Zachary N Waita | Chuka University (original) (raw)
Papers by Zachary N Waita
English Linguistics Research, 2012
Egerton Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, 2009
The aim of this case study is to extend the work of Jenkins (2000, 2002) in identifying aspects o... more The aim of this case study is to extend the work of Jenkins (2000, 2002) in identifying aspects of speech which decrease intelligibility in spoken interactions between non-native English speakers. Two native Hindi speakers and one native Spanish speaker (the first author) were recorded engaging in a two-hour spontaneous conversation in English. Speech transcripts from only four separate episodes of communication breakdown were analyzed for aspects of speech which caused unintelligibility. Data analyses revealed that substitutions of individual sounds and deviations of lexical stress were the factors which affected intelligibility the most. Implications for researching and teaching English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) are discussed.
Any attempt to discuss the African conception of time from a Western perspective is likely to obs... more Any attempt to discuss the African conception of time from a Western perspective is likely to obscure unique African realities since time is conceptualized cyclically by most ethnic groups in Africa. This paper examines how Ngugi wa Thiong’o addresses the concept of time with regard to reconstruction of a people’s history. We argue that Ngugi, in Petals of Blood and Wizard of the Crow, draws heavily from a cyclic conceptualization of time to reimagine and recreate new possibilities for a continent that has to some extent stagnated due to official histories that are entrapped in linearity. The study’s discussion of Ngugi’s deconstruction of time in the rewriting of history is anchored in the Heideggerian concepts of temporality and historicity. The conclusion of the study is that literary works by critiquing officialdom of histories, through reinterpretation of the place of time in the reimagining of new realities for the Africans, provide a platform for people to redefine themselves.
The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, Sep 30, 2019
International Journal of English and Literature, 2013
This paper discusses the representation of Kenyan history in oral literature between 1948 and 200... more This paper discusses the representation of Kenyan history in oral literature between 1948 and 2002. The paper relied on library and ethnographic data. The ethnographic data included audio recordings of renditions of well known Mau Mau folksongs, popular and topical songs and a narrative. The play, Ngahika Ndeenda, by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o and Ngugi Wa Mirii was treated as an oral drama. The texts were translated from Gikuyu language to English and the content messages categorized for analysis. The analytical categories cover the literary representations of the Olenguruone land crises, the Mau Mau uprising and the independence era. The independence era is divided into Kenyatta and Uhuru and the Post Kenyatta era of 2002. The paper lays no claim to historical objectivity but interrogates the texts as literary artifacts. In the analysis and discussions, the Olenguruone land crisis emerges as the genesis of the armed resistance to colonialism and Kenyatta is represented as the collective wi...
International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature
Psychoanalysis has been a major component of literary and cultural criticism over the years. The ... more Psychoanalysis has been a major component of literary and cultural criticism over the years. The birth of theoretical and practical psychoanalysis is associated with Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), who worked as a doctor in Vienna, Austria, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth Centuries. Following Freud, we have come to accept the idea of, the 'unconscious,' That, when we lead normal lives, certain images and ideas are constantly suppressed from normal consciousness. That way we behave like normal people. However, there are instances when these ideas and images break loose. For instance when we are asleep (dreaming) or mentally ill. This gives full live to the wishes we are ashamed of. Freud posited that when the restrained images are set loose, we are engaged in an act of 'wish fulfilment' (Freud: 1900, Hall 2001:103-104). Freud further argued that the wishes being fulfilled in the unconscious were uniformly of a sexual character. He divide human personality into three interrelated parts; the 'id', the 'ego' and 'superego.' Freud further outline five stages of human development to include; the oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital stages. He concluded that sexual desire has its origins early in the infancy and is key in understanding of human psychology.
