Welcome to our website darasahuru.co.tz, In this article you will find Plays Analysis: The Lion And The Jewel - Wole Soyinka, Analysis Plays Play: The Lion And The Jewel - Wole Soyinka, Themes from The Lion And The Jewel, Form of the book The Lion And The Jewel, Title of the book The Lion And The Jewel, message from the book The Lion And The Jewel, Relevance of the book The Lion And The Jewel, Language used in the book The Lion And The Jewel
TITLE: THE LION AND THE JEWEL
PLAYWRIGHT: WOLE SOYINKA.
SETTING: ILUJINLE, A VILLAGE IN NIGERIA.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1963.
1. Sidi. Sidi is the central character / protagonist. The plot of the play revolves around who Sidi will choose to marry: either the schoolteacher Lakunle or the village Bale (senior authority figure) Baroka
2. Lakunle - a school teacher.
3. Baroka - the 'Bale' of Ilujinle
4. Sadiku – his head wife.
5. Ailatu - the favourite (Baroka's last wife)
6. Village girls
7. A wrestler
8. A surveyor
9. School boys
10. Attendants on the 'Bale'
11. Musicians, dancers, mummers, prisoners, traders, the village.
PLOT SUMMARY
Morning
A school teacher, Lakunle, is teaching a class the times table when Sidi walks past carrying a pail of water on her head. The teacher peers out of the window and disappears. He comes out and insists on taking the pail from Sidi.
She refuses, saying that she would look silly. Lakunle replies, saying that he told her not to carry loads on her head or her neck may be shortened. He also tells her not to expose so much of her cleavage with the cloth she wears around her breasts.
After arguing, Sidi wants to leave, but Lakunle tells her of his love for her, but she remains indifferent. Eventually, it is revealed that Sidi does not want to marry him because Lakunle refuses to pay her bride-price as he thinks it is an uncivilized, outrageous custom.
Sidi tells him that if she did so, people will jeer at her, saying that she is not a virgin. Lakunle further professes how he wants to marry her and treat her "just like the Lagos couples I have seen". Sidi does not care. She also says that she finds the Western custom of kissing repulsive. She tells him that not paying her bride price is mean and miserly.
As the village girls enter, they play "the dance of the Lost Traveller" featuring the sudden arrival of a photographer in their midst some time ago. They tease the traveller in the play, calling his motorbike "the devil's own horse" and the camera that he used to take pictures "the one-eyed box".
Four girls dance the "devil-horse", a youth is selected to play the snake and Lakunle becomes the Traveller. He seeks to be excused to teach Primary Four Geography but later on he agrees to take part in the play.
The Dance of the Lost Traveller
The four girls kissed on the ground, forming the wheels of the poor. Lakunle adjusts their position and sits in air in the middle. He pretends to drive the "car". The girls dance the stall. They shudder, and drop their faces onto their laps. He pretends to try to restart the "car".
He gets out and checks the "wheels" and also pinches them. He tries to start the "car", fails and takes his things for a trek. He hears a scream and a torrent of abuse. He takes a closer look and sees a girl (played by Sidi). He tries to take photos, but falls down into the stream.
Then Baroka appears and the play stops. He talks to Lakunle for a while, saying that he knew how the play went and was waiting for the right time to step in. He drops subtle hints of an existing feud between him and Lakunle, then makes the play continue.
Then the play ends. Sidi praises him for his performance. Lakunle runs away, followed by a flock of women. Baroka and the wrestler sit alone. Baroka takes out his book, and muses that it has been five full months since he last took a wife.
Noon
Sidi is at a road near the marketplace. Lakunle follows her, while carrying the firewood for Sidi. Then Sadiku appears, wearing a shawl over her head. She informs her that the Lion (Baroka) wishes to take her as a wife. Lakunle is outraged, but Sidi stops him.Sidi defies the lion's proposal.
