The village goddess, reaching out Towards the sun, her lover. Can you see it, my daughter
sidi is sun because her marriage to Baroka will be a ritual; ro benefit him his fertility but diminish her light
19 Matching Annotations
- Jan 2024
-
search-alexanderstreet-com.ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu search-alexanderstreet-com.ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu
-
-
SADIKU You will have to match the fox's cunning. Use your bashful looks and be truly repentant. Goad him my child, torment him until he weeps for shame.
sadiku seen as crone. we can also see Sidi from the perspective of talking to an older verison of herself in Sadiku
-
SIDI No, he will not. Oh Sadiku let me go. I long to see him thwarted, to watch his longing His twitching hands which this time cannot Rush to loosen his trouser cords.
sidi is portrayed as a witch and takes on vehicle of being a witch. Witch or outsider in relation to how her body is seen
-
BAROKA THE BALE [ as if suddenly aware of her presence, starts up.] I have told this to no one but you, Who are my eldest, my most faithful wife. But if you dare parade my shame before the world . . . [ Sadiku shakes her head in protest and begins to stroke the soles of his feet with renewed tenderness. Baroka sighs and falls back slowly.] How irritable I have grown of late Such doubts to harbour of your loyalty . . . But this disaster is too much for one Checked thus as I upon the prime of youth. That rains that blessed me from my birth Number a meagre sixty-two; While my grandfather, that man of teak, Fathered two sons, late on sixty-five. But Okiki, my father beat them all Producing female twins at sixty-seven. Why then must I, descendant of these lions Forswear my wives at a youthful sixty-two My veins of life run dry, my manhood gone!
similar dynamic to SIdi and Lakunle
-
Well, the play was much alive until I came. And now everything stops, and you were leaving Us. After all, I knew the story and I came in Right on cue. It makes me feel as if I was Chief Baseje.
breaking the fourth wall
-
And in the middle leaves, from the beginning of one leaf right across to the end of another, is one of you from head to toe. Do you remember it? It was the one for which he made you stretch your arms towards the sun.
similar to what was said on page six. maybe foreshadowing or leaves/sun are important symbols in play
-
Sidi, my love will open your mind Like the chaste leaf in the morning, when The sun first touches it.
visual imagery of purity and affect
-
There. Wet for your pains. Have you no shame? LAKUNLE That is what the stewpot said to the fire. Have you no shame-at your age Licking my bottom? But she was tickled Just the same. SIDI The school teacher is full of stories This morning. And now, if the lesson Is over, may I have the pail? LAKUNLE No. I have told you not to carry loads On your head. But you are as stubborn As an illiterate goat. It is bad for the spine. And it shortens your neck, so that very soon You will have no neck at all. Do you wish to look Squashed like my pupils' drawings? SIDI Why should that worry me? Haven't you sworn That my looks do not affect your love? Yesterday, dragging your knees in the dust You said, Sidi, if you were crooked or fat, And your skin was scaly like a ..
sexual subtext and we see Sidi's position in society as a disgrace/disrupter from the vehicle based on the presumptions of her actions and body
-
Sidi now enters. In one hand she holds a bundle, done up in a richly embroidered cloth: in the other the magazine. She is radiant, jewelled, lightly clothed, and wears light leather-thong sandals. They all go suddenly silent except for the long-drawn O-Ohs of admiration. She goes up to Lakunle and hands him the book.]
sidi the sun
-
SIDI I can no longer see the meaning, Baroka. Now that you speak Almost like the school teacher, except Your words fly on a different path, I find . . .
parallel between Baroka and Lakunle
-
This is my plan, you withered face And I shall start by teaching you. From now you shall attend my school And take your place with twelve-year olds. For though you're nearly seventy, Your mind is simple and unformed. Have you no shame that at your age, You neither read nor write nor think? You spend your days as senior wife, Collecting brides for Baroka. And now because you've sucked him dry, You send my Sidi to his shame. . . .
