Economic Exploitation
The workers in Matigari's country experience extreme poverty due to economic exploitation and an oppressive government complicit in unethical business practices. Matigari is driven by the fundamental belief that a world in which "the builder sleeps in the open air" and "the tailor walks in rags" is an unjust world; thus, Matigari defeats Settler Williams and John Boy Senior to reclaim the wealth he built and end the cycle of economic exploitation. However, when Matigari returns from the mountain, he notices that the factory workers live in poverty. Poor and orphaned children are exploited by sanitation workers who force them to pay an entrance fee to scrounge for scraps and rotten food in the dump. Matigari intervenes when he sees two boys fighting for a shoelace, which indicates how poor the population is when even a cheap item like a used shoelace is considered valuable enough to fight over.
Poverty and exploitation are gendered and racialized in Matigari's country. The women at the bar explain that some women engage in sex work not because they want to, but because it is the only way to make sufficient money to feed themselves and their families. Similarly, though individuals of every nationality indulge in luxuries like a Mercedes-Benz or living in an opulent home, most impoverished laborers are Black locals, a remnant of colonialism. John Boy Junior, himself a Black man, blames other Africans for their poverty, citing the European concept of individualism as necessary for economic success. However, in his racist remarks, John Boy fails to understand that he benefits from decades of slavery and colonialism, systems that still negatively impact those around him.
Economic exploitation and poverty are supported by the government in Matigari's country. The Minister for Truth and Justice bans workers' strikes for better conditions and permits the police to use violence and "instant justice" to suppress protests. Workers fear arrest, execution, and job loss, perpetuating unjust working conditions. Moreover, the factory workers who build the capitalists' wealth are so poor and desperate that many, like the factory worker Matigari meets in prison, accept lower wages, having no other choice.
Political Oppression
Throughout the novel, the government is presented as a distant force that oppresses its citizens while ironically claiming to be the "government of the people." The government imposes restrictions and commits rights violations to maintain wealth for a select few; it prohibits opposing parties from running for office and sentences "criminals" without a fair trial. The police, agents of the government, abuse their power by harassing workers, children, and women, often using violence.
The theme of political oppression is best represented through the radio program "The Voice of Truth," which constantly announces new and increasingly absurd measures to keep people in line. While in the beginning, gatherings of five or more citizens are prohibited, the government later even declares that dreams are forbidden, as the government tries to take away all positive human experiences for fear of revolution.
The government of Matigari's country oppresses workers to appease foreign governments and investors. For example, Robert Williams donates money to the government and makes his factory partially government-owned, thus making workers' strikes a federal offense. Similarly, the Christian church participates in the oppression of the working class. The Minister for Truth and Justice and His Excellency Ole Excellence proclaim to be Christians to gain the church's official backing. In exchange, the priest, representing Christians generally, encourages the working people, many of them religious, to accept mistreatment from the government and their employers because, in his worldview, "pain and suffering are a test of our faith and our capacity to endure." By telling Matigari to focus on his internal faith life and allow God to punish wrongdoers in the afterlife, the priest excuses the government's widespread oppression and invalidates the people's suffering.
Resistance and Re-Arming
When Matigari learns that the freedom and prosperity he fought for still has not been obtained, he decides to stand up against the oppressors and start a revolution. At first, Matigari believes that through well-reasoned arguments and wearing "a belt of peace," he can convince the government, factory owners, and John Boy Junior to end oppression and exploitation. Matigari even goes so far as to disarm himself by burying his many weapons.
However, he quickly realizes that most of his people are understandably too afraid of the government's violent retribution to resist oppression. Through his conversations with people like Ngarũro wa Kĩrĩro, Mũriũki, Gũthera, and his fellow inmates, coupled with his legendary persona, Matigari encourages "his people" to resist oppression and "re-arm" themselves.
The oppressed "re-arm" themselves first by striking against the exploitative conditions at the factory, though this protest is violently suppressed. Encouraged by legends of Matigari's powers, the people then attend a council meeting and vocally support Ngarũro wa Kĩrĩro, the strike leader. Even after arrests, executions, and stricter laws, the crowds gather outside John Boy Junior's house, following Matigari's lead and burning the elite ruling class's property.
Eventually, Matigari realizes that it is impossible to change the world peacefully. With the Minister of Truth and Justice calling him a madman and imprisoning him without cause, he understands that the oppressors cannot be stopped by words or reason, as they have no desire to improve the people's living conditions. He then re-arms himself by digging up his weapons to lead a revolution. Though in the end, Matigari likely drowns as the police pursue him, Mũriũki takes Matigari's place, arming himself with Matigari's weapons and singing a song of victory.
Neocolonialism
Neocolonialism is "the control of less-developed countries by developed countries through indirect means." Though most of the world is technically decolonized, many independent nations that were previously colonized suffer from the lasting effects of colonialism and are still subjected to unfair and exploitative political relationships and economic systems. Matigari explores this theme through the satire of neocolonialist societies.
For example, Matigari's nation is technically independent and run by the "people's government." However, the Minister for Truth and Justice and His Excellency Ole Excellence, the primary leaders, proudly proclaim that they are "loyalists" to the British Crown, meaning they supported Britain during colonialism and govern with a belief in British cultural and political superiority. This loyalism manifests in concrete actions, as the government prioritizes foreign businesses over workers' rights, arrests opponents of capitalism, and only allows a single political party, a puppet government run by foreign powers.
