Form 4 English – READING LITERARY WORKS

Book title:  SONGS  OF LAWINO AND OCOL

 Poet:          Okot P’Bitek

 Publisher:  EAPH

 Year:          1979

Okot P’Bitek was born in Gulu town (Northern Uganda) in 1931. He is Acoli by tribe. His father was a teacher at Gulu Mission Centre. His mother was a composer and singer of Acoli songs. Okot got his education from Gulu High School, King’s College, Budo (Uganda); Government Training College (teacher); Bristol University (Education Diploma); University College of Wales – Aberstwyth and Oxford University. He was once a choir Master and a footballer. He was interested in oral literature.

A SUMMARY OF THE POEM
Song of Lawino is a dramatic monologue which reveals two characters, Lawino and her husband, Ocol, in disagreement. Both Lawino and Ocol belong to the Acoli tribe of Northern Uganda. They represent an African husband and wife. Ocol is educated and westernized while lawino is not.

Section 1: Lawino tells us how Ocol insults and looks down on her and her ways, family, clan and all black people and their traditional ways. Lawino reacts to Ocol’s insults by mocking him with his Western ways.

Section 2: Lawino introduces us to Clementine, the city girl who is her rival for Ocol’s love. She despises the way Clementine resorts to artificial ways of beautifying herself, like using cosmetics, wearing wigs and slimming. She thinks she can compete with Clementine by welcoming her husband warmly, an by the preparation of good meals, etc.

Section 3: Presents Lawino’s attitudes towards European traditional dances which she thinks are meaningless, immoral and unhygienic. They ennglish-swahili/courage” target=”_blank”>courage people to embrace and kiss in public and hence ignoring the respect for relatives. In addition, they dance in darknes, with the dancers drunk, smoking and wearing improper dresses. Lawino prefers the traditional dances which she believes are meaningful, require skills and they are danced in broad daylight and in the open.

Section 4: Lawino describes the games, ornaments and other accomplishments of the Acoli youth. She remembers how beautiful and skilfu she was when she was still young and how she used to be admired by all the boys, including Ocol because of her singing and dancing.

Section 5: Lawino condemns the western hair treatment (style) and the wearing of wigs and handkerchiefs. She sees that there is no reason for aping the Europeans in their fashions and styles because what is good for Europeans may not be necessarily good for Africans. She also describes the beauty of traditional hair styles and adornments of body and the way they attract young men.

Section 6: Lawino confesses her ignorance of how to eat with forks and spoons. She despises the tastelessness of the tinned and frozen foods and the cooking stoves of the whitemen. She describes how every young Acoli girl is taught to look after the home and prepare food. She also describes how nicely her mother’s house is organized.

Section 7: Lawino compares the Western ways of telling time by counting seconds, minutes and hours by clocks with the traditional ways of observing nature or by needs felt by human beings. She makes fun of Ocol for becoming a slave of time to the extent of being unhappy and restless and blames him for treating his children and relatives with great disrespect for the sake of observing time.

Section 8: Lawino expresses her attitude towars Chrisitianity and those who preach and love it. She blames the preachers of Christianity for maltreating their converts. She shows that the missionaries are wrong in their ways of thinking, education, sexual morality and naming individuals. She blames the preachers for preaching good things but practicing things contrary to Christianity. She thinks that it is better to join with her poor people in the area where meaningful and relevant songs and cultural activities are performed.

Section 9: is a continuation of Criticisms given against the preachers and Christian doctrines. Lawino criticizes the preachers for failing to answer the questions concerning Christianity. She also questions Christian doctrines of creation, virgin birth and Eucharist.

Section 10: Lawino tells us how Ocol despises the traditional medicine, hygiene, food and child upbringing. She believes that like European medicines, some Acoli medicine work and some do not. She compares her beliefs in traditional spirits and charms to Ocoli’s belief in rosaries, angels and the power of prayer.

Section 11: Lawino attacks the local leadears of two rival parties; her husband, Ocol, and his brother. These leader talk about independence, unity and peace, only to bring more conflicts and disunity even within the family. She also attacks the folly of these leaders: engaging in political conflicts and forgetting the suffering of the people under poverty, ignorance and diseases.

