World Literature

Natacha Peguero

Pilkings- [to Iyaloja] I hope you understand that if anything goes wrong it will be on your head. My men have orders to shoot at the first sign of trouble.

Iyaloja – To prevent one death you will actually make other deaths? Ah, great wisdom white race.

Elesin is taken to jail against the Yoruba people’s wishes. Simon Pilkings believes that if he keeps Elesin there overnight, during Elesin ritual suicide, Simon would stop an uprising. Elesin and Iyaloja try to explain to Simon that Yoruba are just following tradition and this has nothing to do with the British colonist. Simon is stubborn with he’s beliefs and threaten Iyaloja and try to make her feel guilty. Pilkings states “I hope you understand that if anything goes wrong it will be on your head.” Yet this does not have an impact on Iyaloja.

During this passage Iyaloja is making fun of Mr. Pilkings rigidness. Pilkings is very concern with Elesin suicide that he is willing to kill more Yoruba people to stop it. Simon is concern not because he cares about Elesin but because the British king is near and he does not want a disaster at that moment. Pilkings is being counter intuitive in his goal of keeping everything calm. Since the Yoruba people cannot have their ritual suicide they are all down in the jail cell making a scene. Iyaloja knows they will all leave peacefully including Elesin if they are able to continue with their ceremony. Simon Pilkings stubbornness does not make sense and this is why Iyaloja make fun of him by stating “Ah, great wisdom white race”.