Symbolism in The Swamp Dwellers

1. SYMBOLISM IN THE SWAMP DWELLERS
NAME :- HETAL DABHI
PAPER NO:- 14 (THE AFRICAN LITERATURE)
YEAR :-2018-20.
SUBMITTED TO :- S. B GARDI DEPARTMENT OF
ENGLISH, MKBU.

2. Introduction
Dwellers. In this play the
swamp is afit symbol of
decadence and denial of life.
The land therefore seems to be
crying for redemption and the
people need regeneration but
are unable to bring it about
themselves.

3. • A play by Wole Soyinka
• Published in 1958
• Takes place in Southern
Nigeria
• A play on poverty, religious
hypocrisy,superstitions,
town vs. city life

4. Symbols in 'The Swamp
Dwellers
• The swamp
• Two brothers
• The blind beggar
• Kadiye
• Water

5. The Swamp
• Symbol for unproductivity, poverty, low life, superstitions
and rotten society.
• Symbol for both village and city.
Symbol for village:
• As swamp suck people in, The whirlpool of ignorance,
superstition and frustration continues to drag villagers
deeper and deeper.
• Because of that village remain static, while city constantly
keeps changing
• People living in village believe in superstitions, have
traditional thoughts and cannot accept new thoughts. They

6. Symbol for city:
• For city swamp is symbol for spiritual destruction
and immorality
• The city is spiritually dead and it pulls people inside
it.
• Drain of the youth to city place.
• The city has swallowed A Chicken, it has robbed
Iguazu of his bride and in the end Iguazu return to
city.
• The irony is that the choice for the younger
generation is between two swamps; the one in the
village and the other in the city.
• In this play the swamp is a fit symbol of decadence
and denial of life. The land therefore seems to be

7. Two Brothers
Igwezu and Awuchike
• Symbolizes village and city respectively and tradition vs.
modernity
• Igwezu is real and concrete, Awuchike does not appear in the
play at all yet both are equally alive; they stand, represent,
symbolize different values in the society which is in a state of
flux.
• Awuchike buried himself in the city without any responsibility
of family.On the other hand, Igwezu is a family man perform all
his religious responsibility and spiritually gets attached to the
village and family.
• As both brothers are stand for city and village. Their

8. The blind beggar
• The blind beggar represents modern thinking, change, hard
work, and hope.
• Comes from Bukanji, North Nigeria because of draught.
• He did not believe in superstitions and also persuade others to
not believe in it.
• He is the agent of change both a catalyst accelerating the
process of transformation in others, and as one dedicating
oneself to challenge the lethargic slumber of the mire and rouse
it into the acts of creation
• Inspite of the 'dryness' from which he comes, his fingers can
create an oasis, azone of hope.

9. Kadiye
• Represents corruption and religious
hypocrisy
• A corrupt priest who fear people by fake
serpent god and grab poor villagers'
money.
• He is a swamp digger.

10. Water
• An archetypal symbol.
• Floods are tragic realm.
• Floods destroy villagers' crops. Floods are reason
of their unhappiness,
• Alu and Makuri thinks Igwezu may have drowned
in water.
• So, here water is archetype for death and
unhappiness.

11. Works Cited
• Chen, Sonia. The Swamp Dwellers
Background.21 February
<http://www.gradesaver.com/the-
swamp-dwellerst#
• Soyinka’s use of symbolism. 21 February
<http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstre
am/10603/103269/10/10_chapter-
iv.pdf>