THREE SUITORS ONE HUSBAND _ PLAYS
THREE SUITORS ONE HUSBAND
TITTLE: THREE SUITORS ONE
HUSBAND
PLAYWRIGHT: OYONO
MBIA
SETTING
: MVOUTESSI VILLLAGE-CAMEROON
CHARACTERS
Atangana –Juliette’s father
Makrita – Atangana’s wife.
Oyono – Atangana’s son
Julliette – Atangana’s daughter
Abessolo – Juliette’s grandfather
Bella - Juliette’s
grandmother
Ondua –Atangana’s brother.
Matalina – Ondua’s daughter.
Mbarga – the village headman.
Mezoe – a relative.
Kouma – Juliette’s cousin.
Oko - Juliette’s fiancé.
Ndi- the first suitor.
Mbia – the second suitor.
Engulu – Mbia’s driver.
Tchetgen – the third suitor.
Sangatiti – the witch doctor
ACT ONE:
Mbia is expected and
Juliette arrives on the same day
The scene breaks by
Atangana who is complaining about his wife who has delayed to come back from
the farm and cook for him. They have a serious discussion in which Abessolo
suggests that Atangana and Ondua should beat their wives and daughters. On the
same day they are expecting Mbia the civil servant to come in order to marry
Juliette who is still studying at Libamba. Unknowingly, Juliette arrives the
same day and when she is told the idea of marrying Mbia she rejects it because
she claims not to love him.
The whole family is
surprised to hear such a response and becomes disappointed by her reaction. The
whole family expects to get rich through her, just as Meca’s daughter who was
married the 12th wife of the Deputy of the Secretary of State
and since then she has been helping her family, so they expect Juliette to do
the same.
We are also told that
there is a young farmer called Ndi who has already paid 100,000/= francs for
Juliette. Eventually, the Civil Servant arrives and everybody is impressed.
ACT TWO:
The discussion of the
Bride price with Mbia.
Atangana beats the
drum to welcome the whole village to come and meet Mbia. Mbia is pompous and
boastful. He introduces himself as a great man who is known personally by the
Secretary of State. Additionally, he brings a lot of drinks for villagers to
drink. In the middle of the discussion Abessolo asks Mbia’s genealogy, and
finds out that he is related to Juliette and declares marriage impossible.
There is a general tension among the villagers, such that they decide to brush
aside the idea of genealogy and continue with the process.
Mbia pays 200,000/=
francs as a bride price and Atangana declares marriage settled. On top of the
bride price they also mention a lot of things to be brought along before the
marriage is registered. They also find out that Mbia has got 8 wives and
Juliette is going to be the 9th wife. Women are not involved in
this discussion. When it is over, Juliette again refuses to marry Mbia no
matter how much he has paid. She tells them that she is engaged to someone else
whom she loves.
Atangana threatens to beat her and says she will marry Mbia
whether she likes or not. Oko appears and they discuss the matter with
Juliette. Juliette steals the money paid for her and hands it to Oko and Kouma
to be used later as a bride price.
ACT THREE
Ndi comes for his wife
and the theft is discovered
The family is happy
because Oyono (Juliette’s brother) will now have enough money for which to pay
for the wife he wants to marry. Still Juliette refuses and says that money does
not prove love. Bella says girls are not allowed to fall in love without the
permission of their families. Atangana comes back with Ndi, who has come to
take Juliette on hearing that she has come. They tell him the story about the
civil servant and Ndi suggests that he would rather have his money back. On
hearing this Atangana is impressed and rushes into the house to take the money
and finds out that the money is missing.
Meanwhile Abessolo,
Mbarga and Mezoe are discussing about young boys - Owono and Belinga – who have
eaten a taboo animal – the viper – without the permission of the
elders. After noticing the theft they ask Ndi to pay some more
200,000/= francs to marry Juliette but he refuses and threatens to bring the
police. They turn to Mbia and ask him to add some more 100,000/= francs and
take Juliette right away. He also refuses and demands his money back plus
threatening to bring 10 police commissioners while Engulu his servant takes
notes of all other claims against the villagers. Atangana is worried about the
two police threats and they decide to call the witchdoctor.
ACT FOUR
Sangatiti – the witch
doctor comes to recover the lost money
Sangatiti the
witchdoctor performs his rituals and in the process he asks them to give him a
lot of things like goats, chicken, money, rams etc. He cheats the villagers
about evil spirits like chimpanzees and owls that are troubling them and
promises to sell them powerful fetishes to protect them from evil spirits. We
are also told of Mbarga the village headman who has 12 wives and wants to marry
the 13th.
