Misunderstood Saviours: Messianic Portraits in the Gospel of Luke and Ngugi's the River Between

Redeeming a society, and bearing its burden, can be a gruelling mission. It becomes even more demanding when one’s mission is misconstrued. Beyond the dangers that such arduous tasks attract, the saviour must demonstrate the urgency of his mission and the need for solidarity in executing it. Unfettering societies from impending danger calls for great personality. In this study, I employ a post-modern intertextual literary theory in my critical analysis of the artistic vision projected in Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s The River Between. I argue that Ngugi’s novel leverages the messianic portraits in the Gospel of Luke in its characterisation of the protagonist, Waiyaki. Waiyaki’s call for unity, a political vision that is geared towards redemption, is mistaken for betrayal. Through his downfall, outright rejection by members of the tribe, which is presented more like that of a tragic heroism of Christ, the novel suggests that these divisions, internal rivalries, tribal squabbles, supremacy battles and the quest for selfish gains culminated in delays in the liberation struggle in Kenya. Kabonyi’s evidently pronounced determination to outdo Waiyaki derails genuine efforts towards cultural reconciliation. What is most compelling about Ngugi’s ‘saviour’ narrative in this novel is his juxtaposition of Christian and indigenous promises of redemption.