The setting takes place in a transport depot of Nigerian town. In a garage, where the salvaged parts of crashed cars are sold, the owner named Professor, an unorthodox Christian, is engaged in trying to understand the meaning of death. According to Pushpa, “It is simply a play about a day in the strange life of a group of drivers in Nigerian road, their aimless existence, waiting for jobs, drinking, sleeping; dreaming of an exciting future is dominated by the obscure but powerful presence of the professor. He runs an establishment providing spare parts for vehicle, which is looted from road accident”. The Road is the product of Nigerian experiences during the middle of the twentieth century and it reflects the different roles played by drugs, criminals, corrupt policemen and unscrupulous politicians.
The play opens with the Conversation between Samson and Salubi. Both are talking on various issues of the Society like parody of the police force, the church and the absurd morality of the wars. Professor, a protagonist of the play, owns a shop called “AKSIDENT STORE”. In a shop Professor selling a part of wrecked cars to drivers who need them. Some other people’s helps professor, they depend on the road for their livelihood. Kotonu, a lorry driver who assists professor in is business. Samson, Kotonu’s companion and tout, is distressed with Kotonu’s indifference to his profession. Salubi, a private chauffeur, managed to obtain a driver’s uniform but has no driving license. Say Tokyo Kid is a typical
character, relevant to the universal political scene. He is lorry driver, but is more interested in leading gang of hooligans. Such gangs help politicians in disrupting meetings of the opponents. Joe is another typical character- a corrupt policeman, fits into the scene smoothly.
Professor himself was a Sunday- school teacher and lay preacher in a church close to his shop. He lost his position in the church after charges of embezzlement of funds and drunken misbehavior were foisted on him, causes Professor lost his faith in the validity of Christian teaching, and retained his interest in spiritual matters. He is obsessed to find the mysterious truth called “the word” and he believes that we cannot understand the meeting of life, unless we understand the meaning of death. This notion prompts him to settle close to the road, as numbers of accidents occur there. He even manipulates certain accidents.
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Professor and his worshippers conduct a kind of communication, different from that being administrated in the church. They drink palm-wine served by Murano. Murano is taking part in religious feast in honour of Ogun. He is possessed by god, and runs across the road. He is run over by Kotonu, who is driving the lorry, and could not apply the brakes on time. Professor being happy to keep Murano with him, as he feels that Murano is close to death. He is keen on his doing the ritual dance, so that he could get a revelation of the world. At the end, Say Tokyo Kid makes an attempt to stop the ritual dance, during the fight between both professor and Say Tokyo Kid. Say Tokyo Kid stabs knife to Professor and play comes
to an end with the death of professor.
Wole Soyinka The Road Summary Part I
Wole Soyinka The Road Summary Part II
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