THE SUMMARY OF THE PLAY "THIS TIME TOMORROW" BY NGUGI WA THIONG'O

 

ANALYSIS OF THE PLAYS

TITLE: THIS TIME TOMORROW

SETTING: KENYA AFTER INDEPENDENCE AT UHURU MARKET IN NAIROBI CITY

 

PLOT SUMMARY

 

The whole play is organised in only one act. The scene breaks by the conversation between a journalist and the editor who are typing an article. The journalist finishes typing and re-reads it. He explains how the whole incident took place, where the city council warriors demolished slums at the shanty-town near the country Bus Terminus. The place is usually a busy place but on that day nobody was seen. This was a Clean –The City Campaign.

We are told of Njango’s shelter made of Cardboard and rotting tins. Njango and Wanjiro share the floor as a bed just beside the small wall. Njango tries to wake up Wanjiro who is still snoring so that she may help her with the morning chores. She has to prepare the soup for the morning customers like Githua, Macharia, Gitina and others. Wanjiro wakes up and tells her mother the dream she had. She had seen in her dream the shacks being carried away by the floods.

Wanjiro begins sweeping and wonders why the city is so quite. She expresses how she is tired of the familiar scenes and sounds around. She says that she never saw these things before she heard the stranger speak. She remembers Asinjo the man she loves and wonders why her mother drove him away.

The journalist continues with his narration as people begin waking up. He was recording his news. Wanjiro says that the village is waking up but the birds are hardly awake. That statement annoys her mother. She speaks to Wanjiro in a serious tone that birds do not have to kill themselves in order to live, they don’t need money to buy food, they don’t buy clothes neither do they pay school fees. Wanjiro is also annoyed by her mother’s statement since she (Wanjiro) does not have good clothes neither does she go to school. She considers her mother’s words as a mockery to her since her brother was taken to school but she was not. Additionally she is angry due to the fact that she is not given good clothes like other girls around to the point that she is ashamed to walk in the streets.

Njango is annoyed even more and wonders why Wanjiro talks to her in such a manner. She reminds her how she had trouble rising her up. Wanjiro calms down and wishes she had better gone away with Asinjo. Njango warns her that a man from another tribe cannot protect her. She also warns her not to trust men from the city because they mistreat their mistresses even kill them. Wanjiro wished Asinjo would come for her. Njango threatens her never to mention him again- a man from another tribe.

Wanjiro describes how she wishes to have nice dresses like the one she saw in the city and almost stole it. She says that the stranger had told them that the city belongs to them; the shops, the factories and everything. Her mother says it’s only for a chosen few. They talk of how the stranger had led the delegation to the city Council, since they were given only few days to move away. She wonders why her mother would call such a man as a cheat and a loafer.

Wanjiro asks her mother whether they are going to pull down their house but Njango says that she is not going to move. Njango tells Wanjiro not to talk about the stranger because her father used to talk like that and it cost him his life. They were captured and he was shot dead by the Whiteman.

The journalist continues his narrative that as the day broke people began engaging in their daily activities. Tinsmiths beating their tins, and the buses vomited a lot of people. He followed them and joined the populace for a cup of soup. Shortly the customers were at Njango’s hut for soup. As usual she keeps on shouting calling more customers while others are already taking their soup. Inspector Kiongo enters speaking from a loudspeaker telling the people who dwell in Uhuru Market that a month given to them is over and by 12:00 that day all the shacks had to be demolished.

The journalist comes in and takes some photos and begins to interview people to get their views on the story. The tinsmith explains how he had had hard time making a living before and after independence. Njango complains why Kiongo has changed while he used to be her good customer but now he sees himself as a king. The journalist interviews the shoemaker who also complains on how they have been betrayed because he was also an active member of the Party and they fought for freedom having taken an oath and sung patriotic songs.

“Even if they deride me, and beat me and kill me,

“They shall never make me forget

 “This is a black man’s country.

