I Will Marry When I Want

by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Ngũgĩ wa Mirii

This is the renowned play which was developed with Kikuyu actors at the Kamiriithu Cultural Centre at Limuru. It proved so powerful, especially in its use of song, that it was banned and was probably one of the factors leading to Ngugi's detention without trial. The original Gikuyu edition went to three printings in the first three months of publication.

Genres: Africa, Fiction, Plays, Drama, Kenya, African Literature, Theatre

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o was a Kenyan author and academic, who was described as East Africa's leading novelist.
He began writing in English before later switching to write primarily in Gikuyu, becoming a strong advocate for literature written in native African languages. His works include the celebrated novel The River Between, plays, short stories, and essays, ranging from literary and social criticism to children's literature. He was the founder and editor of the Gikuyu-language journal Mũtĩiri. His short story The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright was translated into more than 100 languages.
In 1977, Ngũgĩ embarked upon a novel form of theatre in Kenya that sought to liberate the theatrical process from what he held to be "the general bourgeois education system", by encouraging spontaneity and audience participation in the performances. His project sought to "demystify" the theatrical process, and to avoid the "process of alienation [that] produces a gallery of active stars and an undifferentiated mass of grateful admirers" which, according to Ngũgĩ, encourages passivity in "ordinary people". Although his landmark play Ngaahika Ndeenda, co-written with Ngũgĩ wa Mirii, was a commercial success, it was shut down by the authoritarian Kenyan regime six weeks after its opening.
Ngũgĩ was subsequently imprisoned for more than a year. Adopted as an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, he was released from prison and fled Kenya. He was appointed Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature and English at the University of California, Irvine. He previously taught at Northwestern University, Yale University, and New York University. Ngũgĩ was frequently regarded as a likely candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. He won the 2001 International Nonino Prize in Italy, and the 2016 Park Kyong-ni Prize. Among his children are authors Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ and Wanjiku wa Ngũgĩ.

Reviews

[mwana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ngugi wa Thiong'o and his co-writer, Ngugi wa Mirii, are men who have a way with words that is unrivalled and incomparable. And with statements like "A man must brag about his penis no matter how tiny". I mean, come on



Tiny penises aside, the saying is stated by our main character, Kiguunda, one of my favourite fuckers ever in Kenyan post colonial literature. He had been admiring his title deed for his one and a half acre piece of land and his wife, Wangeci, had been trying to get him to fix a broken seat in preparation for their guests Ahab Kioi and his wife, Jezebel (Members of the select few who seem to have been successful after gaining independence).

And so starts a play that is rhythmic, poetic, and any other musical -ic you can think of. It is an analogy of oppression. The primary issue being that after being oppressed and colonized by the white man, they were still under a vindictive ruler. Only this time, he was their fellow countryman. Their lands had been grabbed, they worked in their new rulers' industries only to have to spend the meagre coins they earned on the expensive products still produced by the bourgeois.

The play was so powerful that it led to Ngugi's detention from December 1977- 1978. And his eventual exile- where he left the country fearing for his safety. The play raises questions about capitalism, religion, hypocrisy, betrayal, misfortune, poverty and leadership. It shines an unwelcome light on situations that an intellectual elite would otherwise turn a blind eye on. While written in 1977, it still has a significant impact on any 21st century readers. My take on it was different from that of others who have read this. It's a shame the play still remains banned in my country but I would love to see the songs in the play come to life. Especially Kamande wa Munyui's song:

I shall marry when I want
Since all padres are still alive
I shall marry when I want
Since all nuns are still alive

[Mwangi Mugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ngûgî is good. now i understand why the play was banned. the message is in short: we fought for the liberation of our nation, to get back our land, but then what happened in 1963? the oppressors, land grabbers changed color from white to black, period. most of the aspirations of the freedom fighters were perverted by the newly found imperialish ex-homeguards. they put on the bequeathed religious cloak to hide their true wolf-in-sheepskin selves. sadly for them, they remain just watchdogs for the true masters who remain english, american and japanese. really thought-provoking! one wonders how different the message would be in the new order of things. maybe we would just add chinese and that is it, hehe!

[Nouha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in Gikuyu, ''Ngaahika Ndeena " is a controversial post-colonial play that tackles primarily the themes of religion,neo-colonialism, class struggle and culture clash . When Ngugi first published this play, he got arrested and spent one year in detention for being openly opposed to the government.
The play is best known for its Marxist criticism as well as its mingling of lyrical and metaphysical elements. Set in postcolonial Kenya, this work examines the social problems and the political corruption after obtaining the Uhuru.
The play takes place in postcolonial Kenya. Two poor peasants, Kugunda and his wife Wangeci, are expecting a visit from the wealthy Koi and his wife, Jezebel. While they are waiting they argue with their daughter, Gathoni, who they believe to be disrespectful on account of being influenced by modernity.
A light, quick read that made me admire Ngugi Wa Thaiong'o even more !