Sangatiti continues with his performance but gives false
information about the stolen money. He says for instance that Atangana sold 10
sacks of cocoa two days ago and the trader gave him a magic banknote that took
the cocoa money plus the bride price back to the cocoa trader two days ago. The
fact is, Atangana sold only 3 sacks of cocoa and it was almost a week and he
had received the bride price just the same day of the event. They discover that
he is a liar, robber, scoundrel and they beat him up and chase him away.
ACT FIVE
At last OKO marries
Juliette.
They all blame
sending girls to schools because they believe schooling has polluted Juliette.
They advise Atangana to take Juliette and move with her around the city to find
her a husband there, who can pay 300,000/= francs. Juliette proposes to them
that if a man comes who will be able to pay the 300,000/= francs at once she
will marry him on a condition that they should not demand anything else on top
of the bride price. Unfortunately for her a rich trader called Tchetgen appears
and they propose the idea to him. They mention a lot of qualities that Juliette
has such as education and the foreign languages she can speak. Hearing this
Tchetgen says he can only pay the maximum of 200,000/= francs.
Eventually, Oko
arrives with Kouma and a band of musicians, dressed like the really great man
they are looking for greater than even the civil servant. They all prefer him
to marry Juliette because of the way Kouma introduces him. Oko tells them that
he will marry Juliette only if she herself agrees. They are all surprised
because women have no choice to decide who they should marry. Lastly Oko pays
the 300,000/= francs and marries Juliette
CHARACTERISATION
Juliette
She is
Atangana’s daughter, Oyono’s sister and Oko’s fiancée.
She is
educated and struggles to change the traditional values that oppress
women.
She is
intelligent. She uses her intelligence to fool the villagers by stealing
the money paid by other suitors and gives it to Oko who pays it back and the
two get married legally.
She is
forced to marry men who are not of her choice but she refuses. These are
Ndi, the first suitor, Mbia the second suitor and Tchetgen the third suitor.
She is
a revolutionist who advocates for change. She is fighting for freedom of
women in aspects like freedom of expression, choice and decision making.
She is
aware of her rights. She wants to show that women are equally important as
men and should be consulted on matters affecting them directly.
She
has true love and a stand. Juliette shows an example of true love as she
loves Oko for who he is, knowing that he has no money and is still studying.
She knows that he can’t even afford to pay the bride price that’s why she helps
him to get the bride price.
She is
courageous and liberal. She is not easily swayed by circumstances. Even
when the whole family turns against her, she is still determined not to follow
their decisions even after being threatened to be beaten by her relatives.
She does
not run away from problems but takes an active role in finding the solution to
the problems affecting her.
She comes
from an extended family in which even the issue of marriage is not a personal
phenomenon. Many people come together each of them hoping to benefit in one way
or another.
She leaves
her family in a desperate situation. After stealing the money, Oko pays
back the money which will be used later to refund the previous suitors but the
family itself remain with nothing.
She
represents young generation who go against the outdated traditional customs.
She is worthy being emulated in the society.
Atangana
He is
Juliette and Oyono’s father and Makrita’s husband.
He is
a traditionalist. He believes in witchdoctors’ power. He invites Sangatiti
to come and recover his lost money. Also he believes that bride price is still
important to settle marriage of the youngsters.
He is
oppressive to women and hot tempered. He believes in men’s superiority and
women inferiority. He doesn’t want a woman to speak when he is speaking. Also
his wife Makrita does the farm work alone but he complains when she delays to
come back and cook for him.
He is
an opportunist. He sends Juliette to school not because it is her right to
education but because he knows that someday he will benefit from it. Pg
12” when I sent her to secondary school, I was justly saying to
everybody: ‘some day, I’ll benefit from that” Also he wants to marry
Juliette off to Mbia hoping that through him he would be able to easily get a
gun permit and medals of honour.
He is
greedy and money monger. He is so greedy for money. He has already received
the bride price for Juliette from Ndi, yet he accepts the 200000/= francs paid
by Mbia for the same girl. Lastly he receives th 300000/= paid by Oko just for
the same girl.
He
desperate and fears the police terribly. He suffers an intrapersonal
conflict when he notices that the money is stolen and fears the police who
might be brought by Ndi or Mbia.
He is
ignorant, illiterate and does not want changes. He is not worthy being
emulated in the society.
Kouma
Juliette’s
cousin and educated young man who owns the moped.
He is
intelligent. He uses his intelligence to bring about changes in his
society. For example he dares to contradict the witch doctor when he keeps on
telling lies about the stolen money while he knows where the money is.
He is
a revolutionist. He also fights for the rights of women like freedom of
choice, expression and decision making. For example he says ‘she’s left
free to choose, you see?” pg 68.