He was even sent to Manyani concentration camp and came back home after the emergency but no jobs and no land for him. After a brief chat they decide to hold a meeting with the stranger who is believed to have magic power to blind the eyes of the City Council Members. They all leave but Wanjiro is left alone. In her opinion she would like the stranger not to work his magic so that they can move from those slums. She remembers Asinjo who she says is the only man who told her she was beautiful and used to touch her breasts.

Suddenly, Asinjo comes and Wanjiro welcomes him warmly. He gives out a 10/= shillings note and she is so surprised and impressed. He says that he is no longer without a job; he is now a taxi-driver. He complains on how Njango used to mistreat him just because he was jobless and from another tribe. He invites Wanjiro to go and live with him in Old Jerusalem where he has got a house. He promises her also to buy her nice dresses and shoes. She asks him to hold on until her mother comes back.

The crowd enters with posters and the stranger addresses them. He says that Uhuru has brought the people who love driving Mercedes Benz and long American cars while the majority starve in the slums. He also tells them that he cannot work magic as they expect. He says the only magic that can work for them is unity. The police appear and all the people run away while the stranger unsuccessfully tries to call them back. The police arrest the stranger for inciting a crowd to violence and civil disobedience. Njango comes back with the memory of her own husband as the sight of the stranger reminded her how her husband was arrested.

Kiongo announces that people must hurry up taking their things from their houses. Wanjiro reports to her mother that she wants to go away with Asinjo but her mother refuses that she cannot marry a man from another tribe and without a job. Wanjiro assures her mother that Asinjo is different, he now has a job and a house and tells her mother that she is old and doesn’t know the ways of the world and the needs of a young woman. She says goodbye to her mother and leaves. Njango is left desperate and Kiongo tells her to hurry up and leave. Njango’s final words are “They are herding us out like cattle. Where shall I go now, tonight? Where shall I be this time tomorrow? If only we had stood up against them! If only we could stand together.” Pg56

 

CHARACTERIZATION

NJANGO

She is a tribalist Njango is a tribalist because she is against inter-tribal marriages. She is still conservative and does not want to welcome changes. When Wanjiro says that she is going away to live with Asinjo, She says to Wanjiro; “With that man? A man from another tribe?”pg 5

 

She is a poor slum dweller. She is among the poor people who are dwelling in the slums at Uhuru market. She sleeps on the floor with her daughter.

She is a Widow. We are told that her husband was captured and shot like a dog by the Whiteman. 

She is a hot-tempered and strict mother. She often treats Wanjiro harshly. E.g. in page 37 she says “Other girls rise up before the sun to help with morning chores. This one snores like a pig. I will truly pinch your fat nose or drench your face with cold water”. Also she threatens Wanjiro every time she mentions Asinjo. E.g. in page 56 she says “No child of mine, from my own flesh, will sell her body. I’ll break her bones, else she break mine first”.

She is a petty businesswoman. She earns a living by selling soup to slum dwellers. As one of her customers comments, “Give me another mug of soup. You got to be taught to live in this market city”. Pg 45

 She is a Hardworking mother. She wakes up early in the morning daily and prepares the soup to sell to the morning customers.

She is a Traditionalist. This can be proved from the way she denies Wanjiro to marry a man from another tribe, she believes that a man from a different tribe cannot protect her daughter. Also she sent her son to his uncle to attend school but retained Wanjiro because she is a girl. This is an outdated tradition.

 

 

WANJIRO

She is lazy and stubborn. Unlike other girls who wake up early to help their mothers, Wanjiro is so lazy and always stubborn to her mother. She likes good life but doesn’t want to work hard. Njango complains “What a heavy load of flesh, this brat will surely kill me. Other girls rise up before the sun to help with morning chores. This one snores like a pig”.

She is so inquisitive. She asks her mother many questions for knowledge to a point where Njago is annoyed. In page 43 Njago exclaims “You never give me a moment’s peace, do you? What do you want to ask? Not about your city Council I hope?”

