Linguistic Choices and Character Agency in Soyinka’s Translation of The Forest of Oludumare
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24113/ijohmn.v12i1.351Keywords:
Character Agency, Yoruba Cosmology, Oral Tradition, Postcolonial Identity, Cultural Translation, Modernity, AfricanAbstract
The study investigates the complex interaction between language and character as found in Wole Soyinka's translation of D. O. Fagunwa's Igbo Oludumare epic, In the Forest of Oludumare. Soyinka's beautiful transformation of language successfully evokes the wide universe of Yoruba cosmology in the original, while it is also enriched with modern allusions that touch upon current sociopolitical issues. The story, framed in the threshold space of the forest, explores conflicting aspects of the traditional Yoruba cultural background and contemporary African identity. Based on a critical examination of language and the representation of character, this study investigates how Soyinka's rendering maintains the soul of indigenous oral tradition in a dialogue with the intricacy of modernity. Investigating the processes by which language defines character representation, the present study provides some insights into how translation should be understood in terms of reducing the gap between cultures and promoting greater appreciation of the African identity.
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