He is
literate and so creative. He presents Oko as a great man dressed
immaculately and magnificently that everybody suggests him for Juliette. He
takes advantage of the ignorance of the villagers and introduces Oko as a great
man, greater than the civil servant. Finally all the villagers bless the
marriage between Oko and Juliette.
In
collaboration with Oko and Juliette they teach the villagers that women are
also valuable human beings with their own feelings, decisions etc. which must
be respected.
Oko
He is
an educated young man from Ambam who studies at Lycee Leclere and
Juliette’s fiancé.
He is
also a revolutionist. He fights for women’s rights like; freedom of
choice, expression and decision making. He says for instance in pg: 67 “I
will marry your daughter if she herself agrees”, “if she is to marry me she
must do as she wants”
He is
creative. He comes at Atangana’s home magnificently dressed and is easily
accepted by the whole family not realizing that he is the same schoolboy they
have been rejecting.
He is
the one who succeeds to marry Juliette. He pays the 300000/= francs given
to him by Juliette and the two get the blessings of the family.
He
advocates for change in the society and is worthy being emulated.
Abessolo
He is
Juliette’s grandfather, Atangana and Ondua’s father and Bella’s Husband.
He is
a traditionalist and conservative. He upholds the traditional values of the
society whether good or bad. For example,
o He
believes that bride price is still important.
o Also
women should not be allowed to eat certain taboo animals, and should not be
consulted about anything.
o He traces
Mbia’s genealogy and declares marriage impossible after discovering that Mbia
is related to Juliette.
He is
oppressive to women. He believes that women should be beaten as a way of
disciplining them. He suggests that Ondua and Atangana should beat their wives
and daughters. Pg. 12
He is
a hypocrite. He is against sending girls to secondary schools but he wants
to benefit from it.
He is
against changes in the society thus not worthy being emulated.
Sangatiti
He is
a witch-doctor from Mfouladja who comes to recover Atangana’s lost
money.
He is
a liar. He lies to the villagers to know about the lost money while in fact
he learns from their own words. He says for instance that Atangana sold 10
sacks of cocoa two days ago and the trader gave him a magic banknote that took
the cocoa money plus the bride price back to the cocoa trader two days ago. The
fact is, Atangana sold only 3 sacks of cocoa and it was almost a week and he
had received the bride price just the same day of the event
He is
superstitious. He believes in witchcraft and evil spirits. For instance he
threatens to bewitch the whole village. He also promises to sell the villagers
powerful fetishes that would protect them from the evil spirits.
He is
a robber. He keeps on robbing the ignorant villagers a lot of things like
rams, goats, cockerels, etc by using tricks.
He is
ignorant and illiterate. He doesn’t know the ordinary geography that he
says north and South is just the same thing.
He is
corrupt. He wants to get rich by using tricks. E.g. He says that if they
want to recover their money they must give him; 15 cockerels, 12 goats, 2 rams
and 6 pigs.
He is
pompous/ boastful. He boasts of being a competent witch-doctor while he is
not. He says “as you couldn’t have known about the magic bank note without
the help of a powerful witch-doctor like me…” pg 57. He is not worthy to be
emulated in the society.
Mbarga
He is
the headman of Mvoutessi village.
He is
a traditionalist. Like Atangana Ondua Mezoe and Abessolo he too upholds the
traditional values. He complains about Belinga and Owono who have eaten the
viper without the permission of elders. Pg42
He is
a hypocrite. He pretends to praise Ndi in order to soften his mind to add
some more 200000/= francs he even pretends to cry mourning the death of Ndi’s
father who after all isn’t dead yet.
He is
a polygamist. He has 12 wives and is proposing to marry the 13th wife
from Ngoantet.
He is
superstitious. He believes in superstition because he is the one who
suggests the idea of calling the witch-doctor to recover the stolen
money.
He is
an irresponsible leader. He is not a responsible leader because he is
supposed to take actions to people who distil illegal drinks ‘Arki” but he
himself does the same illegal business.
He is
pompous. He brags about himself for instance for bringing a competent witch
doctor. He also brags about being the headman of the village.
He is
an opportunist. He is opportunist because he also wants to take advantage
of Juliette’s marriage to Mbia to get a gun permit. He even invites Mbia in his
house so as to create a close tie with him.
Ndi
He is a
young hardworking farmer from Awae. He helps Makrita his expected mother-in-law
to clear her farm. We are also told that he is an expert in laying monkey traps
pg 17
He is
Juliette’s first suitor who pays 100,000/= francs.
He is
betrayed by Atangana’s family that takes Mbia’s money while knowing that Ndi
has already paid for Juliette.