She is an avid admirer of western lifestyle. She admires living like Europeans. She wants to marry Asinjo so that she may go to live European-like life in the city. She says “I long for the pleasures of this glittering city. I want a frock. And shoes – high heels – so that I can walk like a European lady. A bag hanging from my left elbow – fingering a cigarette in my right hand.” pg 52

She has true love. Despite the threats and warning from her mother that she should stay away from Asinjo because she cannot marry a man from another tribe, she eloped with Asinjo nevertheless. For her what matters is love and not tribes.

She runs away from problems. Wanjiro believes that running away from problems is a way of solving them. She runs away with Asinjo as a way of avoiding the poor condition at home. She says to her mother “I am going with him! You are old. You don’t know the ways of the world or the needs of a young woman” pg 55

She is less obedient to her mother. Wanjiro is not obedient to her mother as she likes arguing with her. She doesn’t listen to what her mother is telling her. That’s why she elopes with Asinjo despite her mother’s warnings.

She is a victim of women discrimination. She is not sent to school just because she is a girl but her brother was sent to their uncle to attend school. She complains “Where is my brother? You sent him to my uncle in the country so that he might attend school. Me, you kept here to work for you” pg 39

She lives a poor life. Wanjiro lives in an impoverished neighbourhood where they share a floor as a bed with her mother. She even desires good dresses but due to poverty she is unable to get one. She is even tempted to steal. In her own words she says “Two days ago I saw a dress in the city. I wanted it, so much, I almost stole it”. Pg 41

She is not educated. Wanjiro is not sent to school unlike her brother.

She is beautiful but not smart. She is a beautiful lady but due to poor living condition at her home she appears not smart. That is one reason she loves Asinjo because he is the only one who acknowledges her beauty despite the fact that she has no nice dresses. She says “Asinjo was different though. Used to touch my breasts. He even said I was beautiful. I felt such a joy – the first time” pg 50

 

 

ASINJO

He is a taxi driver. He drives a tax in Nairobi city. He says “I am no longer without a job. I am a tax-driver” pg. 50

He is westernised. He too believes that tribal differences should not form barriers in marriage. He comments that Njango is only an old woman who doesn’t know the ways of the world or the needs of a young woman.

He elopes with Wanjiro. Finally Wanjiro leaves her lonely mother and goes to live with Asinjo.

He has true love for Wanjiro. Despite being threatened by Wanjiro’s mother he kept on visiting her. Moreover, after getting the job many girls want him but his love is still with Wanjiro. He says “I have now got a good job, and many girls want me. If I did not love you would I have come back after all these names your mother called me?”

He is an agent for change. He is anti-tribalism as he tried to show that tribal differences should not be an obstacle in modern relationships. What matters is whether the two parties love each other,

 

STRANGER

He is an activist. He makes a speech to awaken people about their rights and the importance of unity if they want to get their rights.

He is sympathetic. At first he was reluctant to lead the delegation to the city council. But when men showed him the notice that they had been given only a few days to move away and women wept in front of him he agreed to lead the delegation.

He is against oppression, humiliation and exploitation. He is using his intellect to help the slum dwellers get their rights by acting as their representative.

He is betrayed by the slum dwellers. When the police appear at the meeting ground all the slum dwellers run away leaving him alone to be arrested by the police as he tries unsuccessfully to call them back.

He believes in unity and not in magic power. The slum dwellers believed that he can use the magic powers to blind the eyes of the City Council, but he assures them that the only magic that can work on their favour is unity.

He is courageous and agent for change. He is among the freedom fighters that fought the white men in the forests. He is still determined to fight for the rights of poor citizen. Even when all the slum dwellers run away he does not run away.

He is arrested by the police and charged of inciting a crowd to violence and civil disobedience.