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Mother, why are you insulting me ?
Is that why you refused to send me to school,
So that I may remain your slave,
And for ever toil for you?
Picking tea and coffee only for you to pocket the wages ?
And all that so that you can get money To pay fees for your son!"

This is the play that got professor Ngungi Wa Thiong'o arrested, thrown in jail and the play was ultimately banned as well. After reading it I do understand why. Sadly, this book is still relevant to many African countries today. Here, we are in post colonial #Kenya and neither the British nor the natives are ready for such an opened criticism of the system. Themes are many in there, African belief vs (forced) Christianity because when a priest hold a gun in one hand and a bible in the other to help you embrace his religion you do it out of fear not by conviction. Traditions vs modernization is one of the theme that is really deeply dived into and all this is sprinkled with a lot of feminism here and there. Greed/ selfishness/ the compliance of the natives to help foreign interests rule over them. The importance of the songs, the truth is conveyed through a tradition that WE Africans mastered in. Don't wanna say too much or spoil you but... Well, treat yourself with this one, you will be glad you did. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ke$h Gitari · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's crazy how relevant this book written in 1982 is to 2017 Kenya. An impoverished country clung to religion and alcohol. The snare of loans and living beyond our means. The political 'wokeness' that does nothing beyond orate, the Kioi's of the world benefiting from the ignorance and suffering of the Kiguunda's of the world, the woes of the impoverished laborer, the naive young girl and the rich boy who ruined her life in search of the admiration of strangers. It's absolutely crazy that this literature is picture perfect of the Kenya we live in 2017.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the play Ngugi wa Thiongo was imprisoned for writing and performing. It does a good job showing the conflict between families who get ahead and those who aren't able to due to their positions. I would think about teaching this with A Raisin in the Sun - interesting parallel possibilities.

[Kinyua Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book after reading "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. The theme of betrayal and forced religion/colonization runs in both. However, Ngugi and his co-author have done more than reveal why it was so easy to colonize Africa. They have brought into the light the mind of a common Kenyan/African citizen from humble backgrounds and with no power.
"The one and a half acre Title Deed"
Kiguunda's only possession that represents a line of demarcation between the antagonistic Kiguunda and his fellow poor people and the protagonistic Mr. Kioi and his league of rich people. The rich have more land but they still want to take everything that the poor have, and they succeed. The poor man is portrayed as having a lot of expectations and hopes from the rich whereas the rich are only interested in impoverishing and enslaving the already poor people. The tricks they use leaves Kiguunda feeling horribly betrayed. In summary, the play clearly shows the aftermath of colonization and the benefactors of the colonialist.

Songs and Proverbs that I liked include:

"A man brags about his own penis, However Tiny" - Contentment

"I shall marry when I want
since all padres are still alive.
I shall get married when I want,
since all nuns are still alive."

"Poverty has no heroes"

"He who judges knows not how he will be judged"

"Give generously to the God of the poor
Whatever you have put aside
To ward off the fate of Anania and his wife"

"Take away your hymns from my premises
Take it away to the bush!
That we build a church in honor of poverty!
Poverty!
Even if poverty was to sell at five cents,
I would never buy it."

"An aging hero has no admirers"

"We do not mind being jailed
We do not mind being exiled
For we shall never stop
Agitating for and demanding back our lands
For Kenya is an African people's country..."

"A flower is robbed of the colors by the fruit it bears!"

"Poverty has no permanent roots!
Poverty is a sword for sharpening the digging sticks..."

"...Even a wise man can be taught wisdom"

"Religion is not the same thing as God"

"Religion is the alcohol of the soul
Religion is the poison of the mind"

"No one regrets the going as the returning"

"Death in the struggle is welcome"

Gikuyu once said, " That nobody ever repents another man's sin
Yet a leader who never listens
Is not a leader at all"

"Let me tell you, the coward went home safely to tell the tale
And left the brave lying forever safe on the battlefield!

"A man does not go in the dark with empty hands"

"A hyena is very greedy
but she does not eat her young"

"When a bird in flight gets too tired
It lands on the nearest tree."

A song by Gicaamba and Njoki-
"Yes we found out why
It's the children of the poor
Who look after rich people's homes.
Who serve them beer in beer-halls,
Who sell them their flesh
Come my friend
Come my friend
We reason together
Our hearts are heavy
Over the future of our children
Let's find ways of driving away darkness
From the land"

"They Said that Vulture eats alone
That no bird of prey preys for another"

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting play that targets not just the oft-used theme of the problems of Western colonialism in Africa but how there is a compliance of indigenous people to assist foreign interests (post-colonially) in continuing to stratify the African people to reduced hierarchal roles. Heavy Marxist arguments and call for revolution against the capitalistic rich.

