Symbol: Wanja
Wanja is often viewed as a symbol of the New Kenya, or even a new Africa. She works the land, but she becomes a whore. She survives and in some cases thrives, but at what cost? She is, Sumaiya Tasnim suggests, "not only the representation of women who struggle their way through a difficult economic situation rather she is the representation of the new and old Kenya as it adapts to the changes and exists throughout all struggles with taking a stand for herself." Bonnie Roos looks specifically at Wanja's experiences with pregnancy, writing, "Wanja's desire to be a mother can also be read as both a generalization of the situation in Africa and as a specific allusion to women's history. The death of Wanja's first child as a symbol for the death of Kenya's children clear. And the child's death at the hands of its mother is a distinct reference to the burgeoning Independent Kenya, which is quashed by those very heroes who once struggled to create and nurture...Wanja, Kenya and Africa have a history of 'murdering' their children. Wanja's second pregnancy and her epiphany after Karega's rejection signal new hope for new Kenya, a second chance."
Symbol: Theng'eta
The exhilarating and enervating drink that Nyakinyua prepares is a symbol of the spirit that sustains and nourishes revolution, particularly against the rule of the imperialists. Since the colonial government had made thenge'ta illegal because this group viewed it as a resistance and a rebellion on the part of local Africans, the fact that the locals drink it is thus a symbol of rebellion. It helps the characters interrogate themselves and their place in the world, and it places the beauty and horror of their past and present realities in stark relief. Yet, as any strong drink or strong passion can wane or be corrupted, it does not always have a positive effect; indeed, Theng'eta is a mixed bag as it pertains to Ilmorog's new profile.
Allegory: Ilmorog
The events in Petals of Blood are set in Ilmorog, a place that represents the events happening on a larger scale—that is, the events happening at a national level. Ilmorog is thus used allegorically to represent the country (Kenya) since, at the time of the novel, the country was undergoing a transitional process. The struggles of the villagers to carve out a place in a rapidly modernizing country, the confusion navigating the new political and economic system, and a sense of discombobulation and fragmentation in society are visible in Ilmorog and the country as a whole.
Symbol: The Trans-Africa Road
A road connects, bridges, bifurcates, and opens up territory. It often represents progress and modernity, allowing people and goods to travel in a much more efficient manner over much further distances. The Trans-Africa Road does and is all of these things, but it is not entirely positive. Investors and foreigners helped fund it, and it spurred on neo-colonial development. In the text, its coming is linked with the rise of New Ilmorog and all of its vices, so it functions as a symbol of corruption.
Motif: Fire
Wanja mentions several encounters with fire that terrified her in her past, and the central mystery of the text is who started the fire at her whorehouse and killed three notable Kenyan businessmen. Fire is often used as a tool of violence, as it was in Wanja's past, but it is also a potent symbol of cleansing and purification. Munira sees it thusly when he sets that fire, and even though we condemn him for wanting to hurt innocent people, his act also undeniably cleansed Ilmorog of three incredibly toxic personages.
