Abstract
The play, The Lion and the Jewel by Soyinka has been projected variously as a triumph of African culture over the Western culture. This is because it is a post-colonial write-up that came almost after the end of the struggles that got Nigeria its independence. There have been different approaches to the study of this text with respect to the struggles between the two traditions as represented by Lakunle (the Western tradition) and Baroka (the African tradition). However, this paper takes a different dimension. Its concern is to investigate, using Fairclough’s tools of Critical Discourse Analysis, some of the ideologies and power relations embedded in some discourses in the text which reveal, in the same context, that Yoruba (African) traditional marriage ideology of bride price oppresses and marginalizes women whereas Western marriage ideology empowers and helps women to discover their self-worth. In addition too, the play reveals that chauvinism in African man cannot be completely eroded no matter the level of Western education acquired. In other words, there were still other levels of imperialism within the so called “independent world” of the traditional Yoruba and at large, Africa.
Highlights
IntroductionStudies have continued to x-ray through literature, components of the structures of human societies
Over the years, studies have continued to x-ray through literature, components of the structures of human societies
Wole Soyinka in The Lion and The Jewel recreated the African society in a way that showcases that domination, subjugation and dehumanization did not stop in Nigeria even when the British had left and the song of independence or freedom was on the lips of the Nigerians
Summary
Studies have continued to x-ray through literature, components of the structures of human societies. One outstanding outcome of these studies lie in the fact that language has remained the most singular medium to structure the society and to retain these structures. The second phase of domination and subjugation centered mostly on women, as buttressed by the language elements employed by Soyinka in the text. Every discourse makes use of language elements which are not detached from the ideological undertones of the language user or the society that uses the language. Bourdieu (1991) posits that the choice of words, sentence structure, register or discourse structure can radically alter people’s perceptions toward a method, a belief, or an ideology. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is a type of research which attempts to reveal the connections in language use that embody power and ideology.
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