Ngugi's Reader Response

What I will be talking about in this reader response is the story, “Wedding at the Cross.” I will discuss the problems of money and how it changes people’s personalities.

“Wedding at the Cross” agrees with my view of marriage and love because I notice there are many people in this world whose parents want them to marry someone just like them. Most celebrities marry other celebrities or rich people marry rich people. I however, don’t care about how rich or non rich someone is. If I love that person I’m going to marry them. I would want someone because of their true personality not how much money they have. When I read “Wedding at the Cross” I thought it was sweet how Miriamu decided to marry Wariuki regardless of how her parents felt about him.  

What I learned from this text is that according to Ngugi, when people become wealthy it changes who they are. Their character starts to change and their language also changes. I agree with this statement because, before Wariuki became wealthy he was an enthusiastic guy who didn’t care about what others think besides, Mariamu’s dad, and he just enjoyed his life. He didn’t have a care in the world. As soon as he became wealthy his personality change, and along with that personality his name changed to Livingstone. He wanted so bad to prove to Mariamu’s dad that he was now wealthy and good enough for his daughter. The backlash of people changing their personalities can affects those around them. Since Wariuki changed to Livingstone Miriamu didn’t want to marry him. She said, “I have been married before. I married to Wariuki and he is dead.” I’ve learned that some people once they become wealthy will change who they are altogether.  

This text addresses things I care about very well. I feel that people should be happy with who they are in the beginning. If they want to be successful there is nothing wrong with that, but don’t let the money change who they truly are. I will never let money control my life, and I know some people may be thinking “how can she say that now when she doesn’t know,” but I have learned to love myself. In the story Miriamu felled for Wariuki when she first saw him riding on his bicycle. The fact that he changed because of money just shows he didn’t have enough pride in himself but Miriamu did.  The fact that she didn’t end up with the man she felled in love with from the beginning was very sad. Change can be a good thing but in Waurika’s case a bad thing.

The thing that bugs me about this text was the fact that Douglas Jones and Mariamu’s mom had approved of him after he became wealthy, and in the end when Miriamu decided not to marry him they wept. I felt they didn’t respect their daughter’s decision because in the beginning they didn’t like Wariuki, and that was who their daughter felt in love with. After he became Livingstone then they decide he was good enough for their daughter but she wasn’t in love with this man. I think it is ironic because when her parents do finally approve of him he is not the man Miriamu wants. When they didn’t approve of him he was the man Miriamu did want. It’s terrible how irony works in this case but I love how Ngugi shows that part of irony.

           I love the text and I would read something like this again because it really shows the negativity of being wealthy. Some people think that if their wealthy they will live a positive life but being wealthy comes with problems, and they can end up losing the ones they love if they let it change them.