Name:
Budhiditya Shankar Das
Course:
M.A (English)
Topic: Female characters in The Swamp
Dwellers
Semester:
04
Roll
No. : 06
Paper
No.: 14
Paper
Name: The African Literature
Submitted
to: Dr. Dilip Barad,
Smt.
S.B.Gardi
Department
of English,
Maharaja
Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Soyinka
was born into a Yoruba
family in Abeokuta.
After studying in Nigeria and the UK, he worked with the Royal Court Theatre in London. He went on to write plays that were produced
in both countries. In 1967 during the Nigerian Civil War,
he was arrested by the federal government of General Yakubu Gawon and put in solitary confinement for two years. In
Nigeria, Soyinka was a Professor of Comparative Literature (1975
to 1999) at the Obafemi Awolowo University, and
then called the University of Ife. With civilian rule restored to Nigeria in 1999, he was
made professor emeritus.
In Nigeria, Soyinka was a Professor
of Comparative
Literature (1975 to
1999) at the Obafemi Awolowo University, and then called
the University of Ife.[5] With civilian rule restored to Nigeria in 1999, he was
made professor emeritus. Soyinka wrote the first full-length play produced
on Nigerian television. Entitled My Father’s Burden and
directed by Segun Olusola, the play was featured on the Western Nigeria
Television (WNTV) on 6 August 1960. Soyinka published works satirising the “Emergency”
in the Western
Region of Nigeria, as his Yorùbá homeland
was increasingly occupied and controlled by the federal government. The
political tensions arising from recent post-colonial independence eventually
led to a military
coup and Civil War (1967–70).
Even the title of this play is very significant one. And as
Derrida use to say that each and every word has free play of the words. Here
also we will find the different free play of the words or particularly the word
‘Swamp’. Swamp means where nothing can grow. Here ‘Nothing can grow’ is also
connected with the mental states, means new ideas. This shows the disturbed and
fragmented mind set of the youth. The second meaning of the word swamp means
the ‘City’. Where once someone goes never comes back. Swamp is a kind of muddy
place where we cannot create a particular impression of a thing. Here Soyinka
tries to give negative connotation to the word ‘City’. (Wikipedia)
Alu
Alu is the wife of Makuri. She is the mother of
Igwezu and Awuchike. She is aged about sixty. She believes in the custom of the
swamps. She thinks that the river bed is the ideal bridal bed. She has more
concern for Awuchike who is in the city. She has anxiety for his safety. Her
anxiety makes her shoot questions. Her questions make Makuri think of her as a
fussy neurotic wife. She is hospitable like Makuri. Her reaction to the words
of Kadiye shows her to be a traditionalist. Though she is outspoken, she is not
for change. Alu’s understanding of the world is very limited. Igwezu’s words
about his brother Awuchike set her anxiety at rest. All said, Alu is a loving
and a loveable mother. She
always tries to fulfil every wish of his husband as well as his sons. Sometime
she also fights against her husband for his sons. So here we can compare the
character of Alu with Mrs Ramsay in ‘To the Lighthouse’. (Heart)
Throughout the play Awuchike never comes on the stage but he
remains present through the talk of the family. Alu use to remember him a
lot. Because when he went there, in the city he was the different person
and now he is the different person.
Desala-
Desala does not appear in the play as a character. But, she
is spoken off. Desala is the embodiment of the corrupt nature of the city life.
The character also echoes the materialistic attitude of city dwellers. Desala
marries Igwezu. Igwezu later becomes poor owing to bad returns from his business.
Desala found Awuchike prospering in his business. So, Desala leaves Igwezu and
marries Awuchike. It shows how city life has become morally void. But on the other hand we also can’t blame Desala because as a
young girl when she married to Igwezu she also must be having some young dreams
for her life and when she tried to fulfil all her dreams she is also not wrong.
When Kadiye asks Igwezu about his wife Desala he becomes a bit angry upon
Kadiye which shows that now he doesn’t care about Desala. From this point we
come to know about Desala and Igwezu that may be something went wrong between
this husband and wife. (Heart)
Comparison between Alu and Desala-
There is a contrast between the women
in the family. Igwezu’s mother Alu is faithful and loyal to his father Makuri.
Alu and Makuri lead their conjugal life in subsistence level. Makuri makes
basket with rushes and Alu works at her “adire” cloth. Makuri is also an
occasional barer. After all, they live from hand to mouth. In youth, Alu was
very beautiful. A group of crocodile traders visited the Swamp and offered Alu
to leave for city with them but Alu checked the temptation and rejected their
offers. Throughout her life, she shares the well and woe of her husband and
remains faithful. Makuri never feels tension for her sake. Besides, she loves
the swamp region and never expresses any wish to leave for city. But Igwezu’s
wife is reversed to Alu. Her condition before wedding was that, she must have
to be taken to town after marriage. She does not like rustic life, careless
about Igwezu’s parents. Besides, whenever he begins their urban life, Igwezu’s
wife leaves him for wealthy Awuchike. The contrasting point between these two
women is that, one is faithful and consistent to husband and another is
inconsistent and unfaithful, one is materialistic, another is simple and
honest. (Articles)
Contrast between Village and City-
Finally there is a contrast between village and city. Life in
city is source of pain, disappointment and frustration. It is a greed dominated
place and only hard- hearted people prosper. But life in village is blend &
sorrow and happiness. In village, the family is integrated, people are simple
minded, hospitable, capable of being deceived very easily. Besides, the country
people are the puppet at the hand of nature. Nature shatter their hope again
offers the victim an optimism. (Gohil)
Works cited-
Articles, Literary. 02 04 2018
<http://www.literary-articles.com/2012/10/wole-soyinkas-art-of-characterization.html>.
Gohil, Devikaba. Blog.
27 03 2016. 02 04 2018
<http://devikagohil2014-16.blogspot.in/2016/03/female-characters-in-swamp-dwellers.html>.
Heart, One. 02 04 2018
<https://sites.google.com/site/theswampdwellers/home>.
Wikipedia. 30 03 2018. 02 04 2018
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wole_Soyinka>.
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