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Salutation to the Gut By Wole Soyinka
Previously unpublished, Salutation to the Gut is an essay Soyinka wrote more than forty years ago. The essay is a celebration of Yoruba culture, in particular Yoruba food and gastronomic culture. Its witty and whimsical style foreshadows the kind of writing that would become Soyinka's hallmark, and for which he would subsequently win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Isara, a voyage around Essay By Wole Soyinka
The contents of a tin box – a handful of letters; old journals with marked pages and annotations; school reports; notebook jottings; tax and other levy receipts; minutes of meetings; and programme notes of special events – which belonged to his father, S. A. (“Essay”) Soyinka, a school teacher during the colonial period in Nigeria, provide the grist for Isara: A Voyage Around Essay, the second instalment of Wole Soyinka's memoirs – a son's fictionalised “voyage” into the life and times of his father.
A well written account of childhood in pre independence Yorubaland. Although it is probably not typical, it illustrates the essence of the Yoruba parenting style, a style that makes every adult a parent and every child dutiful. I recommend it.
A well written account of childhood in pre independence Yorubaland. Although it is probably not typical, it illustrates the essence of the Yoruba parenting style, a style that makes every adult a parent and every child dutiful. I recommend it.
Harmattan Haze on an African Spring By Wole Soyinka
In this book, Soyinka argues that all claims that Africa has been explored are as premature as news of her imminent demise. A truly illuminating exploration of Africa has yet to take place. It does not pretend to take place even on the pages of this book, being content with retrieving a few grains for germination from the wasteful threshing floor of Africa's existential totality.
From Zia with Love By Wole Soyinka (Hardcover)
"Unquestionably Africa's most versatile writer and arguably one of her finest." (New York Times Book Review) When the Military decrees that a crime carrying a prison sentence now retroactively warrants summary execution, confusion and fear permeate a society where the brutality and injustice of military rule is parodied by life inside prison. Based on events in Nigeria in the early 1980s Wole Soyinka's stage play From Zia with Love and radio play A Scourge of Hyacinths, were produced in the early 90s when the writer was exiled by Sani Abacha's notorious and unjust military regime.
Wole Soyinka Politics, Poetics, and Postcolonialism
Biodun Jeyifo examines the relationship between the innovative and influential writings of Wole Soyinka and his radical political activism. Jeyifo analyzes Soyinka's most ambitious works, relating them to the controversies generated by his appropriation of literature and theater for radical political objectives. The evaluations of this study are presented in the context of Soyinka's sustained engagement with the collective experience of violence in post-independence, post-colonial Africa.
Sheds light on the literary career of Wole Soyinka as it intersects with politics and collective identities in the developing world
Investigates Soyinka's ambiguous relationship to forms of avant-garde representation in the twentieth century
Will be of interest to African literature scholars as well as scholars of politics and literature
Sheds light on the literary career of Wole Soyinka as it intersects with politics and collective identities in the developing world
Investigates Soyinka's ambiguous relationship to forms of avant-garde representation in the twentieth century
Will be of interest to African literature scholars as well as scholars of politics and literature
Ake Ni Igba Ewe By Wole Soyinka (HardCover)
This is the yoruba version of Ake: The Years of Childhood.
Mandela's Earth and Other Poems By Wole Soyinka
This was Soyinka's first collection of poems after winning the Noble prize in literature in 1986 and it is like a political collection as well as a poetic work.
Climate of Fear By Wole Soyinka
In this exceptional book, developed from the 2004 BBC Reith Lectures, Wole Soyinka explores the changing faces of fear; the conflict between power and freedom; the complex motives behind the unthinkable acts of violence; the meaning of human dignity; while comparing the fanaticism of powerful terrorists with the attitude of world leaders, discovering terrifying similarities.
