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Sidi is the village belle of Ilujinle. She's very beautiful and is acutely aware of that fact, especially once the stranger returns to the village with a magazine of photographs that show Sidi in all her glory. Seeing the photographs makes Sidi obsessed with her own image and gives her an exaggerated sense of her power over men. Both Lakunle and Baroka wish to marry Sidi, but she doesn't act particularly interested in marrying either of them—she deems Baroka too old, and Lakunle insults her by calling her dumb and referring to her as a "bush-girl." However, she indicates that she supports her village's traditional way of life by implying that she'd marry any man, provided he paid her bride price.
Sidi Quotes in The Lion and the Jewel
The The Lion and the Jewel quotes below are all either spoken by Sidi or refer to Sidi. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Morning Quotes
Lakunle: You could wear something.
Most modest women do. But you, no.
You must run around naked in the streets.
Does it not worry you... the bad names,
The lewd jokes, the tongue-licking noises
Which girls, uncovered like you,
Draw after them?
Sidi: ...Is it Sidi who makes the men choke
In their cups, or you, with your big loud words
And no meaning?
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Explanation and Analysis:
Lakunle is chastising Sidi for wearing traditional Yoruba clothing, which exposes her shoulders and is therefore immodest in Lakunle's eyes. This illustrates that Lakunle, though presumably a native of Ilujinle, has a very different idea of what is appropriate than the rest of the village does. He wants Sidi to dress a certain way—a way that is not how the rest of the village dresses. Notably, this passage shows that Lakunle’s association with modern norms does not necessarily mean that he believes that women should have more options available to them. Here, Lakunle’s ideal is more restrictive to women than Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. M
For that, what is a jewel to pigs?
If now I am misunderstood by you
And your race of savages, I rise above taunts
And remain unruffled.
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Lakunle responds to Sidi's assertion that the village views Lakunle as a madman because of his education and his love of progress and modernity. Here, he deems his education the "jewel." This shows how much he values a modern, British, Western conception of education and learning. In contrast, the villagers are the "pigs" who, in Lakunle's eyes, simply don't understand why education is so important. It’s significant that he uses the word “jewel” to describe his education, since Sidi is the “jewel of Ilujinle.” That Lakunle repurposes her epithet to glorify himself hints at the fact that he sees Sidi Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt.
Well go there. Go to these places where
Women would understand you
If you told them of your plans with which
You oppress me daily.
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Lakunle has just described the wonders of the modern city of Lagos, where modernity and Western ideals are widely accepted. In her reply, Sidi indicates that she feels oppressed by Lakunle's insistence on modern ways of life. This is important, since throughout the play Lakunle characterizes modernity as something that would offer Sidi freedom, while demonizing traditional customs and calling them barbaric. Sidi's language, as well as the outcome of the play, however, show that Lakunle's idea of modernity is indeed oppressive when it's forced upon a person or a village, while tradition can bring types of freedom that Lakunle Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea s
Wasted! Wasted! Sidi, my heart
Bursts into flowers with my love.
But you, you and the dead of this village
Trample it with feet of ignorance.
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Lakunle attempts to convince Sidi to marry him by promising to "open her mind" and using flowery and poetic language. Sidi deems Lakunle's use of language nonsense, which illustrates the unfortunate fact that Lakunle is very out of touch with the village and the village's beliefs and customs. Lakunle's language is therefore ineffective in wooing Sidi, a traditional village girl. Further, he isn't just ineffective; he insults Sidi and the rest of the village by referring to them as "the dead" and calling them out on their "ignorance." All of this begins to develop Lakunle's character as someone who cares Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque
A savage custom, barbaric, out-dated,
Rejected, denounced, accursed,
Excommunicated, archaic, degrading,
Humiliating, unspeakable, redundant.
Retrogressive, remarkable, unpalatable.
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Sidi reminds Lakunle that she'd be happy to marry him if he pays the bride price as is required by local custom, and Lakunle immediately and loudly launches into this string of words to describe the custom. His choice of words makes it obvious to any English speaker that Lakunle himself doesn't have a full grasp of the English language—"excommunicated" makes absolutely no sense in this context, and "remarkable" makes it seem as though he has some respect for the custom, which is the opposite of what he’s trying to convey. Lakunle's use of language again makes him look foolish. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possim
Ignorant girl, can you not understand?