Sadiku changes techniques, saying that if Sidi does not want to be his wife, will she be kind enough to attend a small feast in her honour at his house that night. Sidi refuses, saying that she knows that every woman who has eaten supper with him eventually becomes his wife.
Lakunle interjects, informing them that Baroka was known for his wiliness, particularly when he managed to foil the Public Works attempt to build a railroad through Ilujinle. Baroka bribed the surveyor for the route to move the railroad much farther away.
The scene cuts to Baroka's bedroom. Ailatu is plucking his armpit hairs. he tells her that he plans to take a new wife, that he would let her be the "sole out-puller of my sweat-bathed hairs". She is angry, and deliberately plucks the next few hairs a lot harder. Sadiku enters. He shoos Ailatu away, lamenting about his bleeding armpit.
Sadiku informs him that she failed to woo Sidi. She told her that Sidi flatly refused her order, claiming that he was far too old. Baroka pretends to doubt his manliness and lies to her that his manhood ended a week ago, he warns her not to tell anyone. . Finally Baroka falls asleep.
Night
Sidi is at the village center, by the schoolroom window. Enter Sadiku, who is carrying a bundle. She sets down a figure by the tree. She gloats, saying that she has managed to be the undoing (making him impotent) of Baroka, and of his father, Okiki, before that.She opens the secret of "Baroka's impotence" before Sidi and Lakunle.
Being aware of this "secret",Sidi plans to visit Baroka for the invitation she refused earlier. She plans this in order to toy him. Lakunle tries to stop her but she refuses. She leaves for Baroka leaving behind Lakunle and Sadiku.
The scene is now Baroka's bedroom. Baroka is arm-wrestling the wrestler seen earlier. Enter Sidi and she greats them. Baroka talks to Sidi while the wrestling match continues. After a while Baroka lifts his opponent, throws him over his shoulder and wins the match. Sidi congratulates him for his victory.
While talking to Sidi, Baroka signals to the wrestler to leave and the later goes out leaving behind Baroka and Sidi in the room. Conversation between the two continues and as the time goes on, "Sidi sits on the bed, the chief sits beside her on the bed", before the scene cuts out, "Sidi's head falls slowly on the Bale's shoulder".
The scene cuts back to the village centre, where Lakunle is pacing in frustration. He is mad at Sadiku for tricking her to go and see Baroka, and at the same time concerned that Baroka will harm or imprison her. Sadiku remains calm.
Sidi appears. She is distraught. Lakunle is outraged, and plans to bring the case to court. Sidi reveals that Baroka only told her at the end that it was a trap. Baroka said that he knew that Sadiku would not keep the secret to herself, and go out and mock his pride.
Lakunle is overcame with emotion, and after at first expressing deep despair, he offers to marry her instead, with no bride-price since she is not a virgin after all. Lakunle is pleased that things have gone as he hoped. Sadiku tells him that Sidi is preparing for a wedding.
Lakunle is very happy, saying he needs a day or two to get things ready for a proper Christian wedding. Then musicians appear. Sidi appears, bearing a gift. She tells Lakunle that he is invited to her wedding.
Lakunle hopes that the wedding will be between Sidi and himself, but she informs him that she has no intention of marrying him, but rather will marry Baroka. Lakunle is stunned. Sidi instead praises Baroka's manhood and despairs Lakunle. Sadiku then gives Sidi her blessings. The marriage ceremony continues. A young girl taunts Lakunle and the drama ends by Sidi being married to Baroka.
(I) Genre: a play.
(II) Title: THE LION AND THE JEWEL.
TITLE VS CONTENT
ANALYSIS
A. FORM
The title of the play "The lion and the Jewel" is symbolic. The word "Lion" stands for men and the word "Jewel" stands for women, where in particular "Lion" stands for chief Baroka and "Jewel" stands for Sidi.
Chief Baroka is named as the lion because he hunts women for enjoyment. He uses all the tricks he can in order to win a woman he admires, as the lion does in hunting animals.