He
threatens to bring the police to arrest Atangana if he fails to pay back his
money.
Mbia
He is
a rich civil servant from Sangmelima and Juliette’s second suitor.
He is
pompous. He brags about himself being a very important civil servant and
that the Secretary of state knows him personally. He also likes to be praised.
When Mbarga praises him he becomes pleased and orders drinks for him.
He is
a polygamist. We are told he is married to 8 wives and is now proposing to
marry Juliette the 9th wife.
He has
no true love. The fact that he has 8 wives signifies that he has no
true love but to him women are objects to satisfy his sexual desires.
He
misuses the government position for private gain. He uses his position
and money to attract more wives to himself. He threatens to use his position to
send police officers to arrest the villagers for not paying respect to him.
He is
a hypocrite and has no stand. Initially he praises Atangana’s family and
even drinks an illegal drink “Arki” because he wants them to give him Juliette
as his wife. When the deal fails he changes his opinion and threatens to arrest
the villagers for distilling arki.
He is
an opportunist. He promises to give the villagers a lot of things on top of
the bride price so as to have Juliette.
He is
a drunkard. He is a heavy drunkard as he comes with a lot of strong drinks
from Sangmelima and even goes to drink at the headman’s house.
He is not
worthy being emulated in the society.
Tchetgen
He is a
trader from Bamileke and Juliette’s third suitor.
He owns
two shops in Sangmelima and a bar in Zoetele.
He agrees
to marry Juliette but proposes to pay the maximum of 200000/= francs only.
He is not
interested in marrying Juliette after noticing that she costs too much.
TITLE OF THE PLAY
The title of the play
is “Three Suitors One Husband”. Tracing through the play we find
that it has a close connection with the content of the play. The following are
the three suitors and one husband from “Three suitors One
Husband”;
The first
suitor is Ndi, a young hardworking farmer from Awae who proposes to marry Juliette
and pays the sum of 100,000/= francs. Unfortunately for him he does not succeed
to marry Juliette. As the second suitor overpowers him.
The
second suitor is Mbia, a rich civil servant from Sangmelima who proposes to
marry Juliette and pays the sum of 200,000/= francs plus a lot of things that
he has to bring along on top of the bride price to have the marriage settled.
He too does not succeed to marry Juliette.
The third
suitor is Tchetgen, a rich trader/businessman from Bamileke who pays the maximum
of 200,000/= francs for Juliette. He does not succeed to marry Juliette since
the family wants him to pay 300,000/=francs. He is not interested and moves
away.
The
husband is Oko a young educated man from Ambam who succeeds to marry Juliette
after paying the required amount 300,000/= francs at once. He manages to pay
the money after being assisted by Juliette who steals the money her father
received from the previous suitors and the two get married legally.
SETTING
The setting is
typically rural. The play is set in Mvoutessi village in the southern part of
East Cameroon. A typical Bulu village built along the road. There are
sub-settings like kitchen where there are some events taking place and the
description of the contents in Makrita’s kitchen at the beginning of Act three
sums up the rural setting
STYLE
The playwright has
employed the dialogue style throughout the play. There are few cases of
narrative technique especially in stage direction at the beginning of each Act.
To enrich his style he has also made use of songs as when Ondua sings in page
23
Aya yam one minga a a ah,
O lig Ondua a nyea’avee?
Aya yam one minga a a etc.
LANGUAGE USE/DICTION
Language used is
simple and straightforward. Additionally the playwright has made use of;
FIGURES OF SPEECH
(a) Personification
“When
a chameleon dies a grey lizard should inherit his sacks of cola nuts” pg 50
…These
tiny radio sets which always tell lies” pg 28
(b) Simile
“Juliette
runs to the safety of the kitchen like a frightened antelope” pg 41
“…to
marry young men as poor as flies..” pg 16
you
want me to let them sell me like a goat?
(c) Hyperbole/exaggeration
‘’The
man we are talking about is the one who rules everybody in Sangmelima.” Pg 42
“The
most obedient girl in the world” pg 63
(d) Under
exaggeration
“Three
hundred thousand francs- pocket money”. Pg 66
“…Who
once was the poorest man in Messam” pg 18
“Girls
are nothing” pg 66
(e) Sarcasm/satire.
“A
doctor of Mathematics. That is to say, he can count all the leaves of on a palm
tree”. Pg 65
“He is
fluent in French, English, German, Spanish, German English and French”. Pg 65
“He is
also as I’m told the Doctor of the Bachelor.” pg 69.
“Where
in the city? In the market place?”
(f) Metaphor
“A
real white man” – pg 13
(g) Rhetorical
Questions
“What?
