Unbowed, a Memoir; Character Study
Unbowed: a memoir; Character Study
As the author, Wangari Maathai tells us “The experiences of childhood are what mold us and make us who we are. How you translate the life you see, feel smell and touch as you grow up—the water you drink, the air you breathe and the food you eat—are what you become.” (Page 52) It is no surprise given this way of thinking that the people in our childhood also make an enormous impact on our lives, especially our parents. Wangari’s father, Muta Njugi, was named after his own great grandfather. He played a very influential role in her life where the society they both knew was patriarchal. Wangari’s father was tall. He measured in at well over six feet and had a very muscular build. He used a very authoritative voice to maintain himself as a dominating force in the household. His physical strength was legendary enough so that the older members of the community would comment to Wangari with stories like: “You’re father was so strong, he didn’t need the jack to change the wheel of his car.” (Page 12) Men knew not to pick a fight with Muta, he never lost. Although his father would not have gone to school, he saw to it that his children did if only for a few years. Muta owned land in Ihithe on the Kikuyu reserve. Some of this land he bought and some he had inherited from his father who purchased it when he migrated from a nearby village. Muta was a man who used his enginuity as often as his physical talents. He was part of the first generation of Kenyans to leave their homes and families behind to find jobs and accumulate money. In 1943 Wangari and her mother would join him in Nakuru about 100 miles away where he worked as a driver and mechanic on the farm of a British settler named Mr. Neylan. When independence came many British settlers sold their land to local people. A tribute to Muta’s character, Mr. Neylan decided to give him 25 acres of the farm as a gift. Muta held a special regard for Mr. Neylan that presented him
As the author, Wangari Maathai tells us “The experiences of childhood are what mold us and make us who we are. How you translate the life you see, feel smell and touch as you grow up—the water you drink, the air you breathe and the food you eat—are what you become.” (Page 52) It is no surprise given this way of thinking that the people in our childhood also make an enormous impact on our lives, especially our parents. Wangari’s father, Muta Njugi, was named after his own great grandfather. He played a very influential role in her life where the society they both knew was patriarchal. Wangari’s father was tall. He measured in at well over six feet and had a very muscular build. He used a very authoritative voice to maintain himself as a dominating force in the household. His physical strength was legendary enough so that the older members of the community would comment to Wangari with stories like: “You’re father was so strong, he didn’t need the jack to change the wheel of his car.” (Page 12) Men knew not to pick a fight with Muta, he never lost. Although his father would not have gone to school, he saw to it that his children did if only for a few years. Muta owned land in Ihithe on the Kikuyu reserve. Some of this land he bought and some he had inherited from his father who purchased it when he migrated from a nearby village. Muta was a man who used his enginuity as often as his physical talents. He was part of the first generation of Kenyans to leave their homes and families behind to find jobs and accumulate money. In 1943 Wangari and her mother would join him in Nakuru about 100 miles away where he worked as a driver and mechanic on the farm of a British settler named Mr. Neylan. When independence came many British settlers sold their land to local people. A tribute to Muta’s character, Mr. Neylan decided to give him 25 acres of the farm as a gift. Muta held a special regard for Mr. Neylan that presented him