Kenya is at a classic place predicted many years ago by George Orwell.
This is a book review of Animal Farm, a book written by George Orwell and published in August 1945.
Why write about an old story? You may ask.
Because, the story depicting the chronology of events from Revolution to Tyranny will never get old.
Many writers still article this book even today.
To begin with, Animal Farm is an allegorical novella that tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to create a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy.
After the overthrow of the farm owner, a human, a Mr Jones, from the then Manor Farm, the Animals set out to lay down the ground rules of engagement, first with seven very simple commandments to follow, then hardwork and equality follows suit.
Original commandments of Animal Farm
- Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
- Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
- No animal shall wear clothes.
- No animal shall sleep in a bed.
- No animal shall drink alcohol.
- No animal shall kill any other animal.
- All animals are equal.
However, the good doesn’t last as one by one, the self-appointed ‘clever’ animals, the Pigs, who have also appointed themselves leaders of the animals break one rule after the other and in the end, nothing of the revolution is left.
The Tyranny by another name is created by the pigs.
Rebellion by the animals was necessary because one of them had seen a vision where all the lands is ruled by animals, free from human knife, whips and hunger.
In the end, they found out that they had replaced human tyranny with the tyranny of the pigs.
Things they had loathed before, greed, drunkenness, murder etc were back in full swing.
In the end, the 7 commandments are collapsed into one “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”, and the other animals cannot even distinguish between the pigs and humans.
Note the symbolism.
The slow ironic twist from the original purpose of the Seven Commandments, which were supposed to keep order within Animal Farm by uniting the animals together against the humans and preventing animals from following the humans’ evil habits, demonstrates how simply political dogma can be turned into twisted propaganda. – Nakul Dashora, Medium
It is a classic resemblance to what repeats throughout human history.
Closer home, Mwai Kibaki takes over the seat, Kenyans are reportedly the most optimistic people world over by 2003, Kibaki reneges on the Memorandum of Understanding with Raila Odinga, a fallout in government ensues, a deeply divided Kenya goes to a referendum on the constitution. Govt is defeated, an opposition party is formed, the ODM. Fast forward to elections, opposition party wins, elections rigged. Chaos.
Now the country is led by pigs, no wonder the name MPIGs (for Members of Parliament) fits the bill well.
Animal farm has two version, the Original one, and an educational one.
It’s messages and themes are powerful, and a recommended reading for everyone on earth.
The book is written in simple easy to understand English.
Buy this book from Nuria Store