The Non-Conformist Intellectual’s Role as a Socio-Political Activist in Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s Wizard of the Crow

Abstract

The study of the intellectual character in the African novel can be done in two parts, namely: the conformist intellectual, on one part and the non-conformist intellectual on the other. This paper focuses on the non-conformist intellectual. Generally, the paper is basically an analysis of the non-conformist intellectual’s role as a socio-political activist in Ngugi’s Wizard of the Crow. The obvious absence of critical attention on Wizard of the Crow gives this study a special place in Ngugi’s scholarship. Indeed, this paper is pathbreaking and it is meant to open up discussions on Ngugi’s classic of postcolonial African experience, Wizard of the Crow. This is clearly visible in this present researcher’s attempt at paying adequate attention to the intellectual perspective in the novel. The paper gives us an insight into the roles of the non-conformist intellectual in the novel. The role of Kamiti, the non-conformist intellectual in the novel, is appreciated more through a study of his alienation from the socio-political values of the power structure in the novel; and in his desire to play an important part as a leader in the fight for the liberation of the poor masses of Aburiria. How Kamiti translates his ideas into reality, and Ngugi’s vision of the society are also carefully examined in this paper. And through the activities of Kamiti, and Nyawira (another non-conformist intellectual in the novel), Ngugi’s idea of the African intellectual as the valid hope for a properly planned resistance to the socio-political order is highlighted in this paper. This is shown in the properly planned resistance against the socio-political order in place already in the society that is led by both of them, Kamiti and Nyawira. This has also shown that Ngugi is on the side of the intellectual who refuses to join forces with oppressive elements in the society. Kamiti and Nyawira are exemplary of such non-conformist intellectuals.