"The Swamp Dweller" by Wole Soyinka

           "The Swamp Dweller" by  Wole Soyinka

   

The Swamp Dwellers is a play by Soyinka in which he has portrayed the real picture of two sides that is tradition V/S Modernity. The play is about Yoruba culture in which Makuri and Alu they are living and waiting for their son whose name is Awuchike. Soyinka has presented Yoruba culture which is full of swamp because of food in the village. And they are suffering because of plenty of water and Beggar who comes from Bhukanji and over there they were suffering because of scarcity of water.

    

   The play is about struggle between human being and the unfavorable force of the Nature. Use of River, Serpent, Swamp and use of city life these are polar oppositions in the play. From the beginning of the play they are talking about death of his son but clearly mention that really he is dead or not. Swamp is chaotic and they are living in the chaos.

Tradition:- Tradition is a belief or behavior passed down within group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. Makuri, Alu and Igwezu are representation of tradition.

Modernity:-Modernity typically refers to a past traditional post medieval, historical period one marked by the money from feudalism toward capitalism, industrialism. Secularization, rationalization, the nation state and its constituent institutions and forms of surveillance. Awuchike and Desala are representation of modernity.

     Play starts with the description of village which shows traditional side of the play.