For instance, when he sends his head wife, Sadiku to propose to Sidi for him and the mission fails by Sidi rejecting, He tricks Sadiku by deceiving her that he is impotent nearly a week now so that Sadiku can reveal this "secret" to Sidi.
Having done so, he manages to trap Sidi and succeeds to bed her and finally marries her because according to their traditions, the first man a girl sleeps with, becomes her husband. Therefore the title is symbolic though it has a tough relationship with the content.
(III) Setting.
Ilujinle village, in Nigeria during the penetration of western education.
(IV) Plot.
Events are chronologically arranged as they move from Morning, Noon to Night.
(V) Styles.
Different styles have been employed in the play including the following.
(a) Flashback.
This is employed through Sadiku who reveals to us that she was once married to Okiki(Baroka's father) and she made him impotent as she says;
" I was there when it happened to your father, The great Okiki. I did for him. I, the youngest wife and freshest of the wives. I killed him with my strengths" (pg 32).
(b) peculiar way of writing this play.
Instead of using acts and scenes, the playwright uses times of the day i.e. morning, noon and night. This makes the readers to understand the play easily.
(c) Literary devices.
(i) Metaphor.
Lakunle calls Baroka "The greedy dog"(pg19). This shows that chief Baroka is selfish as he wants to own, possess and marry all beautiful girls and women of the village.
"The lion sent me"(pg19) "Sadiku my faithful lizard"(pg47) (ii) personification.
"Heaven forgive you" (pg8)
"Oh heavens, strike me dead" (pg60) "I thought the world was mad" (pg28) (iii) Hyperbole.
"I poured the waters of my soul to wash your feet" (p). This hyperbole gives us the message that Lakunle had a true love to Sidi.
(iv) Symbolism.
"Heaven forgive you" (pg8)
"Oh heaven, strike me dead" (pg60). The word "heaven" here symbolizes "God", to show that they believe in God.
"Lakunle's failure to marry Sidi symbolizes his failure to change his society. This gives us a lesson that it takes time for education to bring changes in the society.
(v) Allusion.
"And the man shall take a woman and the two shall be together as one flesh"(pg8), This shows that Lakunle is a Christian convert.
(vi) Situational Irony.
No one expected that Sidi would agree to marry Baroka. This gives us the lesson that some African traditions are obstacles to one's ambitions.
(VI) Language use.
There is the use of vernacular language as Baroka says;
"Misita Lakunle. Guru morin guru morin"(pg16), This implies that Baroka is illiterate illiteracy prevails in this society.
Also there is the use of vernacular language in the song,
Mo te'ni. Mo te'ni. Mo te'ni. Mo te'ni . Sun momi, we momi" (pg64), to show that these actors are really traditional and strongly hold African culture.
(V) Characterization.
1. LAKUNLE.
He is a teacher of a bush school.
He is an irresponsible teacher as he leaves his pupils during the lesson and goes out to seduce Sidi.
He is in love with Sidi, the most beautiful girl in the village.
He wants to marry Sidi but eventually fails because he is not ready to pay bride price as he believes that bride price is an outdated custom. Instead the girl gets married to Baroka the village chief.
Lakunle wants to change his society into modernity. He hates traditionalism which is the feature of his society.
He is used by the playwright to show that half educated people bring more harm than benefits in the society and they never succeed in their plans.
Changes that Lakunle wants to make to his society.
He wants people to marry without bride price.
He wants people to marry only one wife, he is therefore against polygamy.
He wants people to practice modern dance instead of traditional dance.
He wants roads and railways to be built from town to the village. He is therefore in conflict with Baroka who bribes the railway contractors to stop building railways from town to Ilujinle.
He wants all people to get education, men and women. For example he proposes to bring Sadiku to school though she is seventy years old.
Lakunle's positive contribution to his society. He educated people about abolition of bride price. He educated people about getting rid of polygamy.
He is an agent of change. Eg he opened a school to teach young children in order to build the future.