He is a bachelor? Such a great man?” pg 65
“Where
in the city? In the market place?” pg 61
(h) Barbarism.
“Aa
keeaah, Oyono Eto Mekong ya Ngozip aah.” Pg 12
“Nane
Ngok!” Pg 13
(i) Onomatopoeia
Ooo-oo-ooo-ooo pg 70
SAYINGS
“Important
rivers can only be recognized by the size of their tributaries” pg 24
“When
a chameleon dies a grey lizard should inherit his sacks of cola nuts” pg 50
“The
first day of the marriage is just the beginning of it” pg 26
THEMATIC ANALYSIS
AFRICAN TRADITIONS AND
CUSTOMS
There are different
traditions and customs portrayed in the play. Some of these traditions are
worth preserving for the future generation and some are not.
(a) Bride
price. Just like many other African societies, bride price is important and
has to be paid before the girl is married. However in this society it is so
ridiculous that they are ready to receive whoever pays the highest bride price
for the same girl. For example, they receive 100000/=francs from Ndi, then
200000/= from Mbia and lastly 300000/= francs from Oko just for the same
girl-Juliette. For them, the girl for whom the largest bride price is paid is
respected. However the issue of bride price is seen to be one of the major
sources of conflict in African families as manifested in Juliette’s family. It
is not a good custom thus it should be discarded.
(b) Polygamy.
As it is in most African societies, polygamy is rampart in this society. Men
marry many wives to satisfy their sexual desires. Take for example the Deputy
of the Secretary of State, has 12 wives, pg 18, Mbarga has 12 wives and is
proposing to marry the 13th, pg 52 and Mbia has 8 wives and is
proposing to marry Juliette the 9th wife pg 26. However it is
revealed by Sanga-titi that polygamy is not safe for men since wives struggle
to win the heart of their husbands and beat their rivals and thus bring along
powerful fetishes. This is also dangerous in this era of HIV/AIDS thus it
should be discouraged.
(c) Superstition. People
of Mvoutessi believe in superstition and witchcraft just like many other
societies in Africa. Consider the following cases;
When Abessolo
collapses they attack Ndi for bringing his witchcraft to kill people there. Pg
46
When the money
is stolen they send for a witch doctor to recover the lost money. Pg 50
Mbarga says he
once saw their dead ancestors in a dream and they blessed him. Pg 25.
Sanga-titi
makes them believe that owls and Chimpanzees are not ordinary birds or animals
but evil spirits of the past that killed their ancestors.pg 55
This is not a
good custom so it should be discouraged.
(d) Taboos.
These are customs that restrict certain group of people from doing some things.
In this society we see the following taboos;
A girl
should not speak when her father is speaking. Pg 17
Women are
not allowed to eat taboo animals like vipers, wild boars, pg 12
Young men
are not to eat vipers and if they do they must be permitted by elders. Pg42
This is an outdated custom so it should be uprooted.
(e) Eating
etiquette. Eating manner is also strictly observed as the playwright shows
that the elders are heard scolding those children who don’t eat properly. Pg
32. This is a good habit that has to be promoted.
(f) Spouse
battering/wife beating. In this society women are beaten as a way of
silencing and disciplining them. Abessolo brags about himself how he could not
have tolerated nonsense in his days and advises Ondua and Atangana to beat
their wives and daughters. Pg 12 this is not a good habit and it should be
discarded.
(g) Traditional
Religion. Still many villagers keep the traditional local beliefs.
They believe in the spirit of their dead ancestors and that owls and
chimpanzees are evil spirits of the past. They also believe in the power of
witchdoctors like Sanga-titi and that his fetishes can protect them from the
evil spirits. This is an outdated custom so it should be discarded.
(h) Traditional
dances. In this society cerebrations are accompanied by a dance. They
celebrate a happy event by beating drums and dancing their traditional dance
called “Nyeng’”. This is a good custom to be preserved as it promotes
African culture.
(i) Economy the
economy of these people depends mainly on agriculture based on cash crops like;
cocoa, cola nuts, peanuts etc. also there are some people like Monica and
Mbarga who earn their living by distilling and selling illegal liquor “Arki”.
Yet others like Tchetgen engage themselves in trade by selling different merchandise
to willing buyers.
(j) Extended
family. In this society there is a spirit of cooperation when it comes to
important matters like marriage. Atangana beats the drum to welcome the
villagers to witness the marriage of his daughter. Also the decisions are made
by collective bargaining among the members of the extended family. For example
they decide who should marry Juliette expecting that each member of the
extended family will benefit.
