fields such as education. She believes that education is important for one to be rational in reasoning Alan, 2006:334.
John Stuart Mill also believes th at sex roles is a kind of “caste system”
which women are placed lower than men and restricted to only several rights. His wife Harriet Taylor Mill then adds that if women get proper education as men,
“women would choose to become the partners of men” in the workplace Alan, 2006: 334.
The same ideas about self-autonomy and consent are also brought into marriage, sexuality and prostitution issue. Marriage should happen when there are
consents from both parties. There should be consent without coercion to participate A
lan, 2006: 336. In the marriage later, “sex roles within the family has to become androgynous” where both couple has the same position in nurturing
the children to gain equality in family. Liberal feminists believe that there are times when the sexual interaction
happened because they are “violently forced or coerced into it”. Some factors that coerce them in ‘consenting’ such as “childhood sexual abuse, drug dependency
and poverty”. They believe that women have the right to “free to reject the norms and that any legal arrangement” that harms them Alan, 2006: 337. In conclusion,
Liberal feminists propose the idea that women have rights to choose and decide based on their own willingness and consent.
3. Theory of Patriarchy
Patriarchy in the past is used to describe a household in which is ruled by the father. Patriarchy itself means “the rule of the father”. The term then
developed to the modern era to show a community or society dominated by male. Domination here refers to the power in the society in a small community like
family to big community like nation. In maintaining their power, men then have to limit
women’s accesses and rights Bhasin, 2006:3. In using their power, men dominate woman in every aspect. In the
households for instance, women would be the one who take care of the children and do the houseworks. Men also control women in many aspects. Men have
power to use women body to fulfill their desire. Women are also confined in the economical access. In this ideology, women are the one who works and men are
the one who enjoy the products. Hartmann, 1993: 13. Besides in economy and society, men also dominate women in the culture Lim, 1997:220.
In order to keep things in order, in patriarchal way, “masculine and feminine characteristics, private-p
ublic realms” Sultana, 2010:8 were created. This idea is then introduced since the childhood age; which toys are for girls and
for boys, what acts should one does, etc. At the end, the patriarchal system in society will always be there. Male in their adult age will acknowledge their
dominance towards women and then they have control upon women not only in the economic sphere but further to the women’s reproduction, mobility and
property Walby, 1990:20.
C. Yoruba: The History and Women’s Position
1. The History of Yoruba
Among the states in Africa, Nigeria is more distinguished compared to other states. Before gaining the world acknowledge of its capability of
maintaining its own economics and politics, Nigeria has been through a distinct change of cultures, politics. Talking about Nigeria, we cannot silence the facts of
its glorious past of its ancient cultures as Ife, Benin and Nok Fayusi, 1973:11- 13.
According to its administrative development, Nigeria can be divided into three era, pre-colonial in which the ancient kingdoms were still in its glorious
time, the colonial era in which it was under the rule of the monarchy of England, and lastly the current era. Concerning the object of research Death and The
King’s Horseman, the era that contributes a lot in this research would be the pre-colonial
and the beginning of the colonialization era Fayusi 1973: 9. In the pre-colonial era, there were few huge kingdoms that ruled the land
with its people in its own cultural policy. One land is the Ife land that is believed to be the origin land of the two big empires. One of the empire is the Kingdom of
Yoruba. It is believed that the sons of the founder of Ife later found the seven lands of seven crowns and make it an empire. Basically at this time, the
administrative and the politics has been established quite well seen through how each of the land have their own leader or chief to make sure the stability of each
region. Most interestingly on how the king established a special council to make
sure that each chief will lead the land accordingly to the king vision. The council consists of “heads of various cult societies, outstanding warriors, religious and
political leaders ” Fayusi 1973: 12.
Each chief of the land has the duty to create peace by putting things in order of how they work and how the talent is being past to the next generation.
The sons of a family will then have to learn how to inherit his father’s talent. For example, if the father is a carpenter so in the young age, the son will have to
follow his father wherever he goes in order to learn the pattern of work so that he can later continue his father work when his father passed away and can keep
contributing to the community. In the other hand, women will be in home preparing for the needs of the men working outside Fayusi 1973: 17-19.
