Byethost9



Ake : The Years of ChildhoodWole SoyinkaAnalysis of Major CharacterWole -He is intuitive. He is being rasied in the Christian faith by his parents in Nigeria, but he sees the influence of Yoruba ( the native religion) wherever he goes. Wole is a thinker and he asks his parents a lot of questions. He gets into trouble with his mother very often, but his father usually disregards many of Woles’ transgressionsWild Christian is Wole’s mother, she is indeed wild about Christianity which is evident by her always praying in stressful situations.She is particularly hard on Wole as she sees his questions as disobedience. Headmaster is Wole’s father. He is a very critical thinker and it a high up person in Ake. The intellectuals of Ake go to his house to listen to the radio or talk about politics. He is easier on Wole than Wild Christian is when it comes to punishments and he enjoys answering ans engaging inconversations with Wole that seem to be beyond his years. Essay cherishes hisgarden extremely.Themes, Motifs & SymbolsThemes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.Sexism The relation between males and females in Aké doesn’t take center stage until the closing chapters of the book when the Women’s Movement gets underway. Wole puts himself in the thick of the action, describing to the reader the events that unfolded during the ensuing protests by the women. An interesting point is raised when one knows that Wole was already away in the Government College in his real life during the time of the Women’s Movement, thus meaning that the description of the actions of the women during this time are more intentional and reflective of the perception of Wole Soyinka. Yoruba culture itself had a fairly balanced gender system for its time and location. For one thing, women were allowed to own and operate their own businesses. They also acted as the disciplinarians of the household such as Wild Christian, were able to attend school, and were able to operate largely without the consent of their husbands. They were even taxed separately from the men. But what caused the women of Aké to rise in revolt? Women in Aké were being unfairly taxed on their land and on their businesses and decided to end such an injustice. As described by Wild Christian, “[The elders] were very nice and courteous. They didn’t even want us to apologize over their rough treatment at the hands of our wild ones… Those [elders] said it comes in cycles – every fourteenth king – or was it thirteenth” (Soyinka 221-222)? Even many of the men of Aké became involved in the women’s movement, dragging the women to the protests in some cases. What is key is that Soyinka chooses such language in describing the women that suggests a negative connotation. For instance, in the above quote, Soyinka uses the word “wild ones” to refer to the women. In another instance, when the women have the Alake trapped in his palace, Soyinka “tried to picture their prisoner, the Alake, sealed up with his aquarium and electric fish, unable to stop the sound of this and other derogatory songs which the women had made up about him and saw a frightened, lonely man. I could not imagine him eating the heart or a liver of anyone… he was a prisoner of the women” (Soyinka 220). This is coupled with other phrases Soyinka uses such as, “The women now dug in for a long siege,” (Soyinka 219), “shock squads,” (Soyinka 220), and alike. The women are cast in a negative, antagonistic light by Wole through his usage of dialogue. A prime example is during the siege of Alake: “…the women had cast the Alake fully in the role of the arch-villain; there was to be no more diplomacy. When the raiding team arrived, they were joined by the massed camp who milled round the trophies borne aloft on poles, laughing and slapping palms, punctuating the song with obscene gestures,” (Soyinka 220). As Soyinka wasn’t in Aké at this time, there was no way that he could have witnessed the protests with his own eyes, however he chooses to take an antagonistic view of the protesting women, casting the Alake as the poor, defenseless ruler and the women as a gang of free-roaming anarchists. Whether Soyinka is a sexist or whether the accounts that Soyinka chooses to use are from primary sources is impossible to definitively state, however the language that Soyinka chooses to use in regards to the women’s movement suggests an antagonistic view on the movement itself.European vs. Yoruba Culture Throughout the novel lies the minute but ever present theme of European colonialism. The prime example of evidence for this is the passage of the pomegranate: “The pomegranate was foreign to the black man’s soil, but some previous bishop, a white man had brought the seeds and planted them in the Orchard… Before the advent of the pomegranate it had assumed the identity of the apple that undid the naked pair.” The pomegranate was a fruit brought to Africa by the white man. Like the apple that had caused the downfall of man in the story of Adam and Eve, the pomegranate caused evil things to happen in the Aké parsonage: “The surviving houses, houses which formed the battlements of Aké parsonage are now packing cases on a depleted landscape, full of creaks, exposed and nerveless.” It is insinuated that the pomegranate caused the undoing of Aké, however the pomegranate is used as a symbol of European influence, as it was brought by the white men. It can be translated that the European influence is what caused the derelict, barren landscape of Aké, as they brought with them things that seemed good at first, like the pomegranate (or apple from the Tree of Knowledge) but ended up destroying a part of Aké that it could not restore. This passage represents the nature in which Soyinka saw the European culture invading Yoruba culture. Over time, the Europeans turned Aké into a commercial town, even opening a McDonald’s and KFC, however besides modernization another influence of the Europeans was Christianity. The Europeans brought their religion to Aké and this influence is prevalent throughout the life of Wole, as he has to struggle with the identity between his Yoruba culture and his Christian faith. His mother has completely devoted herself to the Christian faith while other members of his family such as his grandfather still live in the traditional Yoruba way, as can be seen in the ritual in which Wole’s grandfather cut Wole’s ankles and wrists in a Yoruba tradition. Wole is confused about his religion greatly. This is shown when he calls St. Peter an egungun, a term traditionally referring to dead ancestral spirits of the Yoruba. He also personifies God in traditional Yoruba fashion, beginning the novel with his perception of God walking to the parsonage for mass. Whether it is his 3-year-old mind trying to sort things out or his adult mind satirizing the two conflicting religions, Wole clearly is split between the European Christian culture and traditional Yoruba culture – two cultures which in the novel could not get along. For instance, because a Christian preacher continued to preach during an egungun ceremony, the egungun destroyed the church of the Christians. The Yoruba and Christian cultures mixed like oil and water, and this was the focus of a significant part of Wole’s memoir.- You may want to mention that his struggle between the Christian and Yoruba elements of his identity isn't particularly hard. Instead, one of his aims seems to be to show that incorporating elements of colonial culture into a post-colonial self doesn't have to be self-destructive or difficult. In this way, he seems also to be working against the traditional conception of post-colonial identity construction as one that seeks to forget about the years of colonial rule and to get rid of any of those things (English, Christianity, whatever) that went along with it. Childish Perceptions The novel covers Wole Soyinka’s younger years, from about three years of age to eleven. Because of this, the overall novel is wrapped around this perspective he carries about himself. As Soyinka takes us through his childhood, we are prompted to see the changing world of Ake through a child’s eyes. By doing so, we are able to see the world through the most innocent and unbiased perspectives. This forces us to reflect upon the true happenings in the book—how our perceptions as people who know and understand World War Two and the colonization of Africa differ from that of a child from the area. As a whole, this particular theme of the novel allows us to truly contemplate what righteousness is through the eyes of a child. What is wrong, and what is right? How to we choose to believe what we believe, and why? In addition to this aspect, childish perception lends a hand to the overall relatability we as readers have to Wole. We sympathize with this little boy who believes that blood must be put back into his head so that he doesn’t lose too much. However, it also makes certain aspects of his life, as he describes them to us, believable and unbelievable. For example, this occurs with the existence of spirits. Wole believes them to be real; however, we as readers know that people cannot be egunguns, and that their existence goes against the beliefs of Christianity. This believability is especially prevalent towards the final chapters, where the women’s movement is mentioned, for Wole’s involvement is simply a fictional telling; in real life, these occurred with he was 13 and already in college.- Good stuff, though admittedly not as comprehensive as your look at the other two themes.