09.the Black Hermit - C
09.the Black Hermit - C
09.the Black Hermit - C
By Emmanuel Kachele
Published by:
www.kacheleonline.co.tz
Published by www.kacheleonline.co.tz Page 1
Analysis of ‘Black Hermit’ Emmanuel Kachele
Email: kacheleonline@gmail.com
Mob: +255622 009 566/+255765 884 936
Website: www.kacheleonline.co.tz
Author’s Note
Any English teacher can have his/her own analysis and we can equally learn from any one. Drop
by drop, we get the bucket overflowing!
This analysis is not the final.
Emmanuel Kachele
2018
ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS
I sincerely acknowledge the good support I have been receiving from Mr Reuben Swilla (my first
Headmaster from Mwese Secondary School). He has been my precious guide since 2012. I also
specifically extend my gratitude to Headmistress of Karema High School, Ms Elinesi
Mwangomba for her support and recognition of my work.
I can’t forget my fellow teachers from English Language and Literature Department from the
following schools: Lukima Secondary School (Mbinga, Ruvuma, from 2011 – 2012), Mwese
Secondary School (Mpanda DC, Katavi, from 2012 – 2014), Karema High School (Mpanda DC,
Katavi, from 2015 – 2019), and Sibwesa Secondary School (Mpanda DC, Katavi, from 2019 –
present) for their linguistic and departmental support.
I also thank my fellow UDOM Alumni: Mwalimu Nicholaus Mwanjabala, Mwalimu Million
Luka, and Mwalimu Leonard Mshang’a for their mutual support for my work.
I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to all my students wherever they are for their support and trust.
Emmanuel Kachele
2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS
___________________________________________
Title: Black Hermit
Playwright: Ngugi wa Thiong’o
Setting: Kenya; Post Independence
Year of Publication: 1968
Publisher: East African Educational Publishers LTD
______________________________________________________________________________
“Literature is the honey of a nation's soul, preserved for her children to taste forever, a little at a
time!”
From ‘Devil on The Cross’
“The arts then act like a reflecting mirror. The artist is like the hand that holds and moves the
mirror, this way and that way, to explore all corners of the universe. But what is reflected in the
mirror depends on where the holder stands in relation to the object”
From ‘Barrel of a Pen, "Freedom of the Artist: People's Artists versus People's Rulers"
INTRODUCTION
The play is about Remi, the young person who is first in his tribe to go to University. Being first
in his tribe to get Western education especially for the university level, Remi faces three big
challenges; first, to return home to marry his brother’s widow, whom he has to marry under tribal
custom of widow inheritance; second, to continue to run away and be a ‘black hermit’ in the
town, visiting night clubs with his girlfriend; and third, to support the Africanist Party when the
people feel that the colonial oppression has just been replaced by another form of colonialism.
The play has a lot of dramatic effects.
Scene Two
In the open air, there is a meeting. A leader tells elders that their tribe must rise up. They all agree
that they want Remi to help them. They say that Remi wrote letter to them encouraging them to
join the Africanist Party that is in power now. A leader chooses two elders who will go with him
to go to fetch Remi. He tells the elders that when Remi comes he must not fall under the influence
of his mother or Pastor. They agree and depart.
Scene Three
The scene is the same as Scene Two. Pastor enters, while Nyobi is running after him. Nyobi tells
pastor how elders have decided. Finally, Pastor also decides to go to town to encourage Remi to
come back to village.
Scene Two
The same room the following day. Remi is alone reading Sunday paper. Suddenly he hears rough
knocking at the door. Enters Omange, his friend in the city and who is from the tribe of Njobe.
They exchange some harsh words with jokes but they again get along. Remi gives Omange a
Sunday paper. Omange talks with him about racism. Omange also talks about tribalism, strikes,
disunity, politics, and colonial legacy in the country. Remi says that Democratic Unity, the
Opposition Party concentrates on tribe and religion. He reveals that he was the first man of his
tribe to reach University and he then persuades his small tribe to support Africanist Party and PM.
He admits that he was caught and trapped by his tribe by forcing him to marry that is why he
decided to go his own way. He says “I wanted to be myself” (25).
Remi describes how he was formerly shy with women and how he suffers intrapersonal conflict
the woman he loves. He recalls that he decided to go home after his brother was crushed by a
motor car. His brother has just married Nyobi 6 months ago. Before his father dies because of a
shock, he says, he was called by his father to urge him to marry his brother’s wife as customs of
their Marua says. He says he refused at first but he finally agreed. After that his father passed away.