To pay the price would be
To buy a heifer off the market stall.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Lakunle continues to speak negatively about the tradition of paying a bride price. What he says here is ironic in the context of other things he has said about the kind of marriage he wants and the kind of wife he wants Sidi to be. While he doesn't want Sidi to work for him in the same way that tradition would ask of her, what he wants would put Sidi in a similar position. Though Sidi wouldn't have to perform as much manual labor, what Lakunle wants is a wife to show off and perform the part of the perfect Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio
It's never any use.
Bush-girl you are, bush-girl you'll always be.
Uncivilized and primitive—bush-girl!
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Sidi refuses to marry Lakunle without a bride price and she is offended when Lakunle kisses her. Lakunle sees kissing as a proper Western custom, while Sidi sees it as rude and unclean. This sets up several conflicts. First, it pits Lakunle, who represents progress and the Western world, against the traditional customs of the village. Then, Lakunle's language shows how ineffectively he communicates with the object of his affection. Though he'd previously raised Sidi up above the other villagers by insisting that she understands him, with this he insults both Sidi and the rest of the village. This makes Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam con
You are dressed like him
You look like him
You speak his tongue
You think like him
You're just as clumsy
In your Lagos ways—
You'll do for him!
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Explanation and Analysis:
Sidi and other villagers surround Lakunle and chant this at him to try to convince him to act the part of the stranger in the dance of the lost traveler. With their chant, the villagers turn Lakunle fully into an outsider. It's obvious that, though he exists among the villagers, they see him as a foreigner and not one of them. This begins to create the sense that modernity (as represented by Lakunle) and tradition (as represented by Baroka and the village) are in direct opposition to each other. Furthermore, the estrangement between Lakunle and the village in this passage Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus temp
Noon Quotes
My name is Sidi, and I am beautiful.
The stranger took my beauty
And placed it in my hands.
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Sadiku has just asked Sidi if she'd agree to marry Baroka, and Lakunle angrily responded by referring to Sidi by Biblical names. In her reply, Sidi insists that Lakunle use her real name, which shows that the photograph has given her a sense of autonomy and the power to assert her personhood. Sidi places her beauty, as revealed to her by the stranger, above both Western ideals (the Bible) and traditional images of power (Baroka). While this is definitely an empowering moment for Sidi, it's important to note that Sidi has this reaction to the magazine and the photographs because Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delect
Baroka merely seeks to raise his manhood
Above my beauty
He seeks new fame
As the one man who has possessed
The jewel of Ilujinle!
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Sidi tells Sadiku and Lakunle that Baroka only wants to marry her because her worth has appreciated with the photos taken by the stranger. Though Sidi is entirely correct that Baroka wants to possess and control her, and the photographs likely played a role in this decision, what's most telling about Sidi's words here is how she conceptualizes herself. Though the photographs allow Sidi to act as an independent person in charge of her life (something that the play would likely characterize as a masculine practice), she also talks about herself like she's an object. By referring to herself as Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Volup
They are lies, lies. You must not believe everything you hear. Sidi, would I deceive you? I swear to you...
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Sidi laughs and refuses Baroka's request (through Sadiku) that she join him for dinner, saying that all women who dine with him become wives or concubines the next day. Sadiku's response suggests her loyalty to Baroka, since she is defending his reputation and doing his bidding. Her loyalty is entirely understandable; his position as the Bale of Ilujinle is what gives Sadiku her power in the first place. This moment, however, foreshadows two tricks. First, when Sadiku asks Sidi if she would deceive her, Sadiku seems to rhetorically suggest that she is an honest person, but she quickly turns to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit
Night Quotes
Ah, I forget. This is the price I pay
Once every week, for being progressive.
Prompted by the school teacher, my servants
Were prevailed upon to form something they call
The Palace Workers' Union. And in keeping
With the habits—I am told—of modern towns,
This is their day off.