 

INSPECTOR KIONGO

He is a City Council officer. He works in the City council in the Health Department. Pg 46

He is in charge of the Clean the City Campaign. He says that the city has to be cleaned by demolishing the slums since they are a great shame on the city and the tourists from America, Britain and West Germany are disgusted with the dirty of the city. Pg 46

He is a betrayer. Initially he was a member of the Youth Wing, and a good customer of Njango’s soup. But when he becomes a City Council officer he betrays them and drives them away. Njango says “Is that not Kiongo? He used to come here – every lunch time. A bowl of soup and a fleshy bone, and he would go away all thanks and gratitude....Now he is a king – a king!” pg47-48

He has no mercy. He conducts the Clean-The -City Campaign by mercilessly demolishing the slums but does not allocate an alternative settlement for the slum dwellers. That is why Njango keeps wondering “They are herding us out like cattle, where shall I go now, tonight? Where shall I be, this time tomorrow?” pg 56

 

SHOEMAKER

He is a slum dweller. He is among the poor people who are living in the slums because when he came back from the detention camp their land was taken and he had no job.

 He is illiterate. He is unable to tell his own age age.

He is an ex-freedom fighter and active member of the ruling Party. He went to fight for freedom and was arrested and sent to Manyani Concentration Camp.

He is a shoemaker. He earns a living by mending shoes.

He is willing to move but the government should first show him a place to go.

 

TINSMITH

He works as a tinsmith. He earns his daily bread by making and selling water-tins, pangas, jembes, braziers etc

He is illiterate. He doesn’t even know his age or the year he came to live at Uhuru market. The journalist asks him his age; he answers “Age? Fifty, sixty, I cannot say. Pg 46. When he is asked about the year he came to Uhuru market, he says “When? Let me count – one, two, three, oh, many years ago. Pg 47.

He has done many jobs during the war of independence and after it. He has worked as a, cook; cooking, washing and sweeping. He worked as a porter with the Railway and Harbour.

He is among the poor slum dwellers. Because of the terrible experiences he went through including sleeping on the shop-verandas, in trenches, public latrines etc, being moved from place to place by the police and hunger, he finally found a place in Uhuru market and started his trade there.

 

INTRODUCTION/TITLE OF THE BOOK

This book is entitled “This Time Tomorrow”. The title is a reflection of the future life of the people who live at Uhuru Market.

1.      Njango is asking herself, ‘Where Shall I Be This Time Tomorrow?” This shows her state of disappointment when the city council decides to demolish their slums. She has nowhere to go.

2.      Njago’s voice represents all slum dwellers whose slums were demolished. They are all wondering where they are going to spend their future lives because the slums have been their only home. Their land was taken when they were fighting for independence. E.g. The shoemaker says “It is not that I don’t want to move. But the government should give me a place to go” pg 48

 

SETTING

The setting is Kenya after independence. The specific setting is Uhuru Market in Nairobi city. However, the setting can represent many African countries because; Demolition of slums is a common phenomenon in most unplanned African cities.

STYLE

The playwright has employed a number of techniques in his play.

The play is largely presented in a dialogue although there are few cases of monologue/narration where the journalist narrates the events. Also the playwright used a flashback when a tinsmith narrates his past life before independence.

He has used the language of journalism where the journalist writes his article and tries to read it. But also the journalist interviews people to get their views on the story of demolition of the slums.

Moreover he has made use of a song which the freedom fighters sang;

“Even if they deride me, and beat me and kill me,

“They shall never make me forget

“This is a black man’s country.

 

To further enrich his style, he has used the language of advertisement. This occurs in two ways; one it is used when making public announcement for a meeting.

  “A meeting! A meeting! Everybody – to the meeting at once. Long live Uhuru Market Long live Uhuru Market.” Pg 49.

But also when Inspector Kiongo announces “This is inspector Kiongo of the City Council Health Department. I remind all those that dwell in these places that today was the date I gave your last delegation.... pg 46

Additionally, it is used to advertise a business.

“Soup for twenty cents. Soup for twenty cents.

Soup to build your bones.

Soup is cheap here today.”

 

LANGUAGE USE

The playwright has used simple language with full of figures of speech. Some of them are outlined below.

