Acevedo 1

The Image That Captured It All

Wole Soyinkas The Lion and the Jewel is a play that features few characters of
importance. These characters develop throughout the play, and this development plays a big role
in the outcome of the story; however, although he does not have a single line in the play, one
could argue that The stranger. The man from the outside world (1153) plays the biggest role in
the development of the story. The brief time he spends at the village would eventually mold the
characters and shape the course of events.
This nameless visitor, a professional photographer for potentially a worldwide news
magazine (a la National Geographic) elects the village beauty Sidi to be the subject for his
centerfold shots that according to Sidi, would bestow upon me beauty beyond the dreams of a
goddess? For so he said (1153). Upon the visitors return to the community with the finished
product, Sidi learns from some girls that although the he has captured the entire village, Sidi is
the focal point, and Baroka is hardly pictured: But it would have been much better for the Bale
if the stranger had omitted him altogether. His image is in a little corner somewhere in the book,
and even that corner he shares with one of the village latrines (1154). Two things happen due to
the way the stranger formatted his magazine: Baroka becomes jealous and devises to marry Sidi,
and Sidi allows this attention to go to her head; Sidi states, Sidi is more important than even the
Bale. More famous than that panther of the trees. He is beneath me now (1155). At the
beginning of the play, it was questionable whether Sidi would marry Lakunle, although the
possibility was certainly there. Not long after she glanced at the glossy mages, her arrogance
doubles, and the chances of her marrying Lakunle are even slimmer.
Acevedo 2

Sidi has a negative attitude at the beginning, but thanks to the stranger, her demeaner
became worse. She says egotistical remarks to Lakunle, such as, The stranger took my beauty
and placed it in my hands. Here, here it is. I need no funny names to tell me my fame (1160), to
Sadiku, like, The school-man here has taught me certain things and my mages have taught me
all the rest (1161), and after learning of Barokas intent to marry her, she becomes even more
arrogant when she learns of Barokas age. The snide remarks continue after she has decided to
marry Baroka over Lakunle, stating that he at sixty will be ten years dead (1191). It is due to
this that a claim for the photographer to be the most important character can be made. The
stranger is much like Pity Sing, the cat in Flannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard To Find;
these seemingly minor characters in their respective works are hardly mentioned and speak no
lines, yet if it were not for their actions, the events of each story would have never transpired.