- To what degree is he a kid? In passages two and five, for instance, we can see that, on the surface, he's little Wole, but beneath (above?) that, he's definitely adult, author Wole, stearing his reader to believe what he wants us to through his selection of detail.RacismThere is a definite race card pulled in this novel. Several times, the contrast between white and black show up, and though the white man is seen as higher, he is also seen as the antagonist of the novel. Hitler is constantly bashed on by the Yoruba people, some of the characters cannot comprehend the actions of the white man. However, they have accepted these foreign people into their country, allowed their religion to take over, and placed their inventions in their homes. Along with these acceptances comes this lesser status, which apparently comes out of nowhere. The Yoruba people are constantly portrayed as inferior to the white man, no matter how strong or faithful or loyal they may be. Therefore, one beings to think, is this right? What role does racism play in this society, and how does this apply to the rest of the world. What is Soyinka trying to state? As for the latter, the novel indicates that Soyinka is trying to call attention to the ridiculousness of the white man and their ignorance. Though their culture and faith have inevitably integrated themselves into Yoruba culture, the white man does not know how to properly conduct themselves, at least through the eyes of the people. They are inconsiderate and immediately consider themselves superior. In this way, Soyinka explores the different racisms presented in his town.- Good stuff!- Though you've gotten me all used to quotes, and then you take them away from me.MotifsChristianity vs. Traditional Beliefs Throughout the novel, Soyinka finds himself in a position where he or the people around him are in between a conflict of two sets of belief: Christianity or Yoruba. From a young age, he finds himself to be content with just both systems of beliefs. Due to being of a young age, he seems that he can co-exist living with both Christianity and Yoruba. Eventually, the beliefs of both Yoruba and Christianity shape Wole Soyinka's self-character. Soyinka resembles this tension in his story due to the constant occurrence of this issue during his youth. Early in the novel, Wole Soyinka explains being raised in a parsonage in Ake. Soyinka himself is raised by a mother who is a disciplinary and strongly Christian mother, who he titles 'Wild Christian'. But Soyinka also mentions to be raised under beliefs of tradition in Ake. He believes, outside of patronage walls, lies ghommids searching for straying children. Wild Christian tells him her story with ghommids when she and Sanya encounter ghommids, only to be saved by Reverend Ransome-Kuti, who drives the spirits forced away. Here we see a clash, early in the book, between the two religions because Wild Christian tells a tale in which Christianity conquered the problems of the traditional spirit world. Towards the end of novel, another example of this conflict and tension is seen. When Soyinka begins to enroll in government school, he finds himself being judged and warned by the Yoruban people to not be manipulated by the Christian Europeans. Again, another instance of the clash between the two groups of people. Old Ways vs. New Ways Similar to the situation when Wole Soyinka sees the conflict between religions and beliefs, Wole Soyinka, through his youth, has a clash between the newly forming world and old system of the world. Soyinka did this for the purpose of displaying the change that Nigeria went through with the presence of the colonizers. The culture of the Yoruba Nigerians was very much molded to be westernized due to the Europeans presence. One example of this is with the rise of the Women’s Union in Ake. Founded by the Wild Christian and Daodu, they begin to leave their traditional role as women in the house and demand more equality in society. This itself shows to be evidence of the emergence and presence of westernized ideas in Ake brought from the influence of the colonists’ ideology (partly brought from Christianity). This incident is an example of the old ways of Ake shifting to a new way of life. Another example, of this is in Chapter 10 when Wole Soyinka speaks in the present. He commentates how life in Nigeria is forever shaped by Westernization and the ways of the old no longer apply. He mentions the fast-food industries and the new-wave of mainstream music is ruining the old traditional culture. Throughout the book, he does reflects on many of these changes through the eyes of his youth.- These motifs seem to be themes. - To get at motifs, think about the recurring structures or contrasts that are used again and again to get at these themes (e.g., religious hybridity [St. Peter as egungun, etc.]; geography (Aké being a relatively "Christian" place, while Isara (a "Yoruba" place) functions as its foil); and others.- These are well-explored, though.Symbols Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.Symbol 1- The Communal Mat The Communal mat symbolizes Wole's fears and apprehension about growing up. Once he moves in and sleeps there he starts to have nightmares. This symbolizes his fears of growing up beacuse he is deemed "too old" to sleep in his father's room, so moving up into his mother's room brings fears, just like growing up. - There seem to be some gender issues going on here, but well-identified and -articulated. Symbol 2- The RadioThe radio symbolizes the new culture that Wole is being exposed to as he grows up. The radio is how Egbaland is exposed to Hitler, the war, and other aspects of the outside world. As Wole grows, he is exposed to Christianity and the white society, which is what the radio is there to symbolize.- Great point! And notice how the world of Aké seems to get much bigger once technology comes in? The novel is less Wole-centered from here on.Symbol 3- ShoesThe shoes symbolize a generation gap within Ebgaland as well as something for Wole to question the adults in his life about. The generation gap is represented through Essay's feelings that shoes are the ultimate sign of a spoiled child, yet Beere promises to give Wole shoes if he goes to college. (The older generation feels this is spoing children whereas the younger ones see nothing wrong with it.)CHAPTER ONE –CHAPTER TWO –SummaryChapter two starts off with Wole being Jealous of his sister because she gets to go to school and he is still to young to attend. This causes him to want to go and because of this he wakes up the same time she does and does all his morning chores in order to leave for school with Tinu. When he arrives at school he gets made fun of by the other kids, but to his surprise the teacher tells him he can attend although it is not mandatory. At school Wole becomes friends with an older kid named Osiki because they both love the same type of food called iyan (yam). He is not the best kid and ends up getting into trouble with him. One day he comes home from school to catch him eating all his iyan. Because of this he chases him but he can not catch him because he is “swift as the wind.” Another time he gets in trouble with him is during a party the two fashion a see-saw with a bench over a rock. Because Osiki is older and bigger he ends up launching Wole to the ground giving him a cut on his head and causing him to pass out. When he comes to he is surrounded by his parents and then tries to get the blood back into his body believing this will make him better. His birthday comes home and Wole invite about 12 of his friends back to his house to find that no one is home. This puzzles him because it is his birthday and he expected his family to be there. Wild Christian comes home and yells at him for not informing her of his birthday plans, he thinks this is weird because he doesn’t believe birthdays should be planned. Because they have to stall the tow boys entertain the guest by either singing or telling stories. In one of the stories Wole says that St. Peter and two other saints in the church window are egungun, and he can talk to them. Another story that is told is when the two boys were playing at school when an older boy cutting grass hits Wole in the eye with his scythe. He again gets a big cut and loses consciousness, when he wakes up everyone including him believes that he has lost an eye and will only have one eye forever. His prayers were answered when he opened both eyes and he became aware that it had cut as close to his eye as possible without actually taking it out. This is taken as a miracle of god and not just luck.CHAPTER THREE – SummaryIn this chapter, Soyinka recounts the first time he was able to look over the wall of his yard and see all the activity happening at the parsonage. He goes into detail about how he recalls hearing the sound of people attending the church and how his curiosity got the best of him one day as he decided to open the gate and go onto the actual church grounds to see what he could make of the noise, and actually began to follow a church procession made up of children around his age. He explains their march through town and all the sights he sees, also making the decision that he would learn to ride a bike as he watched people go about their daily activities within the market. As he continued to follow the procession, he began to get further and further away from home. The march was actually to the town of Ibara, where he comes across a large market full of food, and is later startled by a preserved animal that we don’t ever find out the name of. He goes on a rant about witches, going on about childhood fears of these creatures and how he was always told terrifying stories of them. Later into his walk, consumed by his surroundings, Soyinka realises that he is alone and all the children that had been part of the procession have left him. After much walking, he comes across his first white man, a police officer. The officer is amazed that Soyinka has made it so far from home, and after getting him something to drink, Soyinka falls asleep and wakes up back home, assumingly after the officer takes him back. Once he his home, the first thing he asks for is food which his mother and the bookseller’s wife find very amusing. The chapter ends with everyone in high spirits, as Soyinka puts it, with the adults running around and acting very childlike, as Soyinka is babied by Mrs. Bookseller. Soyinka explains that he believes that his march to the next town made him appear different to the adults and that this was their cause for celebration.AnalysisThis chapter, especially Soyinka’s march to the next town, could arguably be seen as the point in time where his family decides that he has become more mature and celebrates that