Symbolism

Filthy mushrooms symbolises the poor houses/slums. Pg 35

Allusion

Suddenly one was back in the days of Joshua when the legendary walls of Jericho came tumbling down pg 36.(referring to Jericho in the Bible)

And forgive us our sins. We are late for our morning soup. Pg 45 (referring to the Lord’s Prayer in the Bible)

Synecdoche

Not a human soul was in sight. Pg 36 (Meaning no any human being was present)

Simile

The terminus normally full of beehive activities was now as quiet as the Kalahari or Sahara desert. Pg 36

Njango and Wanjiro share the floor as a bed. Pg 36

This one snores like a pig pg 36

Asinjo has eyes like the stranger. Pg 39

 

Metaphor

(Wanjiro) What a heavy load of flesh. Pg 36

(Human voices) It was another house of Babel. Pg 44

(soup) Our daily bread. Pg 45

 

Imagery

Image of sight

Bones, decaying meat, white maggots, tins, paper, broken pots etc. Pg 37

Tactile image. (Image of touch)

A smooth skin pg 41

Olfactory image (image of smell)

The tantalizing smell of meat. Pg 45

Once or twice I slept in public latrines: Phew! The smell, Pg 47

 

Saying

You sleep God’s sleep Pg 37 (sleeping as though you are dead)

Njango you old whore, you know how to milk your men. pg 45

 

Personification

Dawn found us there. Pg 37

Just now noise is dead in the city. Pg 38

The village was waking up. Pg 39

Fleets of buses from the country vomited out people ... who streamed away in every direction like disturbed safari ants. Pg 44

Long live Uhuru Market Long live Uhuru Market. Pg49

 

Rhetorical questions

You speak to me like that? Do you know who I am? Do you? Pg 40.

 

Exaggeration

And such thick lips as big as a mountain. pg 41

So black – blacker than the soot on that pot. Pg 41

 

Onomatopoeia

Phew! The smell, Pg 47

Puuu! His voice makes me spit Pg 47

Cock crowing; chicken cackling. Pg 44

 

THEMES PRESENTED IN THE PLAY THIS TIME TOMORROW

1.     PROTEST

This is one of the themes presented in the play.

Protest means reaction against something or a certain idea. It can be caused by different issues.

Protest is of two types that active and passive protest.

Active or violent protest is the protest that involves the physical confrontation like fighting using fists, guns and spears.

Passive protest is the protest that does not involve the physical confrontation like fighting. Therefore, this is the diplomatic or peaceful means of reacting against something and this may involve the use of songs, writings, demonstration, strikes and boycotts.

In the play, protest is well presented and dominates the whole play and protest is caused by the injustice caused or done by the government, and is presented as follows

i.             Some people like Njango are protesting against new cultural elements or values. In the play Njango is against the new cultural elements such as new dressing styles and this is shown when Wanjiro tells her about the dress that she saw in town and she wanted her to buy it for her and the mother, Njango tells her that she wants to dress like white people. This proves that Njango, the mother of Wanjiro is against new cultural values including the new wearing or dressing style.

ii.            Also some people are protesting against conservatism caused by ignorance of the modern ways of life. In the play Asinjo and Wanjiro are against conservatism done by Njango who don’t want them to marry each other because Asinjo is the man from the other tribe. This is conservatism that is caused by the ignorance of some people like Njango.

iii.          Mass (people) protest against the government, the source of the protest is that the government wants to demolish the slums while it has not shown them where to go.

 

 

2.  BETRAYAL

In the play the government has betrayed the mass or people and that is why they are protest against it. The majority went to the forest so as to fight for the independence but and they were promised good life, like being given good jobs, houses and being given back their alienated land.

But after the independence the new African government has betrayed them, whereby the government has left these people living poor and miserable life in the slums without helping them.

Apart from leaving them in poor houses made up of cardboards and rotting tins, the government wants to demolish the slums and some people like Njango and Wanjiro are sharing floor as bed.

In the play, few people like Inspector Kiongo are enjoying life or national cake, driving Mercedez Benz and long American cars and having good jobs and houses.

 

3.  HUMILIATION OR DEHUMANIZATION

The government humiliates people through implementing their decision to demolish the slums in Uhuru market.

