Oppression in Ngugi’s Short Story A Meeting in the Dark

Abstract

Abstract : This article examines the issue of oppression in African societies, of which the Kenyan village of Limuru is a microcosm. The arrival of the Europeans in Africa tore up the local communities into two opposing camps: the modernists (who followed the new ways of life brought by Europeans) and the traditionalists (who kept their traditional ways of living). This situation contributed to the increase of oppression in African societies. Traditionalists such as Wamuhu’s parents grew more conservative as they deprived their daughter of education and had her circumcised, while modernists such as Stanley became so radical in their new position that they were feared by all. Keywords: traditionalist, conservative, modernist, oppression, oppressor, oppressed, attitude.