Conflict between Tradition and Modernity in "The Swamp Dwellers"

Name :-Darshangi K. Andharia 

Paper no:-402 African Literature

Topic :-Conflict between Tradition and Modernity in "The Swamp Dwellers"

Sem :-IV Part:-II

Year:-2012-2013

Submitted to,

Dr.Dilip Barad 

Dept. Of English

M.K Bhavnagar University

                       The Swamp Dwellers is a play by Soyinka in which he has portrayed the real picture of two sides that is tradition V/S Modernity. The play is about Yoruba culture in which Makuri and Alu they are living and waiting for their son whose name is Awuchike. Soyinka has presented Yoruba culture which is full of swamp because of food in the village. And they are suffering because of plenty of water and Beggar who comes from Bhukanji and over there they were suffering because of scarcity of water.

                        The play is about struggle between human being and the unfavorable force of the Nature. Use of River, Serpent, Swamp and use of city life these are polar oppositions in the play. From the beginning of the play they are talking about death of his son but clearly mention that really he is dead or not. Swamp is chaotic and they are living in the chaos.

Tradition:- Tradition is a belief or behavior passed down within group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. Makuri, Alu and Igwezu are representation of tradition.

Modernity:-Modernity typically refers to a past traditional post medieval, historical period one marked by the money from feudalism toward capitalism, industrialism. Secularization, rationalization, the nation state and its constituent institutions and forms of surveillance. Awuchike and Desala are representation of modernity.

                  Play starts with the description of village which shows traditional side of the play.

“A village in the swamps. Frogs rain and other noises. The scan is a hut on stilts, built on one of the scattered semi-firm island in the swamp. The walls are marsh stakes plaited with hump ropes. Near the left down stage are the baskets he makes from the rushes which are strewn in front of him.”(1 pg of TSD)

                  These all lines show that they are traditional people doing work but which can’t give them food. At some extent tradition is good because you have your own belief and way of looking towards life but not accepting change in life is bad. Too much exaggeration is bad for your life which is shown through the play.

                   Igwezu went into city to earn more in life but he can’t accept the reality of life which is in city. There is starvation for shelter in city, so cold sophisticated life than village so we can say that Igwezu and Awuchike both are suffering because of their acceptance or to much exaggeration of their life.

                   There is Constance struggle or conflict between the old and new ways of life in Africa. There is the dialogue that old and children are living in village. It means that yougs are living in city.

Makuri :-It’s lie all the young man go into the big town to try their hand at making money only some of them remember their Falk and send word once in a while.

Makuri: - The city is a large place .You could live there all your life and never meet half the people in it.

                    Second dialogue shows the reality which lies in city life. In city there is not any feeling in between human being. Even they don’t know each other if they are living near. And this is the harsh reality of city life. You will lose yourself in city. 

                    They are to much traditional people they are believing that river bed it is perfect bridal bed this comes in talk between Makuri and Alu when they were remembering their past.

Alu:-Where the rivers meet there the marriage must begin and the river bed it self is the perfect bridal bed.

                    Thinking to much about past is also rigidity or Very sticky towards traditional belief system.

                    Character of Kadiye and Beggar both are also representation of tradition and modernity. Kadiye who is local priest and he always tries to make himself in a better position. Beggar who is not really a beggar by his nature he is blind but he always ready to do work. He accepts what is reality and tries to struggle for his survival and comes from Bhukanji.

Makuri:-Much damage? Not a grain was saved not one tuber in the soil......and what the food left behind was poisoned by the oil in the swamp water.

                   They are still believes in Kadiye what he says to them he tells to them that he has take vowed to the serpent that I would never shave nor washed until the rains greased to all to gather.

                   When Igwezu comes back from the city with the hope that he will cultivate a farm but when he shows that every thing is ruined by food.

Igwezu:- I have had my feast of welcome. I found it on the farm where the beans and the corns had made an over lasting potage with the mood.

                   When Igwezu talks about Awuchike because Desala leaves him for Awuchike. Igwezu doesn’t earn that much money like Awuchike that is when he talks about him we come to know that because of city life or to much exaggeration destroy family structure.

Igwezu: - I do not know at this moment. I do not know so perhaps it is as well that he comes. Perhaps he can explain, perhaps he...........dark and sour I Shaw its knife saver the ties and the love of kinship and terns brother against brother.

                    When Alu is talking about him she says that perhaps there is something in the place that makes man forgets.

                           

        Igwezu is destroyed by farm and his brother both.

Igwezu: - It was never in my mind the thought that the farm could betray me so totally, that it could drive the final ways into this growing lose of touch.

                    So we can say that both lives are not satisfied. Desala and Awuchike both are not happy. They are dead not physically but spiritually.