The East African Urban City Space as a Sight of Dislocation of Masculinities : A Study of Peter Kimani’s before the Rooster Crows

Abstract

This paper interrogates the fluidity of masculinities in Post-colonial urban Kenya. The paper examines urban masculinity in Kenya through the experiences of the Muriuki, the protagonist in Peter Kimani’s Before the Rooster Crows .Muriuki transits from the village to the City encountering experiences that baptizes him to a new form of masculinity in comparison to his rural masculinity. Carton (2001) and Everett, (2000) aver that urban masculinity compared with rural masculinity is not strictly governed by traditional norms. They argue that there are new urbanite youths who strive to create a new status of manhood and masculinity by defining themselves violently against their fathers and authority. There is an outright rejection of family and fathers. The paper seeks to examine Carton and Everett’s assertion. The paper examines this new form of urban masculinity through the life of the main protagonist, Muriuki’s life in the city. The paper contends that masculinity is not static but fluid. Keywords: Urban Masculinity,,Emasculated, Hegemony, Subordinate DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/91-01 Publication date: August 31 st 2022