International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature
Cosmogenic myths set the pattern for everything else in the world. The mythic narrative construct... more Cosmogenic myths set the pattern for everything else in the world. The mythic narrative constructs the story of our origins by transcending the limits of ordinary human perception and reason. Nevertheless, the mythic narrative form the bases and the beginning of all thinking including scientific thought. The cosmos generated in the mythic narrative is primarily the world of man and woman. They are brought forth into the cosmos to be the namers and moulders of the creation, and the world to become the abode for their descendants. This paper seeks to review, analyse and evaluate the presentation of the Kikuyu myth of origin as presented by Ngugi wa Thiong'o in his narrative in verse; Kenda Muiyuru: Rugano Rwa Gikuyu Na Mumbi (The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gikuyu and Mumbi). The Kikuyu people today number over eight million, and are scattered all over Kenya but primarily live in Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Nyandarua, Murang'a and Kiambu counties in the Mount Kenya region of Kenya. The Kikuyu country is dominated by Mount Kenya, which rises to 5,199 metres above the sea level and the Aberdare range of mountains, which also rises to over 3,999 metres above sea level. The permanently snow covered peaks of Mt. Kenya are revered as the abode of the Kikuyu God, Ngai, Murungu, Mwene Nyaga. The Kikuyu speak a Bantu language with at least five discernible dialects among the people who refer to themselves as Kikuyu. These include Kabete-Metumi, Gaki, Mathira, Ndia and Gichugu dialects. Culturally and linguistically the Kikuyu are closely related to Embu, Mbeere and Meru speakers. These communities have been classified as the Thagichu speakers
Abstract: This paper provides a critical overview of the treatment of the questions of identity, ... more Abstract: This paper provides a critical overview of the treatment of the questions of identity, politics and gender in Kenyan novelist Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s work, The Wizard of the Crow. The issue of identity is explored against the backdrop of the experiences of slavery, colonialism, neo-colonialism and globalization in Africa. The critical question raised in the novel is why the disease of contradicting identities continues to afflict the African.. The novel suggests that unless the African recaptures his identity, he/she would continue to exist in unredeemed state of alienation. The paper further discussed The Wizard of the Crow as a political Novel. We interrogate the political dispensation of Aburiria, a prototype African country immersed in a dictatorship that controls all aspects of the lives of the people. The paper discusses the authors emerging consciousness that indicate the new multi-party political dispensations as nothing but despotic mutations. Finally the paper explor...
Commercial websites are a form of internet advertising which is formed by companies as an adverti... more Commercial websites are a form of internet advertising which is formed by companies as an advertising tool hosting many forms of online advertisement to promote products and services. Researchers and practitioners have equally agreed on the abilities of a commercial website as an advertising instrument that offers unlimited potential and benefits. Numerous studies done on uses and gratifications are in traditional media and internet general use. The knowledge relating to usage and gratifications of profitmaking websites advertising in Kenya remains scanty. This research addressed this gap by applying Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) as a structure to analyze usage and gratifications of business websites in Kenya. The research applied descriptive research design to gain knowledge of underlying consumers‟ usage and gratifications of Kenyan commercial websites advertising. It focused on Nairobi the capital city, which was purposely selected and preferred because of its well-develop...
Any attempt to discuss the African conception of time from a Western perspective is likely to obs... more Any attempt to discuss the African conception of time from a Western perspective is likely to obscure unique African realities since time is conceptualized cyclically by most ethnic groups in Africa. This paper examines how Ngugi wa Thiong’o addresses the concept of time with regard to reconstruction of a people’s history. We argue that Ngugi, in Petals of Blood and Wizard of the Crow, draws heavily from a cyclic conceptualization of time to reimagine and recreate new possibilities for a continent that has to some extent stagnated due to official histories that are entrapped in linearity. The study’s discussion of Ngugi’s deconstruction of time in the rewriting of history is anchored in the Heideggerian concepts of temporality and historicity. The conclusion of the study is that literary works by critiquing officialdom of histories, through reinterpretation of the place of time in the reimagining of new realities for the Africans, provide a platform for people to redefine themselves.