Achebe or Soyinka: A Study in Contrasts By Kole Omotoso
This is a study of Africa's most widely read, and, arguably, her finest writers. Despite their shared nationality and levels of prestige, each represents a distinct pole of Nigerian writing. On the one hand, there is Wole Soyinka, the playful imagist steeped in the myth and magic of his native Yoruba culture; at the other end of the spectrum, Chinua Achebe's internalized Igbo cultural traditions. Kole Omotoso - himself a prolific writer and prize-winning Nigerian novelist - explores and defines the differences in style, background, and vision betweem the two men. Individual chapters describe the childhood and early experiences of each writer, their cultural influences, education, life styles, and political involvement. Omotoso also observes the responses of Nigerian, British and American critics to their output, with a final chapter dedicated to the vision of each writer for Nigeria. An extensive bibliography completes the volume
Crucible of the Ages - Essays in Honour of Wole Soyinka at 80 by Ivor Agyeman - Duah & Ogochukwu Promise
A truly unique compendium, the essayists include three African leaders, three Nobel Laureates, distinguished playwrights, novelists, literary critics, historians, academics and public policy practitioners from around the world.
Among the contributors are Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Nadine Gordimer, Margaret Busby, Nicholas Westcott, Toni Morrison, Ama Ata Aidoo, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Kwame Anthony Appiah, Ali Mazrui, Derek Walcott, Atukwei Okai, Cameron Duodu, Yemi Ogunbiyi, Toyin Falola, King of Asante, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, President of the Republic of Ghana, John Mahama and former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki.
“...a valuable publication that should stand the test of all intellectual rigours and, in the end, should be read by every African... It is, above all, a timely volume with majestic, priceless and supreme intellectual importance."
–A.B. Assensoh PhD, Indiana University Professor Emeritus and Courtesy Professor of History, University of Oregon-Eugene, USA
Among the contributors are Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Nadine Gordimer, Margaret Busby, Nicholas Westcott, Toni Morrison, Ama Ata Aidoo, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Kwame Anthony Appiah, Ali Mazrui, Derek Walcott, Atukwei Okai, Cameron Duodu, Yemi Ogunbiyi, Toyin Falola, King of Asante, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, President of the Republic of Ghana, John Mahama and former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki.
“...a valuable publication that should stand the test of all intellectual rigours and, in the end, should be read by every African... It is, above all, a timely volume with majestic, priceless and supreme intellectual importance."
–A.B. Assensoh PhD, Indiana University Professor Emeritus and Courtesy Professor of History, University of Oregon-Eugene, USA
The Strong Breed By Wole Soyinka
The Strong Breed is one of the best known plays by Wole Soyinka. It is a tragedy that ends with an individual sacrifice for the sake of the communal benefit. The play is centered on the tradition of egungun, a Yoruba festival tradition in which a scapegoat of the village carries out the evil of the community and is exiled from the civilization. Eman, the play's protagonist, takes on the role of "carrier", knowing it will result in beating and exile. He does this to spare a young simpleton the same fate. The ritual takes an unexpected turn as Eman flees. His pursuers set a trap for him that results in his death.
The Credo of Being and Nothingness By Wole Soyinka
From the first African Nobel Laureate, this is the first in a series of Olufosoye Annual Lectures on Religions, delivered at the University of Ibadan in 1991. Soyinka, in his characteristically stimulating way, discusses the religions of Nigeria in their national context, and other religions from around the world. The author says "At one conceptual level or the other...deeply embedded as an article of faith, is a relegation of this material world to a mere staging-post...then universal negation...Existence, as we know it, comes to the end that was pre-ordained from the beginning of time. Indeed, time itself comes to anend."
Out of Stock
₦600
Aké: The Years of Childhood: Wole Soyinka’s Memoir
Aké, the first volume of Nigerian Nobel prize winner Wole Soyinka's (possibly slightly fictionalized) autobiography, is the first book of his I've read. For most authors, an autobiography is probably not the best place to start; most of the time, I want a reason to care about what the author has done before getting into his life story.
