Representation of Yoruba Gender in Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel

Abstract

The paper analyses an African drama entitled The Lion and the Jewel by African postcolonial dramatist and a playwright, Wole Soyinka, and argues that his representation of women characters disrobes his patriarchal position towards women as practiced in the cultural ethos of the pre-colonial Nigerian society. It further explores his failure of resistance towards colonial principles of the contemporary patriarchal culture of the Nigerian community. The researcher compares the characterization between male characters such as Baroka, Lakunle and female characters such as Sidi and Sadiku. While the male characters are portrayed as intelligent, powerful- both socially and intellectually, the female characters are presented as beings with low intelligence, high level of gullibility and powerless. Soyinka conforms to the patriarchal tradition of polygamy by stripping women of their potential power of resistance against the masculine exploitation of female characters like Sidi who gets raped by Baroka and finally subjects herself to the marriage with him. To further consolidate the argument, the researcher borrows the theoretical insights from the postcolonial feminism. Postcolonial feminists such as Gayatri Spivak, Sara Zargar and Antonia Navarro Tejero not only question the universalizing narrative of western feminism but also draw criticism upon some postcolonial male writers for their silence regarding the colonial nature of patriarchal attitude towards women. The researcher concludes with the findings that the postcolonial literature falls short in its representation of post-independent societies if it fails to inquire upon the ideology of gender construct. Key Words: Post-colonialism, Postcolonial Feminism, Gender Inequality, Patriarchy, Tradition