CHARACTERIZATION
NJANGO
She is the central character of the play.
She is a protagonist.
She is the mother of WANJIRO.
She is a widow since her husband was killed in the forest during the MAU MAU movement.
She engages herself in petty (small business)
Eg. She is selling soup
Her house is made of cardboards and she shares the floor with the daughter as a bed.
She is tribalism for example she is against inter tribe marriages.
She is abandoned by her daughter Wanjiro who decides to elope with Asinjo.
She warns or advice Wanjiro to be careful with city boys.
WANJIRO.
She is the daughter of Njango.
She is naturally beautiful but not smart due to poverty.
She has not been sent to school due to her brother.
She loves ASINJO and wants to marry him but she faces protest from her mother.
She helps her mother in domestic activities like fetching water sweeping, selling soup.
She is unhappy with the poor life of living in the slums and wants to go with ASINJO.
She admires wearing like white people and walks like European lady.
She finally goes to marry Asinjo.
STRANGER
He is an activist who does not live in the slums.
He conscientious people about their rights and makes people/slum dwellers aware of humiliation, exploitation and demolition of slums.
He is aware that in order to succeed, there should be strong determination, organised struggles and unity.
He is courageous since he remained alone when others ran away until is arrested by the police officer. For making people to be involved in violence and civil disobedience.
SHOE MAKER
He is one of the slum dwellers.
He is illiterate and never knows about his age.
He is married to one wife with five children.
He was among the freedom fighters in the forest.
He earns living through repairing of shoes.
He protests against the new government's discussions to demolish the slums.
1st CUSTOMER
He is among the slum dwellers.
He buys soups at Njango's place.
He suggests that they should hold the meeting with strangers
He believes in magic power and Thinks that the stranger can perform his magic. He is a coward.
He tells the people at the meeting that the police are coming and cautions them that they have batons (guns).
2nd CUSTOMER
He is another person who buys soup at Njango's place.
He also protest/complains about the price of soup to Njango.
He believes that stranger has magic to save them.
He is a coward, E.g he tells others to run and he runs away.
3rd CUSTOMER
He is also a slum dweller and buys soup at Njango's place.
He also protests against slum demolition.
He supports the stranger.
He encourages people to accept what the stranger is says and stands firm.
He is also courageous like the stranger.
INSPECTOR KIONGO
He works with the city council Health department.
He reminds people in UHURU market to move away since the slums are going to be demolished in order to implement the the clean city campaign.
He is not among the slum dwellers.
He is among the few people who enjoy the National cake, living a good life.
He helps in forcing the people to move from slums.
He drives Njango out of her hut.
ASINJO
He is a young man from another tribe.
He loves Wanjiro and wants to marry her.
He was chased away and insulted and chased away by Njango because she does not want him to marry her duaghter.
He tells Wanjiro tha he is a Tax driver.
He convinces Wanjiro to go away with him and ignore her mother claiming she is old and ignorant.
TINSMITH
He is also a slim dweller who lives in poor life.
He is illiterate.
He is not sure of his age EG. He came to the city but does not remember when exactly.
He tells the journalist that he has done many jobs including cooking, washing and sweeping.
He cooked the for white people during the war and after the war.
He has a terrible experience in his life that involved sleeping in shop-verandas, trenches and in public latrines.
JOURNALIST:
He reports different events in the society. EG. Government's decisions to demolish the slums, people's reaction against demolition of slums.
He is not among the slum dwellers.
POLICE OFFICER:
He is among the people in the civil services.
He arrests the stranger for making people to involve in violence and civil disobedience.
THEMES
A theme is the main idea or subject in the work of art.
In “In This Time Tomorrow” by Ngugi wa Thion'go several themes can be analyzed and discussed. These themes includes protest, tribalism, poverty, betrayal, conflict, colonial legacy, building the future, illusion, disillusionment, social differences (stratification), awareness, environment sanitation, ignorances e.t.c.
Author Name
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Chapisha Maoni