The Theme of Exile and Return in the Epic Story Son-Jara - Essay Example

Lecturer THEME OF EXILE AND RETURN IN THE EPIC STORY SON-JARA After going through the epic of Son-Jara, I was enthusiastic but, a little baffled. The narration is basically captivating though it is broken down into mysterious, magical ‘‘living things’’ that seems challenging to comprehend. The story is an attribute to Son-Jara Keita who was also referred to as ‘’Sunjata’’ during the Mali empire, this era witnessed a mixture of Islamic and Africa cultures that resulted in literate aristocracy that made a multi-ethnic empire of which the theme of exile and return is one of the main characteristic of the society as portrayed across the Story. This paper focuses on the theme of exile and return in the epic story Son-Jara ESSAY The theme of exile and Return has been widely depicted, the epic of Son- jara is devoted to promote nationalism, and it narrates how various linguistic, ethnic, and spiritual groups join together and forms a nation. The author illustrates how the Tarawere brothers were advised to decline "half of 12 cities" since they were from the Manden and to them Manden is a permanent home that they must return one day but this did not deter them from becoming a single national entity while in exile. Doka the cat sail on the same ideology, he reminds Sumamuru (his uncle) using the same sentiments the Tarawere brothers had be advised, that he has to go back and serve one master(Patterson et al 233). It seems everyone is in exile, and while in exile nothing prevents the characters from achieving whatever they want. After the birth of Son-Jara, everybody come to hate him most probably due to his birthright and his accursed affliction, he was born in exile, he is a combination of the two Manding cultures since the mother was not a native (Johnson 92). We are informed the father was an immigrant from Bilal while the mother was an African native of a magical journey. Son-Jara is a hero by nature being born out of an ugly Konde woman, lame, hairy and referred to as ‘’ lion thief,’’ I can’t believe he made it to be a real and great King of all times in the presence of tyrant, Sumamuru. He is compared to a superman, who made it through the America melting point, to the people he is the ultra successful mixture of a native African magic and Islam and this is revealed when Son-Jara wanted to be a wizard (Patterson et al 1064). He demonstrated to his countrymen how he could distribute each and every resource he could draw together, from everywhere, to help him and the people including those in Bilal which was his father native land, as a sign of ‘Return’ probably resources, though he had to engage himself in several wars with forces that went against his rule in order to fulfill his prophesies, this a symbol of hostility in a foreign land and it meant that ruling while in exile was not a joke (Patterson et al 1098) Indeed, a clear analysis of this story reflects the connection between exile and return; it is obvious that those who were in exile were on mission and only returned after having achieved something (Belcher 27). This is evident as we can see Dan Mansa Wulanba and his brother Wulandin leaves Manden to exile to make an attempt of killing the ‘‘Buffalo’’ of which apparently they make it. In return they come back to Manden with Sugulun Konde who happens to be Son-Jara mother. The theme of exile and return forms the skeleton of the story because while in exile, Wulandin happens to forget slippers at the scene of death, after killing the “buffalo” of which later on, they became image of heroism and this develops a Cinderella competition in an attempt to discover heroes in this society. As the episodes unfolds, it is clear that Sugulun konde is in exile, it is revealed that Fata Magan who is the father to Son-Jara is advised by a jinni to marry an ugly maid, circumstances connecting the two are upsetting (Patterson et al 2022). Magan sister, Nakana Taliba is literally exchanged for Sugulun Konde we are told before the exchange she appeared as the principal queen of darkness which was later killed by the Taraweres while they were in exile. Literary exile in this context means away from your native land (Johnson 108). Sugulun Konde travelled with the Tawaweres to Kamalen which is the regional center in Manding Kingdom. In this story the theme of exile and return has been to develop other themes in the story, it is out of analogy of exile and return that the authors demonstrates the theme “A man of power is hard to find’’. Indeed, it is not easy to come across somebody with impeccable qualities as Son-Jara in this context. Son-Jara has grown up, gained power to manage his emotion and got power to dominate others despite coming from a humble cultural and superstitious background that is nominated by tyrants like Samamuru (Patterson et al 2064). Other themes that have been developed by the theme of exile and return include; the theme of endurance, alienation, war, superstition and religion. This theme has not only developed others themes but also led to character development, most characters in this story epic of Son-Jara depict their character through the theme exile and return. To start with Dankaran Tuman, he is Son’s-Jara’s step brother (Belcher 49). Actually he was born the same day with Son-Jara but a few hours before him, in this story he is depicted as being revengeful especially after learning that was not the mix up during announcement Son’s-Jara position could have been his. Later in life we see him as the chief competitor for control of Manden, he is also seen to contribute actively towards Son-Jare’s exile. Du Kamisa, Samamurt and Fa-Koli uncle all depict a revengeful character at least at some point within the story (Patterson et al 2168). Samamuru injures Doka the Cat because he is serving Son-Jara and he has turned down his offer, on the other end Fa-Koli uncle has many wives but snatches Fa-Koli wife when he realized that Fa-Koli had joined Son-Jara camp. It is like there is a close connection between the theme of exile and return, power control and revenge in this story since all the characters to revolve around these aspects from at the beginning of the story to the end In conclusion, this story has been prolonged to embrace author’s narratives of his time and accomplishments. The epic of Son-Jara has been designed by accretion, putting its oral transmission in narration accounts for the three distinctive broad layers. As go through the story you begin with a narrative skeleton of episodes and genealogies. The remaining two generic layers are praise poems and songs (Patterson et al 2600). The main function of the griot is to transform the narrative real life situation and reenact it dramatically. This story is political, having the main center of attraction of two rivalry brothers to succeed their father throne. Fa-Koli happen t o make a decision that that directly affects on the outcome of the rivalry between the two by defecting from Sumamuru camp to Son-Jara group, he is believed to have set a moral character of ‘‘good’’ over ‘‘ evil.’’ Generally, the ideological purpose of this story is the construction of a Manding ordinary identity under a founding hero as developed by the theme of exile and return in the epic. Work cited Jerome W Clinton, Abiola Irele, Heather James, Stephen Owen, Lee Patterson. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2009. Print John William Johnson. The epic of Son-Jara: a West African tradition. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.1992 Print Stephen Paterson Belcher. Oral epics from Africa: vibrant voices from a vast continent Bloomington u.a. Indiana Univ. Press 1997.Print Read More