maturity, despite the fact that he is only four years old. However, he also solidifies the fact that he is still a child through the way he makes the observations he does as he walks through the markets of both Aké and of Ibara. Soyinka begins his journey to the next town with several other children, as his natural curiosity gets the best of him. He is very observant of the things that go on around him, especially as he wanders through the markets of both towns. He questions a lot of things, as a child naturally does. Soyinka then finds himself lost, but meets a white officer, who happens to be the first white man he meets. This gives Soyinka his first impression of whites, which isn’t a positive one because he finds this man to be condescending and strange. Soyinka’s return is cause for much celebration by his family, something he doesn’t quite understand. One can argue that this is because his family sees him as more mature, given the fact that he made such a long journey on his own. This journey can be seen as his sort of journey in life, going from thinking as a child, to thinking more maturely even though on the outside he remains four years old. CHAPTER FOUR – SummaryThis chapter starts off with Wole having trouble batheing.Nubi tries to show him the "proper"way but fails because they correct him for not scrubbing his ears. With soap on his face even after Wole is bathed, makes Wild Christian conclude that he's afraid of water, Wild Christian then discusses this with Essay ignoring the fact that Wole is present while she talks about him. Which then brings the question of "rain is the same as water". Essay and Wole discuss this for a whikee and even Wole brings out the Bible to back up his answers. When Essay comes up with a rebuttal for Wole's referene of why the culture dance for rain-Wild Christian says Wole wouldn't understand.Then Wils Christian brings up to Essay how Saxton from Church said that he had proof that Wole was talking during. To which Essay responds "it would be difficult to prove". Wild Christian then gets mad at Essay for always defending Wole. After this. we're introduced to the Wash-Hand Basin that is by pantry. Wole had a bad habbit of bringing the water and wiping it off his mouth. A habbit unnoticed by Wole but not Essay, Essay wanted Wole to notice it too and so he had Wole repeat going to the Water-Hand Basin until he did.AnalysisIt seems although Wole is trying to prove that he isn't a boy. Noy by being articulate as is seen through out the book-but by trying to bathe on his own. He wants to show Wild Christian that he doesn't need Nubi or Joseph. When Nubi brings up how Wole shouldn't think he's not a boy, even though he's in school, she's saying that Wole still has much to learn; that there's a difference between school smart and life smart.You also see how perceptive Wole is. He sees how his parents are along with most grown-ups, in how they would discuss their children as if thdey weren't there, (however Essay acknowledged that Wole was there and understood what they were talking about). Also bringing up how rain is the same as water and vise-versa and even bringing out the Bible to prove his point show how advanced he is. He said how God had water and rain seperate and when that was "disproven" he brought up their culture-how they do the rain dance and thus God brings rain whenever he pleases. However, when Essay answers back, Wild Christian intervenes and says, "are you sure he can understand all these arguments?" Showing that she underestimates Wole as oppose to his father who pushes him to think ahead-proven by this intellectual conversation of arguments. Also, Essay's defense of Wole when Wild Christian told him that "his son" was the one talking in church, shows not only that he cares for Wole (seen through his reply of "difficult to rpove") but also that Wild Christian doesn't acknowledge Wole-not even as part of her family.Repeating the steps over and over again unknowingly, Wole shows how oblivious he can be and also how nothing gets past Essay. He's paying attention to what's going on but mainly just keeping his eye on Wole. Even when he's not there he knows what he does because he told everyone to watch him. Essay only made Wole repeat the steps because he wanted him to see his own mistakes. Essay even wanted Wole to learn to "notice", more notably when it came to himself.CHAPTER FIVE –SummaryIn the beginning of Chapter 5, Wole is at Sunday School and the teacher looks outside and points out his private rock, named Jonah. They talk about how the rock is as big as the whale that swallowed Jonah in the Bible. Wole gets jealous because all of the kids now play on his private rock. Not only does Wole claim this rock as his own, but he also spends a lot of time in a nearby guava tree. He stays in the tree through a rainstorm and his sister comes and finds him sitting in the tree and tells him that he will get sick. At home, Wole sits and thinks about New Year and his father's family in Isara. His father's gun sits against the wall of the room and Wole reminisces about how he used to go hunting with his father; he would follow behind his father and pick up the birds that his father shot. Wole sits, "caressing the stock of the rifle", when the gun suddenly goes off, grazing his face with a blast of air and causing him to be disoriented. Wole is afraid that he'll be in trouble with Essay, so he runs away to Jonah to seek comfort. Wole and his siblings are in charge of taking care of his father's garden and the children are so protective over it that they stones at intruding animals, almost killing them. His father is very fond of his garden and disapproves of people picking things out of his garden. One day, one of Essay's peers, Odejimi (Le-Moo), encounters Essay and has one of his garden's flowers in the button-hole of his shirt. He went into the garden and took the flower without permission, angering Essay. Essay then tells him that he must return the flower from where it came from. Le-Moo tries to leave the flower in the flower pot, but as Essay continues to disapprove, he realizes that Essay wants the flower returned to its original spot. After hours of trying to put the flower back on the stalk, he comes inside to find Essay, who in turn ignores Le-Moo for several hours. He finally gives up and goes to find Wild Christian to solve the matter. Later on that night, Essay comes into Wole's room and drops a broken-stalk of a vegetable from the garden on his bed. Wole realizes that his father is teaching him the same lesson that he taught Le-Moo. AnalysisJonah, Wole's private rock, represents Wole's selfishness because of how jealous he gets when the Sunday School teacher mentions it. Wole doesn't have his own personal space, and he only has that rock to call his own, so he feels like his personal space is being intruded upon and exposed. The rock and the guave tree have an "indefinable assurance of swallowing time, making it cease to exist", and it is "wildly communicative". The name of the rock, "Jonah", also plays into the Christian religion that is evident throughout the book. Wole's accident with the air-rifle shows his curious, careless nature which is also present in other instances in the book. His fear of his father shows how respects authority, especially his father because he is the "Headmaster". He will do anything for his father, even stoning animals to death. Not only is Wole subject to his father's authority, but others like Le-Moo have come to respect him. When Wild Christian stands up for both Le-Moo and Wole, it shows her strong will and power, and it shows how she has some control over Essay. CHAPTER SIX –SummaryThe chapter begins with Wole pretending to sleep when he is actually watching his father imitate exercises moves shown on a chart. Once “Essay” is done with his exercise he comes inside and Wole follows him into his room. Wole notices how his fathers room smells entirely different than his mothers whose smell serves as a reminder of births, sickness, food, urine and so forth. Wole explains how wetting the bed is common in the household among children and even the maids of the house. Wole notes that his mothers bed is large and describes in detail the bed and furniture of the room. Next Wole recalls the many guests that come and go, often times children that stay with them if the parents are unable to care for the child. Wole contrasts the smell of his mothers room with the smell of his father’s whose is musty, but simply due to the journals, notebooks and files left lying around. Wole admires his father’s book shelf and has read many of the books on it, which surprises even Essay. Wild Christian enjoys showing off her intelligent son Wole, but picks on Tinu for not being the same as Wole. Wole takes this personally because he is rather close to Tinu and is protective over her. He believes this is the most ultimate crime, on the other hand to Wild Christian the crime would be to embarrass her in front of guests. Wole attempts to have fevers but is unable to make himself have a temperature, thus it is not believable. So Wole would instead disappear when his mother asks him to show off in front of the guests. Wole’s book obsession grows and he even begins abandoning house work to read. This greatly bothers Wild Christian, but Wole has developed a deeper relationship with his father due to their appreciation of knowledge. Wole sleeps in his father’s room and uses that as an excuse for immitating his fathers exercise chart. When Lawanle makes fun of him, he soon realizes that he is being moved out of his fathers room. Essay is going on a trip, therefore Wole must now stay in his mother’s room. Soon Wole realizes that he is permanently transferred to his mother’s room, and no longer shares a room with his father. His mother uses Ladipo as an escuse for Wole to stay in her room, saying that he needs company. The children sleep on mats in their mothers room, and in the midst of their wild dream they wet their mat and argue about who is guilty. Wild Christian easily can tell who had the accident during the night. Wole begins to describe the procession of crowds as they move