Masters , 1986
The creative process in art has always interested the critic. To be able to evaluate and apprecia... more The creative process in art has always interested the critic. To be able to evaluate and appreciate works of art one has to make an attempt of understanding the creative process. The literary critic more often than not does this through a systematic analysis of the techniques used in creating a work of art. This thesis is an attempt to understand oral narratives through an analysis of devices used by the narrator in creating or recreating narratives. This study is based on research carried out in Ndia, Kirinyaga district. In the analysis of device, we are concerned with how the oral narrator raises his subject to the level of content through the use of various techniques at his/her disposal. Plot in oral narrative literature has been associated with conservative models and fixed outlines. In the course of this study we have identified different ways in which narrators manipulate plot to achieve certain artistic purposes. Character is the most important vehicle of meaning in literature. In this thesis we have explored the devices used by narrators to mold their characters so that they (characters) can present world views of the narrators, the audience or the community. The oral narrator has many resources at his/her disposal. The manipulation of language, the use of song and repetition to achieve aesthetic refinement are other aspects discussed in this work. The creation of, oral narratives takes place within a Live situation. The narrator is a performer who performs to a live audience. The interactions between the performer and the audience during a specific occasion is also discussed in this thesis.
The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, Sep 30, 2019
Introduction European imperialism subjected the Gῖkũyũ to the colonial experience in which many c... more Introduction European imperialism subjected the Gῖkũyũ to the colonial experience in which many cultural traditions and complex native civilizations were destroyed as the colonial masters imposed European Christianity, the English language and other cultural values on their subjects. This led to an incorporation of many British norms and practices in the Gῖkũyũ culture. Hall (2001) says that rich cultural traditions and complex indigenous civilizations were destroyed as European religions, languages and values were introduced and imposed on the colonized peoples. This means that the cultural aftermath of colonialism is characterized by changes wrought on the indigenous people by the imperialists. These changes linger in the Gῖkũyũ culture long after independence and they have become contemporary components of post coloniality. Hall (2001) states that quite often there are attempts to recover traditions and other pre-existing aspects of culture after the retreat of the colonizer. The Gῖkũyũ popular song highlights how the imposed elements such as education and religion have evolved into almost legitimate conventional components of the culture but attempts to suggest that contemporary Gῖkũyũ should balance the incorporation so that it can suitably fit in the African situation. One of the cultural elements affected by the colonial experience is romance. Social scientists have explored the subject of romantic love for a long time. Historians contend that passionate love has always existed in all historical times and regions of the world. Hartfield & Rapson (2002) observe that the earliest western literature abounds in stories of lovers, fictional and real, caught up in a sea of passion and violence. Western culture takes romantic love as the idealization of love. Stone (1989) views romantic love as a western invention not found in other cultures of non-western countries except for the elite of those countries. Among the Gῖkũyũ, romance existed in controlled measure and was practiced in controlled designate forums such as Nguῖko procedures as highlighted by Kenyatta (1938). Nguῖko is a legitimate forum where a young man and a woman are placed together for an overnight romance characterized by heavy petting and cuddling in which intercourse is forbidden for socialization, wellbeing and promotion of self-control. Moreover, Kenyatta's work shows that a lot of romantic engagement accompanied Nguῖko forums and various Gῖkũyũ dances such as Mwomboko whose formational structure paired male and female dancers. Evolutional psychologists argue that passionate love is innate in human nature and is based on biological processes that are universal in all cultures. Ruan (1991) says that love and sexual pleasure are the great joys of life. Jankowiak & Fischer (1992), present the following indicators of love: young lovers that talk about passionate love, sing love songs, recount love tales and discuss the longings of infatuation. Apart from contending that romantic love is controlled by various cultural variables the scholars are of the opinion that people fall in love more or less often depending on their culture's social
International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature
Psychoanalysis has been a major component of literary and cultural criticism over the years. The ... more Psychoanalysis has been a major component of literary and cultural criticism over the years. The birth of theoretical and practical psychoanalysis is associated with Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), who worked as a doctor in Vienna, Austria, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth Centuries. Following Freud, we have come to accept the idea of, the 'unconscious,' That, when we lead normal lives, certain images and ideas are constantly suppressed from normal consciousness. That way we behave like normal people. However, there are instances when these ideas and images break loose. For instance when we are asleep (dreaming) or mentally ill. This gives full live to the wishes we are ashamed of. Freud posited that when the restrained images are set loose, we are engaged in an act of 'wish fulfilment' (Freud: 1900, Hall 2001:103-104). Freud further argued that the wishes being fulfilled in the unconscious were uniformly of a sexual character. He divide human personality into three interrelated parts; the 'id', the 'ego' and 'superego.' Freud further outline five stages of human development to include; the oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital stages. He concluded that sexual desire has its origins early in the infancy and is key in understanding of human psychology.
