Racial Discrimination and Subjugation of African Native: A Postcolonial and Colonial Analysis of Weep not Child

Abstract

The primary aim of this study is to explore both colonial and postcolonial themes in Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s novel Weep Not, Child. Specifically, the research focuses on how racial discrimination functioned as a tool for the subjugation of native Kenyans during British colonial rule. By analyzing the binary opposition of "us" versus "them" imposed by the colonizers, this study highlights how the British failed to improve the lives of the indigenous population, instead serving the interests of imperial power. The research addresses a critical gap in existing literature by offering a dual lens—colonial and postcolonial—on the mechanisms of domination depicted in the novel. Employing postcolonial theory, which seeks to examine the cultural, political, and social impacts of European colonialism from the 18th to 20th centuries, the study situates the text within a broader historical context. This theoretical framework underscores the idea that the legacies of imperialism remain central to understanding global systems today. As Frantz Fanon observed, “For colonialism, this vast continent was the haunt of savages” (On National Culture), illustrating the dehumanizing perceptions held by colonizers. Ultimately, the research concludes that colonialism led to the psychological and social disenfranchisement of Kenyans, who lost hope for a better future due to the racialized structures embedded within colonial society.