Discussion Topic
Symbolism and Character Representations in "The Lion and the Jewel"
Summary:
In Wole Soyinka's play The Lion and the Jewel, the title symbolizes the characters Baroka and Sidi. Baroka, the "Lion," is the village chief, embodying strength, wisdom, and traditional values, while Sidi, the "Jewel," represents beauty and youthful vanity. The play explores the tension between tradition and modernity, as Baroka uses cunning to win Sidi over, despite her initial attraction to modernity and the younger Lakunle. Symbolism, such as the postage stamp, highlights these themes and the dynamics between characters.
What is the significance of the title "The Lion and the Jewel"?
The title of the play The Lion and the Jewel refers to the characters of Baroka and Sidi. Like the king of the jungle, Baroka is a strong, wise, and cunning leader of the village. Although he is sixty-two years old, he can still come out victorious in wrestling matches with younger men, and he frequently marries additional wives. He uses his status and his strength to make Sidi commit to marrying him, even though the younger Lankunle also wants to marry her. His chase for Sidi is similar to that of a lion’s hunt for prey.
Sidi refers to herself as “the jewel of Ilujinle” because like a jewel, she is beautiful on the outside. She is a young, attractive, and vain woman who becomes famous after her photograph is published in a magazine. Baroka is after her hand in marriage because of her status and appearance. Recall what...
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Sidi says about him after initially rejecting his marriage proposal:
Baroka merely seeks to raise his manhood above my beauty. He seeks new fame as the one man who has possessed the jewel of Ilujinle!
When Sidi explains that Baroka wants to “raise his manhood” above her beauty, she suggests that Baroka wants to become more well-known and respected by marrying the famous, beautiful Sidi. Baroka later appeals to Sidi's vanity to get what he wants by telling her that she will get her face on a stamp if she marries him. He also tricks her so that he ends up taking her virginity, and in the end, Sidi agrees to marry him. The title thus represents the dynamics of their relationship and why they were interested in one another.
Who does the "jewel" refer to in The Lion and the Jewel?
The "jewel" in the play The Lion and the Jewel references the character of Sidi. Sidi is a beautiful young woman who has become famous after a foreign photographer published her images in a magazine. She is considered the "jewel" throughout the play because of her beauty and prestige, while Baroka is referred to as the "lion." After finding out that her images are throughout a magazine, Sidi becomes extremely conceited and vain. When Sidi is ridiculing the Bale after rejecting his initial marriage proposal, she says,
"Baroka merely seeks to raise his manhood above my beauty. He seeks new fame as the one man who has possessed the jewel of Ilujinle!" (Soyinka 21).
Sidi referring to herself as the "jewel of Ilujinle" portrays the extent of her arrogance and vanity. Later on in the novel, Baroka successfully woos Sidi and takes her virginity after promising to put her image on every stamp leaving Ilujinle. Sidi then decides to marry Baroka over Lakunle.
Discuss the symbolism in The Lion and the Jewel.
For the most part, symbolism is used in the play to highlight the tension between the old and the new, the traditional Africa and the modern Africa that is just coming into being.
For instance, we have the symbol of the postage stamps that Baroka promises to have printed with Sidi's photograph. The machine that Baroka says that he will use to print the stamps is modern, but his purpose is entirely traditional: he intends to play on Sidi's vanity and self-regard in the hope that she will marry him.
In this particular case, we have Baroka, very much a traditional African male, using the latest technological innovation as a means of getting what he wants. Sidi, as a modern woman, is understandably excited at the prospect of her photo appearing on potentially hundreds and thousands of stamps.
Yet in due course she will be drawn to Baroka, not so much because of his understanding of the latest technology but because he embodies all the old virtues that she believes will offer her financial and emotional security.
The symbol of the postage stamp, with its combination of the modern—Sidi's photo—and the traditional—Baroka's desire to make Sidi his wife—illustrates the constant tension that exists in a society in the process of modernization but still largely wedded to the old ways.
Who is the protagonist in the play The Lion and the Jewel?
The Lion and the Jewel is a play with only a few main characters. That's not necessarily a rare thing. What is much more unique and rare about those main characters is that none of those characters are all that likable. Even the play's protagonist, Sidi, is not a likable character. That's a rare thing. More often than not, a story's protagonist is a hero character or is at least someone that a reader hopes finds good things and a happy ending. That is not the case with Sidi. Most audience members are likely to believe that Sidi gets what she deserves.
Sidi is introduced to audiences in a fairly standard format. We are shown a beautiful woman who is attempting to rebuff the romantic overtures of an undesired suitor. The sequence does deal with elements of tradition, but it is an example of the classic trope where the man is in love with the woman but the woman is not in love with the man.
Sidi is likable at this point, but that changes once the magazine with her pictures arrives. Then Sidi shows herself to be naïve, arrogant, narcissistic, and manipulative. She believes that the images of her beauty give her the power and right to order other villagers around as well as to taunt Baroka. She's just not likable because of these kinds of actions and attitudes, and it is difficult to feel bad for her after Baroka shows that he is the more crafty and manipulative character.