The Swamp Dwellers by Wole Soyinka

The Swamp Dwellers focuses on the struggle between the old and the new ways of life in Africa. It also gives us a picture of the cohesion that existed between the individual and southern Nigerian society. The conflict between tradition and modernity is also reflected in the play. The play mirrors the socio-cultural pattern, the pang and the sufferings of the swamp dwellers and underlines the need for absorbing new ideas. The struggle between human beings and unfavourable forces of nature is also captured in the play. Soyinka presents us the picture of modernAfrica where the wind of change started blowing.

     The Swamp Dwellers is a close study of the pattern of life in the isolated hamlets of the African countryside as well as an existential study of the simple folk who face rigours of life without any hope or succour. Soyinka tears apart social injustice, hypocrisy and tyranny. The Swamp Dwellers expresses the necessity for a balance between the old and the new. Soyinka is not for excessive glorification of the past. In the play we see Soyinka’s crusade against authoritarianism, complacency and self delusion. Besides, in The Swamp Dwellers Soyinka satirises the betrayal of vocation for the attraction and power in one form or another.

     The Swamp Dwellers reflects the life of the people of southern Nigeria. Their vocation mainly is agro based. They weave baskets, till and cultivate land. They believe in serpent cult. They perform death rites. They offer grain, bull, goat to appease the serpent of the swamp. Traders from city come there for crocodile skins. They lure young women with money. Alu withstands their temptation. Young men go to the cities to make money, to drink bottled beer. In fact the city ruins them. The Swamp Dwellers consummate their wedding at the bed where the rivers meet. They consider the river bed itself as the perfect bridal bed. Sudden flood ruin the crops throwing life out of gear.

     The swamp dwellers are hospitable. They give cane brew in calabash cups. Fly sickness blinds them. Merry making and drumming both go together in their lives. Sheep and goats are fed on cassava. They believe in salutations through drumming. They believe in sooth saying. Any attempt to reclaim the land from the swamp is considered an irreligious act. Friends who meet after a whole season indulge in drinking bouts. When the stream is swollen people are ferried across by folk like Wazuri. The swamp dwellers believe in the infallibility of Kadiye, priest of the serpent of the swamp. Their belief is exploited by Kadiye to the hilt. Igwezu questions Kadiye and his ways. It tells us of the clash between tradition and modernity in southern Nigeria. Rain brings them hope. It brings the marvel of new birth to the land. Water plays the role of both the creator and destroyer in the life of the swamp dwellers. Crops are suddenly destroyed by the swarming locusts.

     The Swamp Dwellers makes use of contrast, parallelism, humour and irony in a suitable manner. Soyinka focuses the plight of the swamp dwellers in the play realistically. The swamp dwellers are at the mercy of furious nature unless they compromise tradition with modernity, embrace modern technology they wouldn’t have a bright future.

Characters:

