Minutes Of Glory

Minutes Of Glory Essay

Throughout the story Minutes of Glory by Ngugi wa Thiong?o Beatrice complained how lousy her life was and all of the hardships she went though. She was dissatisfied with herself and was saddened that nobody ever noticed her. Although Beatrice?s life was a disappointment to herself, she made a decision that would change everything or so she thought. When Beatrice stole the money from her customer and ran off to Nairobi, she became happy for the first time throughout the story. Was being happy for a couple of moments in her life worth the pain and agony, which will follow her arrest?

Beatrice worked in the beer halls outside of Nairobi as a concubine. She was always miserable, she complained constantly about how she was not as beautiful as the others. She tried things to make her look better like Ambi cream, which was used to make her skin look lighter. She is dissatisfied with herself, Beatrice doesn?t want to be ignored anymore. "Nobody seemed to notice her?serving girls" (page 71) Beatrice doesn?t see herself as a human being, she sees herself as a object that is used by other people.

Beatrice was very jealous of her peers especially Nyaguthii, who was the most special of all the girls. Her customers would flower her with gifts and fight over having her. Beatrice becomes very sad, depressed, and dissatisfied with herself. She contemplates suicide. "gassed herself?awed the mystery of death." (page 75). This all started to change when she met a man.

This man was not one of the more powerful and influence person at the Treetop Bar. He tried to fit in with the big names but they ignored him as if he was a pesky little fly. He bought them a bottle of Vat 69. When the man got up to leave, the people started to murmur and others laughed at him. He went to the counter and bought a room, which Beatrice was sent to. Beatrice did her job as she was suppose to do, but when the man fell asleep Beatrice did something that would change her life entirely. She stole the mans money.

With the money that she stole from the man she started to buy herself items and cloths that she thought made her look beautiful. She realized that she would never again

have to be a serving girl. She bought herself jewelry and all sorts of items that she felt that she lacked. She bought other people drinks, it felt good to her being the person who bought drinks for everyone else. Then everything changed the man who she stole the money from found her with the cops. While her few movements of glory were fun altogether it was just not worth the trouble that is going to come.