Inspector Godfrey Character Analysis in Petals of Blood

Inspector Godfrey is the police detective tasked with solving Mzigo, Chui, and Kimeria’s murders. Amoral but obsessed with social order, Inspector Godfrey has served in the police force both under British colonial rule and after Kenya’s independence; he hopes one day to become a private investigator, so that he can solve crimes and mysteries for anyone who can pay him. Due to his love of social stability, Inspector Godfrey loathes the politically radical labor organizer Karega and suspects him of having committed the murders. Yet he ultimately realizes Munira is the true culprit. Though impatient with Munira’s apocalyptic religiosity, Inspector Godfrey wonders whether Munira is right about the evil and corruption in Ilmorog: specifically, Inspector Godfrey suspects MP Nderi wa Riera’s tourist center is a front for sex-trafficking Kenyan girls to Europeans. On his way out of Ilmorog, he considers reporting his suspicions—but quickly convinces himself that it’s not his job to enforce morality or make trouble for important people, only to solve specific crimes. Inspector Godfrey’s amoral, apolitical social conservatism leads him to ignore the possibly sexual exploitation of Kenyan girls, which suggests that in an unjust society with unjust laws, law enforcement professionals are unlikely to bring about true justice in the course of doing their jobs.

Inspector Godfrey Character Timeline in Petals of Blood

The timeline below shows where the character Inspector Godfrey appears in Petals of Blood. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Gender, Sexuality, and Exploitation Theme Icon

The next morning Munira is taken to talk with a new police officer ( Inspector Godfrey ), a man who’s intrigued by criminal behavior and loves to solve crimes. He doesn’t... (full context)

Religion, Hypocrisy, and Delusion Theme Icon

Munira spends eight days in jail with no human contact after his interview with Inspector Godfrey ; he writes his account of events alone. On his ninth day, he approaches the... (full context)

...after that conversation in Wanja’s brothel, after Munira has been in jail for 10 days, Inspector Godfrey reads through Munira’s written account of events and asks what the phrase “a new earth,... (full context)

Inspector Godfrey has listened to Munira’s story with interest. But now, signaling boredom, he sits back and... (full context)

Deeply annoyed by Munira’s response, Inspector Godfrey asks how, specifically, Karega planned to change the world—other than by spouting “communist nonsense.” What... (full context)

After leaving Karega alone in jail for three days, Inspector Godfrey interrogates him. Godfrey establishes Karega’s brother (Nding’uri) died during independence; Karega was expelled from Siriana... (full context)

Inspector Godfrey plays a recording of Karega talking at the last union meeting about “a New World.”... (full context)

Inspector Godfrey interrogates Karega for the next eight days, sometimes depriving him of sleep before demanding answers.... (full context)

Inspector Godfrey asks whether Karega knew Wanja was having sex with Chui, Mzigo, and Kimeria. When Karega... (full context)

After Abdulla has spent 10 days in jail, Inspector Godfrey enters his cell in a fury. Godfrey admits that Abdulla has been truthful, even admitting... (full context)

When Inspector Godfrey asks what Abdulla and Wanja talked about, Abdulla says it’s “personal.” After incredulously repeating the... (full context)

After Wanja has spent 12 days in the hospital, the hospital lets Inspector Godfrey see her. Due to the obvious terror the fire has caused Wanja, Inspector Godfrey doubts... (full context)

When Inspector Godfrey asks whether she saw Karega and Abdulla the week before the fire, she admits that... (full context)

...a knife she’d been using to chop vegetables. Wanja has told all of this to Inspector Godfrey —except the fact that she stabbed Kimeria to death before the fire started. (full context)

In the jail, Inspector Godfrey asks whether Munira knows Chui. Munira repeats that he knew Chui at school and explains... (full context)

Then Inspector Godfrey asks whether Munira knows Kimeria. Munira says he only knows what Kimeria did to Wanja... (full context)

Inspector Godfrey rides the train away from Ilmorog and thinks about the case he has just closed.... (full context)

Yet it disturbs Inspector Godfrey that Munira, a religious man from a rich family, would commit murder. He tries to... (full context)