Alu

Alu is the wife of Makuri. She is the mother of Igwezu and Awuchike. She is aged about sixty. She believes in the custom of the swamps. She thinks that the river bed is the ideal bridal bed. She has more concern for Awuchike who is in the city. She has anxiety for his safety. Her anxiety makes her shoot questions. Her questions make Makuri think of her as a fussy neurotic wife. She is hospitable like Makuri. Her reaction to the words of Kadiye shows her to be a traditionalist. Though she is outspoken, she is not for change. Alu’s understanding of the world is very limited. Igwezu’s words about his brother Awuchike set her anxiety at rest. All said, Alu is a loving and a loveable mother. Makuri Makuri is the father of Igwezu and Awuchike. He is the husband of Alu. As a husband he is conceited. He is fond of teasing his wife. His continuous bickering with his wife is only a show. He has perfect mutual understanding with his wife. He is a good host. He offers canebrew to the beggar. He gives himself totally to the serpent cult. Though he is seemingly angry he has consideration for his fussy wife Alu. He represents the note of tradition in the play. His affection for his wife is unsentimental. He is more intelligent than his wife. Igwezu exposes Kadiye’s corrupt practice. Makuri feels offended over it. He is afraid of facing the wrath of the villagers. Soyinka through Makuri emphasizes the importance and the value of marital ties between husband and wife. He does not have delusions about the character of Awuchike. Nor does he have it in him to console Igwezu who has come back betrayed by his wife Desala. Igwezu Igwezu is the son of Alu and Makuri. He is twin with Awuchike. He is the centre of the play. The Swamp Dwellers is a drama of revelation and Igwezu gets education through experience both in the city and in the swamp.      Igwezu’s discovery of the deficiencies of the village life and the city life constitutes the primary thematic content of the play. Igwezu plays a pivotal role in the play as a truth teller. He is a character in the play who has tasted the ups and downs of life both in the village and in the city. As a swamp dweller he knows how life goes in the southern part of Nigeria. It is through him Soyinka criticizes the corrupt religious practices of Kadiye. Familial ties have meaning for him. In that aspect, Igwezu is unlike his brother Awuchike, a city dweller.      As a city dweller for eight months, Igwezu knows the break and bounce of city life. He knows how people like Awuchike are ruthless in making money. He is a broke in business. He comes back home. His land is flooded. His hope of getting a good harvest is blasted. He is betrayed by his own brother. Desala, his wife betrays him. She changes hand.      Igwezu has a frank talk with Kadiye. The talk exposes the serpent cult as a sham. Igwezu welcomes modernization to the swamp. He is ready for a change of mind. For all his thinking in terms of modernization, Igwezu does not have the grit to reclaim the land from the swamp.      Igwezu’s experience of life, both in the city and in the village disillusions him. He reflects critically on his situation. He doubts the value system cherished by the community. Returning to the city again is like returning to one slough from another. He decides to entrust the land to the beggar. He rejects the Beggar’s help because he does not like one blind man leading another. Kadiye In physical appearance Kadiye is a contrast to the beggar. He is bulky. His fingers are heavily ringed. He is prosperous in the midst of poverty. He is a man of self-importance. As the priest of the serpent he fleeces the swamp dwellers. He betrays the trust of the villagers. He encourages the serpent cult. He has set his eye on Igwezu’s money. As a priest he is not bothered about Igwezu’s lot. He exploits the villagers knowing full well they are in straits. Soyinka satirizes the corrupt practices ail the society living in superstition living in superstition through Kadiye. The Beggar The Beggar comes from Bukanji in North Nigeria. He is tall and straight. His bearing is dignified. He is a devout Muslim. He is a man of independence. He is resolute in supporting himself. Though he is blind he is a very good judge of other characters in the play. Soyinka has drawn him as a contrast to Kadiye. Though he has seen adversity it has not shaken his spirits. He is full of hope. He shores up the sagging spirit of Igwezu by offering him hope. He is for redeeming a piece of land for cultivation from the swamp. He is a man of quick intelligence. He analyzes the ills of the swamp dwellers. He is ready to cast his lot with them. He braces himself to fight against those who exploit them. It is an irony that the man from the north is termed as beggar. He may be a beggar because he does not have means to support him. But his intention is to work and earn his livelihood. He is against getting alms. His self-esteem does not allow him to beg. The Beggar is a man of self-esteem. Awuchike Awuchike is the twin brother of Igwezu. He does not appear as a character in the play. It is through telling Soyinka portrays the character of Awuchike. Ten years ago he left the swamp. The glamour of city life has changed his character. He has become a total city dweller. He is in timber business. Money making carries him off his feet. He has snapped ties with the kinsmen in the swamp. He is not a man of fair dealing. Doing business in city has made him ruthless and heartless. He goes to the extent of taking Desala from his brother Igwezu. He is a betrayer. He exemplifies the statement “city turns brother against brother”. Desala Desala does not appear in the play as a character. But, she is spoken off. Desala is the embodiment of the corrupt nature of the city life. The character also echoes the materialistic attitude of city dwellers. Desala marries Igwezu. Igwezu later becomes poor owing to bad returns from his business. Desala found Awuchike prospering in his business. So, Desala leaves Igwezu and marries Awuchike. It shows how city life has become morally void.