Introduction
Song of Lawino & Song of Ocol is a book by a Ugandan poet, Okot p’Bitek, about the African experience at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Many chapters (poems) in the book are devoted to particular topics and concerns that bothered African communities from different perspectives. This reflection will pay attention to the first chapter in the Song of Lawino’s section, “My Husband’s Tongue Is Bitter,” Nkrumah’s book Neo-Colonialism, and “Pan-Africanism“ by Adi. The issues of racism, inequality, responsibility, and disrespect are commonly discussed in the chosen readings to describe the challenges of African transitions.
Lawino’s Voice and the Impact of Westernization
Lawino, the first wife of the son of a chief (Ocol), is the speaker in the poem “My Husband’s Tongue Is Bitter.“ She is concerned about her husband’s attitudes toward their origins, native culture, and traditions that have been dramatically changed after the first attempts at colonization. The author’s purpose is to explain the nature of the conflict between European and African civilizations and the inability of the population to follow the same lifestyle.
Colonial Prejudice and Breakdown of Community Bonds
Many Africans were obsessed with Westernization, including the ability to read and communicate in English. Some individuals could not leave behind their history and knowledge. Still, they were treated with disgust and prejudice as “primitive“ because they “cannot read“ and their “ears are blocked and cannot hear a single foreign word“ (p’Bitek 1984, 35). At the same time, this poem depicts the relationships between family members and the representatives of the same community, the unwillingness to find consensus, and the impact of foreigners on African land.
Symbolic Language and the Legacy of Colonialism
It is possible to use almost every word in the poem as a keyword that represents the situation in 19th-century Africa. The author chooses each word carefully, not taking much space for unnecessary explanations. The most powerful phrases are “garbage in the garbage pit,” “abandoned manor,” “insults and stupidity,” “primitive,“ and “deep darkness“ (p’Bitek 1984, 35). All these epithets and comparisons strengthen an understanding of colonialism’s impact and the outcomes of neo-colonialism and Pan-Africanism.
Historical Context and Intertextual Reflections
Reading the chosen work without referencing additional historical sources for the background may be difficult because it is essential to clarify the conditions under which Lawino and other poem characters live. For example, Nkrumah (1965) explains neo-colonialism in Africa as “the worst form of imperialism,“ meaning “power without responsibility“ or “exploitation without redress“ (xi). Despite the intention to prevent unfair racial judgments and social inequality, Africa faced another challenge based on low responsibility and disrespect for old traditions and history.
According to Adi (2017), in the 19th century, many Western-educated individuals resisted enslavement and wanted to promote justice. However, those who could not get an education or accept new norms were ruled out of decision-making, and their ideas were poorly recognized. All these conflicts of interest and personal preferences divided Africa the way Lawino and Ocol were. Therefore, this connection between the chosen readings could not be ignored because they complement each other to create an accurate picture of how Africa survived and developed at the beginning of the 20th century.
Conclusion
The story of poor but devoted Lawino must be studied and recognized at different levels. It is not enough to read the poem and identify several key issues. It is more important to push the readings further and ask additional questions for new discussions. The following questions can be offered:
- What does “My Husband’s Tongue Is Bitter“ say about the role of African women in their communities?
- Do Nkrumah and p’Bitek share the same ideas about African colonization?
- Could Adi provide p’Bitek with hope for a safer and better future in Africa?
References
Adi, Hakim. 2017. “Pan-Africanism: An Ideology and a Movement.” In Global Africa into the Twenty-First Century, edited by Dorothy L. Hodgson and Judith A. Byfield, 90-99. Oakland: The Regents of the University of California.
Nkrumah, Kwame. 1965. Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism. New York: International Publishers.
p’Bitek, Okot. 1984. Song of Lawino & Song of Ocol. Oxford: Heinemann.