Matigari, a novel by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, alludes to the effects of post-colonialism in an African society. In the novel, the main character, Matigari, in search of truth and justice, comes across several cases of these effects. In many ways postcolonialism has left people imprisoned in humiliating and sinful lifestyles. It left natives without resources, forcing them to steal, fight, or sell their bodies to survive. Thiong'o uses the dynamic minor characters Muriuki and Guthera to illustrate the oppressive effects that postcolonialism has had on people's culture, imprisoning them in a degrading lifestyle. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The character Muriuki displays the violent behavior that postcolonialism has forced people to commit in order to survive. Matigari first comes across the boy, Muriuki, in a garbage dump as he is "held by the throat and strangled while fighting over a bundle of shoelaces" (Ngugi 10). Some children “filled their mouths with rotten tomatoes, while others were busy cleaning the bones with their teeth, hoping to find a piece of meat still attached to them” (Ngugi 10). Muriuki, a young boy, clings to the seemingly worthless piece of rope while almost being killed by another boy who also wants it. It was evident that these children had very little as they voraciously filled their mouths with rotten food and violently fought over pieces of garbage. Desperate for basic resources, they have been forced to resort to violence to obtain these small things. Likewise, European colonizers left society as a whole oppressed, with an impoverishment of wealth and resources. Like most children, Muriuiki's clothes “had patches all over, and you could see his toes peeking out of the holes in his shoes” (Ngugi 11), illustrating Muriuki's inability to muster enough resources to dress himself. The colonizers had arrived, taken the communities' resources and then left, leaving them in chaos. Due to this lack of resources, people felt they had to fight to survive. When Matigari first travels through the landfill, the children “hit him with stones” (Ngugi 12). The children, robbed many times by adults, considered it essential to use force to keep them away. The colonizers had deprived the Kenyan people of resources, forcing them to protect their possessions even at the cost of resorting to violence. Furthermore, the landfill was a “huge hole fenced with barbed wire” (Ngugi 9). Barbed wire fences, usually intended for animals, aim to keep them trapped inside. In this case, the children are surrounded by the fence while at the landfill, further illustrating how the children were trapped in this humiliating lifestyle. The children had been unwittingly imprisoned in a lifestyle where they had to commit violence to maintain basic survival needs. Furthermore, Muriuki demonstrated a change in social structure through his imprisonment in a life of violence. As Matigari plans to rebel against the government, Muriuki begs to accompany him, "already imagining himself wearing a gun" (Ngugi 12). Muriuki, tired of the oppressive nature of colonialism, eagerly tries to fight against the government, a government established by the colonizers. A young boy normally has a sense of innocence, yet acts in the opposite way, displaying violent and aggressive behavior. This is not something you typically see within a company. THEChildren do not often imagine themselves with deadly weapons, ready to fight the government, but, due to the strident oppression, they more than willingly try to fight their oppressors. This meant a change in social structure, which involved children fighting violently. Kenyan culture typically involved a non-violent and peaceful lifestyle; however, it was clear that this cultural norm had been lost. Later in the novel, after Matigari disappears into the river and is presumed dead, Muriuki digs up Matigari's weapons from under the mugumo tree. Muriuki “put the cartridge belt on his chest. He passed the sword strap over the right shoulder and chest so that the sword lay on the left side… and finally took out the AK47” (Ngugi 148). Muriuki realizes that the only way to fight oppression is through violence, so he gathers Matigari's deadly weapons and prepares to fight. Normally an adult would fill this soldier role. However, colonialism had changed the social structure within the African community. Children, like Muriuki, were forced into these violent positions in society because no one else would. Children were the only ones who could see the possibility of a better life and the only way to achieve it was through violence. Because of this, they felt they had to step up and take on adult roles that brought about change within society. Thiong'o also condemns post-colonialism through Guthera's imprisonment in a demeaning, capitalist-imposed lifestyle. Guthera initially “aimed at doing no evil” (Ngugi 28). This meant that Guthera strived to never commit a sin, however, at a young age she is given a stern ultimatum: sleep with a police officer or watch her father die. Intent on preserving her innocence, she refuses and her father is killed. After that, tormented by many torments, she decided to “walk the streets” (Ngugi 28). Although he had broken his commandment of immorality, it was the first time he “could feed and clothe his children” (Ngugi 36). Realizing this satisfaction, Guthera decided to become a “man hunter” (Ngugi 31). With the introduction of a capitalist economic system by the Europeans, people relied on a new currency and became dependent on this new form of money, which caused them to do terrible things for it. Guthera sold her body to men for money, a highly sinful and irrespectable act. She didn't like this lifestyle, but it was her last and only resort because she had no other means of making money. She and her family couldn't survive if she didn't earn money, so she resorted to prostitution. Guthera was not physically imprisoned in a cell, but metaphorically trapped in a lifestyle of sexual exploitation. Later in the novel, while discussing her problems with Matigari, Guthera states that "her problems have led her off the path of righteousness" (Ngugi 30). Guthera, a once very religious girl, is well aware of the sins she commits. He once swore never to break his heavenly commandments; however, she is still forced to break them to survive and escape postcolonial rule. He realizes that the life he is “leading is not that of a human being. It was more like that of an animal” (Ngugi 118). He compares his life to that of an animal, illustrating the humiliating nature of his profession. Postcolonialism had imprisoned her in this degrading lifestyle focused solely on survival. Instead of enjoying life through family, holidays and traditions, Guthera was forced to devote her time to finding money for.