through the streets of Ake. He speaks of the noisy guests that make their way to the parsonage, whether they are funerals, weddings, or dances. He describes the typical fashion of funerals in Ake, questioning the lack of planning when it came to carrying the coffin, and always waiting for one to crash to the floor. Where some funerals would pass in a solemn silence, some would pass with ecstatic dancing, and celebration for the dead. Wole speaks of his ‘rebuke’ for Mrs. B, and her treatment of her maid. He hears the taunting of the people, jarring the victim, and their urination incident, who Wole sees being paraded throughout the streets, wearing her mat on her head as a form of further humiliation. Mrs. B mocks the girl, and her inability to properly use the restroom for someone for her age, and in her position. She begins to beat the girl mercilessly. Mrs. Be continues to torment the girl in front of the crowd that has gathered to watch the spectacle. Wole’s mother, Wild Christian, intervenes between the two, quieting the crowd. She questions if the girl’s humiliation was proper for someone her age, which leads into the realization from the young maid that she should do her hardest to never wet the bed. Wole later questions if the maid would ever wet the bed again. Wole’s disdain for Mrs. .B comes from her reaction towards the maid.Wole continue to speak of punishment in Ake-which mainly consists of humiliation. He questions the logic of the punishments; if the deed is already done, what is the purpose of carrying on with punishment; amazed at the number of people who would turn out, just to see punishment for such an insignificant act. Wole makes his dislike of punishment clear to his family, in which they joke that he only opposes because he himself has been one to participate in actions that would lead to his punishment, which is where Wole's love for Dipo's Lactogen arises.He admits to his love for the formula, stating that he has devised a way to fly under Wild Christian's radar, to avoid being caught. His explanation and logic of the act are well composed and acted upon. Much to his dismay, Wild Christian soon discovers that someone had in fact been eating the formula, and eventually uncovers Wole. Knowing that his dreaded punishment awaits him, Wole decides to pack his few things, and flee Ake, not wanting to become another spectacle for the citizens of Ake to mock. Essay shows a lack of interest for Wole's punishment, not caring what Wild Christian decides to do. As Wole attempts his escape, he is caught by Wild Christian, and beaten.Wole comes to the realization that he blames the entire household for his banishment from Essay's room; that the beating he received from Wild Christian was just an emphasis of the fact that if he no longer had a place in Essays room, he no longer had a place in their household. After his beating, and humiliates Wole, without fail, wakes in the middle of the night, sneaks to pantry and enjoys some more of the Lactogen, letting it sooth the pain from his beating. AnalysisPreviously mentioned in the summary, Wole notices the difference in his parents room. His mother’s room is much more of a room that is worn out by the children. Wole would much rather be in his father’s room that is full of journals, books, and notebooks. Wole feels special when he is in his father’s room, because it is a privilege to stay in this room. He is different than his brothers and sisters because he feels as if he can relate to his father because they have a scholarly connection. Essay is the headmaster and Wole loves books and is considered rather intelligent. Throughout the novel, especially in this chapter Soyinka emphasizes his intelligence. He shows how he has this connection with his father because they both enjoy education. In addition Wole’s sister Tinu is picked on for not being as intelligent as Wole. Wole is even asked to demonstrate his intelligence and show off for Wild Christians guests. Soyinka even more so emphasizes his intelligence at such a young age by in a way bragging that his mom used him so much as a bragging tool that he would run away when guests came. Wole has many misconceptions throughout the book. In this chapter one of his misconceptions is about “temperature”. He does not understand what it is, but simply know s that it happens when you are sick. Another misconception Wole has is that he is on a totally different level than the rest of his brothers and sisters. This is shattered when he realizes that he too has to move into the other room. Ake describes his distaste for the public punishments that occur in Ake, not being able to comprehend its significance when the act is already done and in the past. He relates this to his love for his baby brothers long forgotten formula; why should Wild Christian punish him for eating the Lactogen, if it was long forgotten? Soyinka makes the decision to run away to avoid his punishment, and not be made a fool of in front of his family, like the maid in the middle of town. Wole seems to have made this decision to protect his pride.This also shows the male/female dynamic of Soyinka’s family. Wole knows that Wild Christian wants to punish him, and had expected his ‘beating’ the moment he was caught. However, Wild Christian waits until Essay gets home, and relays Wole’s acts back to him, asking what his punishment should be. Essay clearly takes no interest in his son’s punishment. As his ‘beating’ takes place, Wole comes to the conclusion that it was the entire houses fault that he was banished from his father’s room, claiming that he no longer had a place in that household. Because Wole has such a deep intellectual relationship with his father, it has given him a niche in their family, above his other siblings. That his only place in their house that was his alone, was the one he shared with his father. However, now that that was taken away from him, and he now must be placed on the same level as his brothers and sisters- he feels as if there is no longer space in his father’s room, there is no longer space for him in his family.CHAPTER SEVEN –SummaryChapter 7 opens with talk of change as Wole’s family and friends go through changes. A major change is the birth of Dipo, who is Wole’s little brother. There is also change is the furniture, sleeping arrangements, and reports. This change shows how Wole is growing up and how the aspects of his life change because of this.Another major event in this chapter is the death of Folasade. Folasade was injured and put into a cast; the maid is accused of dropping her, which leads to this injury. Ironically, Folasade dies on the day of her first birthday. Wole is able to understand the fact that Folasade is forever gone. However, no change happens after her death, which surprises Wole. Wole also faces tension with his family. It starts with something as common as his mother not allowing him to go out and pick guavas when it is raining to Bunmi telling on Wole. The tension peaks when Wild Christian and Joseph insult Wole for being lazy and inactive. He then fights Dipo, almost severely injuring his brother. He is then scolded by Wild Christian and Joseph for acting out. Wole is then confused about the ‘adult world.’AnalysisOne major theme in this chapter is change. These changes show how Wole is growing up, beginning a ‘coming-of-age’ phase. Wole gets younger siblings, showing that he is no longer the baby of the family. Another significant theme is loss. Wole deals with his youngest sister’s death. Essay does not expect the children to understand, but Wole, being as precocious and wise as he is, is able to grasp that Folasade is forever gone. Another major issue is Wole’s confusion with the adult world. He is confused by how the adults pick on him for being too weak yet get mad at him for trying to show is strength. Overall, the themes of the chapter show how Wole is growing up and maturing.CHAPTER EIGHT – SummaryWole is introduced to two new inventions in this chapter. Some workers come and install a light bulb in the main room of the house. Essay pretends he has to cast a magic spell to turn it on, but it’s soon evident there's a switch on the wall. The other invention is a radio, which takes of place of their old gramophone. They nickname it, "One who speaks without expecting a reply." The main thing that they listen to is the news and they find it riveting. Hitler and World War II are pretty much the only thing that is talked about on the radio. Soon, "Win the War" is a common phrase exchanged by the people of Aké. The news on the radio however, also causes hysteria among some of the people. People start blackening their doors, and put out their lights at night in fear that there will be an airplane raid on their town. One morning, a boat explodes in Lagos harbor. This really increases the panic and worry around the area. At this time, Paa Adatan emerges. Paa Adatan is a mentally unstable man who has made it his unofficial job to protect the village from Hitler. He wears a bunch of amulets to protect him from bullets and evil. He thinks that Hitler stays away because he doesn’t want a black man taking the credit for taking the white dictator down. One day, unknown troops arrive in the town, and it is rumored they are there to raid the town for supplies. The people of Aké have heard about these troops who are called the “Bote”. They hear that they are wild and reckless. Because of this reputation the troops have, everyone except Wild Christian closes up their shops. She is less willing to give into superstition and rumors. From her one open store, the troops buy tons of supplies at twice the price Wild Christian usually sells for. Wole is present during this event and helps her get all the supplies. During this time, Paa Adatan confronts the troops and accusing the them of being sent by Hitler. Wild Christian is completely embarrassed by Paa Adatan and doesn't speak. It’s not until the troops begin to leave that she speaks up, when Paa Adatan draws a line in the road with his sword and starts daring the troops to cross it. Wild Christian says they are against Hitler, not with him, but Paa Adatan doesn't listen. They