The exploitation and disillusionment in Fugard’s Sizwe Bansi is Dead and Ngugi The Black Hermit

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

In traditional Africa the woman is an object of constant scorn, degradation and physical torture. In the past, women did not exist as individuals with personalities to defend. They rather existed as mere docile and exotic accompaniments to the males. Throughout that period, women lacked a voice to articulate their dilemma and their points of view. These years of subjugation have, however, produced in today’s women relentless questioning of the status quo. They protest against dehumanization, political enslavement and social oppression. They rationalize that the running of the Africa world is not the preserve for males and thus there should be absolute equality of both sexes in all spheres of life. Such a reaction is termed feminism, which is an ideology that urges, in simple terms, recognition of the claims of women for equal rights with men.

 

African writers have an enduring propensity for social and political commitment they reflect the socio-political events in their society such as; exploitation, political crisis, cultural domination and patriarchal domination.

Initially, African literature was a tool for celebrating the heroic grandeur of the African past; later it was used for anti-colonial struggles.

African writers like Chinua Achebe, Peter Abraham, Ngugi Wa Thiongo and Festus Iyayi among others used their works of arts as a veritable weapon for depicting the post colonial disillusionment in African nations.

Consequently, the above analysis triggered the background of this research project on the exploitation and disillusionment in Athol Fugard’s Sizwe Bansi is dead and Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s the black Hermit. In these two plays, there is clear picture of exploitation and disillusionment. For instance, Fugard in this play portrays the evil of Apartheid in South African while Ngugi on the hand displays the Mau-Mau crisis in Kenya during colonial rule in the Bonyan society. Based on the above point, Human Ibrahim points that:

African novels reflect the social and political realities of the post-independence era in which the colonizer has been replaced by political elite. African literature of the past two decades has transformed the theme of disillusionment. Where the colonizer was once the sole object of criticism, now Africa technocrats, cadres and government official are depicted exploiting the masses…. They had promised to uplift (85).

The above quote has shown that, African writers write on issues affecting their masses no Jowot, post colonial African writers always depict their continent as a place where the rulers have failed woefully to protect their nation’s truncated authority and integrity from the rages of neo-colonialism and globalization.

 

1.2       Statement of the problem       

The contemporary African literary writings focus on the issue of disillusionment and exploitation are found in these two plays under investigation, where the two playwrights have used as a case study in examining and providing a solution to the post-colonial pains in African societies.

 

1.3       Purpose of the study

The purpose of his study is to portray the exploitation and disillusionment in Fugard’s Sizwe Bansi is Dead and Ngugi The Black Hermit and the consequences of exploitation and disillusionment in the society.

Originally posted on April 24, 2021 @ 5:03 pm