The World Is Now Different

The wrestling match in Baroka's bedroom is of course a metaphor for the power st
ruggle about to take place between himself and Sidi. What excuse does Baroka giv
e for there being no servants about? Throughout this scene the Bale tries to thr
ow Sidi off her balance by pretending not to know why she has come. To what exte
nt does he succeed? "Christians on my Fathers' shrines" is a general curse. I ha
ve no idea what this saying means: "The woman gets lost in the woods one day/And
every wood deity dies the next." Can you explain it?
To "pull asses' ears" is to mockingly put one's fingers behind one's head to imi
tate a donkey's ears. How does Sidi mock Baroka in her conversation with him? It
is suggested that a" tanfiri" may be an aphrodisiac. What metaphor does she use
to satirize his pursuit of young women? The "tappers" are palm-wine tappers. Ho
w does Baroka manage to keep throwing Sidi off balance in their conversation? In
his description of Sadiku's activities as match-maker he quotes her typical lin
e of chat. Sidi's respectful words in boasting of her traditional garment cause
Baroka to call her "wise."
Several small African nations make a large part of their national income by sell
ing beautiful stamps to collectors abroad. It is not then too surprising that th
e Bale should view stamp sales as a major source of revenue. What is it the Bale
says he dislikes about progress? How can you tell that Sidi is being bewildered
by Baroka? According to a parable of Jesus (Mark 2:22), new wine should not be
put into old "bottles" (wineskins) which have already been stretched out and may
burst when the new wine begins to ferment. Why do you think Sidi is "overcome"
by Baroka's words? What appeals to her in what he has said?
The third pantomime ironically depicts the triumph of women over a man just as t
he Bale is triumphing over a woman. Lakunle's description of the Bale's dungeons
is probably a paranoid fantasy. "Mummers" are dancers who pantomime stories. La
kunle is expected to tip the mummers, like other people; but in this he adheres
to the pattern established by his refusal to pay a bride price. He clings to mod
ernism as an excuse for saving money, though the following description makes cle
ar that he actually enjoys the performance.
A duiker is a small antelope which leaps high in the air. Why is Sidi angry with
Baroka? Because she has been seduced or because she has been deceived? What doe
s she stress in her words? Lankunle reacts with stereotypically heroic words of
despair, but when he hears himself utter them, he recoils and changes metaphors.
What is going on here? What is his reaction to Sidi's loss of her virginity? Wh
at are his motives? A "praise-singer" is a traditional poet-bard, often known as
a griot , who sings the praises of whoever hires him. What is Lakunle's reactio
n to Sidi's seeming acceptance of his proposal? Can you explain his reaction?
Can you explain Sidi's decision? How can we tell that Lakunle is hardly broken-h
earted? Is this a story about rape? About seduction? What do you think its signi
ficance is?