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Sidi enters Baroka's house unannounced because it's the servants' day off. Though Lakunle has consistently described Baroka as being in direct opposition to modernity and progress, in this passage Baroka doesn't seem angry at having to comply with his servants' demands to unionize and have days off. Instead, he seems merely resigned, though possibly annoyed. However, the fact that Baroka isn't angry or upset that he's being forced to accept this facet of modernity indicates that Baroka isn't the enemy of modernity. This moment begins to develop the plausibility of Baroka's belief that modernity isn’t always a bad thing. Instead Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. O
Did she not, perhaps... invent some tale?
For I know Sadiku loves to be
All-knowing.
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Baroka insists that Sidi has been talking to Sadiku, but Sidi denies this accusation. The audience sees here that Baroka is fully aware that Sadiku gets her power from the way she uses language to manipulate people. He knows that she's notorious for inventing stories, which hints at the fact that Sadiku’s story might not actually correlate with her increased power and that Sidi’s trick (which was inspired by Sadiku’s story) might not work as she intends. In this passage, Baroka proves himself to be as sly as his reputation suggests. Though he is calling Sadiku out on her tricks, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus t
To think that once I thought,
Sidi is the eye's delight, but
She is vain, and her head
Is feather-light, and always giddy
With a trivial thought. And now
I find her deep and wise beyond her years.
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Baroka has asked Sidi if she's behaving as a good village girl should, and Sidi assures him that she is. With his reply, Baroka tries to flatter Sidi. It's obvious that Sidi is exceptionally vain, and her vanity blinds her to some of the nuance of what's going on around her. However, by calling Sidi deep and wise, Baroka compliments Sidi and also throws her off balance, since she never expected to have this particular conversation with Baroka or to be complimented on any aspect of herself besides her looks. On another level, Baroka implies that Sidi's depth comes from Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessit
I do not hate progress, only its nature
Which makes all roofs and faces look the same.
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Baroka tells Sidi of his plans to create a postal system for the village with stamps featuring Sidi's photograph on them. This refutes Lakunle's insistence that Baroka is directly against modernity, and suggests that he only hates progress when it happens simply for the sake of progress. Baroka suggests here that modernity is a good thing when it directly benefits him or the village, though that doesn't stop him from lamenting the fact that modernity inevitably entails things progressively becoming more the same. This shows, too, that Baroka takes great pride in the day-to-day activities and customs of the village. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum volupta
The old must flow into the new, Sidi,
Not blind itself or stand foolishly
Apart. A girl like you must inherit
Miracles which age alone reveals.
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Baroka explains to Sidi that he and Lakunle have a lot to learn from each other, and that progress and modernity must coexist in order for society to experience success. With this, Baroka shows that he's not the backwards, selfish man that Lakunle thought he was. Baroka is actually interested in helping his people and embracing modernity where he sees an actual benefit to doing so. He also makes an underhanded jab at Lakunle with this, as Lakunle certainly both blinds himself to the positive aspects of tradition and stands apart from it. Finally, this is also dripping with sexual Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati
Dear Sidi, we shall forget the past.
This great misfortune touches not
The treasury of my love.
But you will agree, it is only fair
That we forget the bride-price totally
Since you no longer can be called a maid.
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Sidi has just revealed to Sadiku and Lakunle that Baroka raped her and she's no longer a virgin. Lakunle makes it very clear that he doesn't value Sidi for any of the reasons she values herself. For him, the fact that she's no longer a virgin simply makes his goals easier to accomplish, as that gets rid of the need for either the bride price or convincing Sidi to marry him without one. It shows that he views the fight for Sidi's hand in marriage as a purely logistical one. This also shows how self-centered Lakunle is. It never even Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut ali
A present from Sidi.
I tried to tear it up
But my fingers were too frail.
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When Sidi returns to the village square after preparing herself for her wedding, she offers Lakunle a copy of the magazine as a gift. Sidi indicates that she wasn't physically strong enough to destroy the magazine and the photographs of herself in it. The fact that Sidi couldn't tear it up is a metaphor for the fact that Sidi ended up being unable to control her image—in fact, others were able to use it to control her. Even though the photographs made Sidi feel beautiful and powerful when she first saw them, they ultimately took her power away by opening Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitat
Get the entire The Lion and the Jewel LitChart as a printable PDF.
