A comparative study of political themes in George orwell's animal farm and Ngugi Wa Thiongo's Matigari

Abstract

This study seeks to compare the political themes in Animal Farm and Matigari, and to state the significance of this comparison. Animal Farm and Matigari are two works that faced a lot of criticism both within the societies in which they were produced and outside. For instance, it is recorded by many scholars that Matigari was banned from the shelves and the author exiled. Animal Farm also faced a similar situation. First many publishing houses rejected the script and when it was finally published, was banned and the author exiled. It is clear that both texts were rejected and banned on the basis of the political themes they addressed. The choice of Animal Farm and Matigari as the main texts in this thesis is based on the need to unmask some of the similarities in the political themes that exist in the two texts. Though much has been done in discussing some political aspects of these texts, it is clear from research that not much has been done to relate the two texts. By analysing the themes in the texts and then comparing them, this study will provide some insight into the relationship between the two texts. While the two texts may be different in terms of genres, cultures, authors and societies in which they were produced, one can relate them by examining the various themes that are found in them. The study shows that there are some similarities in the political themes of the texts and concludes by showing the significance of these similarities. It indicates that part of the significance is that any literary works can explore any theme, despite having differences in genre, culture, biography of the authors, language used and other factors. Further, the shared themes illustrate enduring values in politics and reflect a coincidence of personal interest between authors.