The lion and the jewel summary. The Lion and the Jewel Chapter Summaries 2022-10-27
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The Lion and the Jewel is a play by Wole Soyinka that tells the story of Sidi, a beautiful village maiden, and the various suitors who vie for her affection. At the beginning of the play, Sidi is being courted by Baroka, the cunning and wily old lion of the village, and Lakunle, a young and educated teacher who believes in progress and modernity.
Baroka, who is known for his wisdom and his ability to get what he wants, sees Sidi as a prize to be won. He tries to win her over with gifts and flattery, and even goes so far as to try to kidnap her. Lakunle, on the other hand, sees Sidi as a symbol of the traditional ways of the village, and he wants to modernize her and bring her into the modern world.
As the two men compete for Sidi's affection, she becomes the center of a larger debate about the value of tradition versus progress. On one hand, Baroka represents the traditional ways of the village, and he argues that they have served the community well for generations. On the other hand, Lakunle represents the forces of change and modernization, and he believes that the village must adapt to the modern world in order to survive.
As the play progresses, Sidi becomes more and more torn between the two men, and she begins to see the value in both their arguments. She ultimately decides to marry Baroka, but not before reminding him that she is her own person and that she will not be a passive and submissive wife.
In the end, The Lion and the Jewel is a story about the tension between tradition and progress, and about the power of individual choice. It shows that, no matter what the circumstances, it is important for people to be able to make their own decisions and to have agency in their own lives.
The Lion and the Jewel Act 2 Summary
The message is that the foreigner who chanced upon their village sometime in the past and took pictures has returned. This begins to suggest that he won't be successful in wooing Sidi, as he's incapable of paying her a real compliment. Sadiku is wearing a shawl over her head. Sidi tells him that she can only accept his proposal if only he comes to pay her bride price because she does not believe in some of Lakunle foreign principle that ignores the payment of bride price. Sadiku tells Lakunle he's unattractive and reminds him that he could marry Sidi soon if he paid the bride price. Is Ailatu somehow dissatisfied with her husband now? Did you know that Wole Soyinka is a winner of the One more reminder… Most of the sections in this giant tutorial qualify to be taken as complete essays on their own. Sidi keeps crying as Lakunle says he'll take Baroka to court for beating Sidi.
In reply, Sidi says she will not feel comfortable dressing the way Lakunle wants it. Sadiku is shocked, but she invites Sidi to come to Baroka's for a feast anyway. Lost in thought, Lakunle remarks that Baroka does have quite a selective eye for women. Suddenly, Baroka joins the dance and the action stops as the villagers kneel and bow to him. Lakunle follows her, carrying the firewood Sidi has asked him to help her get. The powerlessness of the real person robs the statue of power, as well.
The Lion and the Jewel “Noon” Summary and Analysis
Sadiku blesses her and asks the gods for fertility. Sidi Invites Lakunle to Her Wedding to Baroka The dancers and Sidi re-enter the square. When the wrestler passes, Sadiku greets him. The play tells the story of Sidi, a young woman who is being courted by two men: Lakunle, a progressive but somewhat clumsy suitor, and Baroka, the older and more traditional ruler of her village. She expresses her opinion about who will win the ongoing wrestling match. The girl reports that a gorgeous photograph of Sidi has been used on the cover, which has made the Bale both proud and envious.
The Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka Plot Summary
Lakunle greets Baroka with "good morning," which doesn't please Baroka. Inside the bundle is a carved figure of the Bale. He says that Baroka will see right through the plot and will beat Sidi, but Sidi gleefully sings a goodbye and runs off. He sees that he gains power as she loses power. Sidi sobs that Sadiku was fooled: the Lion tricked her and was not impotent at all, so he raped Sidi and took her virginity. The imaginary car meanders its way unsteadily through the jungle. He knows that the best way to flatter Sidi and bring her to his side is to appeal to her vanity by using the photographs to accomplish his own goals.
It is common knowledge that every woman who has eaten supper with Baroka ends up becoming his wife. Baroka will die soon, and Sidi, as the last wife, will be the senior wife of the new Bale. Sadiku tickles Baroka's feet when he lies down. Sidi grows angry as Lakunle tells her that women are less intelligent than men because of their small brains. Angry again, Sidi tells Lakunle that his words sound the same but mean nothing.
Sidi insults Baroka's virility. This shows that she's not fully in control of her image. She sees that there's more for her to gain from the traditional system that places monetary value on her. She refuses to be comforted by Sadiku and Lakunle. Sidi offhandedly says to ignore Lakunle, and Sadiku says that Baroka wants to marry Sidi. Beneath the surface, however, are tensions that continue to brew among the population regarding a disagreement over such issues as change, modernization, tradition, and the place of women in this typical traditional African setting.
The crowd goes silent in awe of her beauty as she approaches Lakunle and hands him the magazine. Baroka asks Lakunle if he has some feud with him. Sadiku herself gets to dance the final "scotching" of Baroka. He's obviously self-centered, particularly when it comes to women and his wives. Lakunle looks distraught and asks if Sidi escaped, insisting he can take the truth "like a man. He then goes on to criticize Sadiku, calling her a bride-collector for Baroka. Lakunle gets into the spirit of the performance.
He says that people think his life is only one of pleasure, but he insists that he works hard for his people. Here, both Baroka and Sidi herself objectify her and turn her into an object for men to win. That he has lost his sexual powers. Notice, though, that the way to gain that respect is by embracing the modern snuffbox and the status it connotes to conceal his traditional and presumably, not well-received tanfiri habit. The festivities begin,and even Lakunle seems to be stepping into the spirit of things when he chases a girl who shakes her butt at him.
Lakunle's snide remark about women going crazy shows again how little he thinks of women as a group. Sidi explains that the other villagers will not believe that she is a virgin at the time of their marriage unless Lakunle pays the bride price, a custom that Lakunle believes is degrading. One of the girls says that the book surely makes Sidi look beautiful, and that Baroka is still looking at the images. Lakunle tells Sadiku to mind her own business and goes ahead to give a long list of modernization including the banishing of bride-price in the village. Sadiku seems unconcerned and reaches her hand into Lakunle's pocket, asking if he has money. Lakunle doesn't just despise the customs of the village; he despises the villagers themselves. Baroka is now part of the dance.
The dancers and Sidi re-enter the square. Sadiku makes Sidi swear silence and whispers in her ear. If you find this post on the Plot Summary of the Lion and the Jewel helpful, feel free to share with your friends and subscribe to my newsletter. Lakunle spews a string of words to describe the custom of paying a bride price, including "excommunicated" and "redundant" along with "humiliating" and "degrading. Notice, too, that in Lakunle's fantasy, women are still responsible for cooking—they just cook in saucepans instead of traditional cookware.
