the swamp dwellers
...her son with her husband Makuri, she shows her determination as she states, “I’m going out to shout his name until he hears me. (Soyinka 103) or “I’m going after him. I do not want to lose him”. Makuri: All the young men go into the big town to try their hand at making money…. Only some remember their folk and send word once awhile. (75-78) As a result, it is obvious her son’s Igwezu and Awuchike wanted to move to the city to make money because they were sick of swamp. As Alu and Makuri discuss the main reason for there son coming home a Beggar arrives at there door; the beggar first learns about the villages faith and asks if he can redeem a piece of the land from the swamp. Makuri acknowledges him: Makuri: You wish to rob the Serpent of the Swamps. You wish to Take food out of his mouth? Beggar: The Serpent? The Serpent of the Swamps? Makuri: …. What is ours is ours. But what belongs to the Serpent May never be taken away from him.(423-30) The play becomes spine tingling because it begins to question religion and faith. In this story there is a Kadiye (A priest) who teaches the swamp dwellers of a serpent ( which is the god that they pray to) through this huge flood the Kadiye manages to stay “fat” and nourished while his followers are hungry and running low on food. The only sacrifice the Kadiye has made is one not to take a bath or shave. Upon the return of Iswegu his family learned that he did not have such a good time in the city and in fact he had lost everything...