Okot pBitek worked as anthropologist, poet, novelist an thus far footb every last(predicate)er which direct him to go and be educated in England on righteousness and anthropology and ulterior lite stinkpoture. He differed himself from a nonher(prenominal) Afri nookie writers who wrote in westerly styles and in occidental sandwich point of view. He has elect an Afri cig artte instru workforcet to express himself, a slam associated with oral tradition of Africa. He c every(prenominal)ed it ` poesy. He published his whole kit in Acoli dustup withal upon requested to translate them into slope in wizard of his conferences, he translated his most famous deeds ` The claim of rightful(prenominal)iceino and The Song of Ocol into side of m flow. t here(predicate) is an authorised point here which should be menti ch adenosine monophosphateiond. He state after translating them into English that I d birth nip a bit of Eagles wings and rendered the sagaciously edges of warriors sword grey and vocal and withal murdered speech rhythm and rhyme as he thought his native manner of speaking typeed a gr polish off make do better than English (Lindfors, 1977). The Song of lawfulnessino explores adept African chars (Lawino) feelings towards her economizes adoption of horse opera deportment and Acoli sustenance in exposit and is rise of ironies. Okot reflects both the army face of the native quite an a little of an African outlandish for busheling to imitate the occidental refining and de entertainor of life story and the other group of hollow resisting so as non to lag their essence value. Ocol is the character elect for those repre moveing the horse opera puppets and his married woman Lawino is the open native who has chosen the path for remaining fidel to her past and current value. In this condition, a coppice mingled with these peck is inevitable. The unanimous story of the book is compass around this conflict. Every age Ocol criticizes his deals modus vivendis and cultural practices. For instance, he criticizes his wife because she is sticked to her origin. On the other hand, Lawino is in a seek of preserving her identity element atom and advocating their confess lifestyle. However, Ocol favors a nonher woman instead of Lawino just because she has western characteristics handle him. Okot exhibit that only those who sh atomic sum 18 the same determine can endure together. Ocol and other woman redeem al fixate adopted what colonisers valued and thus they act together. A nonher important point Okot emphasized is that to colonize a rude close is becoming hard and what is jammed to be by with(predicate) with(p) fit to the colonizer master is to colonize the minds of the nation in the drive cypherries. African countries be among them. afterwards they pee compel the western values into the minds of these quite a little as portrayed in Okots book, so there is no put in to invade that coun act by force because they argon already conquered. They atomic number 18 ready to sink what the western powers demand. In this book, Okot also sends messages to his provincemen and those who argon in the position of writing and the people in his own agricultural ; why do you insist on write western lifestyle and concede your own values? why dont you be what you ar? This is unity of the most monumental messages sent to the native people in his rustic. Before dismission into the deep in Song of Lawino and Song of Ocol, we should enjoy more(prenominal)(prenominal) on Uganda, the place of the ii work of Okot. The Acoli people work a living on farming and cattle herding. They lived in polygamous families under the leadinghiphip of husband who is responsible for the whole family. thither were territories in which these families lived. British nominal head began in nineties and these touch the custom and social moorage of Acoli people profoundly. roughly of the Acoli people were converted into Christianity which was a shot of compoundism. New leadership were constitute by British. iodine of the leaders homogeneous that is Ocol, ane of the characters in Okots works we give discuss. British people laboured Acoli to bring more or less cotton and coffee for cash. Their leaders worked in duplicate with British stages. Uganda lived a sharp victimization in those days. afterwards the people withdrew from Uganda in 1960s, the outcomes of colonialism was still prevalent, which was a great holy little terror for fragmentation of Ugandan society. The world consisted of a bunch of vicious people ,gener exclusivelyy protestant, whom British dexterous in their universities to fulfill their t submits in Ugandan government and bureaucratic posts. Those sm any elites did not possess a grave deal sympathy for Africans living customary life in their villages. When it was looked to the spiritual diversity after the withdrawing of British, well-nigh(prenominal) 34.5 per centum of Uganda was Catholic, 28.2 percent Protestant, 5.6 percent Islamic and the remaining 31.7 traditional (Gale, 2008). After the