The Personal as a Challenge to the ‘Old’ Political Order in Autobiography: Wangari Maathai's Unbowed: One Woman’s Story (2006)

Abstract

This paper examines Wangari Maathai’s autobiography, Unbowed (2006), to demonstrate the central role played by women in the making of modern Kenya. At the same time, we assess how autobiographical narratives may be considered as a means of inscribing the self within the grand narrative of the nation-state. One challenge encountered in the study of autobiographical writing in Kenya is not only the dearth of critical material, but also the limited number of primary texts within this genre. The problem becomes more glaring when one considers the number of such publications by women writers. It is as if the writing of 'narratives of self' is a male domain. Yet the role of women in the country's struggle for independence, and the undying quest for democracy cannot be ignored. This is because women have been at the forefront of these struggles and consequently in shaping the history of nationstates in Africa. It is within this context that Maathai's story becomes important as it dramatizes how the experiences of the writer challenge the status quo in both private and public life. Unbowed traces Maathai’s life from her humble beginnings as a young girl growing up in a small village in central Kenya through to her arduous journey in the struggle for environmental conservation, an effort that led to the establishment of the Green Belt Movement and consequently to her being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. Her story is invaluable as it demonstrates personal resilience, courage and commitment in the struggle for justice and democracy in post-independence Kenya.