Devil on the Cross

Devil on the Cross, first published in Gikuyu as Caitaani Mutharabaini (1980), is a portrayal of corruption and how it has entrenched itself into the society. The celebration of corruption in all its forms, forces Wariinga, whom despair has driven out of Nairobi back to her home town of Ilmorog, to acknowledge that her life has been nothing more than passive acceptance of corruption itself. In this novel, the ancient rhythms of traditional story-telling are used in counterpoint to written styles. Ngugi provokes with the forces of Brecht, Bunyan, Swift and Beckett.