(POST COLONIALISM) A Dance of the Forests by Wole Soyinka

THEORY

POST COLONIALISM

-It deals with the reading and writing of literature written in previous or currently colonized countries or literature written in colonizing or colonized people;

- It studies the author's(and reader's) life and times; locates tensions between conflicting cultures; explores the "double consciousness" of colonized or post colonized writes; observes how colonizers "refashion" the colonized;

-Its meaning resides in text, history and ideology

TITLE | AUTHOR

A DANCE OF THE FORESTS BY WOLE SOYINKA

SYNOPSIS

             A Dance of the Forests is one of the most recognized of Wole Soyinka's plays. The play "was presented at the Nigerian Independence celebrations in 1960, it denigrated the glorious African past and warned Nigerians and all Africans that their energies henceforth should be spent trying to avoid repeating the mistakes that have already been made." In it, he espouses a unique vision for a new Africa, one that is able to forge a new identity free from the influence of European imperialism.

             The author, Soyinka, unveils the rotten aspects of the society and demonstrates that the past is no better than the present when it comes to the seamy side of life. He lays bare the fabric of the Nigerian society and warns people as they are on the brink of a new stage in their history; independence.

           The play was published in London and New York in 1963 by Oxford University Press 

(Three Crowns Books).

ANALYSIS

           A Dance of the Forests reflects many issues in Nigeria. Through this story, Soyinka is making one realize the positive change that a person could do for his society.  It is the citizen's duty to protect their country against evil deeds. And if one is not aware of what's happening in his society, it would be possible for the history to repeat itself. 

The story emphasizes that it's good for the Nigerians to remember their dark past and learn from it. And through the lessons they would learn, they can avoid making the same mistakes again. 

We always have the right to fight for what is right!