Parallels Between Characters

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Pages: 2

Parallels between the main characters in The River Between and Cry, The Beloved Country Patton and Ngũgĩ express similar desires for their main characters, although in different circumstances. Kumalo and Waiyaki both feel that educating their people is the best way to prepare them for the interactions in the white man’s world. Kumalo is rudely awakened by the elements in Johannesburg and realizes that “they must be prepared for life in any place to which they might go” (120). Similarly, Waiyaki knows it is important for his people to learn the ways of the white man in order to survive and keep his heritage alive. By Waiyaki going to Siriana for schooling and Kumola traveling to Johannesburg in search of his relatives, they both experience