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Sidi Character Timeline in The Lion and the Jewel
The timeline below shows where the character Sidi appears in The Lion and the Jewel. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Morning
Sidi, dressed in traditional broadcloth and balancing a pail of water on her head, walks through...
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Lakunle tries to take the pail of water from Sidi and spills water on himself in the process. Sidi and Lakunle tease each other and...
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Lakunle changes the subject. Motioning at Sidi's breasts and bare shoulders, he tells her that a "grown-up girl" must cover her shoulders...
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...that he will rise above the taunts from the "savages" of the village. This angers Sidi and she threatens to hit Lakunle, who responds airily that such a reaction from a...
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Sidi throws Lakunle off of her and asks if women who pound yams and plant crops...
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Sidi asks Lakunle where his crazy thoughts come from. He describes the city of Lagos, where...
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Sidi declares that she endured enough of Lakunle's nonsense the day before. Lakunle loudly takes offense...
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Angry again, Sidi tells Lakunle that his words sound the same but mean nothing. She reminds him that...
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Sidi tells Lakunle to pay the price, and Lakunle again shouts more words to describe the...
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Backing away with disgust, Sidi states that she hates kissing. She deems it unclean and asks if Lakunle is being...
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Sidi and Lakunle hear people coming. Sidi asks for her pail of water so the villagers...
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One of the girls says that the book surely makes Sidi look beautiful, and that Baroka is still looking at the images. The girl tells Sidi...
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Sidi asks if Baroka's photo is in the magazine as well, and one of the girls...
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Sidi declares that the images of her mean that she's more powerful than Baroka. Lakunle petulantly...
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Sidi suggests that they dance the dance of the "lost traveler." She moves through the crowd...
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...he states that the dance is idiotic and he has more important things to do. Sidi and the villagers surround Lakunle and chant that Lakunle looks, speaks, thinks, and is clumsy...
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...perfect shot. In the process, he falls into the river. The woman screams again and Sidi comes out from the trees, barely covered. She runs away and returns with the dancers...
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...villagers. He sets out a feast in the stranger's honor, and the stranger photographs everything. Sidi dances wildly and he takes a number of photographs of her. The stranger drinks the...
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Lakunle returns and Sidi happily tells him that he was a perfect stranger and should've been a jester instead...
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Noon
Sidi walks down the road followed by Lakunle, who is carrying firewood for her. Sidi is...
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Lakunle drops the wood and begins calling Baroka greedy and a trickster. Sidi asks Lakunle to be quiet, but Lakunle only drops to his knees, grabs Sidi's hands,...
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Sadiku asks Sidi if she'll agree to be Baroka's "jewel." Sidi tells Sadiku that she won't fall prey...
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Sidi refuses. She says that Baroka only wants to marry her because the stranger increased her...
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Sidi instructs Sadiku to return to Baroka and tell him that she won't marry him. Sidi...
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Sadiku finally asks Sango (a Yoruba god) to help Sidi, saying that an angry god is surely possessing her. She begins to leave but turns...
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...Baroka stopped the construction of a railway through Ilujinle. Sadiku says it's all hearsay, but Sidi asks Lakunle to explain.
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...in thought, Lakunle remarks that Baroka does have quite a selective eye for women. As Sidi and Sadiku slip away, Lakunle muses on the life of luxury Baroka leads with all...
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...if she's brought balm for his armpit and sends his favorite away. Sadiku explains that Sidi refused to marry Baroka. Baroka is unconcerned. He says they all refuse at first and...
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...failing, saying that all of them are tired long before he is. He states that Sidi would tire too, if he had the chance to show her how great age is....
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...a magazine from under the bed and opens it to look at the photos of Sidi. With a sigh, he compares some of the photos in the magazine before flinging it...
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Night
Later that evening, Sidi stands by the schoolhouse and admires her photographs in the magazine. Sadiku furtively enters the...
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...warning, my masters/We'll scotch you in the end" and dances around the statue of Baroka. Sidi approaches and scares Sadiku. Sadiku tells Sidi that this time of victory is not a...
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Sadiku makes Sidi swear silence and whispers in her ear. Sidi's eyes go wide and she asks why...
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Lakunle enters the village center, watches Sidi and Sadiku for a moment, and then declares that the women are going mad even...