argue and two men creep up behind him and grab his arms. After a lot more men from the troops help, Paa Adatan is finally held down. Finally detained, the “Bote” troops leave Paa Adatan in the hands of the local police. The police debate back and forth about whether to free him or take him to an insane asylum but while this is happening, Wild Christian lets him loose. Thinking that the town is against him now, Paa Adatan flees from Aké. Wole never sees him again.Another person is a brief visitor in Wole's life whom he nicknames "You-Mean-Mayself," because the man always says "You mean mayself [myself]?" when Essay talks to him or asks him a question. He has a really thick accent, and all the kids joking mock his accent and make fun of it behind his back. Essay has a long history in housing people in need temporarily and Mayself is one of these people. Mayself ends up overstaying his welcome however when he begins to mooch a lot of food from the family. Essay is too polite to say anything to him and usually goes without eating lunch because there is none left after Mayself eats it. Wild Christian eventually finds out about this and is not happy. She comes up with a solution to get Mayself to leave. Therefore, she comes home every day at lunch and makes lunch especially for Mayself and excuses Essay from the table. Mayself finally gets the picture and leaves. The last visitor, who is related to Wole, is Uncle Dipo, whom Wole in fact does not know exists. One day a drunken soldier arrives at the house. Wole and his cousins hide on top of the roof because they think it’s Hitler. The soldier starts to pee in the well on the outside of the family’s house. This makes the kids so mad that they attack the soldier and knock him out by hitting his head on the well. Later, they find out this is Wole’s Uncle Dipo who joined the army against his family’s will. Wild Christian says Dipo is a "wild one," and soon after she announces to the family that Wole's brother, also called Dipo, will from now on be called Femi, to avoid any negative power the name Dipo could hold over him. Dipo, now Femi, then nevertheless turns out to be a wild child and he temporarily runs away to another town to avoid punishment.AnalysisThe visitors in this chapter are all pretty much unwelcome by either the town or Wole's family. Paa Adatan was not a visitor but he was a crazy man who was unwanted by the town. The townspeople were frightened of the "Bote" troops and shut their shops up when they arrived. The town shut them out, except for Wild Christian. When you see Mayself and Uncle Dipo come to visit, you see a lot of action from Wild Christian. She is the one who stands up and does something to get rid of Mayself when Essay is too polite to. She is also the one who decides to change Dipo's name to Femi after Uncle Dipo makes a visit. CHAPTER NINE –SummaryWole refuses to prostrate in Isara because of how disgusting he thinks that it is there, and he doesn't really understand the practice of prostrating. He won't prostrate to a man because he is just like his father who does not prostrate to one of the men in the assembly.Broda Pupa, a neighbor who owns a barber shop, takes Wole to Essay's farm because Essay had too many "duties in conncection with the festive season". As they are trying to get down kola nuts from a tree in the fields, they encounter a snake on the branch of a tree. Broda tells Wole to watch the snake to make sure it doesn't move as he leave to get the cutlass, sticks, and stones. When he comes back, he gives Wole small rocks to throw at the snake. They get the snake down from the tree, kill it, and then eat it. Broda tells Wole about that they must bury the snake head in the dirt because someone could step on it and the poision could still go into its body. He also gives him more advice, including how to escape from a bee attack after they saw a man on the side of the road who had been stung by bees. This advice proves useful because later on, Wole encounters a nest of hornets and is able to escape without major injury. Father (Wole's grandfather) asks Wole if he gets in fights or if he runs away from them. He tells him that if the bullies are bigger, he still shouldn't run away from the fight because if he was to encounter them again, they wouldn't mess with him again because they would think that he was tough. After, Father tells him how this advice will help him in Government College because everyone that goes there is bigger than him. Father takes Wole and straps him in a chair. Wole doesn't know what's going on, but trusts him because he is his grandfather. He tells him that Wole cannot cry because there is someone there that is his own age so he cannot cry because it is shameful. Father then proceeds to cut his arms and legs in a kind of "rite of passage" ritual. He cries anyway because of the pain.AnalysisWole's encounter with prostration in the city of Isara shows his curiosity when he asks the man why he shouldn't prostrate. This shows his developing maturity by questioning the religion practices of Isara. When Wole travels with Broda Pupa to Essay's farm, he and Yemi are faced with higher expectations because they are growing up. This signifies Wole's transition into maturity, as represented throughout the entire chapter. He is now trusted with higher responsability, such as watching the snake in the tree, but he is still a child, as represented by the small rocks that he was given by Broda.Throughout the chapter, Wole receives a lot of advice from his grandfather, including about bullies and on the significance of the snake head. The "rite of passage" that Wole experiences signifies his transition into adulthood. By being a man and being able to endure the pain of the "initiation", he is exherting independence because he is told he cannot rely on his parents for comfort. Thus, as stated earlier, Wole is transitioning into maturity.CHAPTER TEN –SummaryWole is reminiscing over his homeland and how it has become “westernized.” Recalling the authentic sound of it, he then proceeds to remember of a particular Sunday when while exiting the service he was overheard singing by the organist, who then proceeds to asks Essay to grant permission to Wole to be in the church choir. He agrees and Wole is expected to wake early to attend practice every Sunday morning. On the way to choir practice, Wole and another new choir member Edun usually go through the Ibarapa market and spend their pennies intended for church on market foods. In the market lived a Sorowanke, a homeless and mentally unstable woman with a makeshift home near a mango tree in the center of the square. At one point in time, she is joined by a homeless man named Yokolu. They create a large home made out of trash and bits of clothes. Months pass and it become evident that Sorowanke is pregnant. She is then scorned and shunned by the locals, especially the children, and is forced to leave. Soon after, peddlers clear the area and settle right in, forgetting completely about her. AnalysisThis chapter has a lot to do with his nostalgia of his childhood. Now living in the modern society, Wole misses the smells of his homeland, and all the wonderful local dishes that he was able to enjoy. Everything now became complicated and westernized with its unique culture, such as McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, as well as Western music. On the topic of sound, Wole recalls one of the old events in which he became a member of the church choir with another guy named Edun, after the organist hears them sing on the Sunday service. Wole and Edun go through the Ibarapa market and spend their pennies on the market foods including akara, kasada, tinko, ogiri and a crayfish and locust bean-based stew. Wole relates the story of Sorowanke, a homeless and mentally unstable woman at the market district called Dayisi's Walk.She then joins a homeless man named Okolu and they make a living by the huge mango tree. But peddlers move their stands away from the mango tree, increasing Sorowanke's territory. In fact, the Sorowanke's pregnant shows the last straw for the denizens of Dayisi's Walk. Children throw sticks and stones, forcing Sorowanke to leave the town. After the the peddlers' cleaning of the area, nobody ever mentions about Sorowanke.CHAPTER ELEVEN –SummaryChapter 11 begins as Essay starts to stay in his room more and more. Because of this, Wole gradually concludes that his father is going to die soon. The upbeat mood has left the house and no more mischief is afoot. Essay decided he need to talk to Wole and asks him to come to his room. He makes Wole promise to be the man of the house and take care of his family. Most importantly, Wole promises to go on to college.Worried after learning that his father is dying and carrying the burden of his new promise, becomes feverish. However, after a few days, his fever subsides. Once Wole is feeling well again, Essay brings a photographer to the house to take pictures of himself with his family, alone, and in a variety of places. In the end, after all of this, Essay does not die. And with time, the shadow of sadness fades and the upbeat mood fills the house once again.AnalysisChapter 11 is extremely short but very significant to the story. Wole is faced with the possible death of his father, the man who has served as his idol up until this point in the novel. The chapter revolves around this assumption that Essay is going to die and reveals his significance to the family's dynamic. Wole's promise that is made in this chapter explains the crucial importance that he places on education. Education can be seen as a way for Wole to earn his father's approval. CHAPTER TWELVE –SummaryChapter 12 starts with adult Wole recounting the start of young Wole attending ASG government school. Whithin his time here, Soyinka experienes a culture shock. This chapter also goes into great explanation about Daodu's character and what kind of influence he has on Wole. Soyinka decides to start by talk about the time his beloved math set was stolen in class, practically right under his nose. This was due to him supposedly day-dreaming in class. Right away, Wole realizes the