A person without a culture is like a balloon hovering in the air, having no direction or foundation. This is because culture has been defined as a way of life and pattern of living. It consists of the customs, traditions, beliefs, value systems, language, dress codes etc. of a particular set of people or an individual as he/she interacts with his society. Everyone has a culture; even if it is a mix of different cultures, there is a certain pattern of living that he engages in. The Cultural Literary Theory is a theory that analyses and seeks to explain the elements and relationships of culture in a particular work of literature. While the elements of culture are not always evident in every text, a proper analysis of these elements will help you better understand the text.
Concepts in this theory are: signifying practices, representation, materialism and non-reductionism, power, popular culture, text and readers, subjectivity, and identity. Signifying practices can be said to be the meaning making behaviors in which people engage, following particular conventions or rules of construction and interpretation. Representation is the production of meaning through language, discourse, and image. It refers to how an entity is portrayed in a particular work of literature. Materialism acknowledges the importance of historical context and the social, economic and political conditions in which a text is created and recognizes that these conditions can influence the themes, characters and symbols present in a work on literature. Power refers to the social relations evident between characters and entities in a text. Popular culture refers to the trends and ideologies that influence what is obtainable within the systems of living in the text and outside it. Subjectivity refers to the intangible parts of culture which could include ideas, attitudes, assumptions and beliefs. Identity refers to how we understand and express ourselves as individuals and how the sense of our “selves” governs our participation in everyday social interactions and membership in the various social groups.
These concepts have been applied to the third episode of the fifth season of the series, Abejoye, by Mount Zion Films Production. The short film has been analysed in light of the Cultural Literary Theory, looking at the actions and interactions of characters in the episode. In the episode, signifying practices include language and dressing. The language spoken within the community or village is Yoruba. It is used when communicating or even reading written materials.
There is also the dressing of the women and men in the community. The women put on the iro and buba, while the men wear a long attire. The cloth is made from a fabric generally termed ‘aso’ while some of the women put on head gears. The hairstyles of the women portray their culture. There is the local dee-dee which Kinkinn-Yinun puts on and the men put on their fila cap or leave the heads uncovered in normal situations. We can also see the practice of drawing marks on the face like with Kinkinn-Yinun.
The names also signify the cultural identity of the people the characters within the cultural setting. There are indigenous names which reflect their cultural heritage such as Kinkinn-Yinun, Abejoye, Agemo, Oganwp, Fadekemi, Afepadana, etc.
We can also see the representation of spiritual activities of the heads in the society. There is an influx of Christianity and the traditional mode of worship is portrayed as evil and predatory. This is evident in the meeting of the witches who invite Kinkinn-Yinun to eat the meat of a human being, drink blood and the tears of sorrowful ones. Moreso, traditions and identity are realized in Agemo who is the chief priest for the community’s oracle. He has inherited the position from his father and everyday, makes sacrifices and oblations to the gods of his father. However, his Christian daughter destroys the gods and he is infuriated.
Culture is portrayed in the ancestral responsibility of Agemo and also the conflict between his beliefs and his daughter's beliefs. Abejoye tells Agemo, “you were born in darkness… you were bound in chains and fetters… you were born into the bondage of the devil… you were born into the chains and fetters of iron… you slaughter fowls every week… you sprinkle its blood on an ordinary wooden idol… can you see you're in the Devil's bondage? Abejoye indicates that the traditional practices of worship which Agemo engages in towards his gods are evidence of bondage to the devil.
We can also see power play in the relationship between Agemo and Abejoye, where while while Agemo is the chief priest of the Oracle, he honors Abejoye because of his elevated status as a former King and his elderliness. We see the relationship between Abejoye and the King who is prostrated to, although Abejoye does not lay flat on his stomach like other people do when they come to see the king. There is also the use of terms like “Kabiyesi” to address the king, showing respect.
Moreso, there is a conflict of beliefs as the new Asupa is being installed. The King who has been converted to Christianity refuses to go to the shrine to conduct the ceremony and this hinders the proceedings of the instalment. The members of the family for to convince Abejoye to help them convince the King but their plans are refused.
We can also see note a switch from Yoruba to English indicating a change of setting and culture. The culture of the indigenous Yoruba people is different from that of those in diaspora. This difference is evident in language, dressing, housing and even in the use of accessories and cosmetics. The style of attire is different as there is the use of English or modern styles rather than traditional ones. The house is well-lit and the bed is differently laid. The makeup is different. There is no appearance of traditional markings but lipstick and eyeshadow, etc. The hairstyle as well indicates difference in culture. The women outside the village make use of artificial hair, as opposed to the hairstyle of the indigenous women in the Yoruba community. The man wears a t-shirt and a pair of trousers; not the traditional dansiki or sokoto, even though he is of the Yoruba tribe.
Through all of this, we can see different ideologies coming to play, showing power relations and cultural representations, within and outside the indigenous community.
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