Themes

I'm not sure about materialism but class-structure is a major theme which includes materialism. This is the main theme of the play. Using Marxist ideology, Ngugi reveals the tensions in post-colonial Kenya in regards to the worker/peasant population and the elite Kenyans. The latter work with Europeans, bringing back uncomfortable associations of the country's colonial past. They are greedy, ignorant, and unconcerned with the masses of people; they embrace Western religion and philosophy and move far from their origins. The working class cannot survive for very much longer and by the end of the text prepares to mount another revolution -this time for economic parity, not independence. Ngugi's characters, especially Gĩcaamba, offer convincing accounts of why this struggle is necessary and pure.