misogyny in viewpoint of both Baroka and Lakunle in diffferent ways
-
Now there you go again. One little thing And you must chirrup like a cockatoo. You talk and talk and deafen me With words which always sound the same And make no meaning. I've told you, and I say it again I shall marry you today, next week Or any day you name. But my bride-price must first be paid. Aha, now you turn away. But I tell you, Lakunle, I must have The full bride-price.Will you make me A laughing-stock? Well, do as you please. But Sidi will not make herself A cheap bowl for the village spit.
poking holes and being ironic about social rules that are misogynistic
-
-
Local file Local file
-
Prince Tonga attempts to dance thewooing dance and resigns.PRINCE TONGASee? Also, the thing about this dance is that one cannotdance alone.ARTHURWell, I do not know this dance but perhaps I can teach youone from my land.He walks close to Prince Tonga andtakes him by the hand and puts hisother hand on his waist and theydance...“THE WALTZ”ENGLISH FOLK DANCE PERFORMED IN CLOSEPOSITION.Prince Tonga is fidgety andstruggles to get the steps right.After a while he gets it and theydance beautifully together.PRINCE TONGAThis dance. This dance is very together.ARTHUR(Light laugh)You mean intimate?PRINCE TONGAYes. Intimate.ARTHURDo you like it?PRINCE TONGAYes.ARTHURGood.PRINCE TONGAUm...No one...I have not...
As we saw in page 14, Arthur is singing/dancing is related to colonialism and sexuality. The use of the waltz explores the the medium of dance in relation to colonialism, voyeurism, and sexuality
-
We can use her.ARTHURI don’t think Father Grimes would approve of that. Her beinga local and all.COMMANDER JONESNo. Not like that. I mean that we can use her to get herfather to accept the law.ARTHURI’m afraid that would not work.COMMANDER JONESExplain.ARTHURShe is a woman.COMMANDER JONESI can see that.ARTHURThat means that she wouldn’t be able to influence her fatherin any way. Women have no voice or influence.COMMANDER JONESYou really are getting as thick as these people, Arthur.ARTHURSir?COMMANDER JONESIf her father sees that she’s smitten with you, he mightactually take kindly to that fact that he might have you as ason-in-law. That’ll make him listen to you.ARTHURIt could also make him put a spear through my neck or crashmy head against a stone.COMMANDER JONESYou’ll never know unless you try. Listen, you don’t have tolike her, just use her. Do it for the Crown!
Arthur's body used as a vessel for voyeurism and integration into their society. Though, as we saw earlier in the play, Arthur's supposed mildness in colonial mindset and more performative respect to the culture of the Africans. In contrast to Father Grimes and Commander Jones, his "Opposition" becomes more emboldened when he realizes that it is correlated with his sexuality. Though his sexuality happens to also be in opposition with the colonial occupation that he is complicit in. internal struggle vs public image.
-
Arthur breaks into song...ARTHURHEAR YE, HEAR YEYOU ARE BEAUTIFULYOU MAKE MY HEARTYOU MAKE MY HEARTHEAR YE, HEAR YETHERE IS A NEW TAXNO MORE SPEARSNO MORE GUNSWE MUST LIVE IN UNITYWE MUST LIVE IN PEACEYOU ARE BEAUTIFULYOU DISTURB MY THOUGHTSYOU MAKE MY HEART JUMPHEAR YE, HEAR YETHE SPEAR, THE TAX, THE...5.
Arthur's singing in relation to sexuality, masculinity, colonialism, and the church in the play is interesting to explore. We can argue that Arthur is more "considerate" of the culture of the Africans. Though, he has the will and capability to be just as evil as Commader Jones and Father Grimes. The audience seeing Arthur singing foreshadows Arthur's positionality from the perspective of the Africans. By showing his position as a voyeur and integrator into their culture
-
I need to get back to work.PRINCESS NIGHTTeach me how to write.ARTHURFather Grimes does that at the church. He will be happy tohave another student.PRINCESS NIGHTNo. That Father Grimes is weird. He forces us to wearclothes.ARTHURThat is not a bad idea.PRINCESS NIGHTHe says that we are naked.She touches her short skirt as ifconfused.Arthur looks at her naked chest andlooks away.ARTHURHe is not completely wrong.