He is a feminist who fights for the rights of women.
He exposes corrupt leaders like Baroka. He shows how he bribed the surveyor not to construct a railway through Ilujinle.
Lakunle's Weaknesses.
He is irresponsible as he leaves his students and goes to seduce Sidi.
He is too fast in changing his society.
He wants modernity without weighing the advantages and disadvantages of such changes.
He looks on all traditional ways of life as primitive.
He fails to change his society.
He regards him as with much education while he is a half educated person.
2. BAROKA.
He is the chief of Ilujinle village. He represents rationalism.
He has many wives and still keeps on marrying more wives.
He oppresses and humiliates women and girls, For example he assigns his youngest wife Ailatu the duty of pulling out his armpit hair and sends Sadiku to seduce Sidi for him.
He uses women as tools of enjoyment.
He is deceitful, he uses tricks to marry Sidi, he does so by pretending to be impotent so that Sidi would not be afraid of him, finally he manages to sleep her and marry her.
He bribes the railway contractors to diverge the railway away from Ilujinle village.
He is aware that, could the railway has passed through his village, his power would diminish.
Baroka's weaknesses.
He misuses his power as he uses it to marry women instead of leading his people in development activities. He therefore represents leaders who are above the law.
He is a limitless polygamist; he has many wives but still keeps on marrying more girls.
He is very deceitful, he deceives his elder wife, Sadiku that he is sexually powerless while it is not true.
He is oppressive. He sends his head wife to seduce Sidi for him, he forces his younger wife, Ailatu to pluck out his armpit hair. He also makes love with Sidi forcefully. All these are chief Baroka's oppressive deeds to women.
He is corrupt, he bribes the railway contractors to stop building railways from town to the village.
He is selfish, he wants all beautiful girls in the village to be his own wives.
He is a womanizer, he uses women for enjoyment.
3. SIDI.
She is the most beautiful girl in the village.
She is at the age of her maturity, ready for marriage.
She is in love with Lakunle but Lakunle fails to marry her because he refuses to pay the bride price.
She is a traditionalist, an upholder of African culture.
She supports Lakunle to fight for women's rights.
At first, she rejects to marry chief Baroka, but she is tricked by the chief who pretends to be impotent. Then the chief succeeds to make love with her and eventually decides to marry him.
She is used by the playwright to show the girls who struggle for their rights but fail because they lack education and the strong rooted African culture overcomes them.
4. SADIKU.
She is Baroka's eldest wife.
She is sent by Baroka to go and seduce Sidi for him.
She is a traditionalist as she supports bride price.
She seems to have gained some awareness about women's rights, that's why she cheers when she discovers that her husband is "impotent".
Unfortunately her joy fades soon because of her husband's tricks.
She is used by the playwright to show that men sometimes use women to hinder other women's freedom processes. It is this woman who misleads Sidi to fall in the hands of Baroka.
She is also used by the playwright to show that women gossips.
5. AILATU/ THE FAVORITE.
she is Baroka's younger wife.
She is assigned by her husband, chief Baroka to pluck out his armpit hair.
She is being blamed by Baroka by being too soft in pulling out that hair.
When Baroka informs her of his plan in marrying another woman, she gets angry and deliberately pulls out the next few hairs much harder and goes out leaving back Baroka lamenting about his bleeding armpit .
B. CONTENT.
i. Themes.
ii. Conflicts.
iii. Roles and position of women.
iv. Messages/lessons.
v. Relevance.
(I) THEMES FROM THE PLAY
(1) CULTURAL CONFLICT.
There is a clash between traditional African culture and western culture. African culture is represented by Baroka ,Sadiku, Sidi and other villagers while western culture is represented by Lakunle who preaches for change from traditional ways of life to western ways of life. On one hand Lakunle is against the following African traditions.
He is against polygamy which is African tradition. He wants every man to have only one wife. He therefore hates Baroka because he is a polygamist and keeps marrying more.
