A Grain of Wheat
E517975
A Grain of Wheat is a landmark Kenyan novel by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o that explores the moral and political complexities of the Mau Mau uprising on the eve of Kenya’s independence.
All labels observed (1)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| A Grain of Wheat canonical | 1 |
Statements (45)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf | novel ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs | "A Grain of Wheat" (1967 novel) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| author | Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | Kenya NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| criticalReception |
studied in universities worldwide
ⓘ
widely acclaimed ⓘ |
| genre |
African literature
ⓘ
historical novel ⓘ political novel ⓘ postcolonial literature ⓘ |
| hasAdaptation | stage adaptation ⓘ |
| influencedBy |
Kenyan independence struggle
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Mau Mau rebellion NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| literaryMovement |
African nationalism literature
ⓘ
postcolonialism ⓘ |
| literarySignificance |
key text in African postcolonial canon
ⓘ
landmark work of Kenyan literature ⓘ |
| mainTheme |
betrayal
ⓘ
collective responsibility ⓘ colonialism ⓘ loyalty ⓘ moral ambiguity ⓘ nationalism ⓘ sacrifice ⓘ |
| narrativeTechnique |
flashbacks
ⓘ
multiple perspectives ⓘ nonlinear narrative ⓘ |
| notableCharacter |
General R
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Gikonyo NERFINISHED ⓘ Kihika NERFINISHED ⓘ Mugo NERFINISHED ⓘ Mumbi NERFINISHED ⓘ Thompson NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| originalLanguage | English ⓘ |
| plotFocus |
Mau Mau resistance against British colonial rule
ⓘ
preparation for Uhuru celebrations ⓘ revelation of a betrayal within the community ⓘ |
| publicationYear | 1967 ⓘ |
| publisher | Heinemann NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| series | African Writers Series NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| settingPeriod |
Mau Mau Uprising
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
eve of Kenyan independence ⓘ |
| settingPlace |
Kenya
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
rural Kenyan village ⓘ |
| titleOrigin | biblical metaphor of a grain of wheat dying to bring forth life ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.