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Kazi hii inatathmini kipengele cha taashira za wahusika katika tamthilia ya Kimani Njogu. Katika baadhi ya kazi za kifasihi, aghalabu taashira hutumika kama mbinu ya kusana mambo yanayoathiri kitovu cha jamii au yanayoashiria viongozi wa kiimla, wafisadi, wakabila na wenye ubinafsi, na hata uongozi kwa jumla. Kazi hii ni zao la utafiti ulionuia kuchunguza vipengele vya taashira katika tamthilia ya Zilizala. Utafiti huu uliongozwa na nadharia mbili; nadharia ya baada ya ukoloni na nadharia ya umitindo. Katika tamthilia ya Zilizala ya Kimani Njogu, inadhihirika kuwa mwandishi ametumia wahusika kitaashira ili kuwasilisha fasili tofauti tofauti za dhana moja. Waandishi wa tamthilia za baada ya 2000 wametumia mbinu ya taashira kama njia ya kuwasilisha ujumbe unaohusu uongozi, maadili, siasa na uchumi bila kutaja majina ya wahusika halisi au hata mataifa halisi. Mbinu hii imetumiwa kuwadhihirishia wanajamii mbinu zinazotumiwa na watawala halisi kutawala watawaliwa kupitia vikaragosi vyao, ambavyo ndivyo huchaguliwa na watawaliwa. Aidha, mbinu hii imetumiwa kuashiria jinsi viongozi wengi wanavyothibitiwa na wakoloni kutawala mataifa fukara ya Kiafrika. Matokeo ya utafiti huu yalitarajiwa kuwa na natija kwa wasomi, wahakiki na watafiti wa masuala ya lugha na fasihi kwa kuwa sehemu ya kurejelewa.

Food is useful in the transference of semantic aspects that are vital in the construction of masculinity in society. Consequently, foodsemic metaphors that aid in the conceptualization of omosacha (a man) are pervasive in Ekegusii. Metaphor use may, however, present difficulties in comprehension due to the various interpretations that may be assigned to each of them. The meaning of Ekegusii foodsemic metaphors may, therefore, be elusive to the native speakers of Ekegusii. The paper employs the principle of conceptual mental spaces to interpret Ekegusii foodsemic metaphor within the Cognitive Linguistics framework. The study adopts descriptive research design. First, the terms that are used to describe men in Ekegusii are identified by administering an interview schedule to 48 Ekegusii native respondents purposively sampled on the basis of gender. The data collected is then subjected to the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit (MIPVU) in which four annotators are used to identify Ekegusii male metaphors. Through the MIPVU, 52 metaphors are identified. The paper then selects one metaphor that describes a man as food hence the Ekegusii foodsemic metaphor for this study. The research reveals that the integration of the four conceptual mental spaces that include two input spaces, the generic space and the blended space is resourceful in structuring a man as a symbol of nourishment in Ekegusii. Moreover, the MIPVU is unveiled as a useful metaphor identification method that provides a clear guide in the establishment of precise metaphors for study. The study concludes that metaphors are integral components of communication and should be explained using the Cognitive Linguistics paradigm. The findings of the study will contribute to Linguistics especially the field of Cognitive Linguistics which is relatively new and has not been subjected to extensive research. In addition, the findings will be useful to metaphor scholars in comprehending Ekegusii male metaphors and culture.

Although the themes of fate and class struggle have been profoundly explored in the critical analyses that have been undertaken on Nyota ya Rehema, however, in Critical Discourse Analysis and Hegemonic Masculinity perspectives, the question of masculinities is no less vital. Therefore, this paper seeks to give a critical insight into varied shades of masculinity that are manifesting in Nyota ya Rehema. Focussing on relevant texts, we uncover the disproportional masculine ideological and power positions that are explicit in sexuality and socio-economic spheres such as marriage, prostitution, employment and property inheritance that depict the disadvantaged position of female characters. The exploration of masculinities in islands Kiswahili novel that has mainly focussed on class struggle may be a welcome departure.