The government demolishes the houses of the slum dwellers without showing them where to go. Because of this humiliation, people strongly protest against it, including Njango who protest against the demolition of slums, when she says

“City council or no City council, Iam not going to move from this place”

 

Shoemaker, also says

“It is not that I don’t want to move, but the government should give a place where to go, why should I move here?... I only wanted to left alone”

This verifies how people feel humiliated by their government especially because of demolishing the slums without showing them where to go and this is inhumanity.

 

4.  NEW CULTURAL VALUE

In the play there is sign of the existence of the new cultural values in the city. Some people including Njango protest against these new cultural elements while others support them, especillay the young one, who have accepted those new ways of life such as new dressing style which is being admired by Wanjiro the daughter of Njango.

 

5.  INTER-TRIBAL MARRIAGES

Some people, especially the old ones such as Njango  do not want the young or youth from the other tribes to marry in their tribes.

Njango is against Wanjiro’s decision to marry Asinjo since is the man from the other tribe. Njango doesnot trust him because he is from the other tribe and he is not having a job. This shows how some people like Njango are tribalist, and this is shown when Njango says.

“With that man? A man from the other tribe? A man without job?”

 

6.  LAND ANNEXATION

The land has been taken from the Africans, and this is from colonial time to independence. The people fought for independence and got it but even after attaining the independence things have not changed, whereby the land is in the hands of few people. This is clearly shown when the shoemaker says

“I came home after emergency, no job no land either”

Stanger “We fought for the land where is the land”

 

7.  TRIBALISM

Tribalism is shown in the play where some people like Njango are presented to be tribalist. In the play Njango don’t want Asinjo to marry Wanjiro since is the man from the other tribe.

 

8.  DISUNITY

In the play, it’s shown that people are not united, and that the reason they fail to attain their goal of protesting against the demolition of slums by the government. In the play the stranger tells the slum dwellers to be united and fight against the decision of the city council to demolish their slums.

At the first, they seem to be united, but in the face of the police men, they start disappearing. Disunity is the reason that makes people to fail attain what they want in their daily life as happened in the play.

 

MESSAGES

      Unity is very important in any struggle. United we stand divided we fall.

      The government officers should allocate alternative settlement for the citizens before they give them eviction orders (notice).

      Tribalism is an outdated custom so it should be stopped.

      Both boys and girls should be give equal rights to education.

      The ruling class should consider the welfare of the masses. (the majority)

      Betrayal is not good in any society that wants to develop.

      Illiteracy and ignorance are obstacles and enemies to development. We should fight against these enemies.

      Classes in the society create unnecessary conflicts and hinder development of the oppressed.

      We should not believe in superstitions and magic power because it is an outdated custom.

      People must be aware of their rights and the practical ways to fight for their rights.

      Youths should listen to the advice given to them by their parents.

      Youths should not be fooled by the pleasures of the city, but they should fight for their future.

      You cannot succeed if you are not working hard.

 

RELEVANCE

The book is relevant to most African countries as shown below;

Ö        Land alienation and demolition of the unplanned settlements is a common phenomenon in expanding African Cities. This is seen even in Dar-es-Salaam City where demolition is done on regular basis to improve infrastructure like roads and railways, to provide room for city planning, to set up social services like water pipes, high voltage electric lines, building hospitals, schools, industries, or giving land to the investors.

Ö        Tribalism is also prevalent in countries like Kenya where even the General election is held on the basis of the candidates’ tribes. Voters vote for someone from their own tribes.

Ö        Illiteracy rate is very high in developing countries. Most people don’t know how to read and write so it is very hard to understand the development plans that are in papers.

Ö        In some societies the girl-child is still denied the access to education because of her gender. Only boys are sent to school because they are believed to be the ones to take over the family responsibilities when the parents are old or gone.

Ö        There are classes in all societies. The ruling class comprising of those in power (Chosen few) in most countries is enjoying the national cake, while the majority are suffering and starving in slums.

Ö        There are many people in Africa who are suffering from colonial hangovers. They admire western lifestyle, dresses, foods, music, cars, and the general western life.

 

Prepared by:

Emily A Mwambola

Tel: 0757290816

Email: emilyam016@gmail.com