He is against paying bride price. Lakunle refuses to pay a bride price and wants all people to marry without bride price because he believes that it is an outdated custom.
Lakunle protests against African traditional dances, instead he wants people to practice modern dance.
He hates African clay-pots which traditionally are used all over Africa and instead he wants them to be replaced by saucepans. On the other hand, the society protest against Lakunle and his new ways of life he proposes and call him a strange and madman.
Lakunle despises his tradition that the first man to sleep with a girl traditionally becomes her husband. He ignores this tradition that's why he wants to marry Sidi while he knows that Baroka has slept with her and therefore Baroka should be her husband.
On the other hand, Chief Baroka, Sadiku, Sidi and other village dwellers while are traditionalists are against Lakunle's proposals for modernity such as using saucepans instead of clay pots, women to wear high heel shoes and marrying without paying bride price. The whole society is against Lakunle and looks at him as a madman.
(2). TRADITIONS.
There are many African traditional customs revealed in "The lion and the Jewel " which include the following.
(a). Polygamy.
Lakunle's society is depicted practising polygamy. Chief Baroka is polygamous as he has many wives and keeps marrying more wives. Even the late great Okiki, Baroka's father is said to have been married many wives, Sadiku was once Okiki's younger wife.
(b). Widow inheritance.
In Lakunle's society, once the chief dies, His son who is to succeed him is supposed to marry his father's youngest wife as he takes the throne. Sadiku who is Baroka's old wife was once Okiki's last wife. Baroka inherited her from his father. This tradition is immoral as it is like the person marrying his own mother.
(c) The man who breaks the girl's virginity becomes her husband.
In this society it is a tradition that a girl should be married to a man who breaks her virginity. In the play we see that Sidi who is not interested to marry Baroka eventually marries him only because he has broken her virginity. This is an outdated custom as it is against ones ambitions because other girls lose their virginity by being raped like what happened to Sidi.
(d) Bride price.
Lakunle's society uphold the tradition of paying bride price. Sidi is ready to marry Lakunle but rejects him and marry Baroka simply because Lakunle refuses to pay her full bride price. This tradition is common in Africa though some people take it as buying a woman and hence they are against it.
(e) Chief's younger wife's duty is to pluck out his armpit hair.
Lakunle's people have a tradition that the younger wife of a chief has a duty of plucking the chief's armpit hair. We see Ailatu who is Baroka's younger wife is performing this duty. Baroka tells her that soon, this duty will no longer be her 's as he is planning to marry Sidi will perform it.
3. MISUSE OF POWER.
Chief Baroka uses his power for his personal interests. He spends much of his time for marriage instead of leading his people in productive activities. He uses much of his time seducing Sidi and uses his power to make sure that he wins any girl he wants. This shows that Baroka is not a good leader because he misuses his power.
4. CORRUPTION.
Corruption is revealed through Baroka. Lakunle narrates to Sidi the way Baroka bribed the railway contractors so that they would stop building the railway from town to Ilujinle village. Lakunle says "Did you never hear?. How much he foiled the public workers attempt to build the railway through Ilujinle" (pg24) Corruption is a great obstacle to development in any society.
5. OPPRESSION.
Chief Baroka is oppressive. He oppresses women and girls. For example he sends his head wife (Sadiku) to find another wife (Sidi) for him. He also eventually succeeds to marry Sidi forcefully. Baroka also oppresses Ailatu by forcing her to pluck out his armpit hair.
6. DECEIT.
This is an act of making people believe something which is not true. Baroka is deceitful, he deceives his wife Sadiku that he is sexually powerless something which is not true. He only used it a trick to win Sidi's love. He uncovers this secret to Sidi after making love with her.
7. ILLITERACY.
Most of people in Ilujinle village are illiterate. Baroka's failure to greet Lakunle in a proper way shows that he is illiterate. Sadiku also is illiterate that's why Lakunle suggests that she should go to school for learning. By implication, even Sidi seems to be illiterate as she doesn't attend school instead she learns various things from Lakunle informally.