Neocolonialism is also demonstrated in the unchanging economic and social status quo. Matigari leaves for forty years to destroy Settler Williams, yet conditions are nearly unchanged when he returns to an independent nation. Though now technically free, formerly enslaved people labor on the same plantations owned by the children of colonists.
Ownership
Matigari explores the theme of ownership through conversations about Marxism, gender, private property, and religion. The text is set in an unnamed country that struggles to throw off the oppressive legacy of colonialism. As the characters explain, the country's land was unlawfully seized by European colonizers who used violence to force local people to build houses, produce goods, and farm on plantations. When Matigari returns to the city after forty years in the wilderness, he realizes that the nation still struggles with questions of ownership under neocolonial control.
Matigari's goal is to claim ownership of the house in which John Boy Junior currently resides and thus claim his future and identity. Matigari built Settler Williams's house by hand, yet Settler Williams forced Matigari to sleep outside; similarly, Matigari planted and tended the crops Settler Williams sold, creating his fortune, yet Matigari received little to none of the profits. Thus, Matigari believes he is the rightful owner of the house and plantation, as his labor created them. However, John Boy Junior and Robert Williams, who believe in Western capitalism and private property, mock Matigari and have him arrested, as they believe possessing the deed to the property entitles them to own it.
Questions about ownership go beyond property and wealth. People in the city live under the constant threat of violence and harassment by police and the government and often feel that they do not "own" their bodies and lives. For example, when Gũthera is young, a police officer offers to take her virginity in exchange for sparing her father's life. The officer implicitly believes he "owns" Gũthera and her father's bodies, as he uses violence to control them; other officers maintain the same position, threatening Gũthera with dogs after she sexually rejects them. Gũthera later reclaims ownership of her body by using her sexuality to aid the revolution by helping Matigari escape prison and giving up sex work to advocate for women's rights.
Additionally, the government of Matigari's country controls its citizens, whom it believes it "owns." The government restricts agency by banning meetings between people, encouraging religious devotion, and suppressing protests. The people and the government also struggle over ownership of their history and narrative. For example, The Minister for Truth and Justice platforms historians and professors of "Parrotology," a fictional field of study that centers around repeating revisionist versions of history that valorize the neocolonial government and villainize "patriots" and revolutionaries like Matigari. To protect this narrative, the government also imprisons and kills those who speak against it, namely teachers and students. Matigari's mission to seek "truth and justice" challenges the prevailing narrative and advocates for a more authentic and inclusive history owned by the people.
Saviorism and Myth Creation
Throughout the text, both the readers and the characters are unsure if Matigari is an ordinary man or if he possesses supernatural powers. Matigari claims to be ageless, having been alive for all periods of colonialism. Matigari also claims to have survived against all odds, hunting Settler Williams through the wilderness for forty years. As Matigari interacts with people in the town, rumors about him grow increasingly improbable. First, Matigari seems to be immune to the stones thrown at him, though later, he is injured. He also eats very little and walks without tiring; he looks young at some points and old at others. Then, when Matigari stands up to the police harassing Gũthera, people ask, "Who is Matigari?" and wonder if he is an important or magical person simply because he found the courage to stand up to violent oppressors.
Later, Gũthera frees Matigari from prison, though his escape is mysterious. Because Matigari shares his food with his fellow prisoners and speaks in cryptic parables, the Christian majority suspects that Matigari is the second coming of Jesus. In a single day, myths are created about Matigari using the cultural and religious framework in which the people operate. Some suspect he is eternal, all-knowing, giant, or sent by the Christian God. Matigari's legendary status encourages the workers to rebel against the oppressive government. Later, when Matigari goes missing and likely dies, he is considered a martyr, with his ideas and ideals living on in the stories told by the people. Thus, Matigari is considered both a savior and not; he does not overthrow the government but encourages the people to take back their power.
The Quest for Truth and Justice
Matigari first seeks restorative justice by wearing a "belt of peace," challenging accepted beliefs without using force. At first, Matigari believes that he can seek reparations for the injustices Settler Williams inflicted on him by claiming ownership of the house he built. However, his experiences in the city force Matigari to realize that enacting justice is not simple. Matigari's beliefs evolve, and he concludes that he must build a new house with stronger "foundations," meaning that the governmental and economic system is too corrupt to repair and must be destroyed and replaced by a native system that prioritizes the people.
As he wanders through the country, Matigari asks several people of various backgrounds where he can "find truth and justice in this country." Matigari seeks wisdom from people experiencing poverty, the elite, religious leaders, women, men, and children. He hopes to find answers to philosophical and social questions; however, Matigari is mostly rejected by those he questions. Matigari seeks the intuitive wisdom of an old woman living in the woods, who directs him to students and teachers educated to discover "the truth." Unfortunately, educated people are unwilling to work toward justice because they are threatened by the government and economic leaders. Because his people are predominantly Christian, Matigari seeks spiritual truths by interviewing a notable priest. However, the priest focuses on religious doctrine and refuses to engage with more profound questions that threaten his belief system. Ultimately, Matigari realizes that he cannot find truth and justice in other people but must instead encourage others to claim their own power and resist oppression. Matigari finds truth and justice in the revolutionary spirit of the oppressed.
