The River Between Ngugi Wa Thiong'o's novel, The River Between, tells the story of two tribes who have very different beliefs at their core . However, even though they agree on very few things, there are still people who believe in peace and unity. The conflict between the two villages centers on the traditional Gikuyu belief system and the Christianity brought by white settlers. Researching Ngugi's opinion on Christian missions and Christianity allows us to see through who his protagonists and antagonists are and what they represent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayJoshua is the character who embodies Christian beliefs as he is unwavering and uncompromising about his faith. In a frank manner, he speaks out against the customs of the tribe, which may give us insight into the negative feelings of the Ngugi towards the introduction of Christianity in the villages. On the other hand, we see that the Chege, originally from Kameno, represents the Gikuyu tradition and is represented in a more positive light: "Makuyu was now the home of Christians while Kameno remained the home of all that was beautiful in the tribe. » (54) Chege is described as being calm even in the face of difficult times, where Joshua represents hatred and extremism. Chug is passionate about Gikuyu beliefs, but Joshua is more radical and threatening. This shows how the characters and what they represent stand out from each other. However, there is a difference between Ngugi manifesting anti-Christian motivations and anti-Christianity in the villages. It appears to describe the dangers that will result from the two villages merging, which explains why Waiyaki failed to bring the two groups together. Ngugi opposes the presence of Christianity in the village, seeing the devastating effects it can have on the population, but gives no indication that he is anti-Christianity, as long as it is not imposed on his culture . This also leads one to believe that he does not approve of civilizing missions which impose their religion in the areas they colonize. For the Kameno people, circumcision was central to their culture. It was a long-standing indigenous tradition that symbolized the right of passage for boys and girls into adulthood. After all, for many young people in this culture, their circumcision was something they looked forward to with reverent enthusiasm, as we see in Waiyaki: "It would mark his final initiation into manhood." He would then prove his courage, his virile spirit.” (14) Kameno culture reflects the culture Wanjiku grew up in, where circumcision was central to his culture. Reflecting on her childhood, she talked about how early on they were prepared for circumcision and how much better her life was afterward. He was taught to fear authority and respect his elders, as well as the system and traditions of his culture. Although some cultures may view the strict rules of Wanjiku's culture with fear, she loved her culture and was saddened by the current times. She also talks about the quality of her life after circumcision and the unity she had within her age group. Her thoughts on her culture and life are positive and only become negative when she sees the effects of colonialism on her people. Circumcision is a traditional indigenous rite which is anti-colonial and constitutes a form of resistance against British imperialism. It is also anti-Christian, showing the person becoming "pagan" as they submit to the ritual.Ngugi shows how different the traditions of circumcision are from Christian principles: “For Nyambura had learned and knew that circumcision was a sin. It was a pagan rite from which she and her sister had been saved. A daughter of God should never let even the slightest thought of circumcision enter her mind. (23) Ngugi states that he believes one cannot believe in circumcision and keeping cultural traditions while also believing in Christianity and colonialism. He must have had a similar fear and hatred towards Christian missionaries as experienced by Wanjiku. The first time Wanjiku mentions the missionaries, she talks about how they told her people to forget their culture and move to British Christian culture. She also goes on to explain that she accuses the missionaries of destroying the traditional values ​​of her people and that there can no longer be unity between people, because when people went to church, they abandoned the traditions. However, Nyambura is the voice of unity on this issue. She believes that one can be circumcised and Christian “Father and mother are circumcised. Are they not Christians? Circumcision did not prevent them from being Christians. I too have embraced the white man's faith. (26) The desire for unity is also expressed by Wanjiku, but in a different way with different goals in mind. She felt oneness with the other woman who had also been circumcised and with the woman in her riika. But Nyambura longed for there to be unity between all groups, not just between people of the same age group, and for there to be unity between those who believed in tradition and those who believed in Christianity . Through her experience of seeing people who went to Church abandon the traditions of her people, she believed that there would no longer be unity and therefore looks at the situation with great sadness. The way Ngugi ends his book provokes various reactions in the reader. The answers are a result of how the reader felt about Waiyaki. One who believed in what he stood for and believed he was the protagonist would not like the ending, knowing that his unity plan was foiled and his ending is unknown, although he leans towards a resolution far to be ideal. But someone who wasn't happy with the way the book unfolded and didn't believe in what Waiyaki stood for or its leaders would enjoy the ending, seeing his plan fall apart. The future of this tribe is unknown and the reader is able to imagine their own future for these people. However, for me, the part of the ending that stands out the most is when we see how guilty and ashamed people are when they think about what they did to Waiyaki. He was their teacher and they looked up to him with respect and looked forward to their future. But they didn't believe in the movement the same way Waiyaki did, which made them blind followers. Perhaps Ngugi is promoting a world where people think for themselves rather than blindly following a powerful leader. People who join movements because they are passionate about them and have the choice to follow a leader or not. Ngugi seemed to believe in movements that could inspire change, but he knew that the movement needed to be led by several passionate people, rather than a single passionate leader. It also takes time for large movements to inspire change, and people can't quickly impose their beliefs on others and expect anything to make a lasting difference. Sometimes a movement passes through multiple leaders and it can take decades or even centuries to bring about real change. With this conviction, we can still look forward to the end of this book with hope,.