8. POLYGAMY.
In the play, Baroka is shown practising unlimited polygamy since he has many wives and keeps marrying more wives. The practice may lead to the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS in case one of the couples in not faithful in his or her marriage.
9. PROTEST.
There are two ways on how protest has been shown in this play. On one hand, Lakunle protests against all traditional ways of life especially paying bride price. He believes that paying bride price is buying women just like buying any other commodity from the market. On the other hand, the society protests against Lakunle and looks at him as a madman. The society ignores all of his proposals.
10. IRRESPONSIBILITY.
Lakunle is an irresponsible person as seen how he leaves his pupils in the class and goes out to talk to Sidi. He does not use his education to solve the problems that face his society.
Therefore he is not well materialized though educated. Chief Baroka is also irresponsible because he misuses his power as he uses it to marry women instead of leading his people in development activities.
11. ALIENATION.
Lakunle alienates himself from the society. He feels that whatever is done by the society is primitive and it is he who knows what the society should do. The society also alienates him and looks at him as a madman
12. BETRAYAL.
The theme of betrayal has been shown in different ways as follows
Lakunle betrays and despises his own traditions after acquiring western education. He protests against bride price, traditional dances and all other traditional practises.
Sadiku betrays Chief Baroka by exposing the "secret" she was warned of. She opens the "secret" of Baroka's impotence to Sidi and Lakunle.
Sidi betrays Lakunle by agreeing being married by Baroka. She does this while she knows that she promised to marry Lakunle.
Chief Baroka betrays his people by bribing the railway contractors to stop building railways from town to Ilujinle village. This becomes the great hindrance to their development.
(II) CONFLICTS.
Conflict refers to misunderstanding between, among or within characters. From the play, the following conflicts were revealed.
(a) Conflict between Sidi and Lakunle.
This conflict comes into being because of bride price. Lakunle wants to marry Sidi without bride price while Sidi demands for her bride price to be paid. This leads to a conflict between them.
Another conflict between them occurs when Sidi decides to go to Baroka's palace to mock him. Lakunle stops her but she rejects and goes for Baroka.
(b) Conflict between Baroka and Lakunle.
Baroka is in conflict with Lakunle because they are both competing to marry Sidi. That is the source of their battle, eventually Baroka wins the battle after succeeding to make love with Sidi and marry her.
(c) Conflict between Baroka and Sidi.
This takes place when Baroka sents Sadiku to Sidi with the message that he wants to marry her. Sidi rejects saying that the chief is too old for her. They also quarrel when Baroka makes love with Sidi forcefully. Sidi comes back to Lakunle and Sadiku bitterly crying.
(d) Conflict between Lakunle and Sadiku.
This conflict occurs when Sadiku convinces Sidi to marry Baroka. It also happens after Sidi has gone to Baroka's palace, Lakunle blames Sadiku that she is responsible for whatever might happen to Sidi.
(e) Conflict between Baroka and Ailatu.
The conflict takes place when Baroka tells Ailatu (his favourite and last wife) that he is planning to get another wife. Ailatu gets frustrated with Baroka's words and deliberately plucks the next few hairs much harder and gets out leaving back Baroka lamenting about his bleeding armpit .
CAUSES OF CONFLICTS.
(a) Betrayal.
Lakunle's betrayal to his own traditions especially that of paying bride price became the source of the conflict between him and Sidi.
(b) Love affairs.
Competition between chief Baroka and Lakunle over wining Sidi's love was the source of the misunderstanding that happened between them.
(c) Deceit.
Baroka's deceit to Sadiku that he is sexually powerless led to the conflict between Baroka and Sidi. It also led to the conflict between Lakunle and Sadiku as Lakunle accuses Sadiku that she tricked Sidi to visit Baroka's palace
(d) Humiliation.