acting principal (because Daodu is in England), dubbed Wee-Wee, is just an average disciplinarian and is easty to maniuplate. However, he also states that the school is an "acting school". Soyinka goes further into his child innocence when explaining punishments. Students that were toublemakers (especially those he shared a room with) would simply "disappear" from their beds, or the pnishemend was in front of a school-wide assembly. Some time during his schooling, Wole is withness to an older student receiving thirty-six licks of a cane for getting a female student pregnant all without moving a muscle.The assembly is in awe and all applauded the student. Wole noticed quite quickly that the students within the hallways of ASG were the ones to rule the school, rather teachers themselves.However long after, Daodu returns back from his "mission" in England in time for the Thanksgiving services in St. Peters Church. He has returned with many admirers and family to welcome him back to Ake. His exploits were spread around town, but not into great depth. World War II was mentioned again when Wole was pondering to himself about how Daodu survived Hitler's "demon bombers" and safely voyaged across the Nazi infested waters twice. Also, Wole is confused as to why Hitler would free Rev. A. O. Ransome Kuti. He questions why Daodu and Ransome Kuti are not eligible to be in Prisoner of War camps when they, like the rest of the P.O.W. victims, have caused their own share of problems. Now that Daodu is back to being the principal, the punishments became more strict as well as the teachers. An integral part of Ake culture in schooling is for students to perform chores in the way of grass-cutting. Wole explains how the teachers would follow the punished around, making sure every "bad" patch of grass was taken care of. Wole admits that he has not performed this chore as much as everyone else. This is due to aprevious injury- an injury where he almost cuts his eye out. Soyinka goes further into detail of how many considerations must be performed to correctly cut grass. Daodu went around on his rounds to make sure the chore ended correctly, but Wole realizes too late that he did not do a well enough job. Wole and the others with him all received blows. This was the one and only time that Wole received a whupping and like the older boy from the beginning of this chapter, Wole did not move a muscle. Also, he wished for Daodu to be sent to any Hitler concentration camp, just this time. Different from Wee-Wee, all troublemakers have the chance to repeal their punishment against their accuser. There is a case that Wole goes explicitly into detail about. There are three older students that killed a chicken and tried to eat it. However, Daodu caught them in the act of combustion. The defense (the students) went to the extreme saying they did what they did for their physics class. Young Wole thought their defense was extremely weak and thought for sure Daodu was going to punish the kids, but they were innocent and ate their chicken. Wole is playing the piano, in a different recollection, and Daodu asks him why he does not practice more. Out of fear, Wole lies to him saying that Essay is his piano teacher at home. AnalysisIn this chapter, Wole is seen to be quite judgemental. This is so because he never fails to notice a small detail, where he interprets that in his own way. However, his interpretations also play into his naive state of mind, one that the adult Soyinka translates effectively.Young Wole is instilled with a little fear to not cause any type of ruckus because he does not want to face any type of embarrassment, especially one that is public. When he went through the right of passage, Father even told him to be a man and to not cry. This translates into this chaper when he personally was punished by Daodu.When he mentions WWII and Ransome Kuti, this is where his naive state of mind comes out. He mentions how Daodu and Kuti both cause problems yet they are free men. Wole is assuming only those who have done bad should be punished like the Jewish by Hilter. However, he is possibly too young or too innocent to understand te severity of the Holocaust and why Hitler is committing a mass genocide. This state of mind is habitual throughout the novel. At the end of the novel, Soyinka talks about the "saddest wedding [he has] ever seen". He goes into detail about how the chapel is great and the clothes are the most beautiful. On the otherhand, the clothes are shabby and ill-fitting of the bridegroom and their reception party, and how unhappy the groom looks whereas the brides' pregnancy is massively visible through her wedding dress. This is a cross-culture examination of Western/American culture and the culture of the townspeople of Ake, all in a swift movement of a few sentences. This can be further analysed that this is a mental conflict of traditional and western culture.CHAPTER THIRTEEN – SummaryThe chapter begins with the women of Ake, which was organized by Wild Christian. Wole would frequently stay to see what happened during these meetings, as a lot of “drama” occurred within them, and Daodu would also come to watch and listen as well. He moved these meetings to the courtyard, which was fairly close to where he worked, in order to come view these meetings. He often did this when he had “reached a point which gave him an idea”, according to Wole. Daodu even made the comment, “If you set aside half an hour at these meetings, you could end up making all the women in Egbaland literate by the end of the year!”, and laughed at his own remark. Wild Christian followed his advice, despite it being in a joking manner, and taught the women who attended these classes to read and write, often disrupting the classes while teaching. An example of the simplicity of this teaching is exemplified through her teaching a woman how to write the letter “b”, and using childish terms to do so, like calling the round part of a “b” the “belly.” Later, they begin talking about the evils of the men who come to the town to tax the women, who are unhappy about this taxation. The Tax Officer was “the most feared men in Abeokuta”, and various people’s homes were invaded and property taken, solely because of the desire for taxes. The women of the town then began to organize the meetings to talk about the taxes on women, in the hopes that the taxes could be abolished with in the future. They saw no need in paying for taxes, seeing as they care for the children and harvest crops. They saw nothing else they could be taxed for. Thus, these problems were all flooded to Wild Christian, who went to Essay for advice for these. Methods to solving whatever problem would be sent to Wild Christian from Essay through Wole, who would occasionally read them, knowing when it was a “crisis note.” Soon, Wole would travel outside of Abeokuta in order to go see the government college his father wanted him to attend. After taking various examinations and being accepted into the school (without a scholarship), he went to go visit the school, accompanied by Joseph and Oye, a friend who could accompany him as he travelled to the college. Though Wole isn’t allowed to go by himself, Oye’s parents allow Oye to travel with Wole, so Wole wonders why his parents did not permit him to go alone despite the fact that another’s parents could trust their son to go with him. Joseph, upset with this, says “I hope the white men at your new school like argumentative brats.” He also uses this argument later when talking to Wild Christian, persuading her to convince Wole not to argue with the white men at the college. As they arrive, Wole is surprised as to the vast amount of men there were at the college, and how very little boys his age were there. He did see a group of kids at the college, and went on to associate with them. During the trip, he comes across two boys from Edo, who were believed to have buried some type of medicine in the corner of the school with magical powers, or oogun, in order to hinder the other students’ ability to work so that they could have the top spots. When the other students get suspicious of this activity, all of the younger ones (excluding Wole, who simply watches) begin invading boy’s belongings. The boy returns to see this, and becomes infuriated, threatening to call the police and have the kids arrested. One of the boys Wole met rebutted claiming his father was a police officer, and arrested another man for using oogun. The boy beckoned on others for help, but soon walked away from the scene, leaving his friend there alone, clueless. Wole talks to this boy from Edo, asking if he believed in oogun, but he claims he is unsure. He also claims he needs a scholarship to gain an education, and that his dad was a Christian who was previously Muslim. Soon, Wole claimed he was capable of taking the item the two Edo boys had buried without the use of prayer, and does so without thinking about the consequences. He takes out a round, white object, which they put in kerosene and burned. This caused particles to start flying out, scaring all those surrounding the object. Everyone soon ran away, and the Edo boy began chanting S.M.O.G, which is an incantation standing for “Save me O’ God.” Upon return from the school, Wole talks to Ransome-Kuti about how much he liked it, and Ransome-Kuti went on to talk about what the school does and does not teach him. Beere also returning, looked upon as a traitor because she had told the people of England how horrible the people and women from Egba are, as well as how horrible the country itself is. She wrote about this in the newspaper, and was seen as a traitor; soon her husband Daodu proceeded to order the women of the country to print ten-thousand copies of the newspaper Beere, and the country begins to properly prepare for the return of Beere and other people from England. AnalysisThe beginning of the chapter depicts the women forming a group soon to be known as the Egba Women’s Union. The fact that they are shown as simply learning to read and write shows both inferiority of women in the novel, as well as their desire to overcome this struggle to become more