(k) Forced
marriage. Love is important in marriage. However in this society marriage
is not defined by love but by money. The whole family forces Juliette to marry
Mbia not because she loves him but because he has paid much money. Forced
marriage is also one of the major sources of conflict between youngsters and
elders. It should be discouraged.
POSITION OF WOMEN IN
THE SOCIETY
Women are portrayed in
different positions and roles both positive and negative. Here are some of the
positions women occupy in this society.
i. Women
are portrayed as hard workers.
In this society women do all the work while
men do almost nothing. Most men are portrayed as lazy and keep blaming their
wives. Atangana blames his wife for delaying to come back and cook for him.
Monica also distills illegal arki and sells it to support the family. Ondua
blames her for denying him one bottle. Pg 11
ii. Women
are portrayed as revolutionists.
Juliette represents women who are after
changes. Despite the inferior position of women in this society, she takes an
active role in fighting for women rights like freedom of expression, choice and
decision making. Although Abessolo says “Since when do women speak in
Mvoutessi” pg 15 she still speaks out her views.
iii. Women are
portrayed as caretakers (custodians).
In this society women are the
caretakers of the family, and when the children misbehave the women are blamed
for it. Take for instance how Makrita is blamed that she is the one who teaches
Juliette such a disgraceful behavior. But Makrita says “Juliette haven’t I
always told you to be obedient to your family?” pg 18
iv. Women
are portrayed as courageous.
Juliette presents a positive role women can
play in bringing about social change. She is courageous enough to fight for her
rights despite men’s dominance and superiority. For example she asks “you
want me to let them sell me like a goat? After all I’m a valuable human being.” Pg18
v. Women
are portrayed as inferior to men.
Women are shown to be weak individuals
with no say. They are also beaten as a way of disciplining them. Abessolo
suggests that Ondua and Atangana should beat their wives and treat their
daughters just the same way. Also girls should not fall in love without the
permission of their families. This portrays inferior position of women.
vi. Women
are portrayed as tools for pleasure.
In this society women are treated as
objects to satisfy men’s sexual desires. Most men are polygamous which shows
that they have no true love for their wives. E.g. Mbia already has 8 wives yet
wants to marry Juliette, Mbarga has 12 wives and he is proposing to marry the
13th. Etc.
vii. Women
are portrayed as a source of income.
In this society women are taken as a
source of income. Atangana for instance sends Juliette to school not because of
respecting her right to education but because he expects to benefit later. Also
people want her to marry a rich man-Mbia so that they can get rich through her.
Juliette asks “Am I a shop or some other source of income” pg 16
viii.Women
are portrayed as people with true love and a firm stand. Juliette
loves Oko for who he is. She does not expect to get anything from Oko apart
from love. She asks them “Does money prove love?” pg 39 and she
adds “I’ve told you my fiancé hasn’t got any money, and yet I’m sure he
loves me.” Pg 39
ix. Women
are portrayed as superstitious.
In this society women are portrayed as
superstitious. Sanga-titi reveals that due to polygamy, some women are given by
their mothers some fetishes to “win their husbands heart, bear him many
children, and beat all your rivals in beauty, charm and housekeeping” pg 55
x. Women
are despised and segregated.
In this society women are looked
down upon. Men do not want to consult women on any matter. For example Abessolo
says “consult a woman about her marriage!” pg 12. That’s why Juliette
and all women are not involved in the meeting discussing about her marriage.
Ondua says “women will have their way! No sensible man should waste his time
trying to reason with them.” Pg11
xi. Traditionally
a girl for whom the highest bride price is paid is respected.
In this
society the girls for whom the largest bride price is paid is the one to be
respected Pg 18. That’s why they all propose Mbia for Juliette since he has
paid what is considered as high bride price so that she can earn their respect.
CONFLICTS
This refers to the
misunderstanding or collision of ideas, viewpoints or opinions within a person,
between or among groups of people in the society. Like other plays, in this
play there are several conflicts as analyzed below.
INTRAPERSONAL
CONFLICT
o This
occurs within a person. It is manifested within the following individuals.
o Juliette;
She suffers an intrapersonal conflict because of outdated customs in her
society that forces girls to marry men who are not of their choice and without
consultation. As a result she steals the money paid by the previous suitors and
gives it to Oko (whom she loves) and the two get married.
o Atangana;
He suffers an intrapersonal conflict after discovering the theft of his money.
The conflict grows worse when both Mbia and Ndi threaten to bring the police to
arrest him. As a result he calls the witchdoctor to recover the lost money but
he fails. Finally, he receives the money from Oko as a solution to his problem.
FAMILY
CONFLICT
o Juliette
with her family.