Tyranny of the ruling government and the natural hazards as well as nepotism and tribalism are
also discussed in this scene. In the city, elders have met Remi. Remi is asked by the elder to go
back home and be their leader of their tribal political party but he refuses. He chases them away.
But before they leave, one elder drop down a small bundle wrapped with dry banana leaves. They
leave and Remi thinks a little whether to go home or not.
Pastor enters with the same idea of convincing him to go back to the village to his people, mother
and the church. He agrees to go home and pastor leaves. Alone on the stage, Remi takes the bible
left by pastor, and a bundle left by the elders. He weighs them in both hands and says
“There…..there….pieces of superstitious meant to lure me home” (34).
Scene Three
The same, a few days later. Remi is talking to Jane, his white girlfriend in the city. He tells her that
he wants to go home. But when Jane wants to follow him, Remi refuses and says she is different
from him socially and racially. She tells him that colour doesn’t matter and that she loves him very
much. She also says she is aware of the vices of racism and that’s why her father was forced to
leave the racist regime in South Africa and decided to come and live in Kenya. Despite her efforts,
Jane fails to convince Remi and she feels betrayed by him. She even accuses him of lies and
criticizes him for criticizing Hendrik Verwoerd, the Boer who is believed to have started apartheid
in South Africa.
It is finally made clear by Remi that he won’t go to the village with Jane. He has now betrayed his
society and Jane as well. This time, Remi decides to tell Jane the secret that he was forced to marry
a woman he did not want. He admits that that is the society that reared him and he wants to respect
it. Jane blames him for his weakness and failure to tell her the truth from the beginning. She is
frustrated and she goes out.
Scene Two
It’s the same. Thoni enters while running. She is followed by a village woman. Thoni has been
humiliated by Remi. She is followed by a village woman who persuades her to stop going away,
but Thoni refuses to go back to the oppression and humiliation. Even when the village woman
urges Thoni that Remi may change the mind, however she insists to carry on to go where she calls
“It’s all darkness, swallowing you wholly” (50). Thoni also says “I can’t go back to a house of
shame and humiliation”. The village woman convinces Thoni to get back several times by saying
“Come and stay with me. Remi is not the only tree under whose shadow you can rest”. She finally
disappears. People start to search for her. All these become the outcomes of the coming of Remi
and his sarcastic words. People become unhappy different from when he arrived. Nyobi herself
finds her and calls her, but in vain.
Scene Three
Remi and Omange enter. They are talking. As the scene opens, the two friends enter. Omange is
praising Remi for being fierce on tribalism and he gives him encouragement. Omange says “Yes,
deal with tribalism with ruthless vigour”. Remi on his side, he promises Omange that he will
continue to attack all the wrong tendencies in the future political meetings.
When Omange asks where the girl (Thoni) has gone, Remi says “You see I told she never loved.
She could not even want to see what her man had to say” (53). They discuss several matters
including the need for Africanist Party to restore the settler’s land to the people.
As they wonder where Thoni has gone, a village woman comes in and she throws a letter to Remi.
Remi is scared and when he wants to know who have sent the letter, the village woman says “Your
true wife. The best woman the village has ever borne. Many curses on you”. Then the woman goes
out. Remi starts to tremble while Omange is looking at the letter. Omange finally says “I
understand. I told you she loved you”. Remi rushes out leaving Omange reading a letter.
Enters Nyobi followed by Pastor all searching for Thoni. Nyobi blames Remi’s education. She
even compares that her understanding may be even be better than Remi. Enters Remi followed by
Omange. Remi is confused. Omange wonders what has got Remi. When Nyobi asks pastor to help
Remi, Pastor becomes distressed and goes out. Nyobi turns to Omange to ask him help her son.
Remi confesses his bad deeds to Omange, Nyobi and all people.
Soon drum beats are heard in the slow rhythm at a distance and a procession of elders and women
led by the leader come into the stage. Four men carry Thoni’s body on a stretcher. They put it
down and stop to the side. The Pastor steps forward. It is seen that Remi has been trying to solve
problems of the society in a hurried way. He has ended up hurting the society and family members
instead of helping them. It is revealed that Thoni had taken the decision to commit suicide. Pastor
says “Though she took her own life, she was holy, she was of God” (57). Remi kneels beside the
Thoni’s body and he says;
“I wish you had sent the letter earlier.
But I never gave you a chance,
Nor even tried to understand you.
I came back to break tribe and custom,
Instead, I’ve broken you and me” (58)
CHARACTERIZATION
The playwright has created the characters that represent the real life situations. The following are
the characters in the play:
1. REMI
RELATIONSHIP. He is the son of Ngome and Nyobi.