Section 12: Exposes the irrelevance and effects of Western education. Lawino asks Ocol of what use for him are the books as a person, if the knowledge in them cannot help to create a better society. According to her, the books have killed Ocol as a man. Western education has brought him to the point where he belongs neither to European culture nor to African culture.

Section 13: Lawino advises Ocol on how to regain his manhood. According to her, he can do that by throwing away all the symbols of hypocrisy, by begging for forgiveness of the elders, offering traditional sacrifices using traditional doctors and medicines.

CHARACTERIZATION

This poem contains three characters: LAWINO, OCOL and CLEMENTINE

Lawino

 An African woman who lacks formal education and who is not converted to Christianity (p.14). A strong upholder of African tradition (good or bad). She is proud of her womanly and cultural accomplishment. She despises all the new ways (good or bad) being followed by her husband, Ocol. She is a responsible mother who loves and cares for her children. Like any other person, she is a little jealous but most of her bitterness to her rival – Clementine, is provoked by her appearance (p. 24).

Ocol

 An African man who has got Western education (University education). He imitates the white-men in everything and he is proud of and upholds all Western way (good or bad). He despises all traditional ways of life (good or bad), Lawino and her relatives, his own relatives and all black people. He is arrogant (Eg. Abusing LAWINO in English). He is always insecure, unhappy and restless because of his obsession with time. He is a Hypocrite politician (leader of DP) who preaches unity and at the same time he is in conflict with his brother who belongs to another political party (UPC).

Clementine

 She is a modern girl. She is Ocol’s girl friend and a rival of Lawino. She is westernized woman who symbolizes Western fashions and behaviours of women. She imitates the white women in their ways. She is fond of artificialities. She is arrogant (p.27).

THEMES

 This poem has the following themes: Africans traditions, Protest conflict, Disunity/Alienation, Hypocrisy, Betrayal, Position of women in society, etc.

African tradition

 Based on traditional beliefs, Lawino believes that when diseases such as small pox attack people, the prayers and sacrifices to the ancestors can help to eradicate the disease, (p.154). The Acol believe in the powers of ancestors, spirits and gods. Lawino describes the various spirits that cause trouble. Or example, Joke Omara (for madness), Joke Odude (for typing up a woman’s womb), etc.

 The Acoli also believe in the ability of diviner-priests. Lawino blames Ocol for condemning diviner priests. She believes they can tell the cause of diseaes (p.p 153- 162). The Acoli believe in witchcraft. Lawino believes that whenever a child gets ill, some witch is behind the problem. For example, they believe that someone (shadow raper) can capture the child’s shadow for evil purposes (pp. 162-164).

 They believe in the power of huma curse. For example, the father can curse a child by pointing his penis at him or her. The mother can do that by lifting her husband’s penis. The curse of one’s aunt can cause a person to piss in his or her bed. There is a system of naming people. Normally, the names given have meanings . the meaning derived from the fact that people are named according to one’s position in the line of birth the place, season or occasion of birth, one’s body structure, one’s fate, behaviou of one’s parents, etc. (pp. 129-131).

 They hold some taboos. It is a serious taboo for a woman to refuse to have sexual intercourse with her husband when she is ready to have another child. She is not allowed to have sexual intercourse when the baby is still young (pp. 99-100).

Other African traditions found in the text are:

 Dances and songs, adornments, telling time, food, medicine and hygiene, etc. If we try to asses African traditions, we find that while most of them are good, there are a few other which are bad and not progressive. Some of these traditions include superstitions, poor hygiene, ignorance, etc. However, the pumpkin in the old homestead must not be uprooted. This means that one should not destroy something which durable and which ensures security. The pumpkin offers security from hunger if there is famine. Also, it sends its root deep into the soil and then grows, spreading itself in all directions. These roots can be compared withe the roots of a very deep tradition.

Protest

 Protest means to go against (to be in opposition) ideas, statements or directions. In this poem, it is Lawino who protests. She has great love for African ways and a deep dislike for foreign ways. However, we do not have to agree with her argument. We must take her argument critically.

 She protests due to the fact that she is dissatisfied with Ocol’s ideas, practices, amd attitudes towards towards her, her relatives, his relatives, and the black people and their ways of life. She also protests against Clementine’s ideas and practices, i.e. arrogance, artificiality, aping Europeans, etc.

 Lawino protests against: foreign things and ways, artificiality, aping Europeans and modern politics.

