Black Hermit themes will be discussed in full in this post
Subject matter and themes in The Black Hermit
Analysis of Black Hermit Subject matter
By way of subject matter, Ngugi, Wa Thiong’O’s The Black Hermit is a political commentary on the need to protect loss of African cultural heritage. The subject matter also draws on the need by leaders of mankind to give good values to the lives of their subjects.
Analysis of Black Hermit Themes
The themes in Ngugi Wa Thiong’O’s The Black Hermit are in the following order.
Committed leadership is the only means to a nation ‘s development.
This theme can be illustrated with the analogy given by the Marua Elder’s Leader to Nyobi that a people must appoint their leader and follow the leader firmly. This is when he contacts Nyobi for a mother’s blessing upon the magic with which the Marua Elders want to attract Remi back to the village from the city.
Religious bygotism cannot make Africa to develop.
One can illustrate this theme with Nyobi’s confession to the Pastor that she has supported the Elders of Marua to use magic, instead of a Christian approach to attract Remi back to the village from the city. This is religion bygotism on the part of Nyobi. Even when the Pastor visits Remi in the city with the Bible, he does not even deliver the message Nyobi sends to Remi. The Pastor goes there to make his personal case.
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African traditional belief is not inferior to Christianity
This theme can be illustrated with the way the Marua Elders pray to Almighty God, before setting forth to visit Remi in the city with their magical medicine.
The common man have right to oppose a bad government
This theme can be illustrated with the way Omange suggests that any independent African government that rules oppressively as the colonial government could be destroyed.
A country’s government must take care of all its parts
This theme can be illustrated with the way Ngugi condemns Remi for saying the cry of Marua people to have a representative in Kenyan government is tribalism.
A nation is built when all citizens pool their ideas together.
This theme can be illustrated with the way Remi charges the Pastor to join up with other to fashion how to get qualities of life instead of reading religious meaning to everything around him.
Delaying to take right action is dangerous.
This theme can be illustrated with the way Remi waited until Thoni had committed suicide before testing whether she loved him.
A practical leader always takes care of his people’s basic needs.
This theme can be illustrated with the way Remi regrets to have regarded the cry Marua people for survival as tribalism, on realising that cultural issues are different from nationalism.