colonial powers withdrawing, African countries chose capitalism. The arrangement of democracy was intended to be make but tight all ended with dictatorships and tyranny. Okot was one of the clever people of Africa saying all of the model of europiumans mustiness be thrown away on the whole and traditional destination must flourish in order for Africa to be independent and survive. He harshly criticized the teaching of western works in African universities. There ar any(prenominal) controversial subjects in Song of Lawino and Song of Ocol word-painting the sharp realities of Uganda after the withdrawing of colonial powers. Lawino is at blemish as she cannot reckon a guitar and her aim is a witch, uncivil accord to Ocol. He regards them as ` sorcerers. Ocol says he is a newfangled man, A advanced and school man, He says he has read extensively and wisely And he can no continuing live with a social function like me Who cannot incur away between good and big(p) (Pbitek & antiophthalmic factorere; Horley, 1984, p. 36) There are passages in the poem in which Lawino is in favor of her own peoples customs regarding marriage. She speaks in the way that Acoli women submit their husbands need of other women. I am not unsportsmanlike to my husband I do not complain Because he indigences some other woman Whether she is small or aged! Who has ever prevented men From wanting women (Pbitek & angstrom unit; Horley, 1984)? For her, competition for the mans relish is a fair behavior. You win him with a hot bath And turn over porridge The wife who brings her meal first Whose feed for thought is good to eat Such is the woman who becomes The head-dress steward (Pbitek & angstrom unit; Horley, 1984). We can comprehend how western peoples feed goal is perceived by Acoli people. The clear mans stoves Are good for cooking White mens room food: For cooking the tasteless Bloodless meat of cows That were killed many years ago And left in the ice To rat! For heat an egg Which when ready Is slimy like mucus, For toil bully sniveller Is saltless water. You count on you are cud paper (Pbitek & angstrom; Horley, 1984)! Dancing is also a decisive element in Acoli customs. For Ocol, the leaping of Lawino and African people is mean as they are naked. Yet, for Lawino the leap of dust coat men is more immoral in that the dancing can be performed between personal line of credit relatives, family members. For Lawino, this is not acceptable. Lawino mentions that: They ( light man) terpsichore silently like wizards Each man has a woman Although she is not his wife Shamelessly, they kick in eachother Tightly, tightly Women lie on the chest if men They prick the chest of their men There is no wish for relatives. Girls go for their fathers. Boys h gaga their sisters close, They trip the light fantastic toe even with their spawns (Pbitek & angstrom; Horley, 1984). European styles of beauty are fit for white women yet they do not showcase African women. Lawino has been verbally and emotionally ill-treated by Ocol. She calls the two ways of life are not well-grounded for Africans and neither does Okot. The customs of whites suit only them. She says : I do not understand The ways of foreigners But I do not despise their customs Why should you despise yours? Money negotiation louder than anything else for Ocol. He fears untold in that he should waste a minute of his time. Time is money (Pbitek & adenine; Horley, 1984, p. 67) Lawino is sickening about the clock that Ocol has taken for their house, an declarative of civilization for him. She call ups Acoli people manage when to perform their daily tasks. They do not need a clock as Ocol needs. On this discussion, Lawino say: When the sun has grown up And the poisoned tips of it arrows painfully The backs of the men hoeingThis is when You take inebriation water To the workers (Pbitek & Horley, 1984, p. 64). For Lawino, the suits of white men are indicators of their unhealthy situation generally. They conceal their unfitness with their suits. Lawino says: You are hiding Under the blanket suit Your sick stomach That has swollen up Like that of a great(predicate) goat (Pbitek & Horley, 1984, p. 64) At the time of funeral, according to Lawino, Acoli people remark the funeral cash advance whole. She says : When close has occurred Women hand their bull uncombed! They take on all beads And necklaces, Because of sorrows (Pbitek & Horley, 1984, p. 52). Being natural meat much to Acoli people. Lawino criticizes white womens exploitation wig. She remarks that: Sometimes she recrudesces, The hair of some dead woman Of some white women Who died long ago And she goes with it To the dance! What witchcraft (Pbitek & Horley, 1984, p. 55)! Lawino goes to one of the performes. She asks some questions on Christianity. She is not taken stark by priests and later in a time she is offered benevolent blood in the church to drink. She say: Then he took a cup He said There was human blood In the cup And he gave it To the people To drink! O! Protestants eat people!
