Weep Not, Child
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Interlude Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18
Themes
All Themes Division and Conquest Violence and Revenge Hope, Progress, and Disillusionment Pride and Honor vs. Guilt and Shame Land Ownership and Power
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Njoroge Ngotho Jacobo Mr. Howlands Boro Mwihaki Nyokabi Njeri The Barber Kamau Kori Jomo Kenyatta Nganga Stephen Suzannah
Symbols
All Symbols The Land
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Weep Not, Child

by

Ngugi wa Thiong’o
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Kamau Character Analysis

Njoroge’s half-brother, and one of Njeri’s sons. Slightly older than Njoroge, Kamau is apprenticed to the village carpenter, Nganga, whom he dislikes because he thinks Nganga isn’t teaching him enough. Nonetheless, Kamau believes in the value of learning a craft, which he upholds will enable him to support Njoroge’s education. And although Njoroge himself constantly tries to convince Kamau to attend school, Kamau remains committed to the notion that becoming a craftsman will help his family in the long run. Indeed, this does come to pass, since it is Kamau who eventually pays for Njoroge’s education after Ngotho is fired from his job working for Mr. Howlands. Later, Kamau is captured and detained by the white settlers because they think he killed Jacobo, though Boro is the one who committed the murder. Despite the fact that Boro ends up confessing to the crime, though, the white settlers do not release Kamau.

Kamau Quotes in Weep Not, Child

The Weep Not, Child quotes below are all either spoken by Kamau or refer to Kamau. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Division and Conquest Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

“Blackness is not all that makes a man,” Kamau said bitterly. “There are some people, be they black or white, who don’t want others to rise above them. They want to be the source of all knowledge and share it piecemeal to others less endowed. That is what’s wrong with all these carpenters and men who have a certain knowledge. It is the same with rich people. A rich man does not want others to get rich because he wants to be the only man with wealth.”

Related Characters: Kamau (speaker), Njoroge, Nganga
Division and Conquest Theme Icon
Land Ownership and Power Theme Icon
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
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Kamau Quotes in Weep Not, Child

The Weep Not, Child quotes below are all either spoken by Kamau or refer to Kamau. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Division and Conquest Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

“Blackness is not all that makes a man,” Kamau said bitterly. “There are some people, be they black or white, who don’t want others to rise above them. They want to be the source of all knowledge and share it piecemeal to others less endowed. That is what’s wrong with all these carpenters and men who have a certain knowledge. It is the same with rich people. A rich man does not want others to get rich because he wants to be the only man with wealth.”

Related Characters: Kamau (speaker), Njoroge, Nganga
Division and Conquest Theme Icon
Land Ownership and Power Theme Icon
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
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