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The Road (play)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


The Road is a 1965 play by Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian playwright, poet, and director.[1] The play explores the activities at a roadside workshop, known as Aksident Store, where drivers discuss their experiences on the road.

Plot

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The plot revolves around Samson, a driver's assistant, and Salubi, a young driver without a license, who discuss their work experiences inside the store. Salubi works independently and only accepts individual passengers, while Samson is employed by Kotonu, who operates an unofficial bus converted from a truck. Kotonu and the professor join the conversation. Kotonu, who stopped driving after a serious accident, now works with the professor, who appears more of a religious enthusiast than a businessman, believing he can comfort the spirits of the deceased. He leaves with Kotonu to visit a collision scene.[2][3]

The professor, who is not a clergyman, had previously preached in a church near the shop. Samson explains to Salubi why the professor left following a dispute with the bishop that resulted in a church wall collapsing. Samson convinces Kotonu to admit to helping the professor steal parts from the damaged cars to sell in the shop when he returns from the accident scene.[4]

At Aksident Store, where the professor also sells palm wine, several unemployed drivers and assistants gather. These individuals have been united by Say-Tokyo-Kid to form a group that is hired to provide security or incite violence at political events. Particulars Joe, the local police officer, arrives to collect his bribes, and Chief-in-Town, the local politician, stops by to hire the group. Three men enter the shop looking for specific auto parts. When the professor arrives, Samson and Salubi ask him to copy a fake driver's license from Kotonu, who has since stopped driving. The professor initially refuses due to Salubi's disrespectful language but later changes his mind and agrees.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "The Road | play by Soyinka | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  2. ^ "The Road Summary - eNotes.com". eNotes. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  3. ^ Gibbs, James (1995). "The Writer and the Road: Wole Soyinka and Those Who Cause Death by Dangerous Driving". Journal of Modern African Studies. 33 (3): 469–498. doi:10.1017/S0022278X00021212.
  4. ^ "Analysis of the road".
  5. ^ Maledo, Richard (2011-01-01). "Structure and meaning in Soyinka's • works: a case study of The Road". Journal of the Literary Society of Nigeria. Vol.3 No. 1.