Background

• Setting- African country in mid 20th century. In the middle of ww2 around 1940’s
• Britain controls the country: Colonialism. British officers who are in charge of tribal peoples.
• Elesin Oba- The King’s horseman. Elesin is a title for King’s horseman. He takes care of the king’s horses and he is very important.
• Tragedy is about how the main character acts in the most pressing situations.
• Elesin is supposed to be a tribute and follow his deceased king into the afterlife. The town is a small group of maybe 1000 people that is a branch of the Yoruba people that are spread out across Africa.
• Elesin’s job is to follow the king into the afterlife to make sure that the king gets the supports he needs in the afterlife or else the king will haunt the village.
• Praise singer- he is a storyteller who sings the tales of the great people. In a way he is like the town news reporter. He offers to die with Elesin in order to validate the actions of the Elesin.
• The death of the elesin is similar to the death of Jesus. It brings peace to the people.
• Iyaloja- the leader of the village women.
• “But the twilight hours brings bats and rodents” Elesin talks about how his death will prevent rats and bats from destroying and marring the great houses built in the town.
• The young girl that Elesin sees is really hot and he wants to have sex with her. Unfortunately she is engaged to the son of Iyaloja the head woman of the town.
• Iyaloja has a tough decision to make. Whether or not she wants to allow Elesin to get to the young girl. She has to weigh ruining her sons marriage or the ruining of the world. Iyaloja allows the elesin to get to the young girl but she warns him against messing up.

10/13 - Introduction

• Pilkings and Jane- a white couple who occupy the native African land.
• Pilkings is very ignorant of the African culture and he sees the people are tribal and unvicilized.
• Jane is more understanding of the surrounding culture and tries to understand the Africans
• Amusa is a slave or a worker for Pilkings- He is African and he is the enforcer of the white laws. He enforces white laws on his own people. Amusa is muslim but he believes in the scary egungun/shaman culture of the people.
• Pilkings is a pretty good guy: he is culturally insensitive, but he tries to help some black people and has sent a kid to medical school. He does not seem to buy into Christianity whole-heartedly

10/17 - Chapter 3

• Elesin must commit suicide - Praise Singer gives a long speech about how he wishes he couldn't die but he must in order to save the world
• Goes from the ritual that's taking place in the tribal village to the ritual taking place in the British compound - British show ethnic insensitivity with the villages
• It's awkward because the prince is coming, so the ceremony makes it seem like Pilkings is not doing a good job

Olunde and Jane Conversation

• Olunde says it is an affirmative commentary on life - one's own life vs. others - Jane thinks one own's life is more important
• Olunde says that war is ritual mass suicide - thinks that Jane has no right to pass judgement on other's ways - but he's educated - maybe:
  • He doesn't believe in it, but he understands the importance of culture
  • He believes it
• Does one have the right to impose their own values on others?
  • Maybe - maybe only if they ask for help?
  • Is condemnation ok? - is there a difference between intervention and condemnation? is there a difference between choosing not to understand and choosing to condemn?

10/18

• Pilkings puts the people in the dungeon where they used to hold slaves - overkill? kinda obvious
• Olunde hears his father - realizes for the first time that his father is still alive

Elesin and Olunde Meet Again

• Elesin: "Don't let the sight of your father turn you blind"
• Olunde accuses him of being an "eater of leftovers"
  • He wants to see his father in death - it means he is fulfilling his goal
  • But - how can we blame Elesin for Pilkings decision - especially since a tragedy must center around a choice!

How can we blame Elesin?

• Page 53 - he confesses that it wasn't just the white man, he also avoided suicide
• Author's note - colonialism is a side note, but it is metaphysical, transcending physics - the primary thing is about Elesin - colonialism is just the catalyst
• He is vacillating between guilt and self-defense - he has failed at the most important task of his life, but he tries to find someway to make it seem less his fault
• Iyaloja is understandably pissed - she sacrificed her family's future
• Some crazy imagery on 56 - "step in the vomit of cats"
• Elesin's flaw was that he allowed himself to think that the white man's intervention was an act of god - therefore, is he selfish or an eater of leftovers?
• Is that level of heroism to be expected? Can she be angry at him?
• What are the results of losing your mythology? Mr. Kasten says it results in fragmented art and bad things. I don't think I agree.

10/19

• Olunde is the tragic hero - he makes the choice between believing or not believing in the traditions
  • Does that make his action less heroic? Doesn't he set aside all practicality? Does that make him the hero?
  • Did he kill himself out of embarrassment or shame, or to save the world?
• He strangles himself quickly and easily
• Iyaloja calls Pilkings child -

Essays After

• One about ancestors - movement between the two worlds is fluid - fluctuating life force