International Journal of English and Literature, Jul 31, 2013
This paper discusses the representation of Kenyan history in oral literature between 1948 and 200... more This paper discusses the representation of Kenyan history in oral literature between 1948 and 2002. The paper relied on library and ethnographic data. The ethnographic data included audio recordings of renditions of well known Mau Mau folksongs, popular and topical songs and a narrative. The play, Ngahika Ndeenda, by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o and Ngugi Wa Mirii was treated as an oral drama. The texts were translated from Gikuyu language to English and the content messages categorized for analysis. The analytical categories cover the literary representations of the Olenguruone land crises, the Mau Mau uprising and the independence era. The independence era is divided into Kenyatta and Uhuru and the Post Kenyatta era of 2002. The paper lays no claim to historical objectivity but interrogates the texts as literary artifacts. In the analysis and discussions, the Olenguruone land crisis emerges as the genesis of the armed resistance to colonialism and Kenyatta is represented as the collective wish for the de-colonization of Kenya. The paper further discusses the literary representations of the political changes surrounding the governance of President Jomo Kenyatta, President Daniel Arap Moi and the fight for democratic pluralism in Kenyan politics. This paper concludes that oral literature is a significant instrument in the reflection of change and innovations in politics. As a cultural artifact, it also becomes a form of national consciousness.
English Linguistics Research, 2012
Egerton Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, 2009
The aim of this case study is to extend the work of Jenkins (2000, 2002) in identifying aspects o... more The aim of this case study is to extend the work of Jenkins (2000, 2002) in identifying aspects of speech which decrease intelligibility in spoken interactions between non-native English speakers. Two native Hindi speakers and one native Spanish speaker (the first author) were recorded engaging in a two-hour spontaneous conversation in English. Speech transcripts from only four separate episodes of communication breakdown were analyzed for aspects of speech which caused unintelligibility. Data analyses revealed that substitutions of individual sounds and deviations of lexical stress were the factors which affected intelligibility the most. Implications for researching and teaching English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) are discussed.
Any attempt to discuss the African conception of time from a Western perspective is likely to obs... more Any attempt to discuss the African conception of time from a Western perspective is likely to obscure unique African realities since time is conceptualized cyclically by most ethnic groups in Africa. This paper examines how Ngugi wa Thiong’o addresses the concept of time with regard to reconstruction of a people’s history. We argue that Ngugi, in Petals of Blood and Wizard of the Crow, draws heavily from a cyclic conceptualization of time to reimagine and recreate new possibilities for a continent that has to some extent stagnated due to official histories that are entrapped in linearity. The study’s discussion of Ngugi’s deconstruction of time in the rewriting of history is anchored in the Heideggerian concepts of temporality and historicity. The conclusion of the study is that literary works by critiquing officialdom of histories, through reinterpretation of the place of time in the reimagining of new realities for the Africans, provide a platform for people to redefine themselves.
The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, Sep 30, 2019
International Journal of English and Literature, 2013
This paper discusses the representation of Kenyan history in oral literature between 1948 and 200... more This paper discusses the representation of Kenyan history in oral literature between 1948 and 2002. The paper relied on library and ethnographic data. The ethnographic data included audio recordings of renditions of well known Mau Mau folksongs, popular and topical songs and a narrative. The play, Ngahika Ndeenda, by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o and Ngugi Wa Mirii was treated as an oral drama. The texts were translated from Gikuyu language to English and the content messages categorized for analysis. The analytical categories cover the literary representations of the Olenguruone land crises, the Mau Mau uprising and the independence era. The independence era is divided into Kenyatta and Uhuru and the Post Kenyatta era of 2002. The paper lays no claim to historical objectivity but interrogates the texts as literary artifacts. In the analysis and discussions, the Olenguruone land crisis emerges as the genesis of the armed resistance to colonialism and Kenyatta is represented as the collective wi...
