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Difficulty: MediumTextual Analysis of Prescribed African Drama

Read the following excerpt from Wole Soyinka's *The Lion and the Jewel*:

LAKUNLE: "A savage custom, barbaric, out-of-date, rejected, denounced, accursed, excommunicated, archaic, degrading, humiliating, unpalatable, objectionable, retrogressive, insult to intelligence..."
SIDI: "Now have you finished?"
LAKUNLE: "Ignorant girl, can you not understand? It is a savage custom, unworthy of a civilized nation."

In the context of the play, what does Lakunle's passionate tirade in this dialogue reveal about his character and attitude?

  1. He uses bombastic westernized rhetoric to justify his refusal to pay Sidi's bride price, reflecting his superficial grasp of modernity.Answer
  2. B
    He is delivering a private soliloquy to express his internal tragic flaw and impending downfall to the audience.
  3. C
    He is orchestrating a militant political uprising against Baroka to abolish traditional governance in Ilujinle.
  4. D
    He expresses dramatic irony because he secretly knows that Sadiku has already tricked Baroka into losing his virility.

Answer

Lakunle's tirade reveals his reliance on bombastic westernized rhetoric to justify refusing to pay Sidi's bride price, highlighting his superficial embrace of modern culture.
In *The Lion and the Jewel*, Lakunle strongly rejects the traditional custom of paying a bride price, calling it 'savage' and 'barbaric'. However, his excessive use of high-sounding words highlights his pomposity and superficial understanding of western civilization. Sidi refuses to marry him without a bride price because un-paid bride price implies she is not a virgin, revealing how Lakunle's modern rhetoric clashes with societal expectations.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the dramatic context of the excerpt from Wole Soyinka's play.
The dialogue takes place between Lakunle, the schoolteacher, and Sidi, the village belle, concerning the custom of bride price.
Identifying the subject of contention establishes what Lakunle is reacting against.
2
Examine Lakunle's choice of diction and tone.
Lakunle reels off a lengthy list of dramatic, pretentious adjectives ('barbaric', 'archaic', 'retrogressive') copied from western texts.
His language underscores his pompous nature and superficial adherence to modern ideas without genuine respect for local customs or Sidi's dignity.
3
Evaluate the thematic implications of his attitude.
Sidi insists on the bride price because paying it confirms her value in the community, whereas Lakunle's refusal under the guise of 'civilization' masks his unwillingness to honor tradition.
This clash exemplifies the core conflict between shallow modernism and rooted traditional values in *The Lion and the Jewel*.

Key Concept

Characterization and Thematic Conflict in Prescribed African Drama
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Topics

Textual Analysis of Prescribed African Drama

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