Parliament of Owls Essay on Greed and Suffering
With close reference to Parliament of Owls by Adipo Sidang’, write an essay illustrating how greed leads to suffering. (20 marks)
In Parliament of Owls by Adipo Sidang', pursuit of wealth and power at the expense of others has lead leads to widespread harm to individuals and the society at large. Through various characters and events in the play, the consequences of selfish desires have been revealed, ranging from insecurity, fear, oppression, exploitation, and even death as discussed below:
First, greed breeds insecurity. The members of the Parliament of Owls pass laws that favor themselves, leaving the other birds vulnerable. Tel Tel tells Red String, “We look after our nests in turns or else our little ones or our eggs will be eaten by unknown attackers” (p.6). This suggests that the birds are forced to live in fear because of the self-centered laws passed by the parliament. Similarly, Money Bags admits that the tender he seeks to spy on behalf of Royal Owl is not just about surveillance but about “intelligence and power” (p.49). By manipulating the birds to believe that crows and vultures are enemies, the owls foster distrust to maintain control, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity.
Furthermore, greed leads to fear and sleepless nights for the powerful. Money Bags and Royal Owl live in fear of a revolution led by Oyundi and Osogo. They fear the uprising because they know they have mistreated others in their pursuit of wealth and control. Tel Tel tells Red String, “You owls spend sleepless nights because of her [Oyundi]!” (p.59). Money Bags is also haunted by dreams where Osogo declares, “It is over for you, Money Bags, and your Parliament of Owls” (p.59). This shows that greed not only harms others but also robs the greedy of peace and rest.
Greed also results in the death of innocent individuals. In the play, Arum Tidi, who faithfully serves the parliament by spreading propaganda, is killed after being used. Despite his loyalty, he is eliminated once the Moonlight Bill is passed. Ochongorio laments, “I cannot believe that Arum Tidi is no more… He was loyal to them. Why did they kill him?” (p.64). This demonstrates how greed pushes the powerful to eliminate anyone who has served their purpose, even if it means ending lives.
In addition, greed leads to the exploitation of the masses. The birds are subjected to unfair taxation, disguised as a “Moonlight Tax,” to fund the selfish activities of the parliament. Red String justifies the tax, saying, “If you do not like the term tax, tell them to assume they are contributing a tithe to our gods” (p.8). Meanwhile, the ruling class enjoys lavish lifestyles, as Iron Lady points out: “Are you proud that Royal Owl eats lizards every night while birds cannot find water and have to fly kilometers to find it?” (p.28). This reflects how greed leads to social inequality, with the powerful enriching themselves at the expense of the ordinary birds.
Lastly, greed causes oppression by limiting freedoms and enforcing unjust laws. Tel Tel complains that the birds cannot even “twitter quietly in the moonlight” because of restrictions imposed by the Moonlight Bill (p.7). These laws prohibit movement at night, except for the owls, allowing them to operate freely and suppress any form of dissent. Red String warns Tel Tel to spread propaganda about the new laws or risk being imprisoned for treason (p.14). The oppressive measures highlight how greed drives those in power to control others to protect their selfish interests.
In conclusion, selfish characters who pursue wealth and power at the expense of others end up suffering and cause others to suffer as has been illustrated above.