Novel Review: Twingle Twangle By Femi Osofisan - Part Two

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Along the seashore, Kehinde and Digbaro wandered day and night and at last got to the outskirt of a town called Etido where Oba Moluwe, the Olodo of Etido reigns. At the outskirt, the Olodo and other prominent chiefs were coming for a great sacrifice to a demon called Bilisi (a monster of the river), that always demand for the most beautiful virgin every year. However, for this unfortunate year, the poor Olodo's only daughter, Lawumi, happened to be the victim and she is to be offered to Bilisi as sacrifice. At the point of sacrifice, where Digbaro and Kehinde were hiding, the Olodo made frantic efforts not to release his only daughter after disclosing the concealed secret. The daughter not withstanding insisted to offer herself for the sacrifice for the people's sake, with her is her servant, Aanu, who promised to die with her boss.

Sooner, all the people left the scene, leaving the two of them who were waiting for death, for Bilisi to come and prey on them. Bilisi indeed came out and it was about to feed on them when the hiding Digbaro and Kehinde came to their rescue killing the monster.

Taye and Efundunke were not finding it easy in the forest. At last, they got to a small village where they thought they will be able to get food and water, but it seemed to them that it was a ghost village as there was no one in it. Nonetheless, the village was holding its annual festival where the Oba Elenon of Ereko will give out his daughter, Tinuade, and half of his inheritance to any one who dare wins his last examination. The Officer, the business man, the professor lost out as they couldn't gulp the hot soup at once.

Thereafter, Taye emerged from his secret place and as well as Efundunke to contest for the princess, but not with intention of winning but quenching the hunger. Efundunke resisted him, but he refused and he rather preferred to face the trial of which any one that lost would be killed. At last, he won and he was to receive the princess for a wife who he rejected. Rejecting the princess, in the last, was also a grave sin. This insulting habit or attitude landed him in a prison.

In Etido village, Kehinde became the king; a problem arose because of a newly born baby who all the citizens were celebrating for, but Kehinde saw this as idleness coupled by consecutive war wasting the lives of his citizens. He was called a dictator and they rose up against him and plotted his impeachment. He thus decided that before he would leave his throne, he needed to fight against one last village, which is Ereko village.

Taye in Ereko's village became the king after the incumbent king's death and he married the king's daughter Tinuade. He, not withstanding of the news that the most powerful town of Etido is coming to wage war against his village advised his people not to be a coward but ready to welcome the war warriors with foods, drinks, etc. So well they did, pounding, making soup, eating, marrying, while the war came even to their vey door step. Recognizing each other, Kehinde in spite gave series of conditions to Taye for him not to destroy his village that consented to all his offers.

The merriment continued for a long time that all the soldiers got drunk and slept off. All their weapons were packed and gathered with all of them bound - hands and legs, including their leader, Kehinde. So, Taye's village, Ereko won. The twins later went home after their adventure.

The Theme of the Developed Racism in the Play - Othello the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare

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Othello is a black man who is introduced and referred to in the play as a derogatory name like the Moor. This reference is a person of Arabic decent living in North Africa who is of a Muslim religion and who is of an uncultured, crude, coarse, and cruel background. In other words a Moor is an unintelligible and barbaric person. But, this is where the mystery begins with this ugly word. Shakespeare expresses this man to be more than just a Moor; he is an honest, noble, and fair Moor. This terminology can easily confuse your thoughts as to determine if indeed there is racism present or not. But do not be swayed by the two because either it is there or it is not.

First of all I will say that racism immediately entered the play from the beginning. It started after Iago was passed up for a promotion in the Venetian military by his superior, Othello. After this action Iago expressed how he hated him to Roderigo for his decision. This is where the fire was fueled and the blaze became racist. Iago did not have a honest or fair reason to hate Othello so he first used Roderigo's lust for Desdemona who has just secretly became Othello's fair Venetian wife. This news ignited anger within Roderigo which caused the first of a series of racist remarks made throughout the play. He stated "What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe." (Act I, Scene I, Verse 66) His indication of thick-lips obviously states to me that there was something different of them and he whom they hated. You would think it was something that was wrong and flaw filled.

Secondly, the two then go to Desdemona's father Brabantio on that very same night to notify him of the marriage that occurred behind his back. Awaking him and asking him if everyone was in his house the two suggest that he does not know what is going on within his house and of his blood. Iago with the help of Roderigo get Brabantio in panic by saying things such as "Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul. Even now, now an old black ram is tupping your white ewe." (Act I, Scene I, Verse 87-89) To me this proclamation communicates to Brabantio that he has just lost his daughter and that Othello the black ram was taking advantage of her. Iago then submits Othello as "the Devil." (Act I, Scene I, Verse 91) This would probably have any father thinking the worst of the man who has taking the hand of his daughter. "Your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs." (Act I, Scene I, Verse 115-116) Iago's citation surely put across an obvious message that he hated Othello for personal political reasoning but also and maybe more strongly so because of his ethnicity. He was clearly racist and was in no doubt using his own personal racism to corrupt and manipulate the feelings of others.

Eventually, Iago influenced different characters to act on their emotions by trusting in his open love or hidden hate for the honest and noble Moor Othello. He show many faces such as hatred, jealousy, and the over bearing of the two was his racism for the fellow that many considered to be so noble. Anything to see to his demise, I believe was the true and final goal that Iago had for Othello. He hated him just for existing, in his authority, in his standing, in his country, or even in his world. This hatred so strongly that he would pretend to love him to see his termination in the place where he did not belong. The racism all the way through this play conveys that at any cost it will try to consume everything around it, and no one is excluded when this hatred such as racism takes its place in a life and tries to feed or spread and grow until everything and anything in its path is destroyed.

Shakespeare illustrates to the audience how the one theme goes through a metamorphosis in order to unveil something stronger and more dangerous is lurking in the dark hidden areas of this society. This theme follows through to the end of the play when even after the bloodshed of some of the characters Iago still would rather hold his tongue than to give justification of even soothe the curiosity of the very people who had fallen victim of his malicious and detesting acts. (Act V, Scene 2, Verse 303)

In closing, I will say that this play has shown me how resourceful hatred can be and how it will grow and consume more than it is fed. It also demonstrates how someone like a noble and honest Moor Othello could simply be prey to a falsely portrayed honest Iago with a heart that survives on jealousy, hate, and racism. Be careful about who and what you believe it very well may be the unknown battle of good versus evil. Sometimes what you see is what you get and other times it may not show up in black and white but there may always be the possibility of blood red.