Why
Teen Literature is Every Young Person’s Love Story: Ng’ang’a Mbugua’s Angels of the Wild
Review by Dr Larry Ndivo
Average
book readers would easily testify to you how children stories enthralled their
tender minds and tantalised their taste buds thereby setting off their love for
poring through story books. Such persons would passionately and with a lot of
abandon engage you with endless banter on how teen literature helped shape
their world views and contributed immensely in fulfilling their childhood
fantasies. Indeed, it is teen literature which brings the adventurous soul and
spirit of a restless teen to a tranquil moment. Thus, it can be argued that
this is made possible by the vicarious connection of the young mind with the
boundless possibilities in fiction writing.
| Image courtesy of Google Images |
The
key ingredient in teen writing is adventure. Psychologists have fronted the
argument that the human brain is captivated by adventure since, innately, every
human being desires to succumb to a reckless expedition bereft of the laws that
govern human interactions. This would perhaps explain why some people love road
trips, especially random ones that have not been painstakingly planned. It is
this hunger for a sense of escape into the “unknown” that drives our desires to
read adventurous stories. Some call it escapism literally!
Somehow,
the reader imagines that s/he is able to traverse an out of the norm world that
is probably and hopefully inhabited by “aliens”. Besides, teen literature
appeals to young readers because it tends to respond to their immediate
desires. Cornered into a structured adult world of dos and don’ts that hardly
put into consideration their aberrant demands, teens are generally happy to
read stories in which their age mates are heroes and individuals who appear to
have a sense of freewill in their thinking and action – their free spirit like
life dominates.
It
is this freewill and desire to do things in their own way that teens lack. It
brings to mind kids love for the cartoon series Tom and Jerry in which roles are reversed and it appears that the
mouse has clout and outmanoeuvres the cat. In this set up, the kids feel
vindicated because they perceive the possibility of a world in which their hapless
selves would be transformed to powerful individuals who call the shots and
turntables over grownups. It is a world of reversals where laws of nature are
defied and the impossible appear possible.
Mbugua’s
Angels of the Wild may not be a story
of a one-eyed ogre, it is neither a story of sci-fi equipment and destruction
of aliens but it is a story of a young man’s quest to fight for wild animals’
right to life. In his characteristic nature, Mbugua attributes Birgen’s desire
to protect the wild, especially elephants and rhinos, to a dream he has as a young
boy. The dream motif is also found in his other novella Terrorists of the Aberdare. In this dream, a giant bird talks to Birgen
and offers to take him for a ride because it wants to show him something;
thereby arousing both Birgen and the reader’s curiosity. On this particular
journey, Birgen witnesses first-hand the brutal massacre of an elephant and the
callous extraction of its tasks.
The
horrendous act fills Birgen with indignation. He is appalled by humans’ ravenous
appetite for wild game and trophies without thinking about the decimation of
the animals. Birgen can hardly conceptualise of a world without this nature’s
beauty. He tries to think of a generation being taught in a history class of a
species of animals that have become extinct and his soul is filled with extreme
sadness. He vows to fight poaching. However, his noble quest is overtaken by
events when he finds himself encased in a web of intricate activities that sees
Birgen branded “Poachers” by his schoolmates. This is owed to his ignorant
interaction with poachers, a Benjamin Saliti and others, who end up being
nabbed and prosecuted in court.
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| Image courtesy of Google Images |
Indeed,
Saliti’s name betrays his cunning nature as it symbolises a betrayer. He preys
on Birgen’s innocence and Tomsons, Birgen’s uncle, good nature and generosity
to cover up his evil acts in Shaba Game Reserve. He ends up betraying their
good course to preserve wildlife by aiding poachers thereby betraying the wild
animals also by having them killed. On the one hand, the plot’s twists and turns
are easy to follow and a young reader will easily identify and connect with the
story. Besides, Birgen’s escapades in school appear factual and realistic
something that would easily resonate with young school goers. On the other
hand, Birgen’s emotional excitement about his uncle’s fiancée unearths his
unfolding awareness about relationships and his own sexuality; thereby, it
reveals his romantic expectations and affirms the average teen’s fantasies and
aspirations. Read about Wangari Maathai and her conservation efforts here: http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/
As
far as school work and learning is concerned, Birgen and his fellow classmates
represent a typical class setting with its juvenile rivalry, teasing, and the
general sense of ease and play that pervades their environment. The thematic
issues highlighted in the novella are current and the writer weaves the issues
around other contemporary aspects such as Kenya’s new constitution and current economic
affairs with the East like the Chinese trade relations. The writer, for
example, mentions the three arms of the government, makes reference to counties
and enables the reader to ponder over the challenges bedecking devolution in
the nation such as politicking. Also, the novella subtly critics the Kenyan
government’s blind engagement with the Chinese government without due
consideration of the repercussions on our wildlife or any other wonky issues
such as trade imbalances.
Other
names that have carefully been crafted in the text are Kumbuko, the history
teacher whose name appears to borrow heavily from Swahili’s Kumbukumbu or
Kumbuka, meaning memory or to remember; hence signifying his career. Also, the
government prosecutor, William Wellington Wefwafwa’s name alliterates.
Consequently, the musical touch on the name makes it memorable and helps to
broaden the dramatic attributes of the character. In a way, one can argue that Angels of the Wild provides an apt story
for young readers which not only entertains them but also moralises them on
virtues such as hard-work, self-belief, and honesty. This is of course
contrasted against vices such as greed, dishonesty, and wanton destruction of Mother
Nature.
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| Image courtesy of Google Images |
For more information, go to Dr Ndivo's blog