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Sidi suddenly tells Sadiku to stop. She says that she wants to accept Baroka's invitation to...
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Lakunle calls Sidi foolish and reprimands Sadiku for not being able to keep a secret, insulting her age...
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...Lakunle that his betrothed is currently eating with Baroka. Lakunle seems pleased that Sadiku called Sidi his betrothed, but he quickly corrects her that they're not technically engaged yet. Sadiku laughs...
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In Baroka's bedroom, Baroka and his wrestler are wrestling. Sidi enters Baroka's house and yells the traditional greeting. Baroka hears her but chooses to ignore...
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Sidi asks if Baroka's wives also get the day off. Baroka says that the "madness" hasn't...
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Sidi seems disappointed by this explanation, and Baroka asks what more a woman could do to...
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The wrestling match continues and Sidi remains fascinated by it, though she suddenly remembers why she came in the first place....
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Baroka asks if Sidi thinks he's offended that she entered his bedroom without being announced. When Sidi reminds him...
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Sidi remembers her purpose again and adopting a mischievous tone, says she thought the favorite was...
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Watching the men wrestle, Sidi offers that she thinks the wrestler will win. Baroka asks her if she wants the...
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Sidi asks Baroka if he's experiencing a time of change right now, and Baroka replies that...
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Pacing and making more rude gestures behind Baroka's back, Sidi asks Baroka if he'd pay the bride price to this man if Baroka were her...
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Baroka asks if the man is rich or repulsive. Sidi says he's rich, but old. Baroka asks if the man is mean, and Sidi says...
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...bench. Composing himself, Baroka says that he knows the ways of women and he offers Sidi a hypothetical situation in which as a child, he himself learned to love "tanfiri" (the...
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Embarrassed, Sidi stops dancing when she sees Baroka eyeing her with confusion. She tries to recover and...
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Baroka, seeming desperate, asks if the man is still fathering children. Sidi says that he used to, but he hasn't had any children for the last several...
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Baroka acts annoyed and accuses Sidi of making him lose his wrestler. He sends the wrestler to find a gourd of...
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Sidi's use of "beg" seems to anger Baroka and he accuses her of taunting her elders....
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...his life without complaint and only dislikes the "new immodesty" of women. He asks if Sidi is still behaving like a village girl, and Sidi insists that she is. Baroka looks...
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Baroka hands Sidi the envelope and asks Sidi if she knows what the stamp is. Sidi says she...
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Baroka goes to a strange machine in the corner of his room and calls Sidi to look at it. He explains that the machine doesn't work yet, but when it's...
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Baroka asks Sidi if it's too much to ask for her beauty to grace the mail of Ilujinle....
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Baroka says that he and Sidi both have sensitive souls, and says that though they're a generation apart in age, their...
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Baroka assures Sidi that she's not dumb, just "straight and truthful." He says that he and Lakunle are...
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...drumming and shouting. Later that evening, Lakunle and Sadiku stand in the market waiting for Sidi, watching vendors hawk their wares. Lakunle paces and looks worried and angry, while Sadiku looks...
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As people pass, Lakunle continues to search the crowd for Sidi. When the wrestler passes, Sadiku greets him. After their exchange, she looks confused. Lakunle laments...
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Sidi runs into the market square, sobbing. She violently throws herself on the ground next to...
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Looking up, Sidi calls Sadiku and Lakunle fools and says that Baroka lied to Sadiku about his manhood....
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...wish to die is cowardly, and says that his love is selfless. He stands over Sidi and says that they'll forget the past. He says what happened won't change his love,...
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Sadiku wonders what Sidi's doing. Lakunle, looking after Sidi, says that she's going home and asks Sadiku to follow...
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Sadiku returns to Lakunle and says that Sidi is packing her things and oiling herself like a bride. Alarmed, Lakunle says that there's...
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Sidi enters the square, dressed beautifully and carrying a bundle and the magazine. The crowd goes...
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Sidi looks surprised and asks if Lakunle really thought she'd marry him after sleeping with Baroka....
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Sidi kneels before Sadiku and asks Sadiku to bless her fertility. Sadiku does and accepts Sidi's...
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