In this case, though, it doesn't disappoint at all. Aké chronicles young Wole's childhood up to about 11 years of age, and given that he was born in 1934, that's a fairly tumultuous time. While the world war rages somewhere just beyond the horizon, Nigeria is somewhere in between the old ways and the new ones, stuck between old tribal kingdoms and the new world, the old religion and Christianity, the old language and English, still ruled by the British but beginning to find a new identity of its own - which isn't an easy process, as shown by the occasional sobering flash-forward to Nigeria in the early 80s.
Ake tells the story of Wole Soyinka's first eleven years as a child (1934–1945), a period that coincides with major historical events in Nigeria, and around the world – World War II and the famous Women's Uprising in Egbaland, an event in which the author played the role of a courier.
Told, of course, with the benefit of hindsight, the story of Ake is rich, and the wit is bold and blithe. His touching and vivid evocation of the colourful sights, sounds, and aromas of the world that shaped him is lyrical, laced with humour and adorned with the sheer delight of a child's-eye view.
This account contains invaluable and delightful vignettes of some of the individuals and events which were to shape the future political and human rights activist, and Nobel Laureate.
In this case, though, it doesn't disappoint at all. Aké chronicles young Wole's childhood up to about 11 years of age, and given that he was born in 1934, that's a fairly tumultuous time. While the world war rages somewhere just beyond the horizon, Nigeria is somewhere in between the old ways and the new ones, stuck between old tribal kingdoms and the new world, the old religion and Christianity, the old language and English, still ruled by the British but beginning to find a new identity of its own - which isn't an easy process, as shown by the occasional sobering flash-forward to Nigeria in the early 80s.
Ake tells the story of Wole Soyinka's first eleven years as a child (1934–1945), a period that coincides with major historical events in Nigeria, and around the world – World War II and the famous Women's Uprising in Egbaland, an event in which the author played the role of a courier.
Told, of course, with the benefit of hindsight, the story of Ake is rich, and the wit is bold and blithe. His touching and vivid evocation of the colourful sights, sounds, and aromas of the world that shaped him is lyrical, laced with humour and adorned with the sheer delight of a child's-eye view.
This account contains invaluable and delightful vignettes of some of the individuals and events which were to shape the future political and human rights activist, and Nobel Laureate.
Madmen and Specialists By Wole Soyinka
Madmen and Specialists is a play by Wole Soyinka, conceived in 1970 during his imprisonment in the Nigerian Civil War. The play, Soyinka's eighth, has close links to the Theatre of the Absurd. Abiola Irele (in the Lagos Sunday Times) called it "a nightmarish image of our collective life as it appears to a detached and reflective consciousness". It was published in London 1971 by Methuen and in New York in 1972 by Hill & Wang.
Madmen and Specialists is considered Soyinka's most pessimistic play, dealing with "man's inhumanity and pervasive corruption in structures of power". The plot concerns Dr. Bero, a corrupt specialist, who imprisons and torments his physician father.
'Wole Soyinka's Nobel Prize for Literature is a triumphant affirmation of the universality of this novelist, poet, film-maker and political activist.' - Guardian
Madmen and Specialists is considered Soyinka's most pessimistic play, dealing with "man's inhumanity and pervasive corruption in structures of power". The plot concerns Dr. Bero, a corrupt specialist, who imprisons and torments his physician father.
'Wole Soyinka's Nobel Prize for Literature is a triumphant affirmation of the universality of this novelist, poet, film-maker and political activist.' - Guardian
King BaaBu By Wole Soyinka
A naked satire on the rule of General Abacha in Nigeria, the play chronicles the debauched rule of General Basha Bash who takes power in a coup and exchanges his general's uniform for a robe and crown re-christening himself King Baabu. In the manner of Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi, Soyinka develops a special childish language for his cast of characters who have names like Potipoo and General Uzi. Weaving together burlesque comedy, theatrical excess, and storytelling, King Baabu has already been coined as a pet name for the despot par excellence. 'We turn Guatu into kingdom, ruled by kings. Nobody complains anymore. General Basha Bash is dead. Long Live King Baabu.'