When the British arrived at the land of Yoruba, they forced the people to join their belief and their political way of thinking. While the power of the ancient
empire was already weaken added with the influence from the British, some lands that tried to free themselves from the power of the old empire and swear
allegiance to the monarchy of England. Some lands where still had no or less intact with the colonizer and lands that still has kings kept practicing their rituals
based on their own cultural policy. Interestingly, with or without the existence of the British, the existence of
women in the society was still getting no improvement. In most of the African culture including Yoruba women were placed as the second place or even lower.
Women were seen as properties that could be given to anyone O.O Familusi, 2012:301.
2. Women in Yoruba
Women have never been given a fair judgement and treatment of the society. In Yoruba culture there is an ambivalent position of women. Women in
the Yoruba culture are categorized to daughter, teenager, wife and mother. From those stratas, only the mother is the one that is put in the higher place. As it has
been stated that only a mother will be treated differently, however when the husband is passed away, the mother will be treated as a furniter of the house
which could be given to anyone according to the husband’s will.
One of the most nightmare of the women in Yoruba culture is the issue of virginity. In that culture, a girl should be a virgin until the day she married. The
husband of the women can sue the family if he found out that his wife is no longer a virgin. The society however does not care whether the husband has slept with
other women or not. When this situation happens, the society will justify any action of punishment given to the wife. When a couple is found out doing the
adultery, the women will be judged as murderer and will be punished however there is no any punishment given to the male partner.
A wife will be seen as a slave of their husband. She will be forced to do everything the husband ask her to do. Even she is seen as the property of the
husband. A woman no matter she is single or married does not have any right to said his opinion against the men. Women will be seen as immoral if they go
tresspass this and will be punished according to the culture. Women are responsible for the behaviour of the children. When a child acts unaccordingly,
the mother will be the one to be blamed. Besides that, they are not trusted. There is an expression
“obinrin koni gogongo” which means women can not be trusted because they have no adam apple. This can be seen as a very illogical things
because the society is using the biological feature to go against women in which does not have any relation at all familusi: 305.
3. The Role of Yoruba Culture in the Play Death and The King’s Horseman
Values and attitudes are closely related. Values are abstract therefore it is believed to be able to
affect one’s attitudes in many ways Maio and Olson, 1994:268.
Yoruba Society is one of the ancient culture that holds on to patriarchal system. One of the characteristics as depicted in the play is the hereditary that is
passed from one to another generation through the male heir. It is the men then are sit as the authorities to both domestic and public spheres.
PRAISE- SINGER. … a man is either born for his art or he
isn’t. Soyinka, 1986: 10
--- PILKINGS. … The old pagan wanted him to stay and carry on
some family tradition or the other. Soyinka, 1986: 28
---- WOMAN. … It is not he who calls himself Elesin Oba, it is his
blood that says it. As it called out to his father before him and will to his son after him.
Soyinka, 1986: 35
The value that family tradition should be passed to the next male in blood line shows a significant position of men in the society and also justify the society
as a patriarchal society. Like other patriarchal societies, the lives of women in the society are concerning.
Yoruba culture plays a very important role in shaping the mind of its people and how they act. The myth about the other life, curses, legends are believed to be
true and have impact on the livings. The culture also embodies the idea of women subordination. Women become less active in the society because of many
restriction of rights that is held on by the society. Furthermore, the subordination towards women could be in a position to oppress them. Elesin in the play becomes
the capable character in representing the issue. Elesin who is introduced in the play as the horseman of the king plays a
role as the representative of the culture. As holding the second most important position in Yoruba society, Elesin is known as the “man of honour”. The title
according to the play is derived from his past achievements with the previous king. His achievements strengthen the honor and respect of the people to him.
Besides the title, Elesin is also believed to have more ability and knowledge about the culture. His position as the right hand of the king also appoints him naturally
as the implementer of the cultural rituals. His action is believed to bear a direct relation to the culture. That makes people trust him about the decisions he made.
As someone who preserves the continuity of the culture, is the second in line to the monarch, and plays a crucial part in the cultural rituals, Elesin is necessary to
be seen as the culture itself.
