Thinking activity : Petals of Blood

 This activity is a part of my academic writing...

Neo colonialism : with reference to Petals of Blood

Petals of Blood (1977) deals with social and economic problems in East Africa after independence, particularly the continued exploitation of peasants and workers by foreign business interests and a greedy indigenous bourgeoisie.

Explanation of the novel's title

The title Petals of Blood is derived from a line of Derek Walcott's poem 'The Swamp'. The poem suggests that there is a deadly power within nature that must be respected despite attempts to suggest by humans that they live harmoniously with it.

What is Neocolonialism?

It is the practice of using economic imperialism, Globalization, cultural imperialism and conditional aid to influence a developing country instead of the previous colonial methods of direct military control or indirect political control.

Neocolonialism differs from standard globalisation and development aid in that it typically results in a relationship of dependence, subservience, or financial obligation towards the neocolonialist nation. 

For example, India was politically under the control of Britishers. The developing country India attained freedom almost after 200 years when most of its resources were used by colonizers.

But in the 20th century period, after the Second World War, a new term erupted known as Neocolonialism. It was a matter of confusion among sociologist as it was likewise colonialism. But later on, it was concluded that neo-colonization is a practice where dominance is present but there is no direct political leadership. For example, a poor country needs some money, and a rich country provides it so in the name of debt former country loses its share of land, resources, and labours too. It was first observed by Kwame Nkrumah, the former president of Ghana at the time when African countries were getting out of Colonization.

Petals of Blood relies heavily on flashbacks, using the points of view of the four major characters to piece together previous events. As each character is questioned by the police, the novel takes on certain characteristics of the detective novel, with a police officer trying to ascertain details of their pasts in order to find the murderer of Chui, Kimeria, and Mzigo.The flashbacks also encompass several different timeframes. The present day action takes place over the course of 10 days; the past events take places over 12 years. Ngugi also discusses Kenya's past, going as far back as 1896, when Kenya was transformed into a colony.

The narrative voice shifts between Munira and the other characters describing the events of their lives, and an omniscient narrator. There is also a suggestion of a communal narrative voice, as Ngugi draws on the mythic past of Kenya to place the novel in a wider context than simply the colonial.This communal voice is at work through the various Gikuyu songs with which Ngugi intersperses the novel; there is a great reliance placed on such songs, which help tell, through the oral tradition of linking of proverbs and fables, the history of Ilmorog and Kenya before colonial intervention.

Thank you...