Explain the significance of the book’s title by analyzing how Ngũgĩ’s dreams change over the course of the book and how his understanding of the state-sponsored violence that surrounds him also changes.

To what extent is Ngũgĩ’s book a childhood memoir and to what extent is it a political history of Kenya? How does the combination of these genres result in a unique text?

The Mau Mau Movement, also known as the Kenyan Land and Freedom Army, figures predominately in the book. How does this movement shape Ngũgĩ’s understanding of domination and resistance in colonial Kenya?