4 Gentleman of The Jungle
4 Gentleman of The Jungle
4 Gentleman of The Jungle
OF THE
JUNGLE
A KIKUYU TALE
(AFRICAN
LITERATURE)
Jomo Kenyatta
author of The Gentlemen of the Jungle
(1938)
HISTORICAL
BACKGROUN
D
• Kenya was first ruled by the
Portuguese in the 1500s and then
by Arabs and Asians.
• Germans took over control in
early 19th century and the
country became a British
protectorate in 1890.
• In 1920 it developed as a crown
colony. It is believed that the
cradle of civilisation was in
Kenya, and archaeological
findings prove that Lake Turkana
(Lake Rudolf) was settled 3.5
million years ago.
• The Mau-Mau uprising in
1953 was organised by the
Kikuyus tribe and started
guerrilla attacks against the
’white highlands’ in order to
claim it for the nationalists.
• The conflict developed to
bloody attacks and
counterattacks. The settlers
and the tribesmen lost a
large number of lives.
• Kikuyus were put in
detention camps.
• Kenyatta was imprisoned
from 1952 to 1963.
• The British were able to
hunt down the guerrilla
warriors and they were
executed or captured.
The tribe was then
resettled within guarded
borders to keep them in
control.
GENTLEMAN
OF THE
JUNGLE
• The Gentlemen of the Jungle tells us
the story of a man living alone in the
jungle with many animals.
• This man is fooled by an elephant
that pretends to be his friend and a
dispute begins therefore between
them.
• Mr. Elephant justified his act saying
that he had always regarded it as his
duty to protect the interests of his
friends and that had caused the
misunderstanding. He said that his
friend had invited him to save his hut
from being blown away by a
hurricane. The elephant said that he
considered it necessary, to turn the
undeveloped space to a more
economic use by sitting in it.
• The elders of the jungle
supported what Mr. Elephant had
said. Then, the man began to give
his account.
• The commission cut him short
and asked him if the undeveloped
space in his hut was occupied by
anyone else before Mr. Elephant
assumed his position. The man
was bewildered.
• Finally, the commission gave its
verdict. It was not on the
expected lines of man. They
concluded that the dispute had
arisen through a
misunderstanding due to the
backwardness of man’s ideas.
• They defended Mr. Elephant’s
actions saying that he had
fulfilled his sacred duty of
protecting man’s interests.
• They considered that the space
should have been put to its most
economic use. As man had not
yet reached the stage of
expansion, they arranged a
compromise to suit both parties.
• Accordingly, Mr. Elephant would
continue to occupy his hut
whereas the man was advised to
look for a site to build another
hut.
• The man did as suggested, for
he feared the teeth and claws
of the Commission. But, the
same fate awaited.
• A new hut was built; Mr.
Rhinoceros occupied, a Royal
Commission was appointed
only to give the same finding.
• This procedure went on till all
were accommodated with new
huts. The man by now had
decided to adopt an effective
method.
• When the huts already occupied
by the jungle lords were
beginning to decay, he built a
bigger and better hut.
CULTURAL
BACKGROUND
• The Luo traditionally
worshiped a single God,
understood as being manifest in
many everyday things
including the sun, moon, the
lake and some wild animals
such as the python.
• Another theme is the family ties. In the story, the Chief, his wife and
their daughter has the strong bonding of love and care for each
other. Labong’o loves his daughter so much that he weeps as he
knows that she is going to be sacrificed to the lake monster for the
villagers. His wife also faints when hears the news of their daughter
being sacrificed.
CONCLUSION
• The people of the village have allowed one of their own to give
her life. And finally, Osinda has given his own life for Oganda. All
illustrations of sacrifice show that there is great forfeiture of some
aspects, just to gain aspects in other areas. Whether it be on one
end of the spectrum where a great loss is occurring for one's self
to allow gain for the good of the whole, or the placing of personal
gain over the good of all, sacrifice is a theme that is methodically
covered throughout The Rain Came.
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