Wole Soyinka’s Art of Characterization in the Play The

Swamp Dwellers
October 14, 2012bookworm

The characters in The Swamp Dwellers fell into three groups: the parents Makuri and
Alo-conservative, the corrupt priest Kadiye, who beguiles his superstitious followers;
and the two positive individuals Igwezu and the Beggar, moving, wondering, seeking
and then uncertain what they have found. It is a play of mood and atmosphere,
constructed so as to provide the audience with ample opportunity to make comparisons
and reach judgment. Soyinka makes his points through implied contrasts and
comparisons. In the play, there is contrast between twin brothers, father and son,
between mother- in –law and daughter- in- law, between the Beggar and host,
comparison between Igwezu and the Beggar and the final contrast between the Beggar
and the Priest Kadiye.

Two Brothers

The most obvious contrast is that between the twins brothers, who look alike but behave
differently Awuchike has left home for ten years and lives in town. There he deals in
timbers and thrives fast. But he never thinks of his poor old parents. Besides, he does
not even communicate with his parents, as a result his mother thinks that, he died in
swamp drowning, though his father knows that he is still alive in town and earning
money there. He is dead to his parents and family responsibility/ whereas, Igwezu is
quite opposite to him. He also goes to town with his wife to seek his fortune. He
promised that, with first earned money, he will send a swivel chair for his father and he
fulfils his promise. He communicates with his parents and looks after them. After all,
Awuchike is callous, self centered, egoster, nonchalant, unmindful, undutiful ad
disobedient towards parents but Igwezu is obedient, dutiful towards his parents.

Contrast between mother- in –law and daughter- in- law

There is a contrast between the women in the family. Igwezu’s mother Alu is faithful and
loyal to his father Makuri. Alu and Makuri lead their conjugal life in subsistence level.
Makuri makes basket with rushes and Alu works at her “adire’ cloth. Makuri is also an
occasional barer. After all, they live from hand to mouth. In youth, Alu was very
beautiful. A group of crocodile traders visited the Swamp and offered Alu to leave for
city with them but Alu checked the temptation and rejected their offers. Throughout her
life, she shares the well and woe of her husband and remains faithful. Makuri never
feels tension for her sake. Besides, she loves the swamp region and never expresses
any wish to leave for city. But Igwezu’s wife is reversed to Alu. Her condition before
wedding was that, she must have to be taken to town after marriage. She does not like
rustic life, careless about Igwezu’s parens. Besides, whenever he begins their urban
life, Igwezu’s wife leaves him for wealthy Awuchike. The contrasting point between
these two women is that, one is faithful and consistent to husband and another is
inconsistent and unfaithful, one is materialistic, another is simple and honest.

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 Awchike and Kadiye.

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 can not 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.

Contrast between town and country

Finally there is a contrast between town and country. Life in town is source of pain,
disappointment and frustration. It is a greed dominated place and only hard- hearted
people prosper. But life in country is blend & sorrow and happiness. In village, the family
is integrated, people are simple minded, hospitable, capable of being deceived very
easily. Besides, the country people are the puppet at the hand of nature. Nature shatter
their hope again offers the victim an optimism.

To conclude, through the typical characterization Wole Soyika brings to our notice the
attitude, culture and life style of Nigerian people. Besides he shows how the overall
economic growth affects the subsistence economy of Nigeria.
Summary
The Swamp Dwellers focuses on the struggle between the old and the new ways of life in Africa. It also gives u
existed between the individual and southern Nigerian society. The conflict between tradition and modernity is
play mirrors the socio-cultural pattern, the pang and the sufferings of the swamp dwellers and underlines the
The struggle between human beings and unfavourable forces of nature is also captured in the play. Soyinka pr
modern Africa 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
the simple folk who face rigours of life without any hope or succour. Soyinka tears apart social injustice, hypoc
Dwellers expresses the necessity for a balance between the old and the new. Soyinka is not for excessive glori
we see Soyinka’s crusade against authoritarianism, complacency and self delusion. Besides, in The Swamp Dw
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
cultivate land. They believe in serpent cult. They perform death rites. They offer grain, bull, goat to appease th
from city come there for crocodile skins. They lure young women with money. Alu withstands their temptatio
make money, to drink bottled beer. In fact the city ruins them. The Swamp Dwellers consummate their weddi
meet. They consider the river bed itself as the perfect bridal bed. Sudden flood ruin the crops throwing life ou

The swamp dwellers are hospitable. They give cane brew in calabash cups. Fly sickness blinds them. Merry
together in their lives. Sheep and goats are fed on cassava. They believe in salutations through drumming. The
attempt to reclaim the land from the swamp is considered an irreligious act. Friends who meet after a whole s
When the stream is swollen people are ferried across by folk like Wazuri. The swamp dwellers believe in the in
serpent of the swamp. Their belief is exploited by Kadiye to the hilt. Igwezu questions Kadiye and his ways. It t
tradition and modernity in southern Nigeria. Rain brings them hope. It brings the marvel of new birth to the la
the creator and destroyer in the life of the swamp dwellers. Crops are suddenly destroyed by the swarming lo

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