Summary Of Ngugi Galileo Freedom Of The Artist

Galileo as a Part of Ngugi Wa Thiong’s essay “Freedom of the Artist”
Ramanjot Kaur
Medicine Hat College
ENG252
Dr. Navneet Kumar
December 1, 2017

“Art for art’s sake view sets the artist free, and enables them to be more creative in art, it helps their piece of art being purified from the restricted doctrines of ordinary life. Ngugi Wa Thiong’o was one of the important follower of “Art for art’s sake” view. Ngugi in his essay aspires to make artists conscious about their important role in a class structured society, where internal or external oppressions exit. In his essay, Ngugi highlights that creativity of an artist is central to acquire human freedom and “True liberation” of an artist. To make his claims more
Ngugi made a claim in his essay that Galileo criticized the orientation of earth in this universe and he also demonstrated that sun does not in fact move around the earth, by going against the static view of universe. And struggled between two conflicting world views of the universe. According to Ngugi Galileo seems to be an example of real artist, who belongs to Copernican system and believe in the view that the world of nature and society moves in perpetual motion. From the research, I have found that, in the seventeenth century telescope was brought to bear on the debate between these two rival systems of world view. This dramatic chapter in the history of astronomy was dominated by Galileo Galilei, as a brilliant observer and thinker, who become a passionate advocate of the Copernican world picture. Research divulges that Galileo tried to abandon the old views about the immutability of the universe. Then, the people who believed in Ptolemic view of universe argued that church has not been authorized to censure the things which are sanctioned by God. Galileo was charged for disobeying the concept of rotation of earth, which is a creation of God. Galileo’s criticism was the first event that have come to symbolize the conflicts of spirituality and science in modern times. Ngugi claimed that being a free and real artist with questioning spirit is not only good
Ngugi has considered Galileo and his spirit of a real artist, as an important aspect to clear the role of artists in a society which is under the influence of totalitarianism and imperialism. Ngugi said that if a society is caught up internal or external exploitations, then no artist can consider himself free. Ngugi describes human labor as a real artist in this world. An artist with questioning spirit is the only condition for the true liberation of the vast majority of population and an artist, as Galileo abjured that the earth is the fixed center of the universe and the sun does not move around the earth, even he knew about the brutal choices of punishment which were open to the second type of artists such as- death or exile. Ngugi said that, it is precisely the artist who can understand the needs of struggle against any form of internal or external oppression. Ngugi encourages the artists to be a real artist by saying that, “Our pens should be used to increase the anxieties of all oppressive regimes. At the very least the pen should be used to “murder their sleep” by constantly reminding them of their crimes against the people, and making them know that they are being seen. The pen may not always be mightier than the