Dispelling The Dichotomy of Center and Periphery between West and East In Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s The River Between

Abstract

Abstract : In the present modern world with clear evidence that nations are in competition for their visibility beyond national and continental boundaries, most African nations are totally engulfed in the rapid and aggressive self-affirmation methods of Western nations and this can be seen in the socio-political domination which West has on Africa Before this alarming situation, the quest of ways and means to put an end to the present monologue between West and Africa and seek to establish a true dialogue between them has become a crucial preoccupation of many Africans. In literature, the setting, characters actions and language serve as a forum to writers to express their views on that issue. Ngugi wa Thiong’o whose novel The River Between is a site of analysis in this work is one of these writers. Using the post-colonial approach which promotes the resistance of the oppressed against the oppressor, this study holds that for the development of Africa and in order to succeed to establish a true dialogue between East and West, it has become necessary for Africans to rely more on themselves than on foreign aid. Keywords: Africans, East, West, development, strategies