The Sacred Grove
When Chege brings Waiyaki to the Sacred Grove, the tree on top of the hill is depicted as a mighty deity ruling over nature and everyone living in it: "It was a huge tree, thick and mysterious. Bush grew and bowed reverently around it." Waiyaki feels a sense of awe when the tree is personified, standing there, "towering over the hill, watching, as it were, the whole country." This image conveys the ancient and powerful history of Kenya and its people; because Waiyaki comes here and receives the prophecy, it connotes the fact that Waiyaki is also powerful and descended from this line.
Joshua's House
Joshua's house is described as a "tin-roofed rectangular building standing quite distinctly by itself on the ridge," indicating its isolated location. This suggests that Joshua and his followers are still outliers. However, it is decaying, as the roof is so broken that it cannot protect the inhabitants from rain any longer, so this image of the house represents the gradual process of colonization.
Rain
Chapter 13 begins with the image of rainfall. While only a few isolated drops fall at first, soon they are described as participating in a race, eventually replaced by jets of water. The onomatopoeia "drip" illustrates the sounds of the rain, while the simile "like soldiers marking time" connotes military discipline. The rain is also portrayed as a kind of savior reviving nature, as "the grass outside, which for a long time had been scorched and sickly, was now beginning to wake up refreshed." This imagery suggests how important nature is to the people of the ridges, and how it can be both good and bad.
Miriamu
Ngugi writes of Nyambura and Muthoni's mother and Joshua's wife, "one could still tell by her eyes that this was a religion learnt and accepted; inside the Gikuyu woman was sleeping" (34). This is a potent image because it shows how even though Christianity is taking a foothold, many people are loath to give up their tribal beliefs and customs. It is telling that Miriamu, the wife of Joshua, is not a true convert to the white man's faith.