[Star Obimbo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Discussions breed ideas
and ideas cannot be hauled about like missiles
discussions breed love

There are two sides in the struggle,
the side of the exploiters and that of the exploited
on which side will you be when...

One day, this soil will be returned to us.

[Hikaoru · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gotta admit, what attracted me to this book is the title. It was on my timeline so I thought I should give it a go. Little did I know it's a patriotic little play. I do not recommend reading it in class, on a slow, sleepy day because this book might spark outrage within you but you gotta seem like you're super focused on the topic they're regurgitating.

This dude has a way with words, either that or people from colonized country just went through the same history. Even one of our own writer also said religion is the drug for the poor. It's to keep them placated & not revolt against the rich and accept then status quo.

Our culture's also slowly being eradicated either by westernization or in the name of religion.

The story of how the poor are being preyed on by the rich is not new. Either the monarchy, the colonialist or even by our own people.....

I mean, sometimes stories are meant to educate the masses, this one is so straightforwad it hurts.

[Robert Kinyanjui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kiguunda’s poor personae and that of his neighbor Gicaamba leaves them vulnerable to selfish conquests by fellow countrymen Ahab, Samuel and Ikuua in a neo colonial epoch. In a twist, the Kiguunda’s got suckered into accepting a new religion that left them bereft of their culture of hope and love, going by husband alcoholism, wife battering and daughter degeneration. The two Nguugi’s use of song, inter alia, poetry, dance, mimic and several styles of literature makes the play so intriguing – one that’s so graphic.

[Emma Lindsey]

I won’t rate this one because it is really a play and does not translate well to reading it. Without the songs, the play really is just a flat telling. No real nuances between characters. Just good and evil. The rich are just caricatures with no humanity. 1963 the oppressors of Kenya shifted from white to black. The new black elites are really just watch dogs of Japanese, European, and American imperialists. I obviously know why the author was so cutting in his message, but I wish I could experience the play. I believe the songs would add a lot, where the characters lacked.

[Phoebe Oyugi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had expected the book to be mainly about marriage but instead its about capitalism, neocolonialism, exploitation of the masses and erosion of Gikuyu culture. The authors strike a good balance between poignant and hilarious. It contains a number of traditional Gikuyu songs which are important in passing the culture from one generation to the next.

[Bruno Ribeiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is not one of Ngugi's best works, but it is a play worth reading if you want to have a glimpse on Kenya's history, society and cultures. It can be tiresome for some to have to go through political and revolutionary messages on class struggle, imperialism, capitalism, colonialism and neocolonialism, but it reveals how the author thinks. It is a work made to motivate the working class against conditions of exploitation and oppression.

[qamar⋆｡°✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆ — a challenging and frustrating play that deals with themes on class and gender exploitation with much contemporary relevance. while not being against religion per se, the play also shows how religion becomes a weapon in the hands of the oppressors.

there were a lot of songs in this play; i wish i understood the language and could see the performance firsthand!

[Tory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read this as part of Modern African Dramas for a class. It was a really great play and the characters played out very well. I appreciated seeing how different the culture was while relating to the same themes that we have here in America as well.

[Drew Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Will Marry When I Want is a book whose substance was so strong, it hailed its writers. Set up in post colonial Kenya, it navigates the intersections of changing cultures and power dynamics. While figures stood to crush the message, they memorialized it as an instant classic.

[Greyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eat the rich.

Imagining the original production of this in Limuru, it's no wonder wa Thiong'o was detained. Crystal clear call to action for the proletariat in "post"-colonial Kenya. Capital fears Marx, no matter the decade or continent.

[Jean Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The trumpet of the masses has been blown.
The trumpet -
Of the workers has been blown
There are two sides in the struggle,
The side of the exploiters and that of the exploited.
On which side will you be when

The trumpet -

Of the workers is finally blown?” (Pg. 116)

[Mina M · Rating 4 out of 5]

We were not given freedom
We bought it with our blood

Excellent on religion as a tool for colonialism + Christian marriage as a capitalist institution.

(Read this for class so will definitely have more thoughts after discussing it, I took NOTES for this).

[Mohamed Jr.]

Best

[Boaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book teaches

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably one of the best African writings of all time.

[Meli · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ heavy handed, but wow. Hats off to the author and the Gikuyu community he created this with

[Mr. Lemaire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetic with vivid tapestry.

[ｲirnom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, independence did indeed come!

[Agnes Shiundu · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can I read when it's not opening

[Annabelle Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

you know a book/play is gonna slay when it was banned by an oppressive regime and the author has been in exile ever since

[Carey Manwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the satire!

[Lokorikeju Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

It only took me 2 days to wrap up this book. Ngugi was a well seasoned writer. Exposing the grabbers and exploiters in that way was so nice. I would give it a 5*, unputdownable in a nutshell.