Interventions Vol. III The Unappeasable Price of AppeasementBy Wole Soyinka
This compilation contains three lectures delivered by Professor Wole Soyinka on recent developments in the Nigerian polity which call for well-informed critical analysis. And, true to the very nature of the great writer, these essays are nothing short of intelligence, eloquence and profundity.
Interventions IV Power, Hydropus and other Toxic Mutations By Wole Soyinka
The Nigerian state is bedevilled by various scourges: the constant thirst for and abuse of power by governments and individuals alike, is posing a great threat to freedom more than ever before in the country; Religion is in a perpetual supremacy contest with Nationhood; and 'Rituals' the latest being the Nigerian Centenary Celebration have come to be very effective in concealing the reality of decay going on around. And where is the average Nigerian in all these? Obscured.
And the so-called heroes among them? They have been dismissed and shouted into anonymity by the very ones who are supposed to lend them their voices.
And the so-called heroes among them? They have been dismissed and shouted into anonymity by the very ones who are supposed to lend them their voices.
InterInventions V, Between Defective Memory and Public Lie, A Personal Odyssey in The Republic of Liars By Wole Soyinka
The 130 page work – InterInventions, Between Defective Memory and Public Lie, A Personal Odyssey in The Republic of Liars – was presented to the public at the June 12 Cultural Centre Kuto, Abeokuta by the Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiohmole.
The Burden of Memory By Wole Soyinka
When Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka's The Open Sore of a Continent appeared in 1996, it received rave reviews in the national media. Now comes Soyinka's powerful sequel to that fearless and passionate book, The Burden of Memory. Where Open Sore offered a critique of African nationhood and a searing indictment of the Nigerian military and its repression of human and civil rights, The Burden of Memory considers all of Africa--indeed, all the world--as it poses the next logical question: Once repression stops, is reconciliation between oppressor and victim possible? In the face of centuries long devastations wrought on the African continent and her Diaspora by slavery, colonialism, Apartheid and the manifold faces of racism what form of recompense could possibly be adequate? In a voice as eloquent and humane as it is forceful, Soyinka examines this fundamental question as he illuminates the principle duty and "near intolerable burden" of memory to bear the record of injustice. In so doing, he challenges notions of simple forgiveness, of confession and absolution, as strategies for social healing. Ultimately, he turns to art--poetry, music, painting--as one source that may nourish the seed of reconciliation, art as the generous vessel that can hold together the burden of memory and the hope of forgiveness. Based on Soyinka's Stewart-McMillan lectures delivered at the Du Bois Institute at Harvard, The Burden of Memory speaks not only to those concerned specifically with African politics, but also to anyone seeking the path to social justice through some of history's most inhospitable terrain.
The Deceptive Silence of Stolen Voices By Wole Soyinka
Nigeria as a country is bedevilled by myriads of paradoxes. These unite to dwarf its stature and hence there have been popular calls for a National Conference. Yet the powers-that-be oppose its convening with overt recalcitrance prompting Soyinka at Emeka Anyaoku's 70'" Birthday to articulate his position once again and ask "Will the National Conference open up a Pandora's Box?"
The Politics of Wole Soyinka By Tunde Adeniran
The first edition of THE POLITICS OF WOLE SOYINKA was published specifically as a preliminary study to commemorate the 60th birthday of the Nobel Laureate. It has now been updated to mark his 80th birthday. The book blends some psycho-analytic techniques with deductive analysis and practical observations to bring to the reader a perspective on the motivation, content and form of Soyinka's direct and indirect involvement in politics at home and abroad. Students of various disciplines – especially psychology, political science and literature – will find this book most invaluable. It also contains a lot of fascinating information and insight for the general public.
