Dreams in a war era

Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, in his childhood autobiography "Dreams in a War Era," gives an extensive glimpse into his childhood spent among many siblings and a father with four wives who filled his imagination with stories, tales, and experiences. After they lived a life of cooperation and understanding, the father's livestock, which was the foundation of his trade, was confiscated, then Thiong'o's personality became violent and difficult, prompting his mother to run away to her father's house, after which Thiong'o and his brother were expelled from the house. This happened at a time when the Kenyan people were resisting the British colonialist, who did not hesitate to use any weapon, especially education, to eliminate the Kenyan people's pride in their culture and resistance, to the extent that a state of emergency was declared in the country from 1952 to 1959 to achieve this goal. With Thiong'o, we learn about the value of knowledge that colonialism deprived the Kenyan people of, and he informs us about the emergence of formal education and independent—rebellious—schools in Kenya. His dream, which he promised his mother he would not spare effort to achieve, was to learn. But how can a child cling to his dream amidst the shadows of World War II and family crises? These childhood memoirs serve as Thiong'o's testimony defending his right to dream, at least, despite all the difficulties, and highlight his mother's significant role in his life, until he became one of the greatest African writers in the world.