Lawino attacks Christianity in the following aspects:

 She attacks the preachers (missionaries), teachers, etc for using religion to exploit and oppress their converts (i.e making them house girls). The preachers show hypocrisy. They do not practice what they preach. For example they drink and seduce girls. They are unable to make people understand what they preach. This is probably because they themselves do not understand thoroughly well what they preach or because their teaching methods are poor. They do not like questions. The Christian doctrine is incomprehensible, meaningless and irrelevant to Africans. For example, Lawino fails to understand the concepts of creation and virgin birth. Christian names are meaningless and difficult to pronounce. Lawino protests against songs and dances (European), i.e. the songs and dances have no meaning and relevance to her society.

 Lawino protests against European adornments, i.e Clementine has to resort to false and unnnatural cosmetics, straightening her hair, wearing wigs, wearing false breasts,slimming (pp. 22-24, 26). These adornments and artificialities distort the natural beauty of the African women. Lawio protests against European food. She dislikes European food because it is tasteless.

 Lawino protests against European medicine and hygiene. She condemns Ocol’s negative attitude towards all Acoli medicines and positive attitude towards European medicine because they are modern (pp. 154-155)

 Lawino protests against Western education. She condemns Western education for corrupting Ocol’s mind to the extent of alienating him from the African culture. His identity as a blackman (manhood) has been killed by European education (pp. 207-209). Also, Lawino protests against artificiality and aping foreigners.

Conflict

 A conflict is a fight, collision, a struggle, a contest, opposition of opinions, purpose etc. In short, we can say that conflict is a misunderstanding between two sides.

 A conflict can arise when different groups have conflicting ideas, beliefs, purposes, opinions, interest and values. If they do not compromise, their differences become more and more extreme and fanatical. Hatred and jealousy also play a role in increasing conflict

 The main cause of conflict in the book is the existence of the two opposing cultures Africans and Europen. They types of conflict in the book can be grouped as follow

A conflict between African culture and European culture

 The differences existing between these two cultures cause conflicts in the society.

 Examples:
Traditional religion vs Christianity

 Traditional dances vs foreign dances

 Traditional medicine vs modern medicine

 Traditional adornments vs foreign adornments

 Traditional food vs European food.

 African way of telling time vs modern ways of telling time.

Conflicts between people

 The conflicts takes place because each individual holds different cultures.

Examples

 Ocol vs Lawino

 Ocol insults and despises her and Lawino’s relatives that they are uneducated, pagan, primitive and superstitious. Lawino reacts by urging that the European culture has killed Ocol’s manhood. She blames and accuses him of following the way of the whiteman and despising his own people and their ways.

Ocol vs His Relatives

 Ool despises his relatives that they are dirty, pagan and primitive. For example, he is reluctant to welcome his relatives, including his own mother to his home because he believe they are dirty and are a burden to him. (pp.151-152).

Lawino vs Clementine

 Lawino and Clementine ae in conflict for Ocol’s love; Clementine speaks to Lawino arrogantly; Lawino despises Clementine for the latter’s artificiality and arrogance.

Conflict between political parties

 The leader of the two main parties (DP and UPC), Ocol and his brother compete for money and Ocol hires a man to kill him. Ocol’s brother has even smuggled a pistol

Disunity/Alienation

 Educated people like Ocol alienate themselves from the African culture. Also, they alienate themselves fromt the fellows (African who are not educated). Christians such as Ocol also alienate themselves from non-Chrisitian. So this habit brings disunity among the people of the same clan.

 Conflicts among the people also cause disunity among the members of the society. For example, there is disunity among political parties such as DP and UPC. This situation leads to misunderstanding among the people. Therefore, this is a factor which can hinder development of my society.

Hypocrisy

 Hypocrisy means making oneself to falsely appear to be virtuous or good (better) Lawino attacks hypocrite politician. She blames Ocol, the leader of the Democratic party (DP) and his brother who belongs to a different party, Uganda People’s Congress (UPC). They both preach independence, unity and peace, but they bring conflict and disunity even within the family (pp. 180, 182-183). Also, these leaders are not interested in the welfare of the people, but in positions and money. While they are locked in political conflicts, people suffer under ignorance, poverty, and diseases (p.196). This habit causes a lot of problems to the society, hence hindering social development.

