST… YOU KNOW, THIS IS A BLOG ABOUT WATER…]

So what might this have to do with water? Well, besides it being about Kenya...

First, water is not an end in itself. (It was not mentioned once in this story.) The principle concern is the livelihoods of people. Good narratives may help to keep us human, and can develop the person in unique ways. Second, understanding social-cultural context is increasingly recognized as essential to successful aid and development. Good narratives can help us to see and reason with the mind of others, entering their world in order to know them. They can provide insight into the priorities and hopes of people, communities, policy-makers, etc. Are they thinking about water? If they had water, what else would they think about, what else would they do?