Devil on the Cross Summary
Ngugi wa Thiong'o

Devil on the Cross Overview

In this allegorical novel, Kenyan novelist Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o tells a story about modern-day Kenya, in which a powerful, wealthy elite with foreign connections exploits the poorer masses. The story revolves around five people--representing a cross-section of Kenyan society, from the working and peasant class to the intellectual and business elites--invited to observe the "Devil's Feast." While some of the passengers succumb to the twisted and greedy ideology of the Organization of Thieves and Robbers gathered there, others fight against it. The novel tackles themes of nationalism, gender discrimination, neocolonialism, imperialism, poverty, development, and postcoloniality.