Foods and drinks symbolize the friendship or kinship among the Gikuyu people. It is custom to always share food among the age-groups. Kenyatta states, "No boy can eat or drink by himself what has been brought to him such an act would be severely punished (Kenyatta 151)." During every Gikuyu celebration or ceremony, an animal is always used for sacrifice. The wealth of a man is measured by the number of sheep, cows, or other farm animals that he may have. A man cannot have many wives unless he is wealthy. Payments of animals are needed in order for a man to marry his wife. In addition, animals are generally used to pay fines. An act crime such as rape, robbery, fights, etc. results in a fee of certain number of animals, depending on the seriousness of the crime committed. Many times throughout the reading, Kenyatta emphasizes the use of honey or sugar cane beer. Honey or sugar cane beer is an important Gikuyu beverage. Kenyatta writes the importance of animals and honey or sugar cane beer to display the Gikuyu lifestyle around food and beer. Food and beer brings the community together. Everything that the Gikuyu do ends in a meal with some drinking. Kenyatta uses the importance of eating and drinking to help describe the misunderstood African culture. .
Through out the book, Kenyatta tries to clarify misunderstandings for those of who have tried to understand the African society. An example of this would be the Gikuyu's marriage system and the position of women in the Gikuyu community. Kenyatta believes, "There has been some confusion in the minds of many writers who have tried to explain the system of marriage and the position of women in the African community (Kenyatta 158)." It is difficult to understand the Gikuyu's system of polygamy if one is not part of the Gikuyu's society. Polygamy is very common; Kenyatta writes, " law of marriage provides that a man may have as many wives as he can support, and that the larger one's family the better it is for him and the tribe (Kenyatta 167).
The soul of a civilization is its religion, and it dies with its faith. " Will Durant (1885-1981). Facing Mt. Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta's ethnography, was written in the 1930's during the early years of British colonialism in Kenya. The Gikuyu traditionally were monotheists, believing in a unique...
These descriptions seem to be exactly what the planet is facing now. ... For example, in the next 30 years the population of Kenya will jump from 23 million to 79 million"(1 Anastasia,pg1). ... It would be 15 years in a row if it hadn't been for the volcanic eruption of Mt. ...