A Grain of Wheat

The Kikenie Woods are referenced often throughout the narrative of A Grain of Wheat. The woods are a popular gathering place for young people, who dance and play music and pair off into couples. It is in the woods that Gikonyo and Mumbi first share their love for each other. It is also the place Kihika runs off to when he joins up with the fighters, and the scene of his capture, following his betrayal by Mugo. Overall, the woods show the passion and secrecy of the younger generation, as much as the village marketplace represents the seat of commerce and activity for all generations of Thabai.

The grain of wheat is the seed of rebellion, first planted by Waiyaki, whose blood was spilled during an earlier conflict with the British. The seed sprouts with Kihika, who underlines the passage in his Bible from John 12:24: “Verily, verily I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground an die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” Although the present-day action happens in a time of peace for Kenya, the past actions presented in flashback refer to a time of rebellion and intense suffering for many of the Kenyans. Kihika himself is connected with the grain of wheat, and through his revolutionary activities and his ultimate sacrifice in killing Robson and dying for this action, he can be seen as a physical manifestation of this symbol in the story.