International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature
Psychoanalysis has been a major component of literary and cultural criticism over the years. The ... more Psychoanalysis has been a major component of literary and cultural criticism over the years. The birth of theoretical and practical psychoanalysis is associated with Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), who worked as a doctor in Vienna, Austria, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth Centuries. Following Freud, we have come to accept the idea of, the 'unconscious,' That, when we lead normal lives, certain images and ideas are constantly suppressed from normal consciousness. That way we behave like normal people. However, there are instances when these ideas and images break loose. For instance when we are asleep (dreaming) or mentally ill. This gives full live to the wishes we are ashamed of. Freud posited that when the restrained images are set loose, we are engaged in an act of 'wish fulfilment' (Freud: 1900, Hall 2001:103-104). Freud further argued that the wishes being fulfilled in the unconscious were uniformly of a sexual character. He divide human personality into three interrelated parts; the 'id', the 'ego' and 'superego.' Freud further outline five stages of human development to include; the oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital stages. He concluded that sexual desire has its origins early in the infancy and is key in understanding of human psychology.
International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature
Cosmogenic myths set the pattern for everything else in the world. The mythic narrative construct... more Cosmogenic myths set the pattern for everything else in the world. The mythic narrative constructs the story of our origins by transcending the limits of ordinary human perception and reason. Nevertheless, the mythic narrative form the bases and the beginning of all thinking including scientific thought. The cosmos generated in the mythic narrative is primarily the world of man and woman. They are brought forth into the cosmos to be the namers and moulders of the creation, and the world to become the abode for their descendants. This paper seeks to review, analyse and evaluate the presentation of the Kikuyu myth of origin as presented by Ngugi wa Thiong'o in his narrative in verse; Kenda Muiyuru: Rugano Rwa Gikuyu Na Mumbi (The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gikuyu and Mumbi). The Kikuyu people today number over eight million, and are scattered all over Kenya but primarily live in Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Nyandarua, Murang'a and Kiambu counties in the Mount Kenya region of Kenya. The Kikuyu country is dominated by Mount Kenya, which rises to 5,199 metres above the sea level and the Aberdare range of mountains, which also rises to over 3,999 metres above sea level. The permanently snow covered peaks of Mt. Kenya are revered as the abode of the Kikuyu God, Ngai, Murungu, Mwene Nyaga. The Kikuyu speak a Bantu language with at least five discernible dialects among the people who refer to themselves as Kikuyu. These include Kabete-Metumi, Gaki, Mathira, Ndia and Gichugu dialects. Culturally and linguistically the Kikuyu are closely related to Embu, Mbeere and Meru speakers. These communities have been classified as the Thagichu speakers
Abstract: This paper provides a critical overview of the treatment of the questions of identity, ... more Abstract: This paper provides a critical overview of the treatment of the questions of identity, politics and gender in Kenyan novelist Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s work, The Wizard of the Crow. The issue of identity is explored against the backdrop of the experiences of slavery, colonialism, neo-colonialism and globalization in Africa. The critical question raised in the novel is why the disease of contradicting identities continues to afflict the African.. The novel suggests that unless the African recaptures his identity, he/she would continue to exist in unredeemed state of alienation. The paper further discussed The Wizard of the Crow as a political Novel. We interrogate the political dispensation of Aburiria, a prototype African country immersed in a dictatorship that controls all aspects of the lives of the people. The paper discusses the authors emerging consciousness that indicate the new multi-party political dispensations as nothing but despotic mutations. Finally the paper explor...
Commercial websites are a form of internet advertising which is formed by companies as an adverti... more Commercial websites are a form of internet advertising which is formed by companies as an advertising tool hosting many forms of online advertisement to promote products and services. Researchers and practitioners have equally agreed on the abilities of a commercial website as an advertising instrument that offers unlimited potential and benefits. Numerous studies done on uses and gratifications are in traditional media and internet general use. The knowledge relating to usage and gratifications of profitmaking websites advertising in Kenya remains scanty. This research addressed this gap by applying Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) as a structure to analyze usage and gratifications of business websites in Kenya. The research applied descriptive research design to gain knowledge of underlying consumers‟ usage and gratifications of Kenyan commercial websites advertising. It focused on Nairobi the capital city, which was purposely selected and preferred because of its well-develop...