This occurs when she
refuses to marry the rich man they have chosen for her. It intensifies as she
argues with the family contrary to their expectation since women do not speak
in Mvoutessi. It ends when she marries Oko who pays 300,000/=francs
o Mbia
and Juliette’s family.
This occurs when they
tell Mbia to add some more 100,000/= francs for Juliette. He demands his money
back and threatens to bring the police.
o Ndi
and Juliette’s family.
This occurs when they
tell Ndi to add some more 200,000/= francs for Juliette. He demands his money
back and threatens to bring the police.
CULTURAL
CONFLICTS
There is a conflict
between traditional culture and modern culture. Young Generation represented by
Juliette, Oko, Kouma, Belinga and Owono embrace modernism by going against the
traditional culture that forbids them to do certain things like eating vipers,
freedom of choice, decision making and speech.
On the contrary there are elders
like Mbarga, Atangana, Abessolo, Bella and Ondua who uphold traditionalism.
They condemn new ways of life and think that things are falling apart since
youngsters no longer listen to elders as they are expected to do.
SOCIAL
CONFLICT
This occurs between
the villagers and the witchdoctor Sanga-titi. It occurs when the villagers
discover that Sanga-titi is not only a liar, but also a robber and is not able
to recover the lost money. He just keeps on robbing them and threatens to
bewitch them. They beat him up and chase him away.
POLITICAL
CONFLICT.
There is a conflict
between the Rulers and peasants (villagers). This occurs when the police
keep on beating the villagers for not paying the taxes and arresting them for
being drunk. They want Mbia to marry Juliette to help them.
AWARENESS
It is a
state of being conscious about what is going on around you. This is a vital
tool in so far as the liberation of the oppressed is concerned. Awareness is
manifested in the following aspects.
Kouma
is aware of Sanga-titi’s lies. He knows where the money is but
Sanga-titi keeps on telling lies. Kouma contradicts him on spot and helps all
the other villagers to discover that Sanga-titi is a liar and a robber.
Juliette
is aware of her rights like freedom of speech, decision making and choice. She
doesn’t want to be considered inferior that’s why she says “but I’m a
free person. Pg 31
Kouma and
Oko are aware of the fact that women are important people in the society and
should be respected. They teach the villagers a lesson by giving Juliette a
chance to choose her own suitable suitor who becomes her husband.
THE INFLUENCE OF MONEY
AND POWER
In this society
everybody thinks that money is a solution to every problem and is the source of
happiness. As a result most people engage in different legal and illegal
activities to get money. The following scenarios are just few cases in point.
They
cultivate cash crops like cocoa in order to get money.
Some
distill illegal liquor (Arki) to get money. Examples are Mbarga and Monica
Ondua’s wife.
Marriage
has also become a business. Parents want their daughters to marry rich men
so that they can get money. E.g. everybody wants Juliette to marry Mbia since
he brings a lot of money.
Love
is based on money. In this society the girl for whom the highest bride
price is paid is considered to be loved and is respected. Matalina says to
Juliette “How could a girl refuse a man who loves her enough to pay
200,000/= francs for her?
Sanga-titi
is corrupt and wants to get rich easily through people’s ignorance. He
uses tricks and lies to get more money.
Money
leads girls into polygamy. Some people use money to marry as many women as
they please. Mbia has 8 wives and wants to use his power and money to win
Juliette’s love. The deputy of the secretary of state also has 12 wives.
Mbia
is opportunistic. He treats people dearly (giving them drinks and money) to
influence them to give him Juliette. When it fails he uses his power
to threaten them that he will bring the police to arrest them.
Money
and power make people arrogant and boastful. Mbia is arrogant because of
his money and power. He accuses the villagers that the roads are poorly kept
and the houses have not been whitewashed in expectation of the honour of his
visit. Mbarga is also arrogant because of his power as a village headman. He
dictates respect from people by using his authority.
NEPOTISM/FAVOURITISM
This is a common
phenomenon in Africa now. People are treated on the basis of whom-you-know and
not what-you-know. For example in this society everybody is in favour of the
Civil Servant because on top of the bride price they expect to be favoured in
other spheres as well, such as;
To get
medals and gun permits. They say it is so difficult to get it when you do not
know the right people in the government.
To avoid
frequent beatings from police. For example Mbia discovers that the people of
the village are distilling illegal Arki but takes no action since he wants to
become their in-law.
INFLUENCE OF
EDUCATION
Education is a necessary
tool for social change. If used positively it acts as a medium for transforming
a traditional society into a modern one. In this society education has been
used positively to bring about social changes in the following ways:
It has
brought awareness to young people who acquired it. Unlike Matalina who has not
gone to school Juliette knows her rights as a girl. She demands her freedom of
expression, choice and decision making.