Betrayal

 Ocol is a great nglish-swahili/betray” target=”_blank”>betrayer in this book. This is because be insults and despises Lawino and her relatives by saying they are uneducated, pagan, primitive and superstitions. Also, he despises his relatives that they are dirty, pagan and primitive. For example, he is reluctant to welcome his relatives, including his own mother to his home because he thinks they are dirty and a burden to him (pp. 151-152). This is a sign of nglish-swahili/betray” target=”_blank”>betrayal

 Also, Ocol nglish-swahili/betray” target=”_blank”>betrays his wife (Lawino) by falling in love with Clementine. As a married man, Ocol is not supposed to do that. This habit causes conflict to this family. After acquiring Western education, Ocol alienates himself from African culture. This habit is a symbol of nglish-swahili/betray” target=”_blank”>betrayal due to the fact that Ocol (an educated man) fails to use his education to educate or liberate his society from ignorance, poverty and diseases Betrayal of any kind in a society is dangerous for it can cause disunity, humiliation, oppression as well as alienation among members of society.

Position of Women in the Society

 The writer portrays a woman in various positions of the society. Firstly, a woman is portrayed as an oppressed, humiliated, alienated, exploited person in her society. This is seen through Lawino who is oppressed, humiliated, alienated as well as exploited by her husband due to the belief that she is uncivilized, uneducated, static and unchanging woman.

 Secondly, a woman is portrayed as a mother who is a responsible member of her society. Lawino, as a mother, is responsible as seen when she makes sure that children have eaten. A mother of this hind is indeed a good mother.

 Thirdly, a woman is portrayed as a strong representative/upholder of African tradition (whether good or bad). She fights against Western culture which has been interfering with African culture.

 Fourthly, Lawino is one among the majority of African women who lack formal education. This symbolized that African women are humiliated, segregated, oppressed discriminated, exploited as well as alienated in the society compared to men. This situation causes inequality in the society and deprives women of development rights.

Western Culture

 It was introduced by Europeans. Europeans used religion and education to destruct African culture. Western culture brought disunity among Africans. i.e. Christian’s vs non-Christians (Pagans), and educated vs non educated. Therefore, are coming of Europeans to the African continent caused a lot of problems in all aspects of life including culture, economic as well as political spheres of life.

NOTE

 The conflicts have not yet been resolved. Whether the conflicts will be solved or not it depends on the kind of reaction Ocol will show to Lawino’s advice on how to recover his lost manhood. Unfortunately, Ocol seems to reject her advice because in the introduction of song of Ocol, Ocol attacks Lawino and some of her ways and strongly defends his.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

a)  What is the poem about?

 Ans: The poem is about the sons of the land who have risen up singing the beauty of the sunrise. They are challenging the enemy waiting for a victory at sunset.

b)  For whom does the poem tell us that the sun has risen?

 Ans: The oppressed ones (The sons of the land i.e. peasants or workers who should rise up against oppression, humiliation, exploitation, discrimination).

c)  The poet talks about “challenging the enemy”. Who do you think the enemy might be?

 Ans: The enemies might be oppressors, humiliators, exploiters, imperialists, etc

d)  (i) What event do you think the “sunrise” probably symbolizes?

 Ans: The sunrise symbolizes the beginning of the struggle against evil in the society or the period of rain.

(ii) what event do you think the “sunset” probably symbolizes?

 Ans: The sunset symbolizes the end of oppression , struggle, and a period of harvest.

e)  With the determination of “long-term warriors”, what do you think these words “long term” tells us about the poet’s view of the struggle?

 Ans: The word “long –term” means in the distant future. The word implies that the struggle will take a long time.

f)   There is one line that does not have normal word order. Which line is it and why is it so?

 Ans: Line 4 – “Forward the go”. Its function is to stress the word “forward” to ennglish-swahili/courage” target=”_blank”>courage people to continue with the struggle.

g)  The poem contains two major images. What are they?

 Ans: Sunrise and sunset

 Sunrise – symbolizes the begining of the struggle (rainfall)

 Sunset – symbolizes the end of struggle or freedom time or the era of harvest

h)  What is the theme of the poem?

 Ans: The poem talks about evils of colonialism/imperialism or an oppresive rulling class i.e. exploitation, oppression, humiliation, of the lower classes by the powerful class,

i)  What type of poem is this?

 Ans: It is sonnet because it has fourteen verses with free verse.

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