2. Characters and
characterization
a. Character
For some good understanding, let us first define the terms
characterization.
A character can be defined as a person or an animal acting in
a play, a poem or in a novel.
b. Characterization
It can be defined as the creation of characters in novels,
plays and short stories. From this definition applied to these terms, we have
good tools to understand the way Okot p'Bitek uses this technique in his poems
Song of Lawino and Song of Ocol.
In Literature, characterization conveys the theme and
characters move the plot or the context. So characterization in Song of
Lawino and Song of Ocol is central to understand the themes developed by
Okot p'Bitek.
In studding characterization, we determine whether the
character is the protagonist or the antagonist, the minor, supporting the
character. For instance, the protagonist Lawino: the hero of Song of Lawino and
Song of Ocol endures insults from Ocol who behaves like a White man. Ocol is
consideres as the antagonist to whom p'Bitek centers the debate. The following
chart can help us for better understanding.
Ocol
Clementine
Lawino
The main characters are Lawino and Ocol who are always central
to the conflict as we discover in the poems during our analysis. Lawino stands
for African culture and Ocol stands for Western culture. The characters such as
Clementine, Clansmen, brother, Lawino's mother are minor characters for they do
not support the debate from the beginning to the end.
If we read carefully the text we realize that sometimes,
Clementine disappears on the stage and other characters never appear such as
Ocol, Lawino's mother, Clansmen, brother; to say that most of the characters
are hidden behind the poem. So Okot p'Bitek uses personas as characters acting
in the poems. Only Lawino monologues on the stage. This is the way p'Bitek
presents his characters in his poems. The narrator expresses his feelings as a
single speaker on the stage that is the point of view.
Okot p'Bitek uses a technique of presenting his
characterization in a form of a long speech uttered by the speaker. What we
call a dramatic monologue.
In the poem, there is a series of conflicts which begin with
Lawino who lives in a home with harmony together with her husband. Now she
undertakes a journey. She has to leave her home to so journey where she can
find peace. The journey motif is that Ocol puts her out. He is no longer in
love with Lawino his traditional wife. He is in love with Clementine, the
modern wife. Lawino also does not want to see her rival, the woman with whom
she shares her husband.
After a long time of debating, Lawino asks forgiveness. Here
we meet a partial resolution to the conflict:
«Forgive me, brother
Do not think I am insulting
The woman with whom I share my
Husband!»(SOL, P.39).
Chart.1 illustrates this first conflict and the
partial resolution.
Ocol
Pastial
resolution
R
C
Lawino apoligies and asks forgivenes
Clementiné sight
Lawino
Ocol
Ocol
So the series of conflicts continue and we illustrate them on
the following triangular relationships which follow the movement at its any
point according to the character motivation. Here we notice that if there is a
challenge, the conflict has been found or the character reintegrated home where
he finds resolution: The second conflict is between Ocol and Lawino for the
latter praises the traditional dancing which is despised by Ocol. Afterwards,
comes another conflict between Lawino and Ocol because of Clementine's
artificial beauty. Ocol prefers artificial beauty and Lawino the natural
one.
Chart .2
R
C
Clementinés artificial beauty
Lawino
Traditional dance
Lawino
The fourth conflict is between Ocol and Lawino because of not
cooking on electric stove and not cooking white men'food. Ocol does not like
anymore traditional food. Another conflict is between Ocol and his wife Lawino
for the latter does not respect the time. Lawino says that Ocol is a slave of
the watch. Time has become Ocol's master.
Ocol
Ocol
Chart .3
R
C
Timen
Traditional
Food and stove
Lawino
Lawino
Ocol
Ocol
The sixth conflict is between Lawino and Ocol because Lawino
does not have a Christian name. He rejects her because she is not baptized and
she has no Christian name. Ocol as a progressive man does not pronounce Acoli
names which do not sound good he says.(SOL,P.81). Another conflict between
Lawino and Ocol is that Ocol does not like Lawino anymore for she is an
illiterate. He says that Lawino is not educated. (SOL, P.88).
Chart .4
R
C
Not being educated
Chritian name
Lawino
Lawino
Ocol
Ocol
The eight conflicts between Ocol and Lawino is due to the fact
that Lawino wants to pray her ancestors. Accoding to Ocol we should cry to
Mariya if we suffer misfortune and we should pray to Joseph, Petero and Luka,
and other ancestors of white men (SOL, P.93). Lawino does accept this and then
there is confrontation. Another conflict is between Ocol and Lawino for the
latter does not take care of rules of health.
Chart .5
R
C
Not praying ancesters of white men
Lawino
Not taking care of rule of health
Lawino
The tenth conflict between Ocol and Lawino is due to the fact
that Lawino mixes up matters of health and superstitions while Ocol trusts in
modern medecines, the white man's ones. Lawino says that white man's medicines
are irrelevant when someone's mother lifts her breast and asks him: Did you
suck this? If some one's father lifts his penis towards him, know that he is in
deep trouble and to overcome this, he has to look for traditional medicine.
Another case is that of someone's uncle's curse says Lawino (SOL,
PP.99-100).
The eleventh conflict between Ocol and Lawino is due to Ocol's
politics. Ocol's politics destroys the unity of his home and brings misery to
every member of it. Lawino has joined her home, but her husband`s political
activity has created new conflicts. Ocol and his brother want Uhuru and peace,
but they do no join hands however, they split up the army into two hostile
groups (SOL, P.111).
Ocol
Ocol
Resolution
Chart .6
R
C
Reconciliation restoration
Politicssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Lawino
Traditional medecin,
Superstition
Lawino
According to the above chart the conflicts ends with
reconciliation of two characters.
According to the above chart, the conflict ends with
reconciliation of the two characters.That is to say reconciliation of the two
cultures: African and European. There is a restoration of harmony in Ocol's
home with Lawino. Ocol insulted Lawino, he said that black men `s food is
primitive, Lawino also said that she cannot cook on electric stove and eat
white man's food, even use white man's medicine, even Ocols who declared not to
use anymore traditional medicine. Ocol insulted Lawino because of not
respecting time. When a visitor wants to visit him, his face darkens and
instead of greeting him, he asks him what can he do for you! Lawino also does
not care about the watch while everything has its time.
Another faced problem is that of using modern notions for
their beauty on the two hands.
After a series of conflict the two characters stay in
harmonious life. However, politics would like to destroy again that harmony.
After a very long debate it is seen that there is no bad culture, but we should
consider the best aspects of each culture. So let no one be uprooted. We should
preserve our culture from whatever influence. There is no bad culture and
civilization.
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