Any attempt to discuss the African conception of time from a Western perspective is likely to obs... more Any attempt to discuss the African conception of time from a Western perspective is likely to obscure unique African realities since time is conceptualized cyclically by most ethnic groups in Africa. This paper examines how Ngugi wa Thiong’o addresses the concept of time with regard to reconstruction of a people’s history. We argue that Ngugi, in Petals of Blood and Wizard of the Crow, draws heavily from a cyclic conceptualization of time to reimagine and recreate new possibilities for a continent that has to some extent stagnated due to official histories that are entrapped in linearity. The study’s discussion of Ngugi’s deconstruction of time in the rewriting of history is anchored in the Heideggerian concepts of temporality and historicity. The conclusion of the study is that literary works by critiquing officialdom of histories, through reinterpretation of the place of time in the reimagining of new realities for the Africans, provide a platform for people to redefine themselves.
Masters , 1986
The creative process in art has always interested the critic. To be able to evaluate and apprecia... more The creative process in art has always interested the critic. To be able to evaluate and appreciate works of art one has to make an attempt of understanding the creative process. The literary critic more often than not does this through a systematic analysis of the techniques used in creating a work of art. This thesis is an attempt to understand oral narratives through an analysis of devices used by the narrator in creating or recreating narratives. This study is based on research carried out in Ndia, Kirinyaga district. In the analysis of device, we are concerned with how the oral narrator raises his subject to the level of content through the use of various techniques at his/her disposal. Plot in oral narrative literature has been associated with conservative models and fixed outlines. In the course of this study we have identified different ways in which narrators manipulate plot to achieve certain artistic purposes. Character is the most important vehicle of meaning in literature. In this thesis we have explored the devices used by narrators to mold their characters so that they (characters) can present world views of the narrators, the audience or the community. The oral narrator has many resources at his/her disposal. The manipulation of language, the use of song and repetition to achieve aesthetic refinement are other aspects discussed in this work. The creation of, oral narratives takes place within a Live situation. The narrator is a performer who performs to a live audience. The interactions between the performer and the audience during a specific occasion is also discussed in this thesis.
The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, Sep 30, 2019
Introduction European imperialism subjected the Gῖkũyũ to the colonial experience in which many c... more Introduction European imperialism subjected the Gῖkũyũ to the colonial experience in which many cultural traditions and complex native civilizations were destroyed as the colonial masters imposed European Christianity, the English language and other cultural values on their subjects. This led to an incorporation of many British norms and practices in the Gῖkũyũ culture. Hall (2001) says that rich cultural traditions and complex indigenous civilizations were destroyed as European religions, languages and values were introduced and imposed on the colonized peoples. This means that the cultural aftermath of colonialism is characterized by changes wrought on the indigenous people by the imperialists. These changes linger in the Gῖkũyũ culture long after independence and they have become contemporary components of post coloniality. Hall (2001) states that quite often there are attempts to recover traditions and other pre-existing aspects of culture after the retreat of the colonizer. The Gῖkũyũ popular song highlights how the imposed elements such as education and religion have evolved into almost legitimate conventional components of the culture but attempts to suggest that contemporary Gῖkũyũ should balance the incorporation so that it can suitably fit in the African situation. One of the cultural elements affected by the colonial experience is romance. Social scientists have explored the subject of romantic love for a long time. Historians contend that passionate love has always existed in all historical times and regions of the world. Hartfield & Rapson (2002) observe that the earliest western literature abounds in stories of lovers, fictional and real, caught up in a sea of passion and violence. Western culture takes romantic love as the idealization of love. Stone (1989) views romantic love as a western invention not found in other cultures of non-western countries except for the elite of those countries. Among the Gῖkũyũ, romance existed in controlled measure and was practiced in controlled designate forums such as Nguῖko procedures as highlighted by Kenyatta (1938). Nguῖko is a legitimate forum where a young man and a woman are placed together for an overnight romance characterized by heavy petting and cuddling in which intercourse is forbidden for socialization, wellbeing and promotion of self-control. Moreover, Kenyatta's work shows that a lot of romantic engagement accompanied Nguῖko forums and various Gῖkũyũ dances such as Mwomboko whose formational structure paired male and female dancers. Evolutional psychologists argue that passionate love is innate in human nature and is based on biological processes that are universal in all cultures. Ruan (1991) says that love and sexual pleasure are the great joys of life. Jankowiak & Fischer (1992), present the following indicators of love: young lovers that talk about passionate love, sing love songs, recount love tales and discuss the longings of infatuation. Apart from contending that romantic love is controlled by various cultural variables the scholars are of the opinion that people fall in love more or less often depending on their culture's social
