Disclosing the Hidden Discourse of Cannibalism in Soyinka’sMadmen and Specialists

Abstract

Soyinka’sMadmen and Speacialistsas an exposure of how the native people are misrepresented by the westernernized people. Soyinka provides the platform for resisting the colonizer’s discourse. Symptomatic reading discloses how the westernized characters express the colonial mentality that shows the western people are superior to the natives. The colonial discourses encourage the westernized people to colonize the native people whether in the cultural or political form. The stereotypes constructed by West about East are the main focus of this study. Symptomatic reading criticizes the picture of native people as the other and westerners’ imposition of power and ideology. A westernized people always regard native people as violent and irrational and he wants to create peace, order and prosperity from the western perspectives. The westerners establish the concept to control the native people; therefore, symptomatic reading expreses such exploitation of natives.