Oko and
Kouma are also aware of women rights. Although they come from the same male
dominated society, they don’t like the way women are mistreated. They use their
education to bring changes.
Education
increases the value of an individual. Most people who are educated are
considered valuable compared to uneducated ones. Villagers believe that since
Juliette is educated they should demand high bride price for her.
Education
has brought about cultural change. Young people who have acquired education
have begun to question certain traditional values. Even elders believe that it
is due to schools that these changes occur though they put it in a negative way
by complaining that” schools have corrupted everything”
CLASSES IN THE
SOCIETY
The play depicts
different classes of people in his society. There are several classes that can
be classified in the following categories.
Educated
vs. uneducated
There is a class of
educated people represented by people like Juliette, Oko and Kouma and that of
uneducated represented by people like Mbarga, Matalina Abessolo, Atangana etc.
Their differences are manifested even in the way they look at things.
Traditionalists
vs. modernists.
There is also a class
of those who wish to see the traditional values of the society whether good or
bad upheld at any cost and those who see no need to continue with outdated
customs. People like Mbarga, Abessolo Atangana Ondua etc uphold traditionalism
while people like Belinga, Owono, Juliette, Oko and Kouma embrace modernism.
Rich
vs. poor
There is also a class
of rich people (the ruling class) like Mbia who enjoy the national cake and
traders like Tchetgen while the majority like the villagers (peasants) are
suffering from poverty expecting to get rich when rich men come to marry their
daughters.
Town
dwellers (townies) vs. Village dwellers (villagers.)
The life of the people
in town is different from those in the villages. Mbia despises the villagers.
We are told that even Engulu a mere driver despises the villagers since he
comes from town. Also people in the village even distil and drink illegal
drinks like “Arki” while those from the city enjoy strong bottled drinks.
HYPOCRISY
Many people in this
society seem to be affected by hypocrisy. They do or say whatever might earn
them a favour from somebody. They even contradict their own statements for the
same reason.
Mbia is a hypocrite. When he wants to
marry Juliette he praises the villagers and even doesn’t take action when he
discovers that they conduct illegal business by distilling Arki. When his plans
finally fail he changes his opinion and accuses them of the same. This is high
level of hypocrisy.
Mbarga is a hypocrite. At first he praises
Mbia and favours him for Juliette and they kick out Ndi. When the money is
stolen he praises Ndi to soften him to add 200000/= francs so as to cover up
the loss. He even pretends to weep, mourning the death of Ndi’s father who
after all isn’t dead yet. This is hypocrisy.
Elders like Abessolo
are hypocrites. They condemn secondary schools for
polluting girls yet when it comes to the issue of marriage they want to benefit
from the same education by demanding high bride price because Juliette is
educated.
STRUGGLE FOR CHANGE
The play
tries to show the areas that need reformation and urges the society to make the
necessary social changes. There are outdated customs which need to be reformed
like: forced marriage, bride price, women beating, taboos, superstitious
beliefs and polygamy. There are also good ones that we may cherish such as
traditional dances and eating etiquette.
Also
education seems to be a great agent of change that needs to be embraced. Men
should change their mentality by sending girls to school since they are capable
of contributing to societal development.
Betrayal.
Juliette’s family
betrays Ndi by taking more money from Mbia while they know that Ndi has already
paid for her.
Illiteracy.
Many people portray a
picture of illiteracy. That’s why Oko, Kouma and Juliette take advantage of
their illiteracy to facilitate the marriage between Oko and Juliette.
Irresponsibility.
Mbia and Mbarga are
irresponsible leaders. Despite knowing that distilling “arki” is illegal they
take no action.
Love
There are two extremes
of love portrayed in this society. There is True love as exemplified by
Juliette and Oko and hypocritical/untrue love as shown by the polygamists.
MESSAGE
Bride
price, polygamy, superstition, forced marriage and spouse battering are
outdated traditions they needs to be discouraged.
People
should use their education positively to bring about social change.
Hypocrisy
is not good in any ideal society.
Witch
doctors are liars and robbers.
Love and
not money should be the determinant of true marriage.
Illiteracy
is an obstacle to development.
Both boys
and girls should be given equal right to education.
Food
taboos should be discouraged as they deprive women and children of required
nutrients.
RELEVANCE
The play is relevant
in a number of ways.
Polygamy
is still a problem in most African societies and among the Moslems.
Bride
price is still a common custom in many African societies and is a source of
conflicts in marriage among the youngsters and elders.
People
still believe in witchcraft and superstition as a solution to their problems.
There are
people who earn a living by conducting illegal business like distilling
“gongo”.
Many
people misuse their money and power for private gain.
Etc
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