In the relationship between Arthur and Princess Night, we see the relationship between how colonialism uses sexuality to gain dominance on the colonized. While, also participating in the sexual exploitation of their culture to gain principle in the livelihood of the colonized.
-
rthur returns with the message tohis Colonial office and a meetingis held led by COMMANDER JACOBJONES (50).Arthur relays the message from KingKapande. Father Grimes exaggerates.ARTHURThey wouldn’t hear it.COMMANDER JONESKing Kapande?ARTHURNot just the King. All of them.FATHER GRIMESSavages, I tell you.ARTHURI wouldn’t say that.FATHER GRIMESThey had their spears in hand and shields ready to fight.COMMANDER JONESWhat?ARTHURNo. That’s not entirely true.COMMANDER JONESSo they did not have spears?ARTHURYes, they did have spears but in all fairness, we found themdoing one of their traditional dances. The spears are part ofthe costume.COMMANDER JONESThat’s all they do stupid people. Dance all the time as ifthere is no tomorrow.
I would have the set design and lighting in scene be alot more dark and minimalist compared to the market scene. I would do this because this conversation is about how they see the Africans as savages and are annoyed that they won't listen to Arthur's authoritative stance on regulating their self expression, traditions, and culture. The scene has to express how each of the respective structures and hegemonic bias' of Commander Jones, Arthur, and Father Grimes clouds their mindset. Though, they cant come to terms with the fact that the Africans have structures in their traditons and cultures like they do in their colonialism. To upend structure means to realize that the very structure you are trying to upend is based on the structural pursuits of your mind that are just as suspectible to breaking down like a building. I belive that the play plays with this idea to show how much of our actions are in chained to bias and secrecies we hide within ourselves under the notion of structure.
-
NO NO, WE WILL NOTNO NO, THESE ARE OUR SPEARSNO NO, THESE ARE OUR GUNSNO NO, THIS IS OUR LANDNO NO, WE WILL NOTNO NO, LEAVE US BENO NO, NO MORE LAWSNO NO, NO MORE RULESNO NO, LEAVE US BETHESE ARE OUR WEAPONSTHESE ARE OUR SPEARSTHESE ARE OUR GUNSTHIS IS OUR LANDNO NO, WE WILL NOTNO NO, LEAVE US BETOO MANY MORE LAWSNO MORE LAWSThe women join and tap theircalabashes.They surround the missionaries.ENSEMBLE CONT’DNO NO, WE WILL NOTNO NO, WE REFUSENO ONE WILL TAKE OUR WEAPONSWE USE OUR SPEARS TO HUNTWE USE OUR SHIELDS TO KEEP US SAFEWE USE OUR GUNS TO PROTECT OURSELVESNO NO, WE WILL NOTNO NO, WE REFUSENO ONE WILL TAKE OUR WEAPONSTHESE ARE OUR WEAPONSTHIS IS OUR LANDNO NO, WE WILL NOTNO NO, LEAVE US BE3.
The ensemble would be dispersed in different directions in the market until Arthur comes and makes his statement. Then they would get in formation gradually in protest to his exclamation. The formation of the ensemble is controlled by the beats of the spears and calabashes. The radical formation of the group becomes more congruent as the beat of their spears and calabashes grow louder.
-
Anyone found with an unregistered weapon walking around inpublic will be persecuted.The announcement is interrupted.The men in the market stamp theirspears on the ground singing...2.
If I was staging this, I would have Arthur say this line while walking down the audience. The marketplace would face the audience.
-