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Sama Alaa El Feky-
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Professor Mounira Soliman
African Literature
Essay 2: The Dilemma of A Ghost by Ama Ata Aidoo
Proof of Africa’s Eminence at Both Orality And Literacy
Considered one of the most respected African plays, The Dilemma of a Ghost revolves around a newly married couple,
Ato and Eulalie. Ato’s Ghanaian family has saved tremendously to send him to University in the United States. After he
completes his studies, however, Ato surprises his family by returning home with an African-American bride, Eulalie. Spread out
over a year, the play mainly focuses on the cultural differences that both Ato’s family and Eulalie struggle to accept in each other.
Aidoo captures a couple of upsetting problems regarding post-colonialism, as she highlights cultural differences, identity,
education, feminism, marriage and childbearing in the great continent, Africa.
The clash of culture is primarily the centre of the story, as every character in the play fight to accept and comprehend
distinctive social and cultural backgrounds. Because Ato, the middle link, barely makes any effort to bridge the gap between his
wife and family, their opinions of each other remain awfully poor throughout the story. Readers at some point realize that even
marriage can not be the answer to the question of culture clash. The couple’s decision to delay having children shocks the family
so much that readers can’t help but wonder if Africans only interpretation of marriage is solely childbearing. “2nd W.:
Sometimes we feel you are luckier who are childless. 1st W.: But at the very last you are luckiest who have them,” (Aidoo)
By showcasing Africa’s oral traditions literary and artistically, Aidoo consciously places language and orality at the
centre of the story and signifies their function in written African literature. The author’s effort to display oral literature, including
expressing the Ghanaian society when it comes to different language and traditions, in her work reflects her own persona as an
Ghanaian author. “Shall I go to Cape Coast, or to Elmina I don’t know, I can’t tell. I don’t know, I can’t tell,” (Aidoo) Language,
mainly English, is promoted to thoroughly capture various backgrounds and events of the play. Aidoo tries to distinguish
Eulalie’s American-English speech that instantly alienates her from the rest of the characters. The author also quite succeeds in
reflecting Ato’s educated language with a hint of lecturing that proves he has been indeed abroad, as oppose to his Ghanaian
family. It crucially exposes the impact of colonialism on communication between Africans with distinctive educational and social
situations, as in for instance, the married couple’s complex struggle to not only fully accept their cultural differences but also
keep and hold onto their own identities. Aidoo also catches the inflections and outcomes of oral literature by using simple songs,
traditional proverbs and imagery, such as the interesting conversations between the two old Ghanaian ladies. “1st W.:But you
know, my sister, That my name is Lonesome. I have no one to go and listen to come back and tell me. 2nd W.:Then scoop your
ears of all their wax and bring them here,” (Aidoo) The author uses a form of oral art that evidently provides advice through
indirect distinctive metaphors that are respectfully passed on through generations.
While the infamous interpretation of Africa as being oral and Europe as being literacy popular has existed for centuries, it
certainly has both positive and negative aspects. Positively, it has led Africa to create the phenomena of oral literature,
highlighting oral history and its narratives. Negatively, however, the quality has been in a way distorted of impression because
that is what Africa mainly known for, often leaving the fact that Africa has the potential to be great at literacy, just like Europe.
On one hand, Ong explores orality and literacy, including their twin concepts of spoken expression and written expression with
their nature and consequences. He presses about the major significance of oral expression in cultures and the increasing
appreciation for expressions, such as epic poetry and performances. On the other hand, Merolla talks about the great divide
between orality and literally, including their achievements in different cultures. “orality enabled shared decision-making in
collective gatherings while literacy could lead to manipulation and authoritarianism as shown by the coercive use of the press and
schools in dictatorial regimes,” (Merolla) Finally, Jada points out that although Aidoo’s combination of traditional Ghanaian and
western standard technique drove most Western critics to consider the text as simply weak, it is popular in the West African
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community because of its intense and detailed reflection of postcolonial Ghanaian family, leading many Africans to relate to its
events. The play both entangles African legacy through oral tradition and challenges the western misconception of Africa’s
literary strength.
Work Cited
Ong, Walter J. Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word. New York;London;: Methuen, 1982.
Web.
Jade Maia Lambert. Ama Ata Aidoo’s Anowa. Performative Practice And The Postcolonial Subject. Miami University.
2005. Web.
Merolla, Daniela. "Introduction: Orality and Technauriture of African Literatures." Tydskrif vir Letterkunde
51.1 (2014): 80. Web.