YOU MUST SET FORTH AT DAWN: A MEMOIR by Wole Soyinka
Mr. Soyinka, masterfully uses his life as a running commentary for the state of political affairs in Nigeria since 1960. While the book does speak on a lot of serious issues there are many moments of hilarity such as when W.H Auden passes him off as an African Prince and the quest to recover an acient mask that led Mr. Soyinka to Brazil.
You Must Set Forth at Dawn is a book full of revelations, which in actuality brings into public glare the political animal in Soyinka and the extent to which he was steeped in national politics, which may led some political leaders to see him as meddlesome. While his dalliance with Biafra earned him a prison term and resulted in his book, The Man Died” he maintained some questionable affinity to General Babangida and loathed General Abacha. Indeed, it was said, that it was Soyinka who gave Gen. Abacha the moniker “deaf and dumb.”
Mr. Soyinka's style tends to be a little heavy on grammar but overall it is a great book, one that you will love to have bought.
You Must Set Forth at Dawn is a book full of revelations, which in actuality brings into public glare the political animal in Soyinka and the extent to which he was steeped in national politics, which may led some political leaders to see him as meddlesome. While his dalliance with Biafra earned him a prison term and resulted in his book, The Man Died” he maintained some questionable affinity to General Babangida and loathed General Abacha. Indeed, it was said, that it was Soyinka who gave Gen. Abacha the moniker “deaf and dumb.”
Mr. Soyinka's style tends to be a little heavy on grammar but overall it is a great book, one that you will love to have bought.
The Road Map Of A Nation: A narrative of the First African Road Safety Corps By Wole Soyinka
Dining with that breed of humanity known as the devil has its problems, but none that is insurmountable for those who are not truly hungry, unless of course one takes the view that experiencing acutely, albeit vicariously, the hunger of others can be considered a self-serving rationalisation.
Poems Of Black Africa By Wole Soyinka
Poems of Black Africa is a poetry anthology edited by Wole Soyinka, and published in 1975 (see 1975 in poetry) as part of the Heinemann African Writers Series. It was arranged by theme.
QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS CUSTODES?: GANI'S UNFINISHED BUSINESS By Wole Soyinka
There is a very subjective sense, near mystical, in which I feel that the mantle has been placed on my shoulders to respond to the rhetorical question posed in the title of this address: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Fortunately this also compels me to discharge the onerous burden of conforming to a moral and legal caution which goes – ubi jus ibi remedium. I promise this is the last time I shall talk Latin, no matter how much Greek provocation we encounter along the way: That last item means simply: he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. For four years, Mr. President, the nation had accorded you such servile obeisance on the understanding that you inherited a weak state and that anything after Abacha was tolerable. The people were optimistic that you had the credentials to lead them to the Promised Land. What will now pass as your mythical image of a great achiever and statesman prevailed on even the doubting Thomases to believe that you were divinely anointed. But barely two years into your first term, it was clear to even your most jaundiced admirers that you are not after all the Messiah this nation has been waiting for. –The Devil Is It, Mr. President: (An Open Letter to President Obasanjo - January 21, 2004) by Dangiwa Abubakar Umar, Rtd Col.
The Poetry of Wole Soyinka By Tanure Ojaide
The Nobel Laureate's reputation as a dramatist tends to cloud his poetic achievement, and in modern African literature, poetry lives in the shadow of fiction. The criticism of Soyinka's poetry has so far centred on his themes of individuality and death, his imagery, and on the controversy over his authenticity, obscurity and difficulty. Here, in a new approach, an academic himself and one of the leading younger generation of African poets, discusses critically the voice and viewpoint of the poet with the object of establishing Soyinka's persona. The book covers the personality and world view of the man, as revealed in his poetry.
Iku Olokun Esin by Wole Soyinka, Translated by Isola Akinwumi
The title of this book is Iku Olokun-esin and it was written by Wole Soyinka. This particular edition is in a Book format. This books publish date is January 1, 1994. It was published by Fountain Publications and has a total of 105 pages in the book.