educated within the society. Learning to read and write was a huge initiative, as they are learning to articulate themselves like the men in the novel do. They soon even go to a high enough level where they begin to protest against the tax collectors of the town, who have a large amount of power in comparison to anyone else. Though Wild Christian seeks help from Essay about it, she has still taken initiative and fought against the most powerful men in the country, showing a form of strength amongst the women in the novel. Another form of superiority is displayed when Wole goes on to go to the government school alongside Oye and Joseph. He arrives to see that the college itself was compromised primarily of older men, with a minority of children his age, indicating how intelligent Wole is to gain acceptance into the program, regardless of whether he got a scholarship or not. His pride also gets the best of him, as Wole believes he could have travelled there without the aid of Joseph. This sense of pride will later be seen as problematic, as he removes the “oogun” that was buried in the corner of the ground by the Edo boy. As he takes it out, they ignite it, and it begins to explode, releasing particles everywhere. This terrifies those surrounding him, and the other Edo boy enchants S.M.O.G, which stands for “Save me O God.” The incantation itself signifies the confusion that exists between Christianity, and the society’s previous, “primitive” religion. The characters in the novel claim themselves to be Christians, who had converted from an African religion previously. The incantation has the obvious word, “smog”, which is an abbreviation asking for the aid of God. However, the entire scenario contradicts Christianity in the sense that Christians would not believe in any form of oogun, thus causing confusion amongst the two beliefs, seeing as smog itself is hazy, and cannot be easily seen through. It acts as a contaminate, much like the two religions act as contaminates to each other, seeing as both contradict each other. Also, when he returns, the city itself is given a negative connotation because of Beere’s bad-mouthing of the country to people in England during her visit. This news is apparent in the newspaper, and the people are angered after reading this. The people then go on to improve what it’s like living and visiting the area, showing again a buildup of strength within the culture. Though one person from the culture talked poorly about the society, the country itself works together in order to disprove that false connotation.CHAPTER FOURTEEN –SummaryThe AGS compound was changed into a festival ground because of the safe return of Mrs. Kuti. Daodu arranged for many decorations to be put up in the compound like lamps and pillars of bamboo. There are large baskets of food as well. Women were pouring into the compound and they would be dancing and listening to music and melodies. In the eyes of Wole, it seems as if the Women's Union found a good ally in Daodu. Daodu was a good leader; he gave orders, and he greeted people making sure that the festival went smoothly. Towards midnight the crowds started to diminish. Women were falling asleep. All of a sudden there is a noise at the front gates.There was a large crowd of women at the gates and Daodu was present at the gates as well. When Daodu called out, the crowd dispersed and in front of him was a naked women. On her head was a calabash of ebo. Ebo is a ritual offering. She had been hit many times. Daodu asks if anybody knows who she is but no one answers. The women start to wonder who sent her and one women declares that it was Atupa Parlour. After everyone went to bed and they were going to escort the naked women to the police. During this time, the women went crazy and started smashing windows and causing much debris to fill the streets. Wole is witnessing the Woman's union taking action and charge. Everything was being organized by the woman's union. Groups of women were talking to the tax officers and a new group wanted to go to England to discuss taxes just like what Beere and Daodu did before. After there was a rally and women were protesting taxes. All of a sudden they could not take it anymore so the women protested ans walked to Alake to retake Ake. The women marched over to eradicate the taxes and young Wole stayed in his mother's shop.Women start to walk away. They are described as warriors on their way to the caverns to protest taxation. People were passing and going. Baba came by the shop and had his cloth removed. Another women was ill but wasn't able to reach the hospital. Women started coming back with mats and rugs on there heads. Groups of women started coming to the town.AnalysisWole has seen first hand what women are capable of doing. When something is threatening their way of life they round up in groups and attack head on. Women have a powerful union that allows them to fight for their rights. In the beginning of the chapter there was a festival for women. It was a happy occasion but then there was a drastic change in the mood when a women showed up with a Ebo sign on her head. From there the rest of the chapter shows a very aggressive and almost scary view on women. Wole stayed with his mom in her shop to avoid the chaotic rampage of women protesting against taxes and trying to find the person who sent the curse to Mrs. Kuti in the first place. In the eyes of Wole, this incident is very violent for a young boy.CHAPTER FIFTEEN –SummaryThis chapter opens with squads of women protesters roaming the city in an act of defiance. Markets and women’s shops were closed during the ensuing rioting. The men became more and more involved in the protests, one man even going as far as dragging his wife to the protests and some men themselves joined in on the protesting. Beere and many other female protesters negotiated with the District Officer, however most of these negotiations ended in deadlocks and these would rally the women at the meetings even more. Armed police were called in from Lagos the morning after the initial riots and camped to observe the protests. The men and women of the protests were able to undermine the authority of the police forces and the police eventually gave up, dispersing and retreating away. The riots and sacking of buildings continued. The women were done with diplomacy with the Alake – he was officially the “villain”. A large crowd gathered at the palace of the Alake, trapping Alake inside. A male chief was sent by “The Group” to the palace to continue negotiations with Alake while the women continued to negotiate with the District Officer, even though the women already felt that time for negotiations had reached an end. The women also received the opportunity to bring their demands to the elders, at a meeting which they won their support. According to Wole, the “[rout of Alake] was really complete” (Soyinka 223)! The time was drawing near for Wole’s interview at the Government College, during which time his dad was coaching him relentlessly. Essay made clear his skepticism of the women’s movement and slyly mocked Wole for being a part of it. After an assembly in school, Wole went to say goodbye to Dadou and Beere before he left for Ibadan. On the phone with the District Officer, Beere complained about the white man and how they had dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the Asians instead of on the white men in Germany. She is angered because she believes that the white man assign all minorities such as Asians and Africans into the same class of subhumans. After notifying the Officer about the futile situation of King Alake, she hangs up the phone and begins to converse with Wole about his impending trip to the college. Wole tells the story of him not having shoes growing up, because his parents believed that a child should not have shoes because it would spoil them. Of course, Wole did not understand this concept, so he brought it up at a lunch with his parents, Dadou, and Beere. Mrs. Kuti smiled and offered to get Wole a pair of shoes. Thus, as he was to depart onto the Government College he would wear his new pair of shoes there. As Dadou walks in, the conversation turns to the white men, and Dadou states that he would never send one of his children to a white man’s school. Dadou states that the white men corrupt the characters of the students. The white principals are also oppressive. For instance, the principals do not allow pockets in the shorts of the black students. It is seen as ironic that the principal of the school, V.B.V. Powell, doesn’t allow pockets in the shorts of his students even though he is a boy scout leader, and boy scouts need as many pockets as they can get. Dadou just cannot see the judgment made by this principal. Beere and Dadou complain about the “double standards” implemented by the white man, again noting the bomb being dropped in Hiroshima but not in Germany. The white man, as they see it, is racist. As Wole’s dad was a tough schoolmaster, Dadou and Beere believe that his parents have prepared him for the rigors at hand. The last thing that Dadou notes about the white school is that students are not allowed to wear underpants or shoes. “No shoes,” Wole sighs.AnalysisThis chapter presents two final thoughts to close the book: feminism and racism. With the opening at the beginning, Soyinka tries to portray the running theme of feminism, as the women fight for their rights, while the men sit back and support the movement because it benefits them. However, he presents a sly argument of anti-feminism, as Essay mockingly asks about the women's movement function without Wole. This presents a counterbalance, equally representing both viewpoints. However, the most common theme, and arguably the most important, is this recurring theme of racism. Blatantly, it is slapped in the readers' faces that the white man is seen as bad in this society, and though Wole does not seem to fully comprehend it, it is clear that the men and women of the society do not like the infiltration of the white men. However, this has only come through their own education, and they know that education is a must; thus, Wole is being