Skip to main content

In The Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka, what evidence is there that Sidi views her sexuality as a weapon, men as her opponents, and her...

In the first scene of the play entitled "Morning," the village girls tell Sidi that she has become famous because her image is throughout an entire magazine. Sidi is excited and believes that she is more esteemed than Baroka because of her fame. When the girls discuss how many leaves of the magazine her picture takes up, Lakunle counts three leaves, and Sidi says, "One leaf for every heart that I shall break"(Soyinka...

In the first scene of the play entitled "Morning," the village girls tell Sidi that she has become famous because her image is throughout an entire magazine. Sidi is excited and believes that she is more esteemed than Baroka because of her fame. When the girls discuss how many leaves of the magazine her picture takes up, Lakunle counts three leaves, and Sidi says, "One leaf for every heart that I shall break" (Soyinka 13).


In the second scene of the play entitled "Noon," Sadiku tells Sidi that Baroka asks for her hand in marriage. Sidi is quick to reject Baroka's offer and begins to criticize him for his old age. Sidi has become conceited and believes that she is more important than the Bale of Ilujinle. Sidi looks at her images in the magazine and comments that she never noticed her velvet skin before. Lakunle feels guilty for not mentioning her skin and says that he would have said something, but believed it was not the proper thing to do. Sidi pushes out her breasts and says, "There's a deceitful message in my eyes beckoning insatiate men to certain doom. And teeth that flash the sign of happiness, strong and evenly, beaming full of life" (Soyinka 22).


Sidi's comments portray how she views her sexuality as a weapon to entice and bring doom upon men who become infatuated with her beauty. She mentions that she is looking forward to breaking men's hearts and views them as her opponents. In Yoruba culture, the payment of the bride-price is a very important custom. Sidi understands that her worth has elevated and views her virginity as a treasure. Initially, she is not willing to marry Baroka because of his age, which is a modern view of marriage, but eventually becomes his bride after he cunningly seduces her.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more