Intervention VII:Green Cards, Green Gods - A Sequel to The Republic of Liars By Wole Soyinka
“Basic education, sometimes known as Home Upbringing matters, and nurturing remains a dedicated undertaking. Internet accessibility is no substitute. Like the lyrics of that ancient Lagosian song 'Eko gb'ole o gb'ole', Internet accommodates robber and indolent in equal, non-discriminating measure. The fact however remains that facts do remain facts, and one incontestable fact is that at no time did WS make any pronouncement, public or private, that invited any of these posturing mutants to come and 'play with him', least of all on a bicycle that even he has never considered his, only borrowed for a term, liable to be reclaimed or relinquished by either contracting party.” Taken somewhat aback by the unexpectedly viral response which accompanied his decision to keep his promise to destroy his American Green Card, if Donald Trump was elected president, Soyinka – with the help of a few other contributors to this volume – takes on his trolls - online as well as off.
Year of Publication: 2017
103 pages
Year of Publication: 2017
103 pages
Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka
The novel tells the story of a pact and an alliance formed between four friends, to make an impactful change in their nation. Now in the late stages of adulthood, against an evolving political landscape and a change of government, they drift apart, reunite, navigate complex familial relationships, and increasingly gain recognition in their professions — all the while, their paths interweave with those of prominent religious, community and government leaders, and the tide begins to turn against them, with dire consequences.
It is a dramatic and engaging read, laced with humour and extraordinary characters. The read also provides a realistic perspective on the state of affairs in Nigeria, with a depth of commentary. In Soyinka’s expert hands, the apparently disparate strands are woven together with a master story-teller’s aplomb. CHRONICLES OF THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE ON EARTH, is a great and unputdownable read from start to finish.
Ibadan: The Penkelemes Years By Wole Soyinka
Fresh from his studies in the UK, Maren, the protagonist of Ibadan: The Penkelemes Years, and Wole Soyinka's alter ego, takes a job at the University of Ibadan. Maren soon begins to feel an acute sense of outrage at injustices for which he will inevitably be at loggerheads with the authorities. Before long, he is drawn into the unfolding political maelstrom of the Western Region.
Linking events – national and international – over a 20-year period, and personal experiences, this third volume of Wole Soyinka's memoirs is a wonderful parlay of 'faction', to produce a vividly compelling autobiography.
Linking events – national and international – over a 20-year period, and personal experiences, this third volume of Wole Soyinka's memoirs is a wonderful parlay of 'faction', to produce a vividly compelling autobiography.
Fresh from his studies in the UK, Maren, the protagonist of Ibadan: The Penkelemes Years, and Wole Soyinka's alter ego, takes a job at the University of Ibadan. Maren soon begins to feel an acute sense of outrage at injustices for which he will inevitably be at loggerheads with the authorities. Before long, he is drawn into the unfolding political maelstrom of the Western Region.
Linking events – national and international – over a 20-year period, and personal experiences, this third volume of Wole Soyinka's memoirs is a wonderful parlay of 'faction', to produce a vividly compelling autobiography. - See more at: http://www.sunshinebookseller.com/_item?item_id=5794179451977728#sthash.Q1fk3TIU.dpuf
Linking events – national and international – over a 20-year period, and personal experiences, this third volume of Wole Soyinka's memoirs is a wonderful parlay of 'faction', to produce a vividly compelling autobiography. - See more at: http://www.sunshinebookseller.com/_item?item_id=5794179451977728#sthash.Q1fk3TIU.dpuf
Death and the King's Horseman By Wole Soyinka
Death and the King's Horseman is a play by Wole Soyinka based on a real incident that took place in Nigeria during British colonial rule: the ritual suicide of the horseman of an important chief was prevented by the intervention of the colonial authorities. In addition to the British intervention, Soyinka calls the horseman's own conviction toward suicide into question, posing a problem that throws off the community's balance.
