The Treatment of the Theme of HIV/AIDS in the Last Plague by Meja Mwangi

Abstract

Underlying the perception of literature as an expression of human experiences is a subtle acknowledgement of some intricate relationship between reality and fiction. The role of a literary artist, Lukacs notes, is"to look at stark reality in the face. "(95). Most likely then, it is for this reason that Onoge argues that artistic expressions are "the products of social praxis"( qtd in Gugelberger22). This study operates on the conviction that in The Last Plague, Meja Mwangi strives to balance the demands of the literary art, social reality and moral purpose. The study--"The treatment 'of the theme of HIV/AIDS in Meja Mwangi's The Last Plague''--set out to look at the socio-economic impact of HIVIAIDS and how the scourge impacts differently on men and women. First, it situates Mwangi within the general literary mould as a committed writer capturing the plight of the lowly. It then proceeds to focus on The Last Plague and examine the literary artist's rendition of the objective reality that HIV/AIDS is. Using the sociological approach to literary criticism as the dominant theoretical framework, the study reveals the societal misconceptions about the scourge that underlie its spread. It also shows how culture and ignorance, among other factors undermine individual as well as collective efforts aimed at combating the scourge. The study therefore delineates Mwangi's moral values in the text especially in relation to the gender dynamics in society. It especially focuses on how the scourge ravages the society socially, economically and psychologically. We discern, for instance, that this disease severs the cultural web that had hitherto bound this society. Janet's efforts emerge from the text as the unequivocal acceptance of a cause. We establish, however, that culturally entrenched view coupled with ignorance make hers a daunting task. The resolve with which she accomplishes this gigantic task is weighed against the depiction of her male counterparts'. The study therefore discerns Mwangi's moral values as they are brought out in the text and extols Janet's heroism in the face of myriad obstacles. This study is no way exhaustive. Rather, it is aimed at exciting further critical excavation on the novel especially its stylistic correspondences: the subtle devices like symbolism, description and dialogue and how these engender the artist's perceptions into the readers' psyche.