The primary theme of The River Between, as indicated by title, is unity and division. Ngugi wa Thiong'o portrays the vast rifts within Gikuyu society and the people’s struggles to move past them. These are related to the themes of autonomy and self-determination in contrast to colonialism. In Ngugi’s novel, British colonial control is eroding the values and principles that had made the Gikuyu strong. The author presents a society in which many features of traditional culture are retained but others were replaced by Western customs and institutions. Another theme, that of tradition versus modernity, is thus presented and is closely connected to the theme of religion. The underlying political divisions are tightly connected to Christian missionization. The characters of Waiyaki (who is devoted to perpetuating traditional religion) and Joshua (who has converted to Christianity) represent these differences. Most of the themes are carried through the Romeo and Juliet-type love story between Waiyaki and Nyambura, Joseph’s daughter.
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