Gatuĩria was at least aware that the slavery of language is the slavery of the mind and nothing to be proud of." - Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

The European missionary believed too much in his mission of conquest not to communicate it in the languages most readily available to the people: the African writer believes too much in 'African literature' to write it in those ethnic, divisive and underdeveloped languages of the peasantry!

“I would hate to see a train run over my mother or father, or brothers. Oh, what would I do?” [Mumbi] quickly exclaimed.
“Women are cowards.” Karanja said half in joke.
“Would you like a train to run over you?” Mumbi retorted angrily. Karanja felt the anger and did not answer.

It makes his life more interesting to himself. He invents a meaning for his life, you see. Don’t we all do that? And to die fighting for freedom sounds more heroic than to die by accident.”