The story of The Swamp Dwellers, by Wole Soyinka, based in Nigeria focuses on the society working through change between the city and the country. All the character roles in The Swamp Dwellers were very strong. Alu, my character focus, shows as a very determined and focused woman. She shows many good characteristics in the story, but as a woman for that time era and setting, her manor was quite different. This is something many women should aspire today and everyday. In the following paragraphs, I"m going to discuss a few of Alu's characteristics as it's portrayed in The Swamp Dwellers. .
One of the characteristics Alu represented is determination. This is determination in many ways. One side of her determination is to locate where she "believes" her lost son Igwezu is. As any mother would do, she shows such determination to find him and will do whatever it takes to bring him home to the country. While discussing her son with her husband Makuri, she shows her determination as she states, "I"m going out to shout his name until he hears me. (Soyinka 103) or " I"m going after him. I don't want to lose him too. I don't want him missing his foothold and vanishing without a cry, without a chance for anyone to save him." As you can see, her love for her child is very strong and she is not stopping until she finds him. She also shows a type of determination with Makuri. She always has the last word and also shows that her last word are correct there conversations. Her personality reminds me of my mother. While growing up, I remember her being very determined. Once her mind was set, she did it; no matter what it took, whether it was by herself or if she had the family with her, it happened. .
Another characteristic Alu shows very strongly is her self confidence. What I mean by that is that she stands up for herself in many situations. Her demeanor is very strong for a woman; especially for a woman in the 60's era.