The Lion and the Jewel By Wole Soyinka
The Lion and the Jewel is a play by Wole Soyinka first performed in 1959. It chronicles how Baroka, the lion, fights with the modern Lakunle over the right to marry Sidi, the titular Jewel. Lakunle is portrayed as the civilized antithesis of Baroka and unilaterally attempts to modernize his community and change its social conventions for no reason other than the fact that he can. The transcript of the play was first published in 1962 by Oxford University Press. Soyinka emphasises the theme of the corrupted African culture through the play as well as how the youth should embrace the original African culture.
The Jero Plays By Wole Soyinka
The Jero Plays by Wole Soyinka consist of two short plays re-released as a collection in 1973. The Trials of Brother Jero first came out in 1964, while Jero’s Metamorphosis was published two years later in 1966. Both plays satirize Christianity and religious hypocrisy, particularly, the unquestioning devotion that many converts display towards their spiritual leaders, often exposing themselves to manipulation in the process.
As the title suggests, The Trials of Brother Jero is about a charlatan preacher, Brother Jero. Brother Jero is a cunning beach diviner who woos customers (penitents) to his church by using Christian superstition for his own salvation. For him, the church is a business. He says:
‘I am glad I got here before any customers-I mean worshipers.. l always get a feeling every morning that am a shopkeeper waiting for customers.’
Brother Jero is suave while his followers are gullible. He lures people to his church by promising them material gains and promotions through prayer. Chume his assistant often seeks for permission to beat his arrogant wife Amope but Brother Jero disagrees:
‘ I keep my followers dissatisfied because if they are satisfied, they won’t come again..’
As the title suggests, The Trials of Brother Jero is about a charlatan preacher, Brother Jero. Brother Jero is a cunning beach diviner who woos customers (penitents) to his church by using Christian superstition for his own salvation. For him, the church is a business. He says:
‘I am glad I got here before any customers-I mean worshipers.. l always get a feeling every morning that am a shopkeeper waiting for customers.’
Brother Jero is suave while his followers are gullible. He lures people to his church by promising them material gains and promotions through prayer. Chume his assistant often seeks for permission to beat his arrogant wife Amope but Brother Jero disagrees:
‘ I keep my followers dissatisfied because if they are satisfied, they won’t come again..’
The interpreters By Wole Soyinka
The interpreters, written by Wole Soyinka in 1965, divided into two parts, is a social realism which major theme centres on the post-independence moral decadence that plagues the Nigerian society, up-till date, attempted to be solved by the Nigerians who had just returned from studies abroad. Each of the main characters is engaged in the enterprise of interpreting himself in relation to the society in which he lives, in an attempt to discover the right way to live. The narrative is, as a result, multi-stranded and employs a shifting, subjective time-scale, and in some aspects, the narrative situation used is figural, sometimes resulting in flashbacks; rendered with an intense use of language somewhat complex and metaphorical. The novel has its settings in Lagos and University of Ibadan. There is a range of character types in The Interpreters in that each of the main personae has an individual way of interpreting the world, though of course, due to their association with each other, there is a degree of commonality in some respects, both in the sense of shared experience and of quality of experience as intellectuals, though with some exceptions. However, their interpretations tilted towards the same thought stemming from shared experiences as intellectuals, except Kola. They bear the burden of the author’s worries and emphasis on indecision. They collectively and helplessly search for self-identity as a way out of the identity crisis and lack of moral stance.
The Soyinka impulse :Essays on Wole Soyinka by Duro Oni, Bisi Adigun
"Literary duelist and inimitable dramatist, Soyinka, bursts into the historical scenes of Africa, taking on issues and societal flaws that most writers simply leave out. His unconditioned reflex, gut reactions and flashes of inspiration, through shotgun sketches of his eloquent and sharp pen, come from his impulse and are examples of the Soyinka Impulse."--back cover.