International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature
Psychoanalysis has been a major component of literary and cultural criticism over the years. The ... more Psychoanalysis has been a major component of literary and cultural criticism over the years. The birth of theoretical and practical psychoanalysis is associated with Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), who worked as a doctor in Vienna, Austria, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth Centuries. Following Freud, we have come to accept the idea of, the 'unconscious,' That, when we lead normal lives, certain images and ideas are constantly suppressed from normal consciousness. That way we behave like normal people. However, there are instances when these ideas and images break loose. For instance when we are asleep (dreaming) or mentally ill. This gives full live to the wishes we are ashamed of. Freud posited that when the restrained images are set loose, we are engaged in an act of 'wish fulfilment' (Freud: 1900, Hall 2001:103-104). Freud further argued that the wishes being fulfilled in the unconscious were uniformly of a sexual character. He divide human personality into three interrelated parts; the 'id', the 'ego' and 'superego.' Freud further outline five stages of human development to include; the oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital stages. He concluded that sexual desire has its origins early in the infancy and is key in understanding of human psychology.
International Journal of English and Literature, Jul 31, 2013
This paper discusses the representation of Kenyan history in oral literature between 1948 and 200... more This paper discusses the representation of Kenyan history in oral literature between 1948 and 2002. The paper relied on library and ethnographic data. The ethnographic data included audio recordings of renditions of well known Mau Mau folksongs, popular and topical songs and a narrative. The play, Ngahika Ndeenda, by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o and Ngugi Wa Mirii was treated as an oral drama. The texts were translated from Gikuyu language to English and the content messages categorized for analysis. The analytical categories cover the literary representations of the Olenguruone land crises, the Mau Mau uprising and the independence era. The independence era is divided into Kenyatta and Uhuru and the Post Kenyatta era of 2002. The paper lays no claim to historical objectivity but interrogates the texts as literary artifacts. In the analysis and discussions, the Olenguruone land crisis emerges as the genesis of the armed resistance to colonialism and Kenyatta is represented as the collective wish for the de-colonization of Kenya. The paper further discusses the literary representations of the political changes surrounding the governance of President Jomo Kenyatta, President Daniel Arap Moi and the fight for democratic pluralism in Kenyan politics. This paper concludes that oral literature is a significant instrument in the reflection of change and innovations in politics. As a cultural artifact, it also becomes a form of national consciousness.
by Njogu Waita This paper to revie... more by
Njogu Waita
This paper to reviews, analyses and evaluates the presentation of the Kikuyu myth of origin as presented in Ngugi Wa Thiong'o's narrative verse; Kenda Muiyuru:Rugano Rwa Gikuyu na Mumbi (The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gikuyu and Mumbi.). The study is primarily a critical textual analyses of the author's original publication in Gikuyu language, but also refers to oral traditions and oral literature of the Kikuyu people. The paper critics the mythic formation of the Kikuyu nation through the ten ('perfect nine') daughters and explores symbolic significance of the journey motif exploited by the writer in this version of the origins and formation of the Kikuyu nation. Ngugi Wa Thiong'o's rendition in this paper becomes a metaphor for an African renaissance that can only be achieved by retracing the steps to the beginning (origin). The return to the primordial times, travelling the road of the forefathers may occasion the understanding of the current African space and time. This will eventually lead to recreation of a stable and just Africa ridded off the jinx of colonial ogres of cultural and economic domination, exploitation and oppression. In the process, the study explores Ngugi Wa Thiong'o's ultimate romantic feminist vision that proposes gender equity as a key base for the creation of a stable self-sustaining and prosperous African society.
International journal on Studies inEnglish and Literature, 2019
Abstract