Literary Quote #10: 'Betrayal in the City'

"You work like the meteorological department. No public questions into methods used, and no assurance" - Jere

- Ngugi wa Thiong'o 'Betrayal in the City' (1976) p.17

Explanation: 

Jere is telling Askari why Police and other government institutions are working like meteorological department which does not allow questions from the people. For instance, if a weather station says tomorrow there will be rains, no one can ask questions about whether there will rains or not. After listening to the weather forecast, people have to get ready for what has been said, not asking questions. This is normal for meteorologists because they predict and warn people of any future weather. 

On the contrary, government institutions and departments should not work like that. They should listen to people's opinions or be ready to receive opinions even after saying or doing what they have to do. For example, people's lives, elections, and others should not only be planned and predicted, but they should also be judged by the people to see if they can fit with the needs of the people.

Relevant Themes/Issues:

- Freedom of expression 

- Decision making 

- Inequality 

- Human rights 

- Protest

- Oppression 

For example:

The playwright shows that Kafira State does not listen to people. This tendency can cause chaos. He also suggests that to avoid further confrontations, the government can change the situation by starting to listen to people and use their opinions to improve the undesirable situations.

If you have any different idea from this one, you can always drop us a comment after reading this one. 

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