Ngugi Wa Thiong’o Reader Response

The short stories that I like the most were “Minutes of Glory” and “Wedding at the Cross” because they both have good lessons behind them especially “Wedding at the Cross”.  To me both had sad endings to them, in “Minutes of Glory”, Beatrice had wanted to be someone she wasn’t so bad that she tried fulfilling the lifestyle of a bar- maid, stealing money, and ultimately getting arrested for her crime. The Irony of this story to me was mostly about the colonization of the mind, Beatrice always pointed out her flaws and was never happy with her, but she didn’t realize that the only true happiness she would be blessed with if she would accept who she was.  I personally believe that if Beatrice would have appreciated herself and culture rather than being self-loathing she could have went on with her life in a happy sense rather than getting arrested in the end.  

I can personally relate to “Minutes of Glory” because in the human culture, it is natural to compare and contrast to how one looks and what they have compared to another. Normally I am a laid back easy person to get along with, but my old best friend was more the very pretty almost stuck up kind of girl who had many guy friends and people who wanted to be like her. In the end I was around her all the time that I found that I was comparing myself to her almost to the point of being her, but instead of learning a lesson by going to jail, I lost friends because they couldn’t stand what I had become. I had to figure out that I didn’t have to conform in order to be happy but I did have to realize that my individuality and life was more important.  

Overall my Ngugi wa Thiong’o has very good meanings through his short stories by making sure he gets his point across to not become colonized,  and to cherish the original roots you came from and you will be happy and successful in life.