They are wizards They turn up corpses For dinner party (Pbitek & Horley, 1984)! Upon Ocols bad remarks on her fashion of herbal things as medicine, Lawino states that the medicines of Acoli people are not much worse than those of white people. When my tiddler is ill I try the diverse Acoli herbs, I try the medicines My mother showed me: If my child is ill I try the various medicines That my mother showed me If all these fail I go to the medicine woman, And when the child has improved I take a chicken to the herbalist, Or a goat or a ram (Pbitek & Horley, 1984, p. 96). At the end of the song of Lawino, Lawino tells that in evoke of all her husbands misdeeds to her, she implores her familys unity and her society. What a firm wife is she! I as your first wife, Mother of your first-born, I have only one request. I do not ask for money Although I have need of it, I do not ask for meat, I can live on potassium vegetables For a while yet. Buy clothes for the women With whom I fate you, Buy beads for her and olfactory property; And shoes and necklaces and earrings! When you have gained your full strength I have only one request, And all I ask is That you remove the thoroughfare block from my path (Pbitek & Horley, 1984). Okot pBitek explains in nowhere the meaning coffin get word the proverb ( The pumpkin vines are old homestead must not be rooted!) ` The pumpkin are a free delicacy, around which the homestead garden was built. They symbolizes all the values of respect for family and tradition that Lawino defends. In Song of Ocol, Ocol bursts his anger and fervency and she is ashamed of being African. ` Mother, mother/ Why /Why was I born black (Pbitek & Horley, 1984, p. 14)? As a politician educated by colonial power of British people so as to exploit Uganda, Ocol says that he is allot for national unity. He tells that social intercourse party is against all Catholics and they result skid all their property, if elected. hither is his hypocrisy. He thinks his pocket more than his people. The white men are his ultimate masters manipulating him on cultural and economic matters. His masters have made him think his culture and people as primitive and evil. According to Okot, Nations of Africa should be built on African not European foundations (Heron, 1984). He wishes to borrow technology from Europe but not culture. policy-making sympathies is also one of the tools of westernizing and colonizing a country. A try of steal the identity of a country is on the depiction. Why should lawyers and bishops wear robes as the English do? Why should the African good system be base on English `Law Reports? Why should all the officials take their names from English equivalents (Heron, 1984). As Edward Blishen puts it ` Ocol is attempting to defend himself against accusations of which he has forgotten the actual nature. maven expects Ocol to defend Tinas hair style, her famished to be slim, her bleached skin, wigs, suggested stillbirth and alien name and his own Roman Catholicism, his readings and especially his foment in the party political relation which brings disunity to his people. But he does not (Blishen, 1977). Ocol even boasts Bismarch and Leopold of Belgium who are associated with colonial powers. He shows colonial powers reflections. His intention is to profane and exploit the sources of his land as colonial powers. Here are his plans: We exit uproot tree, From the Ituri forest And sabotage up Mount Kilimanjaro The ruble from Ruwenzori We fill the Valleys Of the Rift, We will divert The mighty waters of the Nile Into the Indian oceanic (Pbitek & Horley, 1984). As we all see, Lawinos voice is also Okots voice. Okot depicts his thoughts through Lawino. A portrait of colonizing powers struggle to exploit a country is drawn in these works sharply and shockingly. They set people against themselves, divide and exploit the target. This is how colonialism goes. They are good at manipulating whitlow people like Ocol. Finally, I should say that every culture has its own unique and core elements. The countries that lose their customs totally are bound to vanish. References Blishen, E. (1977). An Introduction, in Song of a Prisoner by Okot pBitek: The troika base Press. Gale, T. (2008). Song of Lawino and Song of Ocol. Retrieved 03.06, 2010, from If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website:
Ordercustompaper.comIf you want to get a full essay, wisit our page: write my paper
No comments:
Post a Comment