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Summary: GHOST OF 808 COMES THROUGH WITH THE GOODS BABY!
Review: In the book, Death and the King¡¯s Horseman, by Wole Soyinka, the author at first appears to portray the white culture as hedonistic beasts, who are self righteous and heartless, but when examined closely, that perception is proven to be false when compared to the play as a whole. In order to fully understand the heart of the opposing culture that is present in the book (which is the white culture), one must closely examine the character that mainly represents them. The character, Simon Pilkings, is basically the major character representing the white culture. Pilkings at first is portrayed as a savage, who does not understand, nor care about the importance of the ceremony that must take place, in order for the death king (who died a month earlier), to enter the after-life, needs his chief horseman, Elesin, to guide his horse through. The problem with that was that Elesin, in order to accompany his king to the after life, had to kill himself. The act of suicide, to Elesin, is a passed down honor from his forefathers that is considered to be a high privilege because they have the weight of guiding their king into his new home. The problem with this idea is that Pilkings, does not agree with the fact that Elesin needs to go through the whole process at all. In the end, he does in fact stop the ceremony from continuing, but at the cost of not only Elesins¡¯ honor and life, but also Elesin¡¯s son, Olunde as well. Pilkings did what he did, not because he hated the African American culture, nor because he did not understand them. In fact, he did what he did because he cared a great deal about Olunde. Olunde is the basically, the son Pilkings never had. Plkings sends Olunde across seas to England, to attend medical school, which Pilkings is paying for at his own expense. Pilkings knows that it is Olunde¡¯s father who is going to commit suicide, and so in order to save Olunde from losing a father and going through unbearable heartache, Pilkings does what he believes would be the best for Olunde. Pilkings proceeds to stop the ceremony, not realizing that Olunde knows that his father was going to commit the act. By the time Pilkings found out that Olunde had arrived to the village, the act had been done. Elesin was captured and his divine time, to commit the act had passed. In Pilkings¡¯ mind, he is at peace because he thinks that he has done the greatest thing for Olunde. He believes that he saved Elesin from eternal damnation and protected Olunde from the pain of losing a father. But in fact, he caused the opposite affect because Olunde has to take his fathers place and must kill himself so that he could guide the king into the after life. Overall, Pilkings can be portrayed as a heartless character, but if one examines the motive behind the act he committed, he is probably the most caring and understands character that is presented in the play.
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Summary: Western Ignorance and Centrcity Imposing Itself On Africa
Review: In this play Soyinka gives such roundness to his characters that it is hard for some to decipher their goodness or "badness" as characters. The play is a story of the western colonizers' failure to recognize African culture as substantial. The play deals with the Yoruba religion and a specific ritual that is thwarted by an ignorant colonizer who does so for reasons traced back to ethnocentricity and racism. The man who is deemed to kill himself is pitied by the westerners and this shows their hippocrisy. By demanding that suicide was immoral and could not be a spiritual endeavor they denied the status of one of the most important men to grace Western Civilization with their presence: Jesus Christ. Christ gave himself away the same way that the character in this play does and did so for spiritual reasons that transcended himself.
THe play gives great insight into African culture and builds with intensity to a hugely climatic ending that is rewarding for the reader to experience.
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Summary: I don't know
Review: It is to hard for me to read this material, I would really like it if someone would email me a summary of this play. By tonight or tommorrow (11/04) thank you
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Summary: My Horseman has a first name, J I L L.
Review: This piece is astounding in the way that it compells a reader to delve into race relations in Africa between the Ugun-gun and the British. The irony used is good also.
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Summary: My Horseman has a first name, J I L L.
Review: This piece is astounding in the way that it compells a reader to delve into race relations in Africa between the Ugun-gun and the British. The irony used is good also.
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Summary: the truth about race relations
Review: This play is a must read for anyone seeking the truth about race relations around the world. Especially between African people and europeans. I think the author's account of how the europeans tried to rob the Africans of what little pride, religion and culture they still had left spoke of the horrible genocide that existed then and continues now. It's also most disheartening to know that African people can't even have their freedom in death.
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Summary: A classic in Afican literature.
Review: This play was very entertaining. I understand it is required reading for many West African students, according to my friend from Burkina Faso.It is only 80 pages, but contains much depth. It can probably taken on many levels, especially if you're African, which I am not. It did after all win a Nobel Prize for Soyinka. The language of the first act is almost Shakesperian in nature, but does not represent the rest of the play. I found it humorous how the Yoruba spoke in metaphores and Shakesperian English while the British used modern English. While I believe the best way to sum up the play is "culture clash", Soyinka's notes in the front of the book deny that this is the central theme. The play to me also seems to shadow the abortion issue in the USA.
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Summary: need some help!
Review: Wole Soyinka's work is such a great one that I'm afraid I won't understand all. I need someone who study this author and who could give me some clues about Death and The King'Horseman!
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