THE QUEST FOR UTOPIA IN BLACK THEATRE: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF NGUGI WA THING’O’S THE BLACK HERMIT

Abstract

Utopia, the idea of a perfect society, has been a central theme in literature, philosophy, and art for centuries. The desire for utopia has inspired countless visionaries and reformers, who have sought to create a better world through various means, such as religion, ideology, science, or art. However, utopia has also been criticized and ridiculed as an impossible or even dangerous dream, that distracts us from the reality of our imperfect and flawed world. Ngugi Wa Thing’o, a prominent Kenyan writer and activist, has addressed the theme of utopia in many of his works, including his play The Black Hermit. Written in the 1960s, at a time of great political and cultural upheaval in Africa and beyond, The Black Hermit offers a complex and nuanced exploration of the quest for utopia in the context of black theatre. Through the character of the Black Hermit, a revolutionary who withdraws from the world to live in solitude, Ngugi raises questions about the nature and meaning of utopia, and its relationship to the struggles and aspirations of black people. The aim of this research is to deepen our understanding of Ngugi's work and thought  by analysing The Black Hermit as a text that engages with the theme of utopia in a creative and thought-provoking way. It also examines how Ngugi uses the play to critique and challenge various utopia-building projects, and to propose his own vision of utopia as a process of becoming. The research also considers the relevance and significance of Ngugi's utopia to the contemporary world and the ways in which it speaks to universal human concerns.