With a society that embraces labels and stereotypes it is often hard to categorize an entire nation of people. Yet the British colonies were so apt to regard the African people as savage and barbaric that they looked upon them with a superior ignorant complex. They did not understand their culture and regarded their beliefs and customs as magical and sacrilegious. This regard did not stem from a hostile origin; they just did not understand what they didn’t know. The truth of the matter is that they had no wish to understand or comprehend worlds and ways outside their realm. In the play Death and the King’s Horseman, by Wole Soyinka, two characters embody the average viewpoint of the British towards the African people of Nigeria in 1946. Jane and Simon Pilkings allow for the reader to look through British eyes and somewhat understand their viewpoints toward the natives and their customs
The reader is introduced to these two characters in Act two of the play. They are dancing around their verandah dressed in an African ancestral masquerade called an egungun. This costume holds great importance to the African people and is regarded with respect. The fact that Jane and Simon are parading around their house dancing in this dress shows their lack of regard to the African beliefs; they find it amusing and fascinating. They plan on wearing it to the ball later that evening which shows that they look upon it as a costume with no significance what so ever. Amusa, a converted African who serves the British on the police force, has an interesting reaction to the costume. He says it belongs to the death cult and that it should not be taken lightly. While he is a converted Muslim he still has respect for his people’s customs and does still possess an element of fear towards the costume. This is the first impression the reader is given of these characters and an automatic stereotype is given to them as self-absorbed ignorant people.
Towards the end of the play Jane has an interesting conversation with Olunde, the son of Elesin who is to commit suicide and accompany his King in the afterlife. Olunde has just returned from England and meets Jane in the Residency. The words that are spoken between them outline the aspects of behavior and attitude the British, or white man rather, possess towards the Africans. Olunde’s first statement that shows his standpoint is when he talks to Jane about her wearing the egungun. She says that she finds wearing it to be hot and stifling but “his Highness being here in person and all that (50)” is cause enough to wear it. His reply, while in a mild tone, has a harsh pang; “And that is good cause for which you desecrate an ancestral mask (50)?” He then sums up the entire British viewpoint in one sentence shortly after that; “I discovered that you have no respect for what you do not understand (50).”
During this conversation Jane has comments of her own that further pushes her into this little box. She sums up her own opinion of the custom that Elesin must fulfill to Olunde. “How cleverly you try to put it, it is still a barbaric custom. It is even worse – it’s feudal! The King dies and a chieftain must be buried with him. How feudalistic can you get! ”(53) She will never understand this tradition and is so hell bent that she is right that the British way is correct.
Simon has his own personal confrontation where he tries to make Elesin understand his ways. Elesin remains strong and sturdy and tries to make Simon understand what he tries so hard to prevent. One particular quote that stood out was when Elesin replies to Simon after he learns that Simon has advised his son, Olunde, to return to England. “ Yes, white man, I am sure you advised it. You advise all our lives although on the authority of what gods, I do not know. (64)” Simon has no real response to this; he opens his mouth to speak but then changes his mind. After Elesin and Olunde are dead at the end of the play Simon asks Iyaloja if this was the outcome that she wanted. She responds adequately to the situation in a manner that delicately holds his attention but not hostile enough for him to have a breakdown. “No child, it is what you have brought to be, you who play with strangers’ lives…. (76)”
Jane and Pilkings, while they are not bad people, are ignorant to other people. Oblivious would not be a suitable word to describe them; they choose not to understand, they choose not to accept. They look upon these people as godless and savage and that they are in need of their guidance. They expect the Africans to welcome them with open arms almost as if to thank them for bringing them to the salvation that the British regard as saving. Simon tries everything within his power to stop Elesin from committing suicide, it’s not so much that he cares about Elesin but that if he allowed Elesin to continue with this tradition there would be no order among the Africans. Olunde said it perfectly; they have no respect for what they do not understand. I add on an extra saying that more adequately describes them in my opinion; they do not wish to understand either.

Registered Members, login
Join now, it's free

Property of EssaySwap.com