Baroka humiliated Ailatu by uttering before her that he is planning to get another wife. This is in fact a humiliation and it led to the conflict between them. As a result Ailatu deliberately pulls
Baroka's armpit air forcefully to hurt him.
(III) ROLES AND POSITION OF WOMEN IN THE SOCIETY.
A. ROLES
(a) Fetching water.
Sidi is seen through the classroom window carrying a pail of water before Lakunle joins her and insists on helping him to it. Sidi refuses saying that, he will look silly. This shows that fetching water is the role performed by women in this society.
(b) Collecting firewood.
Again, this role is shown through Sidi whom Lakunle helps in carrying as they are seen at the road near the marketplace. This also shows that collecting firewood is women's role in the society.
(c) Plucking their husband's armpit hair.
This is revealed through Ailatu, Baroka's younger wife. She is seen in Baroka's bedroom plucking his armpit hair. Likewise, Sidi who is now Baroka's new wife is going to take this role from Ailatu. (d) Seducing new wives for their husbands.
This role is shown by Sadiku who goes to seduce Sidi to become Baroka's last wife. She convinces her and uses all the efforts she can to make Sidi agree on marrying Baroka.
B. POSITION.
(a) women as tools of enjoyment.
In this play, Baroka is seen using women as tools of enjoyment. For example his youngest wife Ailatu pulls hair from his armpit, while she was at that job, Baroka tells her that he is going to marry another wife to take her position. He also marries many wives for enjoyment.
(b) Women are labeled as weaker sex and have smaller brains than men.
For example Lakunle says "The scientists have proved it, it is in my books. Women have a smaller brain than men. That's why they are called the weaker sex". This is humiliation to women and is against the principle of fairness and justice i.e. gender equity.
(c) Women are considered to be commodities.
Sidi refuses to get married to Lakunle without bride-price. Through bride price women are sold like commodities or properties in the market stalls. For example chief Baroka has many wives simply because he is rich and therefore he is able to pay the bride price
(d) Women are described as beings that can easily be tricked.
They fall for the simplest tricks and lies. The playwright shows this through Sidi who is tricked by chief Baroka (the Lion) into sleeping with him, the same trick works to Sadiku (the Bale's head wife) who is tricked by the chief through a fake "impotence"
(e) They are portrayed as the main upholders of traditions.
This is shown through Sidi who refuses to marry Lakunle unless he pays the bride-price to Sidi; marriage is all about a man being able to fulfill the important customs such as paying the bride-price without which marriage and love have no meaning.
(f) They are alienated (discriminated) from making decisions.
In the play, we see and hear chief Baroka deciding to marry another wife without consulting his wives.
(g) Women are portrayed as conservative (rigid) not accepting changes.
For example Sidi does not accept any change whether good or bad. For example she insists on the question of bride-price.
(IV) MESSAGES/LESSONS.
(a) Not all changes are advantageous. Therefore any society must think of advantages of changes in their society before accepting. For example some changes suggested by Lakunle are disadvantageous. To just change the society into modernity is not a solution to problems.
(b) Some traditions are oppressive and therefore they should not be practiced in our societies. Sidi accepts to marry Baroka only because Baroka has became the first man to sleep with her, otherwise she was not interested in marrying him.
(c) Corruption is an obstacle to progress. Baroka bribes the railway contractors so that they stop building a railway and roads from town to the village. This hinders development of the village.
(d) For changes to take place, conflicts are inevitable. Lankule is in conflict with everyone because all the people in his society are purely traditionalists while he is a modernist and wants to change his society into modernity.
(e) Unity is important for any changes. Lankule fails to change his society into modernity because he is alone. No one supports him, Sidi who started to support him turns against him and marries Baroka.
(v) RELEVANCE OF THE PLAY.
The play is very relevant to African societies. The issues raised in the play such as Misuse of power, ignorance, deceit, women oppression irresponsibility and betrayal are common in African societies