The Lion and the Jewel(Wole Soyinka 1963) novel analysis-2

However, on a more critical view and according to what Sidi is implying; bride price is paid to prove virginity, thenLakunle is right about his latter sentiments. At the end of the play Lakunle tries to negotiate with Sidi after having lost her virginity to Baroka;

Dear Sidi, we shall forget the past
But you will agree, it is only fair
That we forget the bride price totally
Since you no longer can be called a maid(pg,43)

On such issues of tradition and practices Soyinka as radical activist had to ignore certain practices that deserve a critical attention. The issue of polygamy is a demeaning one which assisted in viewing women as evidence of unbridled sexual appetite Bossieetal (1993).Lakunle forbids Sadiku to lure Sidi for Baroka. Sidi tells Sadiku to go and tell Baroka that she, ‘she does not sup with married men, Every woman who has supped with him one night becomes his wife or concubine the next.

However Freire (1972) opines that though development is transformation, not all transformation is development and development to Rodney (1972) implies increased skill and capacity, greater freedom, creativity, self-discipline, responsibility and material wellbeing of an individual. Lankunle thinks he can transform the village’s tradition because he feels he is academically developed and advanced but according to the above definition he partially possesses the qualities. The type of education he attained is superficial and abrupt. On the other hand Baroka is also against Lakunle’s view of development which is characterized by western civilization.

Baroka possesses a different type of education to that of Lakunle. His is indigenous education which develops a sense of obligation towards the community and grew to appreciate history, language and values. Baroka denies the construction of a railway line across the village on the basis that societies that are invaded cannot develop. He also feel that a railway line derail everything from the village and bring foreign matter as Lakunle projected on page 25 when he talks of a motor road passing to bring city ways to the village.

This type of knowledge again made Baroka to triumph over Lakunle in luing Sidi. Baroka uses indigenous knowledge. Thus he publicize his sexual infirmity. His tactics can be related to Chaucer’s sentiment in the Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale that women want to dominate. In the play Sadiku rejoices over their triumph, their virility,

We women undid you in the end
I killed him with my strength
I ate him up!
…we always consume you(pg, 22)

What Lakunle was ignorant of is that women do not want to be belittled and be considered less human. It is some kind of insult to call them weak, inferior and creatures. To Lakunle, girls have smaller brain since scientist have proven it and that is why women are called the weaker sex. (pg, 4).Sidi does not understand Lakunle since she believes he is just trying to boast about his status and knowledge of the city, “what i boast is known in Lagos, the city of magic”. Lakunle feels not welcome in his own place and hide with his fallacy belonging city life. Hence that is why Sidi ordered him to, “go there…where women understand you”, (pg , 5).

In addition to the above analysis it has also been noted that through this type of education there have been a parallel panologiation of vernacular culture that manifested in the following expressions; intellectual problem; cultural deficiency; cultural handicap and cultural inadequacy. The significant of the terminology is not innocent and the repercussion are far reaching as evidenced by teachers and those on authority who view the other as shadow deficient and inferior.

In Lakunle eyes the people of Ilunjile behave as a people in desperate need of salvation from a mission civilisatrice (Magubane 2004). He wishes to transform the whole village and is ready to start with Chief Baroka, the crafty rogue and master of self-indulgence.(pg, 4)

Lankunle is a product of WaThiongo(2005)’s notion that colonial education make Africans intellectual outsiders in their own land and on their own issues under the name civilization. Under the array of such civilizing light, the colonisers control education and therefore control the thoughts and ideas absorbed by the youth who receives new culture and ideas at a young age. Hence insightful scrutiny of even the current curriculum is needed.

Fruzzeth and Perez (2002) talk of women’s bodies as repositories of tradition and symbols of the nation. As Ogungbesan (1979) postulated above that Soyinka possesses an inner light that is unavailable to the mass of his people.Sidi’s surrender to Barokais a testimony to the victory of traditional African values and defeat of westernized cultural imperialism.

Sidi could not take Lakunle for Baroka to prove the fact that education does not emancipate but actually exposes, diminishes, turn people into cultural redundant, ignorant and empty vessels. Lakunle is viewed as a bit of nuisance, a watered-down, beardless version of unripen man

The aim of this book was to critically analyze how education affects men intellectually and hence hinders them to serve the society as expected. Ultimately it also makes them outsiders in their own land. It was observed that in The Lion and the Jewel young men are educated. However, the kind of education is one that alienates from the society which the young men are supposed to serve.