Abstract
Myths constitute an important part of human development. Life enduring values are embedded in these myths and the adaptation of some of these archetypal myths from culture to culture ensures shared virtues and opinions on human experience. This paper investigates, using the theories of myth and deconstruction, the relationship between Euripedes’ Alcestis myth and the Edufa myth written by Afua Sutherland. A comparative analysis of the two myths indicates that Sutherland adapted the Greek myth to the Ghanaian context. However, due to the fluid and unstable nature of language and meaning in general and due to same qualities of the discourse in Edufa, a deconstructionist approach has been used in this paper to derive a powerful message on the responsibility of the mother cum wife. The findings reveal that Sutherland does not endorse the kind of love exhibited by Ampoma; rather, she proscribes it. The dramatist’s adept use of language and the text’s leaning on lessons from the African concept of marriage is what makes this deconstructionist’s reading possible.
Highlights
Myths are stories that are “regarded as fictional stories containing deeper truths, expressing collective attitudes to fundamental matters of life, death, divinity and existence” (Baldick 174)
This paper investigates, using the theories of myth and deconstruction, the relationship between Euripedes’ Alcestis myth and the Edufa myth written by Afua Sutherland
There are a lot of parallels between the plots of the two plays. Sutherland adapts her version of the myth to the Ghanaian and African context in order to raise pertinent questions about the role of a mother cum wife in a marriage
Summary
Myths are stories that are “regarded as fictional stories containing deeper truths, expressing collective attitudes to fundamental matters of life, death, divinity and existence” (Baldick 174). Readers and theatre-goers wonder about the kind of heart that will condition a wife/mother to live a life of self-effacing sacrifice while abnegating her core responsibilities towards her children and husband. It is this disturbing issue which has subsumed the angst of the paper and thrust the researchers into finding satisfactory answers to it. A deconstructionist interpretation of the play reveals Ampoma as a Ghanaian wife who lacks a thorough understanding of love in the African context and her role and responsibilities in a marriage Such a lacuna in the understanding of her obligations towards her children and husband lands the entire family in jeopardy. This self-inflicted death and oppression in the name of “love” is what Sutherland wants other women from Ghana and Africa to avoid
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