sent to college. This is first shown as Beere, learned enough to argue about the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, argues that the white men must be classifying people of colour as lesser than those of white skin. Additionally, the argument about shoes at the end symbolizes the influence of the white man. It is a Western idea that shoes must be worn to be respectable, however in the Yoruba culture, it is not necessary Though arguing for shoes, Wole gets none in return, for no students can wear underpants or shoes, symbolizing that they must have roots in their culture rather than become infiltrated with these idea of the white men. Therefore, it can be inferred that, though educated, and most likely through Western means, Wole comes away with the knowledge that he cannot let the white man influence him so much that he loses touch with his own culture.Important Quotations Explained" It only grew in the orchard, Gardener said. The pomegranate was foreign to the black man's soil, but some previous bishop, a white man had brought the seeds and planted them in the Orchard. We asked if it was the apple, but Gardener only laughed and said No. Nor, he added, would that apple be found on the black man's soil. Gardener was adjudged ignorant. It was clear that only the pomegranate could be the apple that lost Adam and Eve the joys of paradise. There existed yet another fruit that was locally called apple, soft yet crisp, a soft pink skin and reasonably juicy. Before the advent of the pomegranate it had assumed the identity of the apple that undid the naked pair. The first taste of the pomegranate unmasked that imposter and took its place. " (Soyinka 3)Explanation: The quote is significant to the story because it reveals one of the many examples of Wole's naivete. The fact that he mistakes the pomegranate for an apple and relates the apple to the biblical story of Adam and Eve shows both that Wole is young and does not know what an apple really is and that he is being raised with some form of Christian guidance. Also, the quote explains that apples do not exist in Ake. It appears ironic that Wole would be so familiar with the Christian story of Adam and Eve and the apple that does not exist in Ake. Aka apples do not exist in Ake and yet Christianity does." The smells have been overcome. And there conqueror, sound, is not even the measured times of the tower-clock, or the parade of egungun, police, market cries or bicycle-bell but a medley of electronic bands and the raucous clang of hand-bells advertising bargain sales of imported wears. The dusty road which one grandly intervened between our backyard wall and the church wall is now shrunken; a half, pressed against St. Peter's parsonage wall is shared among a variety of stores peddling the products of a global waste industry-- fly-blown shawls..." (Soyinka 150)Explanation: In this quotation, Soyinka speaks in the present and explains the changes that have occurred in Ake over time. It is seen that Ake has lost any trace of the traditional culture and has replaced it with a more modern, western culture." It is true you are now in the Grammar School. But you must continue to sit the exams for Government College. And not merely sit to pass, but win a scholarship. The government colleges have several scholarships for the deserving child, which is what you must strive to be. Aim for a place in Government College. You see, no matter what happens, the government will support its scholar-- always bear that in mind." (Soyinka 162)Explanation: In this quote, Essay is just about to make Wole promise to strive to win a scholarship for the Government College. The fact that Essay influenced Wole to earn a scholarship and further his education explains why, in Wole's life, he was so interested in school." The movement into the courtyard began after another suggestion by Daodu. He now made it a routine to stroll past the group and listen for moments. His bedroom and study were within ear shots in any case, and I suspected that he took his 'casual' stroll only after the discussions had reached a point which gave him an idea, for he hardly ever passed without contributing something." (Soyinka 180)Explanation: This quote reveals a piece of the novel that leads some to believe Soyinka to be sexist. The fact that Soyinka credits Daodu with the ideas of the Women's Group undermines their ability to make their own ideas of significance." 'No shoes. Since your first interview I have become very interested in that school. They have very strange ideas of character building. No shoes. Except for the senior perfects-- they are allowed to wear tennis shoes or sandals. Otherwise, No pockets. No shoes...Aha, there is yet another one, no underpants. Why it should be a school policy, I don't know. As long as the uniform is clean and neat, I fail to understand why the housemasters should concern themselves with making sure that the boys wear no underpants. Especially the bigger boys..." (Soyinka 230)Explanation: This quote is said by Daodu after discovering that Wole would like to have his own pair of shoes before attending the Government College. The fact that Wole desires to have a pair of shoes while the Government College and his father so strongly oppose the concept reveals the cultural differences in Wole compared to his father and the school he wishes to attend. Daudo also implies that the Government College's rules are ridiculous and possibly even perverted(Especially the bigger boys).Suggestion for Further Reading George, Okalunle. “The National and the Transnational: Soyinka’s The Interpreter and Aké: The Years of Childhood.” Novel: A Forum On Fiction 41.2/3 (2008): 279-297. Humanities International Complete. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. Ogunsiki, A. (2007). Aspects of the Phono-Graphological Design in Soyinka’s ‘Faction.’. Nebula, 4(3), 266-279. Bryce, Jane. “Self-Writing” As History: Reconsidering Soyinka’s Representation Of The Past.” Philosophia Africana 11.1 (2008): 37-60. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. Sow, Alioune. “Politcal Intuition and African Autobiographies of Childhood.” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 33.3 (2010): 498-517. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. Soyinka, Wole and Biodun Jeyifo. “Conversations with Wole Soyina.” United States of America. Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2001. Print. Soyinka, Wole. “The Open Sore of a Continent: a Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis.” Oxford, England. Oxford University Press, 1997. Print. Soyinka, Wole. “Myth, literature and the African world.” Cambridge, UK. Cambridge Univ. Press, 1976. Print.Context - AkéAke is where Soyinka’s memoir is set. It is an area in Nigeria that is highly populated and on the continent of . Africa. the capital of Nigeria is Abuja which is the center of the country. In the memoir, the town Ake is set around a post-colonial era. There is a great deal of western influence found in Ake society, which positively affects the Yoruba people intellectually and economically, yet begins to delpete their culture. Overall the town appears to be financially stable, especially for Wole’s family. Some of the western things found in Ake include the church, the radio, electricity, education and so on. These western ideas bring technology as an influence as well such as previously mentioned electricity and the radio. The set up of the town is unclear. It is known that there are stores, the church, the palace, and compounds. They are still in that post-colonial, emerging stage of development, where all of the homes are poorly constructed, with sheet metal roofs.The organization of the setting is unclear. At times it seems as if Ake is simply still in the developing stages, yet they have modern aspects. An important thing to consider in the novel, is the church. The church is important that it shows westernization as well as conversion of religion. Even after the colonist left, the Yoruba people still follow Christianity. This shows the powerful influence the church has on the people.During this time period, World War II is being fought. Ake is not truly affected by the war because they are in Nigeria which is rather isolated. Although, there is a part of the book in which allied soldiers do visit Ake, and are friendly. Despite the occasional news on the war, Ake is rather untouched by the war, although society has strong fear of Hitler and of invasion by the axis powers.Context - Wole SoyinkaWriter Wole Soyinka was born on July 13, 1934 in Abeokuta, in western Nigeria. He received his doctorate degree at the University of Leeds in 1973. He spent six years in England as a dramatic writer for the Royal Court Theatre in London. In 1960, he received a Rockefeller bursary and returned to Nigeria to study African drama. During his studies, he also taught drama at literature at various universities in Ibadan, Lagos, and Ife. He has periodically acted as visiting professor at Yale, Cambridge, and Sheffield Universities. During the Nigerian Civil War, Soyinka wrote an article in appeal for cease-fire. For his controversial views, he was arrested in 1967 and held as a political prisoner for 22 months until 1969. Soyinka has published about 20 works, including drama, novels, and poetry along with his four memoirs. He writes in English and is best known for his wide scope of vocabulary and oratorical richness. He is best known for the African influence in his novels and dramas, including tradition dance and music. He bases his writing on the mythology of his own tribe-the Yoruba. - This is well-written and concise. But perhaps a little too concise: It would be nice to get a little information here to expand on your last two paragraphs, both about his activist experience and about his other work, including what issues he takes on in his writing. That way, we are primed for reading and able to look for some of the issues he concerns himself with. - Also, he looks like a gangster here. It appears as though he's daring us to not like his book.Hybridity ................
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