I will review this story on the basis that it begins and ends as an African tragedy. As Africans, we hold dear our cultural beliefs and values. These cultural beliefs and practices make us unique and sets us apart from other races. In general, culture is described as the way of life of a group of people.
TRUTHFULNESS IS IMPORTANT
In the drama Edufa, the main character Edufa, in his quest to escape his death as predicted by the diviner, hides the truth from his wife Ampomah and manipulates her into pledging her love for him. He doesn’t tell her the consequences of her pledge. Hence, making her a substitute for his death. When Ampomah falls gravely ill, the entire household lie to the Chorus that she is well and is only sleeping in her room. Edufa, again refuses to admit the truth to his father Kankam when he accuses him of being the cause of Ampomah’s illness. Africans hold truth as an important integral part of their being. This is why during the outdooring of a new born baby, water and local gin are dropped on the baby’s tongue to admonish him/her to be truthful at all times. So, Edufa’s refusal to be truthful makes this literary work an African tragedy.
THE AFRICAN MARRIAGE
Africans put a lot of unnecessary pressure on wives to at all times prove their love for their husbands. This is the reason why Ampomah naively promises to die for her coward of a husband. She as an African wife has no choice other than to prove her love when her husband cunningly asks the entire household who loves him enough to to die for him. Imagine what would have happened if she had kept mute or had not promised to die for him. She would have been insulted, branded a witch or even an opportunist. This undue pressure on African wives drives home the point that the story is an African tragedy.
THE AFRICAN BELIEVES, OUR DOWNFALL
Another African tragedy in the drama is our belief in diviners, spirits and witchcraft. If Edufa had not consulted a diviner he wouldn’t have been aware of his impending death and his wife would have also been spared the ordeal she passes through. In my opinion, the diviner’s role isn’t relevant because everyone would die even including him. This reminds me of the 90 year old woman Akua Denteh.
She was accused of witchcraft and beaten to death in broad daylight at Kafaba, a village under Salaga in the Northern region of Ghana. Hmm! What a tragedy! This African animalistic world view casts a dark spot on us.
RESPECT FOR ELDERS
The last tragedy evident in the story is Edufa’s disrespectful attitude towards his own father. When Kankam confronts his son, Edufa, about his wife’s illness, he insults his father and even accuses him of being envious of him and being the enemy. Obviously, the African society frowns on children disrespecting their parents.
WRAPPING UP
This story is an African adaptation of the Greek play Alcestis by Euripides. The writer was creative enough to weave her story around the Ghanaian culture. I will encourage everyone to get a copy of this book and read for knowledge and fun. Plus, it’s just a very short story that you can finish reading in a few days.
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