Neocolonialism and Linguistic Resistance in Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s Devil on the Cross

Abstract

Language plays a decisive role in the colonial process, functioning as a primary tool for colonizing the minds of the colonized. Even after the departure of colonial rulers, control is often maintained through linguistic and cultural domination. Language is not an isolated medium; it is inseparably connected with literature, culture, religion, and social life. This paper examines Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s critique of neocolonialism with particular reference to Devil on the Cross, highlighting language as a powerful instrument of resistance. Ngũgĩ’s deliberate shift to indigenous language and oral narrative traditions represents a sustained effort to dismantle neocolonial power structures and to re-centre marginalised communities within postcolonial discourse.