Sidi’s Attitude Towards Bride Price in “Lion and the Jewel”.

Answer

Analyze Sidi’s attitude towards bride price in “Lion and the Jewel.” 

or, why does Sidi refuse to marry Lakunle without paying the bride price in “Lion and the Jewel”?

The play “Lion and the Jewel” (1962) by Wole Soyinka (1934-present) has been developed on the major theme of the clash between traditional African values and modern Western ideas. In this play, Sidi is a young woman from the rural village of Ilujinle, Nigeria. She is loved by two men, Lakunle and Baroka. She possesses a strong attitude towards the bride price system.

Initial Disregard for Tradition: Initially, Sidi seems dismissive of the traditional significance of bride price. She asserts her independence and desires to be seen as more than a commodity for sale. For instance, when Lakunle, the schoolteacher, criticizes the bride price tradition, she responds defiantly, 

But Sidi will not make herself 

A cheap bowl for the village spit.

This exposes her resistance to being treated as an object for a trade.

A source of financial security: Bride-price is a traditional African practice in which a groom pays some money or goods to his bride’s family in exchange for her hand in marriage. In the play, Sidi initially sees her potential bride price as a financial expression of her worth.  She has a high opinion of herself. She fully expects any bride price to reflect her excessive self-respect. When Lakunle proposes to marry her,  she insists that he must pay the bride price before agreeing to marry her, saying, 

But my bride-price must first be paid.

A symbol of Virginity: However, as the play progresses, Sidi becomes more aware of her worth and shows her strong position towards the bride price. In the African tradition, it is believed that girls who have lost their innocence are forced to marry without a bride price. That’s why she refuses to marry the modern man, Lakunle, as Lakunle refuses to pay her bride price.

To sum up, we can say that Sidi is no exception to a believer in the barbaric African tradition. She adheres to the bride price and refuses to marry Lakunle even when forced to marry the old man, Baroka.