EDUCATION. He is the only one who has attended University
from his village and his tribe.
RELIGIOUS. He is a God-fearing child but he abandons this
behaviour and joins the Nationalist Party.
CHANGE. He likes to attend night clubs with his girlfriend, Jane.
DESTRUCTIVE. He is hurt when he learns that Thoni is going to
marry his brother.
2. OMANGE
FRIENDSHIP. He is Remi’s friend in the city.
TRIBE. He is from another tribe, Njobe tribe.
PROTEST. He also protests against various societal vices.
AWARENESS. Like Remi, he is aware of racism, tribalism and
religious differences.
AWARENESS. He blames Remi for not giving Thoni a chance to
show her love to him.
ADVISER. He also advises Remi to go home. He accompanies
Remi to the village.
RESPONSIBILITY. He blames Thoni for being too quiet instead
of writing earlier to Remi. Omange is more responsible than Remi.
OR
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CHAPTER ONE: THEORY OF LITERATURE
Part One: BASIC CONCEPTS OF LITERATURE
Part Two: DEFINITIONS OF LITERATURE
Part Three: NATURE AND ORIGIN OF LITERATURE
Part Four: LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
Part Five: FUNCTIONS OF LITERATURE
Part Six: FICTION AND NONFICTION
Part Seven: TYPES OF LITERATURE
Part Eight: ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF ‘O’ LEVEL CLASS READERS
HAWA THE BUS DRIVER
KALULU THE HARE
CHAPTER THREE: INTERPRETING SIMPLE POEMS: FORMS
INTRODUCTION
Analysis of ‘WHAT A HUMAN BEING DOES’
Analysis of ‘GOOD HERE! BAD THERE!’
Analysis of ‘THE BUNCH OF BANANA STOOPS WHERE IT IS’
Analysis of ‘MY BROTHER’
CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF NOVELS
PASSED LIKE A SHADOW
UNANSWERED CRIES
CHAPTER FIVE: ANALYSIS OF PLAYS
BLACK HERMIT
THE LION AND THE JEWEL
CHAPTER SIX: ANALYSIS OF POETRY
Part One: Analysis of ‘Song of Lawino’
Part Two: Analysis of ‘Lost Beauty’
Part Three: Analysis of ‘Eat More’
Part Four: Analysis of ‘Ballad of the Landlord’
Part Five: Analysis of ‘If We Must Die’
Part Six: Analysis of ‘Your Pain’
Part Seven: Analysis of ‘An Abandoned Bundle’
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CHAPTER ONE: THEORY OF LITERATURE
Part One: BASIC CONCEPTS OF LITERATURE
Part Two: DEFINITIONS OF LITERATURE
Part Three: NATURE AND ORIGIN OF LITERATURE
Part Four: LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
Part Five: FUNCTIONS OF LITERATURE
Part Six: FICTION AND NONFICTION
Part Seven: TYPES OF LITERATURE
Part Eight: ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF NOVELS
HOUSEBOY
THE LION AND THE JEWEL
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF PLAYS
THE LION AND THE JEWEL
KINJEKETILE
CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF POETRY
Part One: Analysis of ‘Eat More’
Part Two: Analysis of ‘Ballad of the Landlord’
Part Three: Analysis of ‘If We Must Die’
Part Four: Analysis of ‘Your Pain’
Part Five: Analysis of ‘An Abandoned Bundle’
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Reference
Ngugi wa Thiong’o (1968) Black Hermit, East African Educational Publishers LTD, Nairobi.
Emmanuel Alkado Kachele (Manny Kachele) is a UDOM Alumni and a teacher who has been
teaching English language and Literature for both Private and Government Secondary Schools
since 2008. He has taught English Language and Literature in Tuition Centres, Private Schools,
and Government Schools in Rukwa, Iringa, Ruvuma, and Katavi respectively. In general, he has
been known as English language and Literature teacher for ‘O’ Level and ‘A’ level respectively.
He is currently an Educational Blogger and Head of Sibwesa Secondary School in Katavi Region.
Apart from being a blogger, he is active on numerous social media platforms where you can always
get in touch with him anytime. He can answer your questions through: Facebook as Manny
Kachele, Instagram as mannykachele, Twitter as @mannykachele, LinkedIn as Manny Kachele,
and Pinterest as Manny Kachele. He also manages the following Facebook Pages: Manny Kachele
& Kachele Online as well as one Facebook Group: English bit by bit.
He has now founded his own blogs; Kachele Online Blog and English Bit by Bit Blog so that
he can share more materials with the students and the teachers as well. He also runs the blog
Kachele Diary Blog where he shares his passion for diary keeping life.