The Lion and the Jewel

The lion represents an animal who is king of its domain. It is fierce and virile, and forever lording over other animals. As the Bale, Baroka is given the epithet “the lion,” and by all accounts, lives up to the nickname. He loves women and has many wives. He wants to take Sidi as a wife as well, and in a stunning act of “preying,” lies to her and to his eldest wife, Sadiku. This lie, highlighting the cunning of a lion, ends in success for Baroka. He makes love to Sidi and later marries her. Baroka’s role as the lion of Ilujinle showcases the places of shrewdness and patience in life, as well as highlighting the purported advantages of wisdom and experience.

Sidi represents a jewel in the play. She is the most beautiful girl in the village. Like that of a jewel, Sidi’s “preciousness” is highlighted when she is placed on display in a magazine. Her beauty draws men to her. Both Lakunle and Baroka seek her hand in marriage, proclaiming her beauty to be a jewel among jewels. Jewels are symbolic both of their own luster, of which Sidi has plenty, and of what they do to those who behold them. These attributes of the jewel are seen consistently as both Lakunle and Baroka woo Sidi. The jewel is also symbolic of something precious that can be stolen or compromised. Sidi is tricked by Baroka and her maidenhood (virginity) is stolen. Because of this, her “value” to potential suitors is diminished. 

The Wandering Man is also known as the man from Lagos. He is a character whose car broke down one day in Ilujinle, some time prior to the opening of the play. This development puts him in contact with Sidi, whom he spies bathing. He attempts to take a picture of her, though in his drunken stupor slips he falls into a river. The wandering man symbolizes the loose morals of the outside world. Moreover, the symbol pokes fun at the weakness of the outside world. The man from Lagos is depicted as a drunkard and a peeping Tom, vices that seem comical to the villagers in Ilujinle. He is also the person who makes Sidi famous via the magazine, thus highlighting the outside world’s infatuation with tradition and what it deems “primitive” or “native.” The wandering man is viewed as both a hero (he makes Sidi famous, thus making the village famous) and an instigator (his photos polarize those who think differently about modernization, and pit Baroka and Lakunle against each other even further).