Symbolic representation of Beggar in “The Swamp Dwellers”

Department Of English

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji

Bhavnagar University

Name: Bhatt Vidhi Rajeshkumar

Roll No.: 18

SEM: 04

Year: 2012-13

Subject: South African Literature

Assignment Topic: Symbolic representation of Beggar in “The Swamp Dwellers”

Submitted To: Heenaba Zala

Introduction:

                        Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian writer, notable especially as a playwright and poet; he was awarded the 1986 Noble prize in Literature. Soyinka intended to write new work to combine European theatrical traditions with those of his Yoruba cultural heritage. His first major p[lay, “The Swamp Dwellers” (1958) was followed year.

                     In ‘The Swamp Dwellers’ the tragedy is attributable to Fate, the gods, oil exploration and filial rivalry and subordination.  Fate takes the form of flood, which destroys the crops and ensures famine and poverty.  

                        The Swamp Dwellers takes a look at the Nigerian society, progressively moving towards the path of retrogression, degeneration, corruption and moral decadence. This is a clear manifestation of the Nigerian society as a class society with all contradictions and problems inherent in such society.

                         A society based on violence, injustice, brutality, immorality and a society where greed and corruption of the privileged and the ruling class has created a big gulf between the few wealthy and the majority of the poor masses who dwells by the swamp thus creating a society woefully lacking in proper human relationship and brutal economic relations.

                         Symbols, for Soyinka therefore, have to operate in a very dynamic sense. In his perspective, symbol should not just add color to a work of art but should also play an active role in conscientising a people in the general process of reforming the society. Symbolism in the Swamp Dwellers operates at various levels. One of these levels is the group of symbols that are drawn from nature. Soyinka places emphasis on the symbolism in nature right from the beginning of the play. And the characters talk about how the rains have washed away their farms crops and the blind stranger talks about the severe drought in the north.

                          The beggar is of symbolic significance in this conflict. He comes from the north, where drought has destroyed any semblance of communal existence. But this experience of man’s betrayal by nature has made the beggar person then the seemingly blessed Swamp Dwellers. His account of his own people’s experience with treacherous nature is overhead by Igwezu, who has just returned unseen from his day long wanderings.

                          The beggar represents motley of symbolic persona: he “sees the light”, he is the hope of his disheartened household, he is the pillar for the parents and Igwezu to lean on, he is the foil to the lost Awuchike, and the silent seer into situations and personalities unfathomable.

Beggar in comparison to Igwezu

The blind beggar offers a comparison to Igwezu. The beggar loses his crops to locust and leaves his home in Bukanji, walks to the south passing through the city, searching for land to cultivate. Igwezu also loses his crops to flood leaves his home in Swamp and takes shelter in town. That is both experience misfortune but both are resolved to earn their livelihood by labor. They are unlike Awuchike and Kadiye. The positive individuals Igwezu and the beggar, moving wanderings seeking and then uncertain what they have found.

Contrast between Makuri and the beggar

There is a contrast between Makuri and the beggar. Though Makuri has eyesight, he cannot detect the mystery that his family is being beguiled, deceived by the corrupt Priest. But though the beggar is deprived of eyesight, his spiritual light is so powerful and penetrative that, he can detect the bulk of the Priest out of his voice. This means that, he can guess that the Priest is consuming their fresh crops by means of false rituals.

Beggar contrasts to the Priest Kadiye

The blind beggar also offers a contrast to the Priest Kadiye. Though he is regarded as beggar, actually, he does not believe in begging. Rather he believes in the virtue of diligence- this is how he leaves his home and gets out in search of a cultivable land. When the servant of the priest gives a coin, the beggar keeps his bowl upside down. The beggar is not superstitious. He cannot believe that, there is any supernatural being in the name a serpent God, who possesses land. But, the priest whose head is bold, skin-tender, looks like greasy porpoises begs his in sophisticated form. He takes goats, ores and other sacrifices offered by the simple minded villagers. They offer the sacrifice to appease the God and want protection at their lives and crops. But the priest consumes when Igwezu asks,” Why are you so fat?” He leaves Makuri’s house. After all, the beggar wants to earn his livelihood by labor while the priest earns his livelihood by false bait and deception. The Beggar deceives none rather raises optimistic views in Igwezu but he priest deceives all. The kadiye betrays the trust of the villagers by encouraging them to indulge in meaningless cults which are profitable. The villagers by encouraging them to indulge in meaningless cult their harvest to the kadiye. So, he can appease the serpent but unknown to them he is feeding fat on their sweat. On the other hand, Beggar, who is different from kadiye, because kadiye got the harvest of the poor village people but Beggar, is not looking like kadiye.

To conclude my point, I want to say that all the characters of the novels expect Beggar, I want to put unsatisfied group but beggar who had find satisfied group and he has nothing but everything.