Anti-Colonialism and National Liberation Movements

Answer

Anti-Colonialism and National Liberation Movements
If Matigari is not simply a character in this story, who and/or what does he represent?
In the story, Matigari is evidently not just a character as he also represents the voice of the downtrodden and oppressed in the society. it can be said that Matigari represents those whom the voice is barely heard and this is evident in the passage. For instance, Matigari’s quest for truth and justice is met with seemingly insurmountable challenges. this includes countless dismissal from fellow citizens and one cannot help but feel that his lack of recognizable social status is playing against him. The narrative in the society has painted a picture of perhaps a big man and at one point when he stood on the veranda and asks “where can one find truth and justice in this society” he ends up be dismissed as “a drunkard” (p. 73-74). It becomes evident that Matigari represents those in the society whose quest for justice as well as truth barely makes it into the limelight. Just as Matigari’s quest is doomed, the downtrodden find themselves in a tight spot and whatever they wish is easily dismissed by the elite. More so, their fellow citizens do not recognize some of those who would function as the hero simply because they lack higher social status and perhaps do not have titles that they associate the powerful. There is unspoken expectations and rules in the society that those to liberate them or rescue them from their predicament ought to be strongly built and in all likelihood carry titles. As an example of such expectations, Matigari’s quest for truth and justice sees him repeatedly referred to the Ministry of Truth and Justice and the Voice of Truth (basically Matigari himself), which underlines the social mindset that the liberator must be the elected leader in the society (p. 73). For this reason, Matigari does not fit the bill and his quest for truth and justice is simply doomed.
The people in the society are busy engaged in the narrative about Matigari and the picture they have created about him means that they repeatedly fail to recognize him even when he is in their presence. This signifies that Matigari is amongst the downtrodden in the society and their voice is often extinguished whenever they attempt to liberate themselves. In particular, the fact that Matigari represents the voice of the oppressed is captured in Ngaruro wa Kiriro’s claim that the message he has brought from Matigari says “the products of toil should go to those who toil” (p. 75). Without a doubt, the insinuation is that Matigari always has a message that the downtrodden in the society continue being antagonized by those in power. Matigari himself included, the downtrodden have yet to know truth and justice even as they make countless attempts to realize such a dream. it can be said that the society as a whole is to blame for the very lack of truth and justice. This is because those who occupy the lower echelons of the social ladder continue being at the receiving end of continued criticism and end up being dismissed, which evidently does not help the overall course. Rather than recognizing and supporting the lone voice that is represented by Matigari, fellow citizens prove to be his first challenge and one cannot help but assume that he would face insurmountable challenges even if they recognized him. Matigari as a representative of the oppressed also becomes clear when he has questions about being arrested for seeking the truth. He even questions his quest by claiming, “looking for truth and justice is truly a hard job” (p. 88). The insinuation is that truth and justice have remained elusive as the powerful, including the government, continues to put down any effort or gain made by the disadvantaged in the society. the outcome is that the quest for a just society, by far and large, remains only a dream.
Why do you think people who speak of him as a hero don’t recognize him?
People throughout the society talk about Matigari as a hero but simply fail to recognize him because he does not belong to the elite in the society. The unspoken expectations in the society is that Matigari is smartly dressed as well as strongly built because he is the hero in the narrative. After all, liberators in the society ought to be powerful and full of fanfare that has come to be associated with leaders in the community. At one point, Matigari categorically states that “it is not good to look down a person on account of how he dresses or how he looks. A hero cannot be judged by his size” (p. 73). The implication is that Matigari does not fit into the mold of a hero because his appearance, perhaps, is of an individual who cannot contribute to the realization of truth and justice. In fact, everyone including shepherds and teachers dismiss him his questions about where to find truth and justice. He is credited with performing miracles including when stones are hurled at him by children and are miraculously deflected (p 73). Such acts form the narrative in the society and in their eyes, he is exalted to heroic status. These evidences that the society involuntarily has expectations about their savior, and as long as one fails to fit the bill, he is never recognized. Matigari knows this all too well when he is told to his face to “look for the prophet who has come to our land” (p. 75). Again, the insinuation is that Matigari, in people’s eyes, cannot be the savior and anyone with the capacity to influence positive change exists somewhere in the society. it can be said that people never want to accept the challenge that there are a crucial part of change process in the society. rather, they embark on humiliating those who come forward as change agents and in the process putting out the fire. The process to influence is often defeated even prior it commences because such persons as Matigari fail to satisfy the image that citizens have come to associate with saviors of the society. The outcome is that the society is filled with too much fear, which has continued to breed misery. Every citizen longs for the day when fear will evaporate from the society, and yet continue to push aside those who attempt to spread the message about a fearless society.
In addition, the fear that grips the society is mirrored when Matigari talks about the criminal justice system and his quest for truth and justice is met by answers that are perplexing to say the least. For instance, he is told “get a rope and hang” himself immediately because his “kind of questions will lead you to the grave” (p 82). Simply, the majority in the society “don’t know or care about such things” (p. 82). For this very reason, they cannot know recognize the heroic Matigari even when he stands in their midst. Simply put, he is ordinary looking and they cannot understand why he cares about things involving truth and justice. According to them, those who care about these matters are the mighty and powerful in the society. often, the people stare at him with rather blank expressions whenever he asks the question about finding truth and justice. They would rather have their attention to the narrative about “Gabriel and Matigari”, as it is more appealing in their eyes. In essence, they engage in rhetoric but never seek action, which comes across as quite disheartening for change agents. People long for change agents such as Matigari, but can barely recognize them even when they live in their midst.
Thiong’o seems to believe that there are two kinds of “truth and justice” what are these and how can they be distinguished?
It is evident that Thiong’o believes in the two kinds of truth and justice including truth and justice that is based on right and wrong, and truth and justice born out of fear. The two can be distinguished through their source. For instance, truth and justice that is based upon fear is spread through hearsay and persons cannot even question whether what they hear is right or wrong. The moment Matigari encountered shepherds listening to their radios imply that people in the society, have resulted to getting truth from “the voice of truth” (p. 87). These people no longer study the situation to establish right or wrong and are rather afraid to find truth and justice themselves. Fear spread through their minds meaning that they have been coerced to think that truth is only a dream. they have given up on the quest for truth and justice in the society. it can be said that the status quo means an established order in which truth and justice is often never realized. on the other hand, truth and justice that is based on right and wrong is for those who have seen the light including persons who go against the grain in their quest for truth and justice. Without a doubt, Matigari chooses such a path and it comes across as uncomfortable. Nonetheless, this kind of truth and justice can be distinguished from the other because it involves efforts to determine right and wrong. Rather, than sing the “master’s voice” this kind of truth and justice involves suffering “in search of truth” (p 87). It follows that those associated with truth and justice that is based on right and wrong love the truth, rather than being sellers of the same. They do not hold any fear that characterizes the status quo, and Matigari represents this group in the society as he denies himself sleep in his quest for truth and justice based on right and wrong (p 92). Altogether, truth and justice Matigari represents is not defeated by fear and intimidation that form part of the society.