ANALYSIS OF WOLE SOYINKA’S THE BEATIFICATION OF AREA BOY AS A MEDIUM OF POSITIVE CHANGE IN OUR SOCIETY

Benson Kayode Okundare, Tony Aduma Ogbudu

Abstract


This paper is a critical analysis of Soyinka’s The Beatification of the Area Boy, which centers on the different displays of power at different historical periods in Nigeria. It is a reaction of Wole Soyinka to changes within Nigerian society, that is, his reaction to sociopolitical events in Nigeria during the military regime in Nigeria. The play is set in the city of Lagos during the military government which was in power then, and it revolves around Sanda (the king of the Area Boys), a university dropout who is very smart and intelligent. In other words, the play is a satire that traces the life of a group of “Area Boys”, which ends in the marriage between Sanda and Miseyi. In Nigerian society, the “Area Boys” are generally viewed as thugs, thieves, miscreants and pranksters. However, Soyinka portrays them as a group of people who are responsible, intelligent and dutiful and who are only going on their business so as to survive the hardships brought about by the prevailing situation in the country because of bad governance. This paper examines the shifting structures of power from the oppressive and dictatorial hands of the military to the area boys who represent the oppressed citizens of the country, hence, a positive political change. The Beatification of the Area Boy, therefore, is a satirical play that exposes the ills in our society embodied in our leaders.

 

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Keywords


analysis, Wole Soyinka, beatification, Area Boys

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejlll.v8i2.546

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