The short stories of Ngugi wa Thiong’o are like Polaroid photos depicting the Kenyan society struggling to resolve challenges on various levels. For example, the influence of Christianity with its preachers and missionaries challenges the traditional views of the people. Frequently, this leads to conflicts, e.g. missionaries trying to convert others by force.
Additionally, Christian Africans feel a sense of superiority, which also works against unifying the nation. For example, in “Wedding at the Cross,” a young man wooing a woman from a Christian household is described as a “hunted animal, now cornered: and the hunters, panting with anticipation, were enjoying every moment of that kill,” indicating that the wealthy Christian parents of the bride enjoy humiliating the young man because of his lack of funds.
Moreover, women are struggling for more independence from their husbands and the patriarchal society in general. Being beaten and abused physically and sexually, they try to escape the notion of being inferior to men. However, society does not seem to be ready—in “Minutes of Glory,” a woman follows her dreams and her need for self-actualization by first robbing the man who paid for her time and then buying the outfit and jewelry she had always wanted. However, when she